Answer: B The translation of “喝西北风(hēxīběifēng)” is “to drink the northwest wind.” It is a Chinese idiom which means getting nothing to eat or, essentially, having to live on air. The idiom comes from the philosophy of Taoism — “吸风(xīfēng) to absorb the air,” which …
In the Chinese language there are many interesting idioms, or turns of phrase. How many do you know? How about the following one? What is the implied meaning of the Chinese idiom – “喝西北风(hēxīběifēng)”? A. to predict the weather B. to have nothing to eat …
Answer: B In option A, “蜜蜂(mìfēng)” means “bee” and “蜂蜜(fēngmì)” means “honey.” In B, “苹果(píngguǒ)” is “apple” but the character combination “果苹(guǒpíng)” doesn’t hold any meaning in Chinese. In option C, “国王(guówáng)” refers to “a king” and “王国(wángguó)” is his “kingdom.” Finally, in D, “白雪(báixuě)” …
In Chinese, some two-character words or phrases will take on new meanings if the order of the two characters is swapped. For example, “牛奶(niúnǎi)” means “milk” but “奶牛(nǎiniú)” means “cow”, “喜欢(xǐhuān)” is “to like” but “欢喜(huānxǐ)” is “happy”, and “刷牙(shuāyá)” means “to brush one’s teeth” …
Try this test to check your mastery of the pinyin of “扫地” and “扫把”. Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks. Zhāng Yáng zhèngzài yòng ( ) ( ). 张 阳 正在 用 扫把 扫地。 Zhang Yang is sweeping the floor with …
Answer: C In Chinese there are a few polyphones, or characters with multiple pronunciations, “扫(sǎo/sào)” in the test is one of them. The two pronunciations of “扫(sǎo/sào)” express different meanings. “扫(sǎo)” means “sweep” in English, as in to clean the dust and rubbish away, like …
Answer: B “对(duì)” and “双(shuāng)” are two Chinese measure words. They can both be translated as “a pair of” in English, and there are only a few differences between them. In the Chinese language, “双(shuāng)” is used to describe things that often come in pairs …
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks. Wǒ xīn mǎi le _____ yùndòngxié hé _____ ěrhuán. 我 新 买 了 _____ 运动鞋 和 _____ 耳环。 I bought a new _____ sneakers and _____ earrings. A. 一对(yíduì), 一双(yìshuāng)
B. 一双(yìshuāng), 一对(yíduì)
Answer: A In Chinese, “经常(jīngcháng)” and “通常(tōngcháng)” are both used as adverbials. “经常(jīngcháng)” means “often or frequently”, which is a time adverbial emphasizing that the action happens many times, and that the time between each occurrence is very short. On the other hand, “通常(tōngcháng)” means …
In Chinese, we use “经常(jīngcháng)” or “通常(tōngcháng)” to express frequency. Do you know the differences between the two? Take the following test to have a try! Wǒ zuìjìn _____ jiābān. 我 最近 _____ 加班。 I _____ work overtime these days. A. 经常(jīngcháng)
B. 通常(tōngcháng)
Yesterday, May 6, 2015, was a special day called 立夏(Lì xià),” the seventh solar term of the 24 Chinese Solar Terms This is the day that marks the beginning of the hot summer in China. These days, the maximum air temperatures of most cities in …
Answer: C To express “not even one” in Chinese, we usually use the following structure: “Subjective + 一 + Measure Word + (Noun) + 也/都 + Verb.” “一(yī)” means “one” and it is followed by a measure word. You can use either “也(yě)” or “都(dōu),” …
There may be times when you want to emphasize how little of something you have or how seldom you have done something, like “none at all” or “not even once” in English. Do you know how to express this in Chinese? Take the following test …
The answer is A. Let’s take a look at how to get to the bottom of this Chinese brainteaser. Chinese people often use “先生 (xiānsheng) Mr.” to address a “男人(nánrén)man.” In Chinese, separately “先 (xiān)” means “first, earlier, or before” and “生(sheng)” means “to be …
Q: Shìjièshàng xiānyǒu nánrén háishì xiānyǒu nǚrén? Q: 世界上 先有 男人 还是 先有 女人？ Q: Who was born first on the earth: a woman or a man? A. 男人(nánrén)
B. 女人(nǚrén)
Paper money is what keeps any country running, and the RMB, or yuan, is the currency of China. In many countries, paper currency is not only practical, but also features well-known public figures and landmarks. For example, you can see the White House on the …
Do you know the difference between “左右(zuǒyòu)” and “大概(dàgài)?” Give this test a try! Tā kànqǐlái sānshísuì _____. 他 看起来 三十岁_____。 He looks about 30 years old. Tā kànqǐlái _____ sānshísuì. 他 看起来 _____ 三十岁。 He looks nearly 30 years old. A. 左右(zuǒyòu); 大概(dàgài)
B. …
