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What’s more than 2,500 years old but still applied to strategy and planning for great success in business, politics, and international diplomacy to this day? Well, the “三十六计 (sān shí liù jì) 36 ancient Chinese strategies” and their theories, of course! If you read How to Apply 36 Chinese Stratagems to Business this ...
If you’ve ever read “The Art of War” you would also enjoy the “三十六计 (Sān shí liù jì) 36 ancient Chinese strategies” and their theories. Each proverb is accompanied by a brief explanation that explains how said proverb is applicable to military tactics. Its focus on the use of cunning and deception both on the ...
Quick question? What’s the one thing that’s very controversial around the office? “Office jargon”! Employees are constantly steering the nuances of working in environments with people from so many different walks of life.
This issue can actually get much more controversial, especially if you introduce language dynamics into this already complicated issue. In the Chinese business ...
Life in China is different in so many ways from life in America. One of the most noticeable differences is the goods available for purchase in the shops and supermarkets. For my foreign classmates and myself, finding our everyday goods such as deodorant, maple syrup and DVDs can be an impossible challenge. Likewise, many of ...
If you’re ever planning on living in China and understanding Mandarin Chinese, a working knowledge of Chinese words with both literal and figurative meanings will be absolutely necessary to follow the topic and direction of the conversation. If we are learning through books or outdated lessons, we may take every word literally and miss the ...
Chinese New Year is coming. The “年终奖 (niánzhōng jiǎng) year-end bonus” has recently become a hot topic in China. At the end of each year, what people most often talk about is the “年终奖 (niánzhōng jiǎng) year-end bonus”. After a year of hard work, getting a “年终奖 (niánzhōng jiǎng) year-end bonus” is both comforting and ...
My favorite moments in the virtual classroom are when I see my students learn a new word and I can see the light-bulb go off in their heads. They become excited that they can use it in a sentence and in daily life immediately.
This word is perfect to expand your Mandarin vocabulary. Ready?
掏腰包 (tāo yāobāo). ...
From bankers to factory staff, employees in the West face the bleak prospect of “丢饭碗 (diū fàn wăn) losing one’s jobs” as a global “经济衰退 (jīng jì shuāituì) recession” starts to bite. For colleagues in the East, the pain is more likely to come through a “减薪 (jiăn xīn) pay cut.” Human resource experts say ...
When I first traveled to China, I ended up spending 3 months learning Mandarin and making friends. Those first few months my friends had special occasions. One of them got married. One had a birthday. Another’s sister had a baby. I wasn’t sure what the custom was to offer congratulations. Should I get them a ...
Often on the first day of class, I like to discuss with my students why they chose to learn Mandarin Chinese in China. Some students are young and interested in the appeal of something mysterious. Some of my students are a few decades older and settling down in China with family or already working in ...
Drinking culture in China, compared drinking culture in Western societies is quite different. And, by “drinking” I don’t mean tea or juice! Just as most other societies like to “put one back” and have one (or many!) alcoholic beverages in an evening, so too do the Chinese. However, it’s good to do your homework before ...
The second largest economy in the world, China, is rapidly changing.
Recently two young men tried to rob a convenience store in China. They got in their disguises, gathered their weapons and drove in the middle of the night to a local convenience store. When they demanded the owner open the register – there was no ...
Sometimes, the job of a Mandarin Chinese teacher in China is to help students deal with day-to-day obstacles in life. This week, many of my students are freaking out over the new computer virus called WannaCry that is affecting individuals and organizations around the world. In China, without local knowledge, students are relying on Chinese ...
Arriving in Beijing a year ago to begin my Mandarin Chinese course was a pretty intimidating experience. Unlike a week long vacation, this move to China seemed to feel permanent. I was settling in China to master Chinese and perhaps begin a long and exciting career in this mysterious country. Such things as a hotel ...
Some students living in China may face a major decision. If their cellphone breaks or gets stolen, where will they go to buy a new one? In China, most people would go to a cellphone brand’s official store, or to an underground cellphone market for the cheap prices. If you know about these two different ...
If you stay in China for a while, you will come to find that many Chinese people use English names. The amounts of Jacks and Lisas you meet will be an endless stream, despite their Chinese names all being very different. Many might ask, why are they using English names instead of their real names? ...
As the saying goes: “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”.
Making personal contacts and relationships and then applying them to work in China is just as important as it is in any country. It can make or break you!
In Mandarin Chinese, we use “打交道 (dǎ jiāodào)” as a common word in our daily ...
“Would you like separate checks, or all together?”
Anyone who has eaten in a North American restaurant knows this question from the waiter or waitress. When the plates have been taken away and it’s time to pay the bill, payment usually happens separately. It’s quite rare, unless it’s an office dinner or lunch, for one single ...
In your quest for learning Chinese, it is likely you have come into contact with a Chinese menu. Its very possible at first glance, the menu was set aside in disbelief. What on earth do these names mean? What are you actually ordering? In some cases, Chinese dishes do not have names with obvious meanings. ...
The G20 (or G-20 or Group of Twenty) is an international forum for the governments of 20 of the largest economies in the world. Each year, the G20 holds an annual “summit,”or “meeting,” to address many of the world’s economic and financial problems. Past locations for the summit have included Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Seoul, Toronto, ...
