Answer: D “月饼(yuèbǐng) moon cake” is the Chinese traditional food for the Mid-autumn Festival, “汤圆(tāngyuán) rice dumpling” for the Lantern Festival and “粽子(zòngzi) zongzi”for the Dragon Boat Festival. “豆腐脑(dòufunǎo) tofu jelly”, also called “豆腐花(dòufuhuā)”, is a kind of special snacks in China. Many Chinese would …
Answer: B Let’s take a look at the answer choices. As for A and C, “你真棒(Nǐ zhēn bàng)” and “你真牛(Nǐ zhēn niú)” both mean “You are great” in English and they are usually used in compliments.
Lǐ Lán: Wǒ tōngguò miànshì le! 李 兰：我 …
Compliments can be helpful in a lot of social situations. Maybe you need to suck up to your boss, flatter a pretty girl, or you just feel like letting someone know they’ve done a good job. So, do you know how to compliment someone in …
Correct Answers 1. A 2. B <<Back to “Flattering & Giving Compliments in Chinese”
Compliments play an important role in maintaining good social relationships. After all, it never hurts to make others feel good about themselves! Let’s learn how to pay your Chinese friends compliments in Mandarin.
First, let’s have a look at the most common sentence structure for …
Answer: A The twelve Chinese zodiac animals are: “鼠(shǔ) Rat,” “牛(niú) Ox,” “虎(hǔ) Tiger,” “兔(tù) Hare,” “龙(lóng) Dragon,” “蛇(shé) Snake,” “马(mǎ) Horse,” “羊(yáng) Sheep/Goat,” “猴(hóu) Monkey,” “鸡(jī) Rooster,” “狗(gǒu) Dog,” and “猪(zhū) Boar.” You can see from this list that there is no “猫(māo) cat” …
Each year of the Chinese zodiac is represented by twelve different animals. Are you familiar with all of them? Try the following question to check! Which of the following animals does not belong in the Chinese zodiac? A. “猫(māo) Cat” B. “狗(gǒu) Dog” C. “猪(zhū) …
Dragon Boat Festival in Chinese is 端午节(Duānwǔ jié). It is on the fifth of May of lunar calendar. There are many legends about this traditional festival and the most popular one is “屈原 (Qū Yuán)QuYuan,” who was a Chinese scholar and minister to the King …
We have previously introduced Sichuan’s “麻辣(málà)” and Hunan’s “香辣(xiānglà)” flavors. In this last issue of our three-part sizzling-hot tour of China we will learn about one more unique kind of “spiciness” — the “酸辣(suānlà) sour spiciness” of “贵州(guìzhōu).” The special climate of Guizhou Province is, …
Answer: A In China, the full name of a Han Chinese person (Han is the largest ethnic group in China) is composed of two parts: the surname and the given name. In Chinese, the surname comes first and is then followed by the given …
How much do you know about Chinese surnames and given names? Take the following test! If a Chinese woman’s name is 张小梅(Zhāng Xiǎoméi), then 张(Zhāng) is _____. A. her surname B. her given name
Correct Answers: 1. B 2. C 3. C <<Back to “Three ‘Spicy’ Provinces in China (Part II) – Hunan”
In China, “辣椒(làjiāo) chili” has rich cultural connotations. The fire-red chilies, connected with feelings of joy and celebration, symbolize colorful and thriving lives. What’s more, the character “交(jiāo) make friends or associate with someone” is a homophone of “椒(jiāo)”, suggesting that making good friends with …
Correct Answers: 1. B 2. A 3. C <<Back to “Three ‘Spicy’ Provinces in China (Part I) – Sichuan”
(Want to travel in China? Try a Travel Chinese lesson first!)
Mention of the word “spicy” often reminds people of hot peppers, which turn red when ripening. In China, red color is the color of auspiciousness and prosperity, symbolizing good luck, …
Correct Answer: A First off, it should be made clear that China has long been a patriarchal society, where males have traditionally played dominant roles in political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and also control of property. In ancient China, females were not supposed to …
How does dating work in China? Try this little test to check how much you know about dating in Chinese culture! Who is supposed to pay the bill on a date according to Chinese custom? A. The man B. The woman C. Go Dutch, so …
Have you ever heard of Chinese “糖画(tánghuà) sugar painting?” If not, check out the video below for a glimpse of this intricate, edible art!
Have you ever seen anything like what the artist makes in the video? Do you think the way “糖画(tánghuà)” is made …
