General Chinese (Advanced Level)

When I first decided to learn Mandarin Chinese, it was mostly because of China’s rising economy and all the business opportunities between China and western countries. However, once I began the language learning process, I became much more interested in Chinese culture and history.
This interest led me to read some of the classic books ...

It’s an exciting time to be in China! The country is changing each year. The role of women in China is evolving and females are gaining skills and qualities that were not common in the past. In many of my Mandarin Chinese classes here in Beijing, we discuss what it means to be a woman ...

We all decided it would be really funny to prank our teacher for April Fool’s Day. We had painted Easter Eggs as an activity with some local children and they were sitting in the window of our classroom. We thought it would be hilarious to replace the eggs with some baby chicks a classmate had ...

An old English expression says:
“Most burglaries are committed by casual opportunists”
We all know someone who will step over their neighbors to get what they desire. It happens in every country and every culture, unfortunately. When these opportunistic people take advantage of a situation, in Chinese we call this action “占便宜 (zhàn piányi).” It could ...

A recent study named men in Shanghai as the most submissive, or “henpecked,” in China. The English term “henpecked” is often used to describe these males whose feathers have been “plucked” by their women (his hen). These “henpecked” husbands and boyfriends are controlled by their women, consistently following her demands and advice and often ignoring ...

Since China’s dramatic and successful hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games “奥运会 (Aoyùnhuì),” the Chinese people have considered The Olympics as a point of pride for their country. The Beijing games, and its colorful opening ceremony, captured the attention of the world and are still the most-watched Olympics in history. After China won 50 gold ...

The “元宵节 (yuánxiāojié) Lantern Festival” is several days after the Spring Festival. The Lantern Festival, which falls on January 15th of the lunar calendar, is another important traditional festival in China. In the evening of that day, streets are decorated with lanterns and festoons and also filled with the sound of gongs and drums. ...

Michael Jackson
中国人的迈克尔·杰克逊记忆 ( zhōngguórén de mài kè ěr·jié kè xùn jìyì) Chinese Memories of Michael Jackson

The death of Michael Jackson has shocked his Chinese fans around the world. On June 26, 2009, Chinese students from Beijing held a vigil in memory of Michael Jackson. After his death, Jackson’s Chinese website MJJCN.COM broke down because ...

The phrase “金婚(jīnhūn)” has become more popular ever since the release of the TV series (learn Chinese through movies and TV programs) “金婚(jīnhūn)” in 2006. As the title suggests, it is a story about an ordinary couple’s fifty-year marriage from 1956 to the new century.”金婚(jīnhūn)” refers to a fifty-year marriage. Chinese use different phrases ...

讲价 (jiăngjià) Bargaining
Beginner Level / 初级chūjí
Gùkè: Qĭngwèn zhè tiáo kùzi duōshăo qián?
顾客：请问         这   条   裤子    多少     钱？
Customer: Excuse me, how much are these pants?
Shòuhuòyuán: Yībăi sānshí yuán.
售货员：          1 30               元。
Shop Assistant: 130.
Gùkè: Yŏu  zhékòu ma?
顾客：有       折扣    吗？
Customer: Any discount?
生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:
裤子 (kùzi):  n pants, trousers
顾客 (gùkè):  n customer
售货员 (shòuhuòyuán):  n shop assistant
折扣 (zhékòu):   n discount
用法(yòngfă) Usage:
“条”(tiáo) is a qualifier. It is frequently used in phrases like:
Yì tiáo wéijīn
一 条     围巾
one scarf
Yì tiáo yú
一  条   鱼
one fish
Yì tiáo chuan
一   条     船
one boat
(Take a test of “ 条tiáo” here.)
Intermediate Level / 中级zhōngjí
Gù kè: Qĭngwèn zhè xiāngjiāo duōshăo qián yì jīn?
顾客： 请问        这     香蕉         多少      钱  一  斤？
Customer: Excuse me, how much are these bananas?
Shòuhuòyuán: Liùyuán yì jīn. zhèxiē xiāngjiāo hĕn xīnxiān de.
售货员：          6元    一  斤。 这些      香蕉   ...