Video Lesson: You Are Insane! (Beginner)
Your friend did something silly. Express your feeling in a lighthearted way. Watch Video Answers…
Mandarin Essentials
Single in China: It’s a Dog’s Life
To be single is to be like an abandoned pup. Melodramatic, huh? In China, there’s a popular term for this unpleasant state of affairs: 单身狗 (dānshēnɡǒu), which translates to “single dog.”
“单身狗 (dānshēnɡǒu) Single dog” is an Internet slang. It refers to people who are …
Video Lesson: Don’t call me “xiǎojiě!” OK?
Your Chinese female friends felt offended when you called them “xiǎojiě.” But why? Watch this video and find out the answer. …
Chinese Idiom: 半途而废 (bàntú’érfèi) To Give Up Halfway (Beginner)
Key Learning Points (Preview): 回家 (huíjiā): v.
to go home
然后 (ránhòu): adv. then/after that
Listen to the whole story:
Wèiguó yǒu gè jiào Yuè Yángzǐ de rén dào yuǎnfāng qù xúnshī qiúxué. 魏 国 有 个 叫 乐 羊子 的 人 到 远方 去 …
Answer to The Secret Behind Telling Time with “前(qián) before”
Answer: C
时间段+前 (a period of time + before)
When using “a period of time+前(qián),” for example, “1个月前(yí gè yuè qián),” it means that the time the speaker is taking about is one month prior to when they are speaking, the translation would be “one …
The Secret Behind Telling Time with “前(qián) before”
Depending on where the character “前(qián) before” is placed in the sentence can change the meaning. For example, 时间段+前 (a period of time + before) vs 前+时间段 (before + a period of time). Try the quiz below to see if you can figure out the …
You’re Never Too Old to “广场舞 (guǎngchǎngwǔ) Square Dancing!”
Too shy to let your guard down and bust a move when you’re on a night out? Maybe you should let China’s square dancers help you get in the groove. If you walk around a Chinese city in the evening, you’ll surely find them. “广场舞 …
雪中送炭 To Offer Fuel in Snowy Weather
雪中送炭 (xuězhōngsòngtàn) To offer fuel in snowy weather
Key Learning Points (Preview):
木炭 (mùtàn) n. charcoal
品尝 (pǐncháng) v. taste
Sòngcháo de shíhou, Sòng Tàizōng Zhào Guāngyì shì yígè guānxīn qióngkǔrén de huángdì. 宋朝 的 时候， 宋太宗 赵 光义 是 一个 关心 穷苦人 的 皇帝。 …
Chinese Idiom: 纸上谈兵 (zhǐshàngtánbīng) Armchair Strategy
The
“纸上谈兵(zhǐshàngtánbīng) armchair strategy” refers to people who engage in idle talk, but are unable to act on their high minded theories. It is usually used to urge people to combine theories with practical knowledge and not be bookworms. Let’s read about the …
Answer to Go “玩(wán) Play” the Right Way!
Answer: D Even thought the word “play” in English takes on many different meanings, in Chinese there is often a different word for different actions. Perhaps the most similar word in Chinese to the word play, would be “玩(wán).” This word is used as a …
Go “玩(wán) Play” the Right Way!
There are many words in Chinese that mean “to play” so you have to be careful which one you use in different situations! Mǎ Kè: Wáng Míng, zhōumò yìqǐ ( ) lánqiú ba! 马 克：王 明， 周末 一起（ ） 篮球 吧！ Mark: Wang Ming, Let’s …
Basic Sentences to Help Tourists Get Around China
If you are just starting to learn Chinese, but already preparing a trip to China, you might find these basic sentences very useful to getting around. They are so basic, that as your Chinese improves, you’ll find that you never stop using these phrases!
Xǐshǒujiān
… Answer to A Great Misunderstanding Caused by The Missing “包(bāo)Bag”
Answer:
1. B
2. C
Did you guess right? This dialogue is very funny once you understand, but pretty tricky! That is because the character “包(bāo)” in Chinese has many different meanings. Here are the two meanings that are relevant to the dialogue: The first …
A Great Misunderstanding Caused by The Missing “包(bāo)Bag”
1. Which character is causing the misunderstanding between the policeman and woman? A. 身上(shēnshàng) B. 包(bāo) C. 放心(fàngxīn) D. 不见(bújiàn) 2. What does the police man mean by saying “包在我身上(bāo zài wǒ shēnshàng)?” A. He took the woman’s bag. B. He doesn’t know who stole …
Why 2016 Makes an Ancient Chinese Idiom Contradict Itself?
The Chinese idiom “猴年马月(hóunián mǎyuè)” literally means “monkey year, horse month” and is causing a lot of excitement on social media in China. Following the cycle of the 12 Chinese zodiacs, every 12 years is the year of the monkey. In accordance with this, each …