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”万圣节 (wànshèngjié) Halloween” is celebrated on October 31st in many countries around the world, and even though it’s not a Chinese holiday, over the years it has become very popular in China, Taiwan, and other Asian countries and regions. But today we won’t spend much time on the cultural background of this holiday – since ...
Have you heard the expression, “盘他(pán tā)”?
The expression was made popular by a TikTok video where the speaker said, “Don’t mind what he is, 盘他(pán tā). Everything can be ‘盘’, just ‘盘’”.
What does that mean?
Let’s talk about 盘(pán) first.
Now, you may have seen the word 盘(pán) before in the context of eating. For example: 一盘菜(yī pán cài). This literally means, ...
“斜杠青年(xiégāng qīngnián),” or, “Slashers”, are people who make multiple income streams simultaneously from different careers.
“斜杠(xiégàng)” literally means “slash” in English, and refers to the “/” (particularly the key on the computer keyboard). The term was coined by Marci Alboher, a New York Times columnist, in her book One Person/Multiple Careers, in which she used “slashers” ...
As in English, in Chinese there are different ways to talk about understanding something. In English you might say, “I get it,” or, “Can you comprehend this?” or, “She understands that,” etc.
In Chinese, “理解(lǐjiě)” and “了解(liǎojiě)” are two verbs, both of which mean, “to know and understand”. However, there’s a difference: “了解” has a broader ...
Did you know that the Chinese language is changing at an unbelievable pace? Don’t worry, you will still be able to speak using everyday conversation words and phrases. The rapid change that you need to keep up with, however, is on the internet and with the ever-evolving world of slang. Slang is not only fun, ...
We all hate them and know they aren’t fair but are you guilty of having any “双标（shuāng biāo)?” It means double standard but the full term is “双重标准(shuāng chóng biāo zhǔn)”. Maybe you aren’t even aware of what a double standard is! In that case, it refers to the opposite judgment or behavior of the ...
1. What does “宝藏男孩 (Bǎo zàng nán hái)” mean?
“宝藏男孩 (Bǎo zàng nán hái) Treasure boy ” is a hot Chinese word on the Internet, which common used to describe that you like to have a lot of unknown talents on your body slowly discovered by everyone.
The Chinese term “宝藏男孩 (Bǎo zàng nán hái) Treasure ...
Every language and culture has their own metaphors, and often these are shared. When studying Mandarin you’ll learn many colorful and creative metaphors as well as their cultural origins and significance.
Dating back 5,000 years Chinese culture has a plethora of metaphors, some new and some old. Figurative language doesn’t always pass through a language barrier ...
Have you ever seen a live performance, that was so magnificent and energetic, that it almost seemed like the floor itself was jumping? Musicians, athletes, and people who exhibit extraordinary traits are usually considered hardcore, cool and awesome. In an internet-centric world, it would only make sense that there would be a new buzzword created ...
We’ve all had that friend or colleague who just seems to always have everything in order. It’s as if a genie granted each and every wish he or she has commanded. While this is great news for some people, the truth is that it doesn’t come without envious remarks. “Envy” – In China, there is ...
Have you heard of the emerging and trendy internet slang from China called “土味情话 (tǔwèi qínghuà) ”? It can be compared to “cheesy pick-up lines” in English. “土味 (tǔwèi)” usually means outdated or old-school, while “情话 (qínghuà)” refers to the sweet nothings shared between lovers. Thus it’s a funny way to flirt with your partner ...
We live in a time where buying something without a recommendation is uncommon. Consumerism has fueled large corporations to supply the increasing demand for their products, with various ranges. Many times it can be hard to determine whether or not the product or service will actually live up to its claims. The social shopping scene ...
Interjections are commonly used in our daily life which are also known as “叹词 (tàncí)" or "感叹词 (gǎntàncí)" in Mandarin Chinese. These kinds of expressions are used in our daily lives to express exclamations or make various kinds of emotional responses. It happens every day! We use interjections or exclamations to express our emotional ...
I’m writing about two simple and useful words in Mandarin Chinese that you can use on a daily basis to describe things that are fast or slow. These terms, “龟速 (guīsù) slow” and “神速 (shénsù) fast”, I learned when reading and discussing Children’s stories in my beginner Mandarin class.
Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and the ...
Have you ever hear the Chinese term 爆表 (bàobiǎo)? Currently this term is extremely popular among young Chinese people and its all over the internet! This fun term originally referred to when a meter “explodes,” or the reader is higher than what the instrument can read, for example, there is an AQI over 500 but ...
“Your Chinese is probably the worst in the class.” A classmate said jokingly to my close friend in a study abroad program. Although her Chinese was not the best, it definitely wasn’t the worse. Yet, she took his teasing very personally and I am pretty sure even cried about it later!
Afterwards, my Chinese roommate taught ...
After looking at the photo above are your eyes feeling spicy? What I mean is, does it feel like a pepper has been squirted in your eye? In Chinese, there is a fabulous internet phrase to describe when you are looking at something awful: 辣眼睛 (làyǎnjīng) or “spicy eyes.” It is a way of commenting ...
Recently, a humorous video titled “Obama hilariously mocks own retirement in skit” gained attention in the US and also in China. What was the occasion for the humorous video and what exactly did Obama do in it? He did something that we call “自黑 (zìhēi) self-mockery” in Chinese.
Each year, at the Washington Hilton, the White ...
Jack: Eric, néng jiè diǎnr qián gěi wǒ ma?
Jack: Eric, 能 借 点儿 钱 给 我 吗？
Jack: Eric, can you lend me some money?
Eric: Nǐ yòu méi qián le?
Eric: 你 又 没 钱 了？
Eric: You ran out of money again?
Jack: Shì a, wǒ xiànzài qióng de zhǐnéng chītǔ le.
Jack: 是啊，我 现在 穷 得 只能 吃土 了。
Jack: Yeah, I’m _____.
What can we learn from the dialogue?
A. Jack wants to ...
Well, summer is here, the hottest time of the year. Do you feel burned by the sun? We do! But we always try to use sun protection. In Chinese, "晒 (shài)" means "to sun" or "to shine." "晒太阳 (shài tàiyang)" means "to bask in the sun." Most people who bask in the sun this year ...
