Popular Words (Beginner Level)

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

我的神啊 (wŏ de shén a)
Where does it originate?
“我的神啊”(wŏ de shén a) first became popular from a hot Chinese TV series 武林外传(wŭ lín wài zhuàn “My Own Swordsman”)as a pet phrase of Tong Xiangyu, the owner of Tongfu tavern. Then it has been widely spread on the internet. Actually,“我的神啊”(wŏ de shén a) is the assonance ...

猪流感 (Zhūliúgǎn)
In the past few months, the H1N1 virus has made news headlines around the world. The virus was originally referred as 猪流感(zhūliúgǎn) “swine flu.” To help you learn these three Chinese characters, we’ll introduce 猪流感(zhūliúgǎn) word by word.
With the basic meaning of “pig,” “boar” or “swine,” 猪(zhū) conveys a deep cultural connotation in Chinese. ...

 “靠谱(kào pǔ)” is a slang term used daily by Chinese people. The meaning of “靠谱(kàopǔ)” is “to be reliable” or “ to be worthy of trust.” It is used as an adjective to describe a person or thing.

If you trust a person and you rely on him to help solve problems. ( Ask Jennifer!) Then to you, this person is very “靠谱(kàopǔ).”

Examples

Tā hěn ...

Soy sauce is a traditional Chinese condiment which is used almost every day by Chinese people. Before supermarkets appeared in China, Chinese people brought their empty soy sauce bottles to shops in order to refill them. We call this traditional activity 打酱油 (dǎ jiàngyóu), or, "buying soy sauce.” Currently in China, this old expression has ...

Recently the Chinese people have been enthralled by the 30th Olympic Games in London, with many people staying up late into the night to watch the representatives from their country compete. China has had some big wins in 2012, as well as some losses, each stirring up the Chinese people’s hearts. They feel pride for ...

During the Euro 2012 games, time and time again fans cheered the fantastic goals made by Cristiano Ronaldo. His impeccable performance, combined with his good looks, attracted the attention of many girls' eyes in China. Ronaldo was dubbed the top "高富帅 (gāo fù shuài)" of Euro 2012.

So what does "高富帅 (gāo fù shuài)" means? It is ...

Amy and her friend Linda meet at a cafe to chat.
Amy: Look at you! You're so slim!
Linda: Thanks!
Amy: I wish I were you! I really admire those who keep a good figure.
Linda: If you eat a healthy diet, you'll…
Amy: I know, I know. It makes sense, but I'm sorry, ice-cream is too delicious!!
Linda: Yeah…

The right ...