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The Chinese Zodiac is known as 生肖 (shēngxiào) in Mandarin Chinese. The Chinese Zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal. The 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac is based on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. In this calendar, the first day of the year usu...Read more »
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To refer to just certain members of group, you can use 有的 (yǒude). This usage is normally translated as “some” in English. It is often used multiple times in one sentence to refer to different groups. All you need to do is put 有的 (yǒude) before the nouns there are “so...Read more »
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Today`s Chengyu 刻舟求剑 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) – to carve (刻) the boat (舟) to seek (求) for the sword (剑) – enlightens us that things are changing and we should see the world in the light of its development. As the world is changing, getting stuck in a groove is foredoomed to result in fail...Read more »
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Asking about the weather is one of the most common ways to break the ice with a stranger. It’s polite way to greet a new person and open a conversation. For language learners, that means an easy entry point to authentic dialogues in Mandarin Chinese—which means more practice and faster fluency. &...Read more »
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Knowing some Chinese hotel words before you travel to a China will make life much easier! Even if you’re lucky enough to find the perfect hotel, it will be useful to know a few Chinese words and phrases so you can understand the staff assisting you. Once you’ve checked in at a hotel, the r...Read more »
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In this story, Grandma Bear (熊奶奶 – xióng nǎi nai) comes down with an illness that can only be cured by seeing a rainbow (彩虹 -cǎi hóng), and Uncle Frog (青蛙大叔 – qīng wā dà shū) jumps in to make it happen. This story is about level HSK 3. Some vocabulary you might need: There are fou...Read more »
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已经⋯⋯了 (yǐ jīng … le) is the basic pattern used to express “already” in Chinese. It’s easy to forget the 了 (le) on the end, but using it will make your Chinese more natural. Basic Usages 已经 (yǐjīng) with Verb Phrases: Structure: 已经 + [Verb Phrase] + 了 The ...Read more »
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The idiom 愚公移山 (yú ɡōnɡ yí shān) literally means “Mr. Fool (愚公) wants to move (移) the mountain (山)”. The story tells us: with persistence and determination, any difficulties, even big ones can be solved. Where there is a will, there is a way. Once upon a time, there wer...Read more »
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Westerners have certain ideas about breakfast foods—namely, toast, cereal, pancakes, donuts, and, of course, eggs. In China, though, there’s an entirely different expectation when it comes to the morning meal. It’s nearly always savory, and it often features strong flavors. In major c...Read more »
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Shanghai is known as “The Pearl of Asia” and “The Paris of the East”. It’s a city of youth, commerce, and an international beat that runs through each side street and riverwalk. 1. Shanghai is the world’s largest city China is known for its crowds, and Shanghai is possibly the ...Read more »
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Imagine being lost in a busy city like Shanghai. Now, imagine being lost in a busy city like Shanghai without knowing how to ask for directions in Chinese. What a nightmare, right? Getting lost in Shanghai might not be ideal but preparing for it can significantly improve your Chinese skills and v...Read more »
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来 (lái) and 去 (qù) are both words that help to express direction from the perspective of the speaker. 来 (lái) means “come” (towards the speaker), while 去 (qù) means “go” (away from the speaker). For example, if you are in China, a local person might ask you: “Whe...Read more »
