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When learning Mandarin Chinese, students run into several 4 characters-based set phrases called 成语 chéngyǔ. These idiomatic expressions have a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning, allude to a story or historical quote and are still commonly used in the written and spoken language today. I...Read more »
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You think you know how to say hello in Chinese, it’s easy, isn’t it? Just do your best 你好 “NI HAO!” and half the job is done. You might even know 您好 “nin hao” or 你吃了吗 “ni chile ma?” as greetings. But did you know that except those three, there are at least 17 other ways to greet someone i...Read more »
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This story, which is either a tale that reminds us what happens when you try to be something you’re not, or a tale that reminds us that men should never be allowed to give each other fashion advice, is suitable for beginning readers. Here are some grammar points and vocabulary you might ne...Read more »
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If you are a traveler and you haven’t visited China, then you are missing some astonishing picturesque destinations. From Shanghai, Beijing, to historic Xi’an, and Wuhu, the Country has many hidden gems. And the iconic great wall is enough to persuade you to visit China. China’s economy has been ...Read more »
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Breakfast dishes in China widely differ from region to region. Here we introduce some traditional, popular, and famous Chinese breakfast foods. 1. Soybean Milk and Deep-Fried Dough Sticks Chinese: 豆浆 (dòujiāng); 油条 (yóutiáo) This breakfast set usually appears together. The two componen...Read more »
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You can use 在 (zài) to express location, but this article will explain how to use 在 (zài) to express location in relation to another object. This way, you can describe if something is “on the table” or “in the room.” 在 (zài) with “Big Locations” If yo...Read more »
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What’s the most basic conversation-starter you can think of? Yes: “How’s the weather?” Sure, it may be a bit default and typical. But asking about the weather is one of the most common ways to break the ice with a stranger. Many Mandarin-speaking cultures see weather talk the same way Westerners ...Read more »
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Mandarin Chinese is often described as a difficult language, sometimes one of the most difficult ones. This is not hard to understand. There are thousands of characters and strange tones! It must surely be impossible to learn for an adult foreigner! That’s nonsense of course. Naturally, if ...Read more »
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Even though China is still famous for Chinese traditional martial arts or Gongfu for western people, China is the great power where citizens are enthusiastic about numerous sports or exercises. In China, the middle class in particular has time for running, fitness, table tennis, and basketball, b...Read more »
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Complex Chinese characters, there are so many of them aren’t there! In truth, there is, but actually every character is built up using a series of radicals and strokes which means even the most ridiculous looking characters all have their logic. Every single Chinese character can be broken down u...Read more »
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Flowers have a privileged position in Chinese culture. They are considered as an indelible part of Chinese’s collective consciousness. Chinese believe that flowers convey positive messages and play a significant role in the day to day life. Here collected is a list of 10 most important flowers in...Read more »
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While 又 (yòu) is used for “again” in the past, 再 (zài) is used for “again” in the future. That is, 再 is used when something has happened once, and it will happen again. Used as “Again”: Remember this is the future “again.” Structure: Subj....Read more »
