Video Lesson: You Are Insane! (Beginner)
Your friend did something silly. Express your feeling in a lighthearted way. Watch Video Answers…
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 …
Four Taboo Chinese Wedding Gift Ideas (Intermediate)
Love is in the air, and if you’re like many people, that means you’ve got one or two wedding invitations headed straight for your mailbox. As if deciding what to gift newlyweds isn’t hard enough, in China there are some culture-specific taboos. You’ll want to …
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 …
Answer to Tips to Make Chinese Unforgettable
Correct Answers 1. C 2. A <<Back to “Tips to Make Chinese Unforgettable”
Tips to Make Chinese Unforgettable
When learning Chinese, especially when you are not in China, you need a method to help you make the Chinese stick. One way to do that is to make Chinese feel like it is essential to your every day life, as it would be in …
Chinese Story: The Ant and the Dove (Beginner)
蚂蚁报恩 (Mǎyǐ bào’ēn) The Ant and the Dove
Key Learning Points (Preview): 蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ) n. ant
咬 (yǎo)v. to bite
Xiàtiān, yǒu yìzhī mǎyǐ bèi fēng guādàole chítáng lǐ. 夏天， 有 一只 蚂蚁 被 风 刮到了 池塘 里。 In summer, an ant fell into a …
Answer to The Insider’s Look on Using Chinese Hand Gestures
Answer: B Check out the diagram below to find out the gestures that are used in China to express numbers!
Related Post:
Body Parts: The Names of the Fingers in Chinese <<Back to “The Insider’s Look on Using Chinese Hand Gestures”
The Insider’s Look on Using Chinese Hand Gestures
Did you know the gestures used to express numbers in the west and in China are different? Check out this quiz below and see if you already know the differences!
How old is the boy? A. “五 岁(wǔ suì)” 5 years old B. “六 岁(liù …
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。 …
Answer to Don’t Put Your Foot in Your Mouth When Discussing Zodiacs!
Answer: B The correct answer is B. “属于(shǔyú)” means “belong to” or “the category of something.” There are 12 kinds of animals within the Chinese Zodiac, including 鼠(shǔ) rat, 牛(niú) rat, 虎 (hǔ) tiger, 兔(tù) rabbit, 龙 (lóng) dragon, 蛇(shé) snake, 马(mǎ) horse, 羊 (yáng) …
Don’t Put Your Foot in Your Mouth When Discussing Zodiacs!
Jié Kè: Māo ____ shíèr shēngxiāo ma? 杰 克：猫 ____ 十二 生肖 吗？ Jack: The cat is the 12th zodiac right? Mǎ Lì: Bù, shíèr shēngxiāo lǐmiàn méiyǒu māo. 玛 丽：不，十二 生肖 里面 没有 猫。 Mary: No, the cat isn’t one of the zodiacs. Jié …
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 …