上班 (shàngbān) Go to Work (Beginner)

上班 (shàngbān) Go to Work  

“上 (shàng)” means on or above; “班 (bān)” means a work shift.  Example: 

Míngtiān bú shàngbān, wǒmen qù guàngjiē ba.

明天       不    上班,     我们    去 逛街 吧。

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Know something about Chinese business etiquette HSK Test General Chinese (Beginner Level) General Chinese (Intermediate Level)

Quote of the week (Jan.20,2010)

人生有时就像电脑,说死机就死机,没有商量的余地。

Rénshēng yǒushí jiù xiàng diànnǎo, shuō sǐjī jiù sǐjī, méiyǒu shāngliang de yúdì.

Life is like a computer sometimes, when it shuts down, it does. There is no compromise.

—From a computer user who often loses information because of sudden shut-down of computers.…

Mini-test Answer: 卖关子 (Advanced)

Advanced Level 高级 (gāojí)

Correct Answer: C Analysis:

A. “忍受 (rěnshòu)” is the phrase for “Put up with.”

The characters “忍 (rěn)” and “受 (shòu)” both mean to endure.

B. “开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào)” is the phrase for “Play a joke.”

The character “开 (kāi)” means to open; “玩 (wán)” means to play and “笑 (xiào)” means to laugh.…

新月 (xīnyuè) New Moon and 聊斋志异 (Liáozhāizhìyì) Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio

新月 (Xīnyuè) New Moon and 聊斋志异 (Liáozhāizhìyì) Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio Key Learning Points (Preview):

电影(diànyǐng): n. movie

The release of the new movie “新月 (Xīnyuè) New Moon” “刷新 (shuāxīn) broke a lot of records.” It left Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince behind and became the biggest box office success in 2009.…

中国人的姓名 (zhōngguó rén de xìngmíng) Chinese Surnames and Given Names

中国人的姓名 (zhōngguó rén de xìngmíng) Chinese Surnames and Given Names   In Chinese, the surname comes first and then the given name. The full name of a Han Chinese is composed of two parts: the surnames and the given name.

Surnames

A Chinese “姓 (xìng) surname” refers to one of the over seven hundred family names used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups.…

你的属相是虎吗?(Nǐ de shǔxiàng shì hǔ ma?) Is Tiger Your Animal?

你的属相是虎吗?(Nǐ de shǔxiàng shì hǔ ma?) Is Tiger Your Animal?

Tiger symbolizes courage, confidence and energy, so this year is supposed to be full of hope and success. Years of Birth for Tigers: 1914 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 Possessing the strength of king, you are confident, independent, brave and humane.…

逛街 (guàngjiē) Go Window-shopping/ Go Shopping (Beginner)

逛街 (guàngjiē) Go Window-shopping/ Go Shopping

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The character “逛 (guàng)” means to stroll around or to roam; “街 (jiē)” means street.

Example:

Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshàng qù guàngjiē le. 我昨天晚上去逛街了。

I went window-shopping last night. Got questions? // // HSK Test General Chinese (Beginner Level) General Chinese (Intermediate Level)

Mini-test Answer: 手机 (Beginner)

Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí)

Correct answer: A

Analysis:

A. “手机 (shǒujī)” is the Chinese phrase for “cell phone.”

      The Chinese character “手 (shǒu)” refers to hand and “机 (jī)” refers to machine.

B. “手套 (shǒutào)” is the Chinese phrase for “glove.”

       The Chinese character “手 (shǒu)” refers to hand and “套 (tào)” refers to a cover.…

Mini-test Answer: 乱七八糟 (Advanced)

Advanced Level 高级 (gāojí)

Correct answer: B

Analysis:

A. “七上八下 (qīshàngbāxià)” means an unsettled state of mind. The Chinese character “七 (qī)” refers to seven; “上 (shàng)” refers to up;   “八 (bā)” refers to eight and “下 (xià)” refers to down.

B. “乱七八糟 (luànqībāzāo)” means disordered or be in a mess.…

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