Mandarin Essentials

Green-eyed? It’s “眼红(yǎnhóng) Red-eyed” in Chinese!

Colors sometimes can express certain feelings such as a blue mood or a black day. However, how colors relate to emotions can be different in different languages. In the Chinese language, the word “眼红(yǎnhóng)” is an example of this.

In English, there are terms like “green-eyed,” “green-eyed monster” to express that someone is envious or jealous after seeing another person’s success, wealth, fame, good luck etc, and may even want to possess these things.…

Answer to the Exercise on How to Ask Someone’s Family Name in Chinese

Answer: C In the Chinese language, the word “姓(xìng)” means “to be surnamed.”

Example:

Wǒ xìng Lǐ, nǐ ne? 我   姓   李,你呢?

My family name is Li. What about you? For answer choice A, when someone asks “叫什么(jiào shénme),” the answer should be a full name, including the family name and the given name.…

Answers to the Exercise on “你(nǐ)” and “您(nín)”

Answer: C In the Chinese language, both “你(nǐ)” and “您(nín)” mean “you,” but they are quite different in usage.

“你(nǐ)” is used for informal interactions. “你(nǐ)” is used to address children, peers, subordinates etc. While “您(nín)” is a more polite and formal expression. “您(nín)” is used to address elders, officials, leaders, or a stranger you are asking for help.…

“粉丝(fěnsī)”-Must Know Knowledge about “fans” in Chinese

Recently, the word “粉丝(fěnsī)” has become very popular in China.

The original meaning of “粉丝(fěnsī)” is glass noodle. It’s a traditional Chinese food.

Recently, “粉丝(fěnsī)” has taken on an extended meaning. It has come to be used as the transliteration of the word “fans.”

It can also be used to mean enthusiast, which is usually represented with the character “迷(mí).”…

Answers to the Exercise on the Chinese Numerals “百(bǎi),” “千(qiān)” and “万(wàn)”

Answer: A In the Chinese language, the following numbers, “百(bǎi) hundred,” “千(qiān) thousand” and “万(wàn) ten thousand” usually are not used separately as numerals, but are used in conjunction with other numerals to express a given amount. The numbers are combined with the terms for hundred, thousand, and ten thousand to express quantity as follows, “一百(yì bǎi), one hundred (100),” “三千(sān qiān), three thousand (3,000), “四万(sì wàn), forty thousand (40,000).”…

Learn the Chinese numerals “百(bǎi)” “千(qiān)” and “万(wàn)”

Hi Zhānɡ Lì, zuótiān kàn yǎnchànɡhuì de rén duō ma? Jenny: Hi 张丽,      昨天     看   演唱会           的 人    多   吗?

Hi Zhang Li, did a lot of people attend the concert yesterday? Zhāng Lì: Hěn duō, dàgài yǒu wǔqiān rén. 张       丽:很  多, 大概   有    五千     人。

Zhang Li: There were a lot of people, probably around five thousand in total.…

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