“驴友(lǘyŏu)” literally means “donkey friend,” but translates as “backpackers” or “travel buddies.” It is a homophone of “旅游(lǚyóu),” the Chinese word for tour. “驴友(lǘyŏu)” refers to people who like off-the-beaten-path travel or outdoor sports, especially those who enjoy adventures, climbing, hiking, etc. “驴友(lǘyŏu)” are people …
Are you the kind of person who is desperately overcommitted and suffering from exhaustion? Are you still upset about your most recent failure? Are you living with terrible pressure? If so, you’re the victim of negative emotions. To resolve these problems, you need some “正能量(zhèngnéngliàng),” …
Lately, discussions on social networking sites have turned their attention to, what some argue to be, a new type of ideal boyfriend called “暖男 (nuǎnnán).”
So, what is it about this type of men that makes them so sought after?
Do you or your man …
At the recently concluded 2014 Inchon Asian Games, Ning Zetao won the gold medal in the Men’s 100m Freestyle Final and set a new Asian Games record. Now he is called “泳坛新秀(yǒngtán xīnxiù)” by the media. Here, “泳坛新秀(yǒngtán xīnxiù)” means a new swimming star.
“秀(xiù)” …
In theaters in ancient China, when there was a show, some wooden tablets bearing the names of the actors would be hung at the door of the theater. The tablet placed at the very front was called the “头牌(tóupái),” referring to the lead actor in …
“拼(pīn)” means “to put together” or “piece together.” When you see someone spare no effort to do something, you can remark that he is very “拼(pīn).” When used for this meaning, “拼(pīn)” is used as an adjective or a verb, meaning to strive or struggle …
If one day, one of your friends tells you that he or she is going to “裸婚(luǒhūn),” don’t be tricked by the phrase’s literal meaning of “naked wedding.” There’s no need to worry if you don’t know what the term actually means, because today we …
One basic meaning of “后(hòu)” is “after or later”, such as “一周后(yìzhōuhòu) after a week” and “三天后(sāntiānhòu) three days later.” Example Wǒ sāntiān hòu qù běijīng. 我 三天 后 去 北京。 I will leave for Beijing in three days.
At some point you will come …
When you first come to China, you will hear Chinese people say things like “打电话(dǎdiànhuà),” “打车(dǎchē),” “打球(dǎqiú),” etc. As you may know, “打(dǎ)” basically means “hit,” “beat,” “break,” or “attack.” With so many meanings, it’s not surprising if you start to get confused. So the …
Literally, “霸(bà)” means “to dominate, lord over, tyrannize over or rule by force.”
xué bà 学 霸
“学霸(xué bà)” is a new buzzword that has recently been spread widely on the Internet, but we also use it in our daily lives. If we call someone …
“羊(yáng)” is zodiac animal of this Chinese Lunar New Year, but it has caused a good deal of confusion in the English-speaking world, because its translation results in at least three candidates: ram, sheep and goat. Unlike China, other countries in Asia are more settled …
The “元宵节 (yuánxiāojié) Lantern Festival” is several days after the Spring Festival. The Lantern Festival, which falls on January 15th of the lunar calendar, is another important traditional festival in China. In the evening of that day, streets are decorated with lanterns and festoons and …
八卦(bāguà) gossip
Yi Jing, also named The Book of Changes, says: “Yin and Yang form Tai Chi; Tai Chi forms two-stage; two-stage forms four-quadrant and four-quadrant forms Eight Diagrams.” A founder of a gossip magazine in Hong Kong thinks that various …
(Click in the arrow to listen how to pronounce the word in Mandarin)…
(Click in the arrow to listen how to pronounce the word in Mandarin)
English Chinese Pinyin Listen auntie 阿姨 ā yí Listen Now(Click in the arrow to listen how to pronounce the word in Mandarin)
English Chinese Pinyin Listen armchair 扶手椅 fú shou yǐ Listen Now(Click in the arrow to listen how to pronounce the word in Mandarin)…
春节(chūn jié) Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most traditional and grand festival in China. It falls on the first of every January in the lunar calendar. 除夕(chú xī) Chinese New Year’s Eve is the last day of last year and means ringing …
Every Chinese character is made up of a number of strokes, or single movements of the pen or writing brush. The order and direction in which the strokes are made are very important in producing uniform characters, and learning the basic rules of stroke order …
A good way to learn mandarin Chinese is to learn Chinese songs. Many people have a natural ability to hear sounds and tones in songs that are difficult to hear when spoken. When you practice singing in Chinese, you’ll actually learn the language more quickly, …
