Recently, we discussed the significance of ‘本命年 (Ben Ming Nian)’ in Chinese culture. This phenomenon, also known as the 12-year curse, affects the zodiac sign of the current year.
Let’s delve deeper into how the ancient Chinese divided time. We’ll also explore the formation of zodiac relations.…
Answer: B Analysis:
wǒ men fēi cháng xiàn mù tā yǒu yī wèi dāng jī zhǎng de fù qīn 。 我 们 非 常 羡 慕 他 有 一 位 当 机 长 的 父 亲。 We are very envious that he has a father who is a captain.…
“Poverty Limits My Imagination” Whenever people see others flaunting their wealth on social media, or interact briefly with the rich and famous, a common refrain is often heard: “贫穷限制了我的想象! (pín qióng xiàn zhì le wǒ de xiǎng xiàng) Poverty limits my imagination!”
This self-effacing sentence is saying that those with money can live lifestyles that the rest of us can’t even imagine, not because we’re not creative, but because we don’t have access to the resources that would let us experience the world in a totally different way.…
If you’ve ever read “The Art of War” you would also enjoy the “三十六计 (Sān shí liù jì) 36 ancient Chinese strategies” and their theories. Each proverb is accompanied by a brief explanation that explains how said proverb is applicable to military tactics. Its focus on the use of cunning and deception both on the battlefield and in court can be decoded to use in the business world as well.…
Food – the Be-all, End-all Before they had to stay home all day, many people took easy access to food for granted; these days, however, even though everyone is realizing just how important food is, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it, too. Eat what you need, but enjoy what you eat!…
The Chinese Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival because it starts at the beginning of spring. It is the most important festival in China and is traditionally a time for family reunions. Many of China’s ethnic minorities celebrate their Lunar New Year around the same time as the Han people, although some maintain their own calendars.…
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You have taken the time to successfully build up your social media following, so now what? Cash in on it! If your content topics include culture, language, Chinese heritage, or anything where you can find a way to plug us in your posts you’d be the perfect fit for our affiliate program.…
The Different Meanings Behind “What do you mean?” in Chinese (pt. 2) Hope that you’ve already had a cup of coffee, because for Part 2 of The Different Meanings Behind “What do you mean?” in Chinese (click here for Part 1) we’re jumping right in!…
When traveling or moving to a new country, such as China, it may seem that it’s nearly impossible to eat “健康 (jiàn kāng) healthy”. This is especially true in a country full of neverending varieties of deliciously tempting cuisines. Some “健康 (jiàn kāng) healthy” lifestyles are harder to accomodate and maintain than others such as having a strict plant-based lifestyle.…
Chinese 漫画 (màn huà) manhua, or Mandarin-language comic books, have been in the spotlight for a while now but lately Chinese animations “动画 (dònghuà)” are gaining the popularity they deserve. Not long ago if you wanted to watch an animated series in Chinese it was a laborious task to find one that was interesting and subtitled.…
The Different Meanings Behind “What do you mean?” in Chinese (pt. 1)
As with English, there are a few different ways you could express this phrase, depending on the situation, your intention, how familiar/formal you want to be, etc.
Here are some common ways, most of which are variations on a common theme.…
Leveling Up Your Chinese Through Video Game Phrases
wǒ yuán yǐ wéi shì gè qīng tóng , méi xiǎng dào shì gè wáng zhě 我原以为是个青铜，没想到是个王者
“I thought it was a bronzer, but I didn’t expect a challenger”
The Bronze and the Challenger are the lowest and highest levels in MOBA games (Multiplayer online battle arena) such as League of Legends, Arena of Alor, etc.…
Are You Living in a “内卷化 (nèi juǎn huà)” World? As more and more countries model themselves after capitilistic models, they find themselves increasingly unhappy compared to generations prior. In the world of Chinese netizens, there is a word that coincides and expressesthis sentiment quite accurately.…
Answer: 1. AB 2. A 3. B 4. A
1. biérén/rénjiā dōu zǒule, nǐ wèishéme bù zǒu? 别人/人家都走了，你为什么不走？ Others/people have all left, why haven’t you?
2. nǐ mànyìdiǎn xíng bù xíng, rénjiā gēn bú shàng ma! 你慢一点行不行，人家跟不上嘛！ Can you slow down? I can’t keep up!…
人家 and 别人: Are these just two ways to say “other people”?
Both “人家(rénjiā) ” and “别人(biérén) ” can refer to other people besides the speaker and the listener.
Examples:
xiǎo diǎn shēng, búyào yǐngxiǎng rénjiā xiūxi. 小点声，不要影响人家休息。 Keep your voice down, don’t disturb (other) people’s rest.…
“愿意(yuànyì)” and “肯(kěn)” are both auxiliary verbs, both of which indicate the general compliance with demands or willingness to do something. “愿意(yuànyì)” is used to express how someone feels, particularly a feeling of acceptance or desire to do something without feeling unhappy. It can also be modified by placing adverbs of degree, like “非常(fēicháng)” or “很(hěn)”, in front of it.…
Answer: 1.B 2.A 3.A 1.tā zài xuéxí shàng zǒng shì bùkěn xià gōngfū. 他在学习上总是不肯下功夫。 He always refuses to work hard on his studies.
2.suīrán zhè jiàn shì hěn máfan, dànshì wǒ fēicháng yuànyì qù zuò. 虽然这件事很麻烦，但是我非常愿意去做。 Although this is tough, I am very willing to do it.…
Mandar in Chinesea
Standard Mandarin – also known as Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin Chinese or Standard spoken Chinese – is the official modern Chinese spoken language used by the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Singapore.
The phonology of Standard Mandarin is based on the Beijing dialect, which in turn belongs to Mandarin, a large and very diverse group of Chinese dialects spoken across northern and southwestern China.…
my own swordsman 武林外传 （wu3 lin2 wai4 zhuan4) is a classic and famouse TV play in China! We like the characters , like the dialougue they say , it is really funny ! And more , it is a very interesting material for learning Chinese! So i put one here , to let you know how the show likes!…
