I have been teaching Chinese for over 12 years. And I have seen my Chinese language-learning students every Chinese language mistake in the book! But I have noticed over the years that there are some mistakes almost everyone makes. Chances are you are making them, too, and can easily avoid these pitfalls if you just pay a little attention and change a few of your habits.…
“你吃饭了吗 (Nǐ chīfàn le ma) Have you eaten yet?” is a traditional way of greeting others. One day, one of my students tried to use this Chinese sentence to greet others before we started the class. It came as quite a shock when he asked me “你吃粪了吗 (nǐ chī fèn le ma)?…
Answer: B
In Chinese, a syllable is composed of an initial consonant, a vowel and a tone. The very beginning of a syllable is called the initial, and the rest of parts are called finals. For example, in the syllable “hǎo”, “h” is the initial and “ǎo” is the final.…
1. About Learning Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin Chinese is the official language of Mainland China and Taiwan. There are many versions of Chinese spoken throughout China; including Cantonese (spoken in Guangdong province), the Beijing dialect and the Shanghai dialect; but Mandarin Chinese is most common dialect spoken by Chinese people from all areas.…
Everyone likes to take a break from the books. One of the best ways to keep learning without taxing your brain too much is to watch a movie. Don’t worry, a little relaxation won’t hurt. And after all, what’s the use of learning Chinese without learning a bit about Chinese culture too?…
Chinese is distinctive for its characters. When people think of China, they think of thousands upon thousands of symbols, normally amazed that people can memorize so many different icons for their language. For some it’s the characters that make them want to learn Chinese, and for others the characters put them off.…
It depends on your gift for language-learning as well as the time you are able to dedicate to learning it. If you study a few hours every day you’re going to learn a lot faster than someone who only spends one day a week. For speaking, the key is to LISTEN and REPEAT.…
Correct Answers: 1. A 2. D
Zhèlǐ jìnzhǐ tíngchē! 这里 禁止 停车！ No parking here！
Bówùguǎn jìnzhǐ pāizhào. 博物馆 禁止 拍照。 You can’t take pictures in the Museum.
Seen regularly around town, many foreigners will notice signs featuring the Chinese characters “禁止 (jìnzhǐ).” From street signs near buildings and public offices, or even on the side of the road these characters are very important to know! They may even save your life one day.…
Chinese is growing in popularity, so there are new ways to learn online popping up every day. They aren’t all good though. I believe the best resource is, of course, you can work one-to-one with qualified instructors online. Here are some of the other
I think might be helpful.…
If you’re interested in learning Chinese, I strongly suggest you work with a qualified teacher. A teacher will be able to help you make the most of your studies in a way that studying on your own is hard to imitate. And since going to China isn’t realistic for everyone, you can simulate a Chinese learning environment at home when you work with a native speaker.…
“神回复 (shén huífù) legendary reply” is a term you may not be familiar with, although you may have done it yourself! “神回复 (shén huífù) legendary reply,” is an Internet slang term that refers to an extremely creative and funny comment on social networking sites. Let’s break down this new phrase!…
In case you’ve just started learning Chinese, “traditional Chinese” refers to the characters used before simplification reforms enacted during the second half of the 20th century in Mainland China. This means that traditional characters are still being used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and in many overseas Chinese communities.…
Answers: 1. B 2. A <<Back to “How to find a deal in Chinese”
When you go shopping, you are always looking for the best price for the product you want. Whether its clothing, electronics or food that you are hunting for, everybody loves a good bargain! You can find a sign indicating a sale in China by finding the character “折 (zhé).”…
The northeastern provinces of China are still the best places to study and practice Chinese. Many learners choose to go to Hebei, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning. These provinces are where native Mandarin speakers speak with the clearest accent. Here are a few cities that are excellent choices for Mandarin study and use in everyday life:
Harbin Dalian Shenyang Changchun Beijing is also noted for its use of standard Mandarin, although Beijingers do speak with a slight accent.…
Chinese is only hard if you don’t have the right mentor to ensure that you acquire the solid foundation you need. If you try learning alone without the guidance of a native speaker, you risk not learning the tones correctly and emphasizing the wrong vocabulary early on.…
Correct Answers 1. C 2. A <<Back to “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 China.…
