Mandarin Essentials
Why 2016 Makes an Ancient Chinese Idiom Contradict Itself?
The Chinese idiom “猴年马月(hóunián mǎyuè)” literally means “monkey year, horse month” and is causing a lot of excitement on social media in China. Following the cycle of the 12 Chinese zodiacs, every 12 years is the year of the monkey. In accordance with this, each …
WeChat Lucky Money Taps into Chinese New Year Tradition
“微信红包” WeChat Lucky Money (wēixìn hóngbāo)
During the Spring Festival, Chinese adults will give children and elders “红包(hóngbāo),” known as Lucky Money or Red Envelopes in English, as a sign of luck and good fortune. However, this year, this Chinese tradition of …
Are you Afraid of New Year’s Visits?
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Many young Chinese people, especially “leftover” men and women, who are not willing to pay New Year’s visits may suffer from 拜年(bàinián)______. A. 抑郁症(yìyùzhèng)
B. 恐惧症(kǒngjùzhèng)
C. 强迫症(qiángpòzhèng)
Not sure about the answer? No worries, …
Answer to “跑腿(pǎotuǐ)” Fancy Footwork Gets the Job Done! (Beginner)
“跑腿(pǎotuǐ)” doesn’t literally mean “to run with one’s legs”. It has two meanings. One is to serve others for money or for free. The other is to run here and there to do odds and ends for oneself. So “跑腿(pǎotuǐ)” actually means “to do legwork/footwork …
“跑腿(pǎotuǐ)” Fancy Footwork Gets the Job Done! (Beginner)
In Chinese, people often use “跑腿(pǎotuǐ)” when describing their jobs. What does this mean? Find out after completing this test!
Wáng Lín: Mǎ Kè, nǐde xīngōngzuò zěnmeyàng a? 王 琳：马 克，你的 新工作 怎么样 啊？ Wang Lin: Mark, how’s your new job? Mǎ Kè: Biétíle, tiāntiān …
Chinese Test: Joining the Red Envelope Frenzy for Spring Festival?
Mike: Spring Festival is coming up. I’m pretty excited. Dan: Yeah, maybe we’ll get some red envelopes.
What does “red envelope” mean in Chinese?
A. 包裹 (bāoguǒ) B. 红包 (hóngbāo) C. 礼物 (lǐwù) C. 情书 (qíngshū)
Answer to Chinese Test: Joining the Red Envelope Frenzy for Spring Festival?
Answer: B
Analysis:
A: “包裹 (bāoguǒ)” means “package.” B: “红包 (hóngbāo)” means “red envelope.” C: “礼物 (lǐwù)” means “present.” D: “情书 (qíngshū)” means “love letter.”
Culture Note:
In Chinese culture, a “红包 (hóngbāo) red envelope” is usually presented with good tidings written on it and …
Answer to A Thousand Ways to Say a Million (Intermediate)
Answer: A On the one hand, “千万(qiānwàn)” and “万千(wànqiān)”, meaning “ten million”, both refer to a huge amount.
Examples:
Zhèlǐ měinián dōuyǒu qiānwàn kē shù bèi kǎndiào. 这里 每年 都有 千万 棵 树 被 砍掉。 Every year about ten million trees are cut down here.…
A Thousand Ways to Say a Million (Intermediate)
Bet you don’t know these ways to use “千(qiān)” and “万(wàn)”! Take our test to prove us wrong. We dare you! Zhāng Yīng: Wáng Míng, _____ méi xiǎngdào nǐ guàkē le! 张 英： 王 明， _____ 没 想到 你 挂科 了！ Zhang Ying: Wang Ming, …
Chinese Idiom: 哪壶不开提哪壶 To Touch A Soft Spot
The idiom “哪壶不开提哪壶 (nǎ hú bù kāi tí nǎ hú)” literally means “to pick the kettle that is not boiling.” It’s used to indicate that someone is saying or doing something that shouldn’t be mentioned in front of others, or that someone is bringing up …
Chinese Idiom: 隔墙有耳 (géqiángyǒu’ěr) Walls Have Ears
Key Learning Point (Preview): 隔墙有耳 (géqiángyǒu’ěr): walls have ears
Cóngqián, yǒu yíge hàoqíxīn hěn zhòng de rén. 从前， 有 一个 好奇心 很 重 的 人。 Once upon a time, there was a curious man.
Tā zǒngshì xǐhuan sìchù dǎting biérén de mìmi. 他 总是 喜欢 …
Answer to How Many Usages of “How Many” in Chinese? (Advanced)
Answer: C “多少(duōshǎo)” is often used in daily conversation. It’s generally used in two ways. First, the “多(duō) much” in “多少(duōshǎo)” can be used as an adverb to modify the adjective “少(shǎo)”, which means “as little as possible” . For example, “夏天能穿多少穿多(Xiàtiān néng chuān duōshǎo …
How Many Usages of “How Many” in Chinese? (Advanced)
Lǐ Lì: Jīntiān zhēn rè a! 李丽：今天 真 热 啊！ Lily: It’s so hot today! Wáng Lín: Shì a, néng chuān duōshǎo chuān duōshǎo, tài rè le. 王 琳：是 啊， 能 穿 多少 穿 多少, 太 热 了。 Wang Lin: Yes, ________. It’s too hot. …
Four Must-Know Phrases for Surfing the Internet
Nowadays, everyone is using the internet for something, whether it be for shopping online or just surfing the web, the internet has become an important tool for daily life. This means in your journey to become fluent in Chinese, it is important to learn some …