Let’s look at a little story first:
Shùxué kǎoshì kuài dào le, Lily fēicháng dānxīn, 数学 考试 快 到 了, Lily 非常 担心，
The math exam is coming, and Lily is very worried about it.
yīnwèi tā píngshí xuéxí shùxué jiù hěn chīlì. 因为 她 …
Shíèr shēngxiāo gē 十二 生肖 歌 The Chinese Zodiac Song
Xiǎolǎoshǔ dǎtóur lái, 小老鼠 打头儿 来， The little rat is the first to come.
Niú bǎ tír tái, 牛 把 蹄儿 抬， The ox lifts up its hoof.
Lǎohǔ huítóu yìshēng hǒu, 老虎 回头 一声 …
People in China love to sent text messages for blessings on Christmas. It is worth noting, but in Chinese, the pronunciation of the Chinese word for Christmas sounds exactly like another very common expression, “生蛋 (shēngdàn) lay an egg.” Thus we get a play on …
皮影戏 (píyǐngxì) Shadow Play in the Movie Kung Fu Panda 2 Key Learning Points (Preview):
皮影戏 (píyǐngxì) n. shadow play
欣赏 (xīnshǎng) v. to appreciate
Kung Fu Panda 2 is coming! This time it brings more insights to the audience, and the most attractive thing …
Single Boys and Girls Welcome “相亲 (xiāngqīn) Blind Date” in China (Advanced)
Key Learning Points (Preview): 相亲 (xiāngqīn): n./v. blind date/to have a blind date
剩男/剩女 (shèngnán/shèngnǚ) n.single boys/single girls
Struggling in the hustle and bustle of city life, many “剩男 (shèngnán) single boys” and …
As Mother’s Day is coming, we prepared a Mandarin Chinese story for this special day. It is a story about filial piety. In traditional Chinese culture, filial piety is the most important of all the virtues to Chinese people. Although society has changed a lot …
Learn Mandarin Chinese Idiom: 囫囵吞枣 (húlún tūnzǎo) To eat the date whole (Advanced)
In the Chinese idiom “囫囵吞枣 (húlún tūnzǎo)”, “囫囵 (húlún)” means “the whole;” “吞 (tūn)” means to “swallow;” “枣 (zǎo)” is “date.” This idiom means “to eat the date whole.”
Key Learning Points …
Rén de shēnghuó yóu xīndòng hé xíngdòng liǎng gè fāngmiàn zǔ chéng: 人 的 生活 由 心动 和 行动 两 个 方面 组 成： xīndòng shì xiàngwǎng yuǎnfāng, xíngdòng shì yòng jiǎo zǒuxiàng yuǎnfāng, 心动 是 向往 远方， 行动 是 用 脚 走向 远方， wǒmen …
Wǒmen gòngtóng shēnghuó zài tóng yí gè dìqiú jiāyuán shàng, 我们 共同 生活 在 同 一 个 地球 家园 上， qǐng zūnzhòng àihù wǒmen de měi yí gè “jiārén.” 请 尊重 爱护 我们 的 每 一 个“家人”。
We live in the same world, and we …
Appreciating Modern Chinese Beauty (Advanced) Chinese Name: 中国式美丽 (Zhōngguó shì měilì)
Key Learning Points (Preview): 美丽 (měilì): n. beauty
传统的 (chuántǒng de): adj. traditional
展示 (zhǎnshì): v. to show/to display
People of China in China’s National Image Promotional Video (Chinese name: 中国国家形象宣传篇之人物篇 Zhōngguó guójiā xíngxiàng …
Jīyù yídìng dāi zài pàomò lǐ, Facebook gèng xiàng shì pàomò. 机遇一定 呆 在 泡沫 里，Facebook 更 像 是 泡沫。
Opportunities must lie in the bubbles, and Facebook is much like a bubble.
—From 宋保强 (Sòng Bǎoqiáng) Song Baoqiang, engaged in IT technology in China.…
Qíshí chāoyuè zìjǐ degǎnjué shì zuì shuǎng de. 其实 超越 自己 的 感觉 是 最 爽 的。 Xiāngxìn nǐ zìjǐ,suǒyǒu de hǎo chéngji qíshí dōu láiyuán yú zìxìn. 相信 你自己，所有 的 好 成绩 其实 都 来源 于自信。
Actually, the best feeling is to exceed yourself. …
Kāifàng hé fēnxiǎng bìng bú shì yí gè xuānchuán kǒuhào, 开放 和 分享 并 不 是 一 个 宣传 口号， yě bú shì yí gè jiǎndān de gàiniàn. 也 不 是 一个 简单 的 概念。 Kāifàng hěn duō shíhou bèi yòng zuò yí gè zī …
Learn the Hottest Phrase in China–给力
给力 (gěilì): adj. cool/great
流行 (liúxíng): adj. popular
“给力 (gěilì)” was probably one of the most “流行 (liúxíng) popular” new phrases in theChinese language in 2010. It is an expression deriving from the Manlam dialect …
Top Three Blockbuster Chinese Movies for the New Year Holidays Key Learning Points (Preview):
牺牲 (xīshēng) v. / n. sacrifice
传奇 (chuánqí) n. legend
The New Year is coming! And dozens of movies are coming out in theaters. Amongst them, the three following movies are …
Hūnyīn zěnme xuǎn dōu shì cuò de, chángjiǔ de hūnyīn jiùshì jiāngcuòjiùcuò. 婚姻 怎么 选 都 是 错 的， 长久 的 婚姻 就是 将错就错。
No matter how you choose to marry, it’s a mistake. To stay married long-term is to make the best of the …
Santa Claus and its Chinese Counterpart Key Learning Points (Preview):
平安 (píng’ān) n. safety / peace
顾名思义 (gùmíngsīyì) as the name implies
On Christmas Day, it’s Santa Claus who brings us gifts and happiness. But during the Chinese New Year, who is going to bring …
Téngxùn cónglái méiyǒu nǎ yì tiān kěyǐ gāozhěnwúyōu. 腾讯 从来 没有 哪 一 天 可以 高枕无忧。 Shí’èr nián lái, wǒmen měi tiān dōu rúlǚbóbīng, 12 年 来，我们 每 天 都 如履薄冰， shǐzhōng dānxīn mǒu gè shūlòu suíshí huì gěi wǒmen 始终 担心 某 个 疏漏 …
Liú Xiáng réng shì wéiyī jùxīng, shuí néng chūrèn xīn lǐngjūnren? 刘翔 仍 是 唯一 巨星， 谁 能 出任 新 领军人？
Liu Xiang is still the only superstar. Who else can take over as the new leader in sports?
—reported by Xinhua net after Liu …
杀鸡取卵 (shājīqǔluǎn) Kill the Hen that Lays Golden Eggs (Advanced)
Key Learning Points (Preview):
杀鸡取卵 (shājīqǔluǎn): to kill the hen that lays golden eggs
金 (jīn): adj. golden
Listen to the whole story:
Yǒu yí duì pínqióng de fūfù, tāmen yǎngle yì zhī lǎo mǔjī. …
