In this dialogue, Anne is talking with her colleague, Ella, while having lunch at the office.
Xiǎng mǎi tiáo qúnzi, kě méi shíjiān guàngjiē. Anne: 想 买 条 裙子，可 没 时间 逛街。
I want to buy a skirt, but I have …
Story: One day, Tom saw a large sign in front of a busy, midtown restaurant with the printed characters, “小心地滑.” As he passed, he starts to slowly skate his feet across the floor. His friend Jack immediately stops him. Tom, nǐ gàn má ne? Jack: …
Story: Māma: Zhècì kǎoshì, gēge kǎole jiǔshíwǔ fēn, nǐ kǎole duōshǎo fēn? 妈妈： 这次 考试， 哥哥 考了 95 分，你 考了 多少 分？ Mom: Your brother got 95 points on this exam. What about you?
Dìdi: Wǒ bǐ tā duō yì diǎn. 弟弟：我比他 多 一 点。 …
“hold住 (hold zhù)” originated from the Sino-British, mixed language in Hong Kong. Its sudden popularization was sparked by internet sensation, Miss Lin, who during an appearance on a Taiwanese variety show, demonstrated fashion ideals to college students by enlisting exaggerated styles, pretentious English and sexual …
Key Learning Point (Preview): 小人 (xiǎorén): n. a mean/cruel person
One day, my British friend asked me how to say “adult” in Mandarin. It’s “大人 (dàrén) adult” I told him. “So then, I’m an ‘大人 (dàrén) adult’, and you are too,” he started, “but my …
“纠结 (jiūjié)” was first used by the animation Fansub group back in 2001. In one of the cartoons, a character shouted “纠结啊! (jiūjié a!)” Since then, the term transitioned from being popular among animation fans, to being a popular termed widely used by the masses.…
The proper meaning of “牛 (niú)” is cow, but now it can be used to express “cool,” “awesome” or “excellent.” It is believed that this meaning originated from the north-eastern Chinese dialect.
You can say “你好牛啊 (nǐ hǎo niú a)” or “真牛 …
Key Learning Point (Preview): 红 (hóng): to become popular/successful
Amongst different cultures, different words and concepts carry with them varying undertones and meanings. As you progress in the Mandarin language, you’ll learn this is especially true with the word “红 (hóng),” or “red.” Perhaps you’ve …
“伤不起 (shāngbùqǐ)” means that someone has already been hurt enough that she can’t stand any more torment.
At first, “伤不起 (shāngbùqǐ)” was only popular in schools and on the internet, but now “伤不起 (shāngbùqǐ)” is widely used in daily life. Some television programs are using …
dǎ) To Hit
Example:
Zhè xiǎo gūniang dǎzì dǎ de hěn hǎo. 这 小 姑娘 打字 打 得 很 好。
The young girl types well. 打车 (dǎchē): v. to take a taxi
Example: Shíjiān láibùjí le, wǒmen dǎchē ba. Mike: 时间 来不及了，我们 …
Take a look at this surprising video to see the soccer stars of Arsenal attempting to speak Chinese. There are two important Chinese learning points in this online Chinese class.
Learning Point #1:
The famous soccer star Szczesny said:
Dàjiā hǎo, wǒ jiào Sīzésīní. 大 …
Chinese Lesson Online: 夏 (xià) summer
Summer is coming, but do you know how to write the Chinese character for “summer?” The Chinese character for “summer” is “夏(xià)”. Let’s learn to write the Chinese character in this Chinese lesson online.
拼音 (pīnyīn) pinyin: xià
笔画 …
Key Learning Points (Preview):
漂亮 (piàoliang) adj. beautiful
照片 (zhàopiàn) n. photo
Two lovers are talking in a park.
Nánhái: Jīntiān wǒ zài jiēshang kànjiàn le yígè měinǚ. 男孩： 今天 我 在 街上 看见 了 一个 美女。
Boy: Today I saw a beautiful woman on …
The “Divine Tune” in China: “忐忑 (tǎntè) Uneasy”
忐忑 (tǎntè) adj. uneasy
称赞 (chēngzàn) v. to praise
表演 (biǎoyǎn) n. performance
Do you know a song titled “忐忑 (tǎntè) Uneasy” that has become famous in China? This song hit the Internet …
Key Learning Points (Preview):
篮球 (lánqiú) n. basketball
歌曲 (gēqǔ) n. song
Recently, Kobe Bryant and Jay Chou performed a song together named “天地一斗(tiāndìyìdǒu) The Combination of Heaven and Earth“. The song is “创作 (chuàngzuò) composed” by Jay Chou and “表演 (biǎoyǎn) performed” by Kobe …
Do you know how to write the Chinese character for “rabbit?”
The Chinese character for “rabbit” is “兔.”
拼音 (pīnyīn) pinyin: tù 笔画 (bǐhuà) number of strokes: 8 部首 (bùshǒu) Radical: 刀 笔顺 (bǐshùn) stroke order:
常用词语 (chángyòng cíyŭ) Frequently-used words or phrases:
兔子 (tùzi) …
Key Learning Points (Preview):
姑娘 (gūniang) n. girl
姑妈 (gūmā) n. aunt
During the Spring Festival Gala of 2011, the cross talk show “四海之内皆兄弟” (Sì hǎi zhī nèi jiē xiōngdi) All Men Are Brothers” was performed in Chinese by a pair of foreigners. Watch the …
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 …
词源 (cíyuán) Etymology: In the Chinese lunar calendar, winter is the last season of each year, for this reason the character “终 (zhōng) end” …
Thanksgiving Day is coming up. Do you know how to read and write the Chinese Characters
for Thanksgiving Day? The Chinese Characters
for “Thanksgiving Day” are “感恩节(Gǎn’ēnjié),” or the traditional Chinese characters “感恩節(Gǎn’ēnjié).” “感(gǎn)” means to appreciate or to give thanks. “恩(ēn)” means the favor …
