Key Learning Points (Preview):
过新年 (Guò xīnnián): v. to celebrate the New Year
跳舞 (tiàowǔ): v. to dance
Guò xīnnián ya, dōng dōng dōng dōng qiàng, 过 新年 呀， 咚 咚 咚 咚 呛， We are celebrating the New Year, Tong Tong Tong Tong Qiang …
Key Learning Point (Preview):
如鱼得水 (rúyúdéshuǐ): to feel just like a fish in water
Dōnghàn mònián, tiānxià dà luàn. 东汉 末年， 天下 大 乱。 In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the country was in confusion.
Liú Bèi wèi tǒngyī tiānxià, tèyì bàifǎng yǐnjū de Zhūgě …
Read the conversation:
A wife complains about the dish made by her husband.
Wife: Lǎogōng, nǐ zuòde zhèshì shénme cài ya, wǒ kànzhe dōu méi shíyù. Wife: 老公， 你 做 的 这是 什么 菜 呀，我 看着 都 没 食欲。
Husband:Nǐ ài …
Key Learning Point (Preview):
意思 (yìsi): n. meaning
Frank is my friend from America. One day, he came to me and told me that he heard a conversation between two Chinese people which confused him. The conversation went as follows: Nǐ zhège rén zhēn yǒu …
The idiom “滴水穿石 (dīshuǐchuānshí)” more literally means that constantly dripping water can wear away stone.
Now it is used to mean that you can succeed if you persist. It also can be written as “水滴石穿 (shuǐdīshíchuān).”
Let’s read about the origin of this idiom.
Key …
Key Learning Point (Preview):
马马虎虎 (mǎma hūhu): careless/just so so
The idiom “马马虎虎 (mǎma hūhu)” is widely used by Chinese people in their daily lives. But why do people in China use this idiom? Let’s read the following story to find out.
Listen to the …
“少见多怪 (shǎojiànduōguài) is an everyday Chinese expression used to describe someone who is very naive. Besides this, the phrase is sometimes used to poke fun at those who announce a very common fact as a piece of amazing news. In English, people sometimes joke around …
Conversation: Gàosu nǐ ge hǎo xiāoxi, nǐ xiān cāicai ba. Mary: 告诉 你 个 好 消息，你 先 猜猜 吧。 I have good news! Can you guess what it is?
Bié màiguānzi le, gǎnjǐn shuō ba. Wang Hong: 别 卖关子 了， 赶紧 …
Wǒ zuìjìn dúle yìběn shū-Zhōngguó Guójiā Dìlǐ. A: 我 最近 读了 一本 书- 《中国 国家 地理》。 Zěnmeyàng? B: 怎 么 样？ Hěn yǒu qù. Wǒmen shǔjià qù Zhōngguó lǚyóu, zěnmeyàng? A: 很 有 趣。我们 暑假 去 中国 旅游， 怎么样? Tīng nǐ …
中国古代四大美女 (Zhōngguó gǔdài sì dà měinǚ) The Four Beauties of Ancient China
Key Learning Points (Preview): 美女 (měinǚ): n. beauty
含蓄 (hánxù): adj. reserved/implicit
温柔 (wēnróu): adj. gentle/tender
Throughout China’s five thousand year history, numerous heroic figures have emerged and captured the people’s fancy. But …
弄巧成拙 (nòngqiǎochéngzhuó) Making a Fool of Oneself When Trying to Be Smart Key Learning Points (Preview):
画画 (huàhuà) v. to paint/ draw
着色 (zhuósè) v. to color
Běisòng shíqī, yǒu wèi huàjiā jiào Sūn Zhīwēi. 北宋 时期, 有 位 画家 叫 孙 知微。
During the …
Key Learning Points (Preview): 围 (wéi): v. to besiege
救 (jiù): v. to rescue
待 (dài): v. to wait
The blockbuster war movie The Warring States was released in theaters simultaneously in China and North America on Apr. 12th, 2011. This movie focuses 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 …
Chinese Lessons Online -Most Frequently Used Chinese Words for Tattoo Key Learning Points (Preview): 纹身 (wénshēn): v./n. to tattoo/tattoo
勇气 (yǒngqì): n. courage
Do you have “纹身 (wénshēn) tattoos?” The Mexico International Tattoo Expo has just been held in Monterey. A variety of tattoos raised …
Business Etiquette—Showing Honor through Holding Fist Key Learning Points (Preview):
拳头 (quántou) n. fist
祝贺 (zhùhè)n. congratulations
Holding fist is a form of greeting, usually used by men, with one clenched fist cradled in the other hand and held at chest level. It is a …
Online Chinese Lessons -The Earthquake in Japan Key Learning Points (Preview): 捐款 (juānkuǎn): v. to donate
祈福 (qífú): v. to pray
The major earthquake that recently devastated Japan has captured the world’s attention. It was the largest earthquake on record since the great earthquake in …
Nǐ rènshi qiánmian nà gè měi nǚ ma? A: 你 认识 前面 那 个 美 女 吗？ Rènshi cái guài ne. B: 认识 才 怪 呢。 Question:
Has the man met that beautiful lady?
A. Yes
B. No…
Chinese Language: Wēibó-The Twitter in China Key Learning Points (Preview):
关注 (guānzhù): v. to pay close attention to
微博控 (wēibó kòng): to be obsessed with microblogs
The year of 2010 has been called “中国微博元年 (Zhōngguó wēibó yuánnián) the first year of microblogging in China.” The …
Online Chinese Lesson- Li Bai- China’s Greatest Poet (Intermediate)
Key Learning Points (Preview):
纪念 (jìniàn): v. to commemorate
风格 (fēnggé): n. style
Feb. 28, 2011 is the 1310th anniversary of the Poet Li Bai, one of the greatest poets in world history. Many people “纪念 …
Wǒ hái niánqīng, háiyào pīnbó, háiyǒu jīhuì. 我 还 年轻， 还要 拼搏， 还有 机会。
I’m still young, I still need to struggle, and I still have a chance.
—From “刘翔 (Liú Xiáng) Liu Xiang” on 15th Feb. 2011, when he won third place in the …
