“Why do Mandarin questions require both tones and intonation?” When I first started learning Mandarin, this question puzzled me. In Mandarin, asking questions involves not only intonation to indicate inquiry but also maintaining precise tones for each word. For instance, in the sentence “你去哪儿?”(Nǐ qù nǎr, Where are you going?),…
Chinese grammar can seem daunting for beginners, especially for those who are more familiar with the grammatical structures of Indo-European languages like English, Spanish, or French. However, with a solid understanding of the basics, you can demystify the complexities of Chinese and make significant progress in your language learning journey.…
Mastering Chinese grammar is the key to fluency. Grammar enables you to construct meaningful sentences and clearly express your thoughts. It’s what helps you navigate the subtleties of Chinese, such as formal vs. informal speech, and the impact of small particles that can change the meaning of a sentence.…
Whether kids should learn grammar while studying Mandarin is a question that may puzzle some parents. Recognizing the different developmental stages of young minds, we seek a delicate balance between fostering expressive foundations and equipping older learners with tools to navigate the complexities of grammar.
For young language learners in the early stages of language exploration, the focus should remain on oral language acquisition.…
Mastering Chinese grammar involves understanding how to express various degrees of possibility. Today, we’ll break down how to use the term 可能 (kĕnéng) and its variations to convey possibility, likelihood, and uncertainty in different contexts.
In a sentence, 可能 is put ahead of “verb (+ noun)” structure, just like “May” in English.…
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks.
Zhāng Wěi: Wǒ zuì xǐhuan chī de Zhōng’guó cài shì Běijīng kǎoyā. Nǐ chī __ ma? 张 伟：我 最 喜欢 吃 的 中国 菜 是 北京 烤鸭。 你 吃 __ 吗？ Zhang Wei: My favorite Chinese dish is Beijing Roast Duck.…
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks. Lucy: Nǐ zěnme xiànzài ___ lái? Lucy：你 怎么 现在 ___ 来？ Lucy: Why are you coming so late? Lǐ Míng: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ wǔdiǎn ___ chūmén le, kěshì lùshàng dǔchē. 李 明： 对不起， 我 5点 ___ 出门 了，可是 路上 堵车。 Li Ming: I’m sorry.…
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks. Wánɡ Lì: Xiàbān yǐhòu, wǒ qù chāoshì, nǐ qù___? 王 丽： 下班 以后， 我 去 超市，你 去___？ Wang Li: I’ll go to the supermarket after work. Would you like to join me? Liú Xīnɡ: Wǒ jīntiān hěn mánɡ, bú qù.…
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks. Wáng Lì: Zhè gè yuè, nǐ mǎi le jǐ běn shū? 王 丽：这 个 月，你 买 了 几 本 书？ Wang Li: How many books have you bought this month? Lǐ Píng: ____ běn. Zhè shì wǒ mǎi de dì __ běn shū.…
Allen and Peter are discussing their plans for tomorrow.
Nǐmen míngtiān zuò shénme? Allen：你们 明天 做 什么？ What are you guys going to do tomorrow?
Wǒmen míngtiān qù tī zúqiú. Nǐ ____ tī zúqiú ma? Peter：我们 明天 去 踢 足球。你____ 踢 足球 吗？ We’re going to play football.…
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks. Betty: Wǒ___è. Wǒmen chī___dōngxi ba? Betty：我___饿，我们 吃___ 东西 吧？ Mike: Hǎo de. Mike：好 的。 A．一点儿(yìdiǎnr), 一点儿(yìdiǎnr)
B．有一点儿(yǒu yìdiǎnr), 一点儿(yìdiǎnr)
C．一点儿(yìdiǎnr), 有一点儿(yǒu yìdiǎnr)
D．有一点儿(yǒu yìdiǎnr), 有一点儿(yǒu yìdiǎnr)
Not sure about the answer? No worries, please review the article Chinese Test: Correct Ways to Say “A Little Bit” in Mandarin to learn the answer!…
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks. Tom: Míngtiān nǐ hé Jason qù zuò shénme? Tom: 明天 你 和 Jason 去 做 什么？ Jack: Míngtiān__ qù kàn diànyǐng. Nǐ hé Anna ne? Jack: 明天 ___去 看 电影。 你 和 Anna 呢？ Tom: ___yě qù kàn diànyǐng, ___ yìqǐ qù ba!…
We have published four issues of newsletter in April 2014. Have you read all of them? Let’s see how much you have learned from this month’s issues! Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Betty: Lucy, nǐ zuìjìn hěn máng ma? Betty：Lucy，你 最近 很 忙 吗？ Lucy: Shìde, wǒ ___ sān ge háizi, wǒ ___ zhàogù tāmen.…
We have published four issues of newsletter in April 2014. Have you read all of them? Let’s see how much you have learned from this month’s issues! Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Zhāng Wěi: Linda, nǐ chūchāi xūyào jǐ tiān? 张 伟： Linda, 你 出差 需要 几 天？ Linda: ____.…
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. The conversation below is between Jack and Ada while driving to the movie theater. Jack: Diànyǐng jǐ____ kāishǐ? Jack: 电影 几____开始？ Ada: Qī ____èrshí. Ada:七_____二十。 A. 点(diǎn), 分(fēn)
B. 分(fēn), 秒(miǎo)
C. 点(diǎn), 点(diǎn)
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Mike: Nǐ měitiān huíjiā xūyào______? Mike: 你 每天 回家 需要 ______？ Wáng Wěi: Sānshí fēnzhōng. 王 伟： 三十 分钟。 A. 多长天(duōcháng tiān)
B. 多少天(duōshǎo tiān)
C. 多长时间(duōcháng shíjiān)
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Ella: Jack, Nǐ měitiān xuéxí duō cháng shíjiān zhōngwén? Ella: Jack, 你 每天 学习 多 长 时间 中文？ Ella: Jack, how much time do you spend studying Chinese every day? Jack: ____. Jack: ____. Jack: One and a half hours.…
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Yì nián___, wǒ bú huì shuō zhōngwén. 一 年___， 我 不 会 说 中文。 One year ago, I couldn’t speak Chinese. A. 以前(yǐqián)
B. 以后(yǐhòu)
Now that the glamorous Oscars has come to an end, which actors do you like? Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Nǐ xǐhuan Leonardo DiCaprio ___ Matthew McConaughey? 你 喜欢 Leonardo DiCaprio ___ Matthew McConaughey？ Do you like Leonardo DiCaprio or Matthew McConaughey?…
Which of the following is incorrect? Wáng Míng: Nà shì shéi? 王 明： 那 是 谁？ Wang Ming: Who is that? Lì Li: Nà shì____. 丽 丽：那 是_____。 Li Li: That is my sister. A. 我的姐姐(wǒ de jiějie)
B. 我姐姐(wǒ jiějie)
C. 我姐姐的(wǒ jiějie de)
