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红 (hóng) red
白 (bái) white
黑 (hēi) black
Chinese have developed a rich culture around the use of color, especially in language. Below we will explain the significance of a few colors in Chinese culture: First, something you’ll no doubt immediately notice with any exposure to the culture, Chinese people like the color red very much.…
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老 (lǎo): adj. old
Several years ago, when Bill Clinton came to China and visited Shanghai, he felt uncomfortable when he was called “Grandpa Clinton” by children in a community. But when one of the children called him “Clinton,” he began to warm up.…
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春游 (chūnyóu) n. spring outing
锻炼 (duànliàn) v. to exercise
The Tomb-sweeping Day in China is a day for ancestor worship. It falls on April 4, 2012. On this day, people go to sweep the tombs of their ancestors to show their respects.…
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筷子 (kuàizi): n. chopsticks
简单 (jiǎndān): adj. easy/simple
Can you use “筷子 (kuàizi) chopsticks?” With the continued growing popularity of Chinese food and culture, more and more people around the world are trying to learn how to use chopsticks. Some even refuse knives and forks in Chinese restaurants for fear of missing the true experience of Chinese food.…
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发 (fā): v. to be lucky
最 (zuì): adv. the most (the superlative degree of an adjective)
Seeing the picture below, you may wonder why this car is special. Actually, this car is special because of its license plate number. On the car’s license plate we can see lots of 8, and undoubtedly, this would be the best license plate number in China and people will pay large amounts of money for these types of license plates.…
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抬 (tái): v. to lift/raise
理发 (lǐfà): v. to have a haircut
In North China, there is a saying that goes “二月二，龙抬头 (èr yuè èr, lóng tái tóu) The Dragon Raises Its Head.” It signals the arrival of spring, the beginning of all life, and the start of the farming season.…
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年年有余 (niánniányǒuyú) May you always get more than you wish for.
The Spring Festival has come to an end and all of us have to go back to work. Thinking back to the Spring Festival, do you remember the plate of “鱼 (yú) fish” made by your mother?…
Valentine’s Day is coming up! Who are you going to spend it with? In today’s lesson, we’ll learn three popular Chinese expressions to use on Valentine’s Day.
Qīn’ài de péngyou, zhù nǐ Qíngrénjié kuàilè. 1. 亲爱 的 朋友， 祝 你 情人节 快乐！ My dear friend, I wish you a happy Valentine’s Day.…
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元宵节 (Yuánxiāojié): n. Lantern Festival
放烟花 (fàngyānhuā): v. to set off fireworks
The “元宵节 (Yuánxiāojié) Lantern Festival” falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. On this day, activities such as “猜灯谜 (cāidēngmí) guessing the lantern riddles,” “吃元宵 (chī yuánxiāo) eating sweet dumplings,” and many others are held to celebrate.…
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龙 (lóng) n. dragon
代替 (dàitì) v. to take the place of/to replace
In ancient China, the “龙 (lóng) dragon” lived capable upon the earth’s land, though notably, his majestic appearance lacked its famous horns. With a strong body and the power to fly effortlessly through the heavens, he deserved for the title “兽王 (shòuwáng) king of the animals” and decided to campaign to “代替 (dàitì) take the place of” tiger.…
Yǒu qián méi qián, huíjiā guònián. 1. 有 钱 没 钱，回家 过年。 Money or no, we’ll be home for Spring Festival.
Background Information:
This popular phrase originated from a well-known song of the same name. On Chinese New Year, getting home to see family is a long held practice.…
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小年 (Xiǎonián): n. the Little New Year
“小年 (Xiǎonián) The Little New Year,” also known as the “祭灶节 (Jìzào jié) the Kitchen God Festival,” is believed to take place on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month when the Kitchen God will return to the Jade Emperor in Heaven to report the activities of the households over the past year.…
Key Learning Points (Preview): 龙年 (lóngnián): n. the Year of the Dragon
本命年 (běnmìngnián): n. one’s year of birth in relation to the Chinese Zodiac
China’s celebration of the lunar New Year, the renowned Spring Festival, is less than a month away. As the zodiac’s limelight shifts to a different animal each year, 2012 has been designated “龙年 (lóngnián) the Year of the Dragon.”…
New Year’s Day, or “元旦 (Yuándàn)” is just around the corner. Wouldn’t you like to impress your friends and relatives by wishing them a happy holiday in Chinese? Today let’s take a look at a few popular phrases in Mandarin for the New Year.
Yuándàn kuàile!…
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 words and imagery.…
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二百五 (èrbǎiwǔ): n. a careless or silly person In Chinese, especially between friends, one often calls another “二百五 (èrbǎiwǔ),” or says that someone is “二百加五十 (èrbǎi jiā wǔshí) two hundred plus fifty.” What does this expression mean? Let’s read this small story to learn more about it.…
丑八怪 (chǒubāguài): n. an extremely ugly person/someone whose conduct is not good
In class, the teacher told the students that “丑八怪 (chǒubāguài)” refers to extremely ugly people. A confused student asked the teacher, “Why don’t we use the number 9? Why can’t we say “丑九怪 (chǒujiǔguài)?”…
Key Learning Points (Preview): 新娘 (xīnniáng) n. bride
害羞 (hàixiū) adj. shy
In a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, the “新娘 (xīnniáng) bride” will wear a red veil made of silk, the color red represents happiness in China. The “新郎 (xīnláng) groom” removes this mysterious red veil in the bridal chamber.…
On Mid-autumn Day, we often receive many Mid-autumn greetings from friends, colleagues or relatives. In today’s free Chinese lesson online, let’s learn some Chinese greetings for Mid-autumn Festival.
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月亮 (yuèliang) n. moon
实现 (shíxiàn) v. to come true
Yuàn nǐ měi yì tiān dōu xiàng shíwǔ de yuèliang yíyàng chénggōng yuánmǎn.…
秋老虎 (qiū lǎohǔ) The Hottest Days in Autumn Key Learning Points (Preview):
热 (rè): adj. hot
害怕 (hàipà): v. to be afraid of
Why do people call it “秋老虎 (qiū lǎohǔ)?” It is a short hot period (7-15 days) occurring in the latter part of August and the beginning of September after “立秋 (lìqiū),” one of the twenty-four solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar meaning the “beginning of autumn.”The…
