When we think of soccer (football), many people think of superstars like Lionel Messi from Argentina or the Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. But did you know that in 2004, FIFA confirmed that the origins of soccer lie in Chinese Cuju (cù jū 蹴鞠)? Cuju was the earliest soccer-like activity recorded in history?…
In ancient China, men and women were not as free as they are now, where they could send gifts to whoever, whenever they wanted to express their feelings.
Marriages were typically arranged, and couples often only saw each other after the wedding.
Encountering someone they loved was uncommon, and marrying that person was even more so.…
Various countries around the world celebrate Teachers’ Day at different times, and though each celebrates the holiday in different ways, warmth and gratitude towards educators is still the theme of this holiday. Today, let’s take a look at a few different celebrations of Teachers’ Day in different places.…
During this year’s Henan Spring Festival Gala, “Tang Palace Banquet（táng gōng yè yàn 唐宫夜宴）” astounded countless audience members. After the Dragon Boat Festival party, Henan TV’s “Luo Shen Shui Fu（luò shén shuǐ fù 洛神水赋）” also went viral. However, what truly no one saw coming was that Henan TV’s Chinese Valentine’s Day party “Diamond of Dragon Gate（lóng mén jīn gāng 龙门金刚）” once again attracted the eyes of the world!…
Every year as winter and summer vacations wrap up, children and parents start to prepare for the new semester. Most people only know what this preparation looks like in their own country – and generally speaking, countries around the world are very similar. In China, however, this year’s back-to-school preparations are looking a little different.…
On August 8, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics concluded. After 17 days of fierce competition, the Chinese team lived up to expectations and again got the gold in this year’s table tennis competition. Expectations? Well, since table tennis was officially added the Olympic Games program in 1988, Chinese teams have taken home the most medals of any country, with 53 total (28 gold, 17 silver, 8 bronze).…
One of the biggest, but largely unexpected, obstacles to accessing life in China that visitors from abroad face is not a language barrier, hospitality customs, or new flavors – rather, it’s chopsticks!
Many people are excited to try the amazing dishes they see in front of them, but if you haven’t had the chance to practice using chopsticks (kuàizi 筷子) before you come to China, it’s going to be hard to get all that delicious food into your mouth!…
Have you heard the term “late-night poisoning”?
It’s like this:
Imagine it’s the middle of the night and you get home after a hard day of work.
As you collapse into bed, you flip open your phone to watch something funny before you go to sleep but suddenly you spot… one of your friends has posted a picture of the 5-course Michelin-starred meal they ate that night!…
We often find that when children are in class, they can’t sit still and have the urge to fidget. Teachers get a headache after seeing them. At home, homework is a struggle as the stool seems to grow nails. He doesn’t care if you are in a rage.…
While there are a few parts of China known even outside the country for their fiery gustatory preferences (New Yorkers may recognize the names ‘Szechuan Mountain House’ or ‘Hunan Bistro’), what many non-Chinese people don’t realize is that people in most parts of China love spicy food.…
If you are a parent thinking about having your children learn Mandarin as a second language, you might be wondering if Mandarin Chinese is a difficult language for kids to learn as opposed to a language closer to their mother tongue. You might even think that Chinese would be a scary option compared to Spanish or French, for example since there are characters to write and the speaking tones are unfamiliar.…
In China, different regions have different languages, eating habits and lifestyles.
In foreign countries, the difference can be even greater with a wide range of ethnic backgrounds due to immigration histories.
One area in particular, bathing habits, is an interesting area to look at.
Throughout China there are different approaches to bathing, ranging from quick rinses to going to a public bath and lounging afterwards, getting massages, or hanging out in a sauna to relieve their fatigue.…
Many parents who want their children to learn Chinese are often at a loss. To be fair, the differences between Chinese and languages like English, Spanish, German, etc. are vast, and it can be very difficult to know where to start. Fortunately, just like with other languages, there are certain approaches that work better when learning Chinese.…
If you were to Google “confusing things about Chinese”, you’d get approximately 39,100,000 results (trust us, we just tried).
Learning the language involves various challenges, from pronunciation to writing characters and diverse ways to say “grandparent”. Today, we’ll have some fun explaining a few phrases that might be confusing when you first encounter them.…
By now, many people are familiar with “赛龙舟 (sài lóng zhōu) dragon boat racing” and how it has origins in a folk activity meant to commemorate Qu Yuan, a famous poet and politician, in the Warring States Period who drowned himself after being banished by the emperor.…
“Chinese fever” is “spreading” all over the world. It’s all the rage to learn the language with more than 1.3 billion native speakers, but of course it’s not as easy as snapping your fingers—you need to spend time, time, and more time to learn. Still, even those parents who are considering having their children start early might be wondering: is it worth starting learning Chinese from such a young age?…
What day do children look forward to all year in China? If you think it’s their birthday, think again! Tuesday, June 1st 2021 is when International Children’s Day is this year. If you ask any Child in China, they will often tell you that Children’s Day is a time when they go to the movies for free, eat whatever they want, and play outside.…
Other Chinese expressions for “embarrassment”
1.社会性死亡现场 (shè huì xìng sǐ wáng xiàn chǎng) social death scene It made her look like a fool in public. She was so humiliated that she didn’t want to see anyone. She just wanted to crawl into a crack on the ground.…
All Chinese idioms have an elaborate origin story with an important moral imbedded within the heart of it and “Lord Ye Loves Dragons” is no exception. This Chinese idiom story in particular was told by 颛孙师 Zhuān sūn shī, also known as 子张 Zi Zhɑng. He was a prominent disciple of Confucius, who accompanied Confucius in his travels abroad, and later started his own sect of Confucianism.…
Answer:
nǐ de yá zhēn hǎo kàn ɑ ，shì zhēn de hái shì jiǎ de yɑ ？ 你 的 牙 真 好 看 啊， 是 真 的 还 是 假 的 呀？ Your teeth are so beautiful. Is it true or not?…
