Recently, the Ministry of Education issued the international standard for Chinese education. This was the first standard for foreign Chinese students by the National Committee on language and culture. The levels were divided into level three and level nine. The international standard for Chinese education will officially be implemented as of July 1, 2021.…
It’s a topic covered in textbooks in language classrooms everywhere: “How to great someone from X-country or Y-culture”. Today we’re going to take you through rules and customs of different people, some more tongue-in-cheek in their seriousness and others we hope are informative. Whether or not you really learn something new, we hope you come away with a renewed appreciation for how to approach other people, as well as a few useful Chinese words and phrases!…
In major cities across China, employees have returned to offices, students are situated in their school desks, and crowds congregate outside of restaurants during the dinner rush. While wearing a surgical mask, although it’s no longer mandated outside of subways and other congested places, has become a habit in many ways, normal life has resumed in China, the country where COVID-19 first appeared one year ago.…
Tomb Sweeping Day: The Basics What do people do on Tomb Sweeping Day? Qingming Festival (清明节 qīng míng jié), also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival. Tomb sweeping and ancestor worship, the two main traditional customs of the holiday, have been passed down in China since ancient times.…
“斜杠青年(xiégāng qīngnián),” or, “Slashers”, are people who make multiple income streams simultaneously from different careers. “斜杠(xiégàng)” literally means “slash” in English, and refers to the “/” (particularly the key on the computer keyboard). The term was coined by Marci Alboher, a New York Times columnist, in her book One Person/Multiple Careers, in which she used “slashers” to refer to people with multiple occupations and identities.…
Stop Asian Hate As recent events have unfolded across news outlets and social media platforms, the world has heard of yet another outcry on American soil, pleading “
”. This comes shortly after the Black Lives Matter movement rallied globally and is just as significant and timely.…
Recently, we discussed the significance of ‘本命年 (Ben Ming Nian)’ in Chinese culture. This phenomenon, also known as the 12-year curse, affects the zodiac sign of the current year.
Let’s delve deeper into how the ancient Chinese divided time. We’ll also explore the formation of zodiac relations.…
Answer: B Analysis:
wǒ men fēi cháng xiàn mù tā yǒu yī wèi dāng jī zhǎng de fù qīn 。 我 们 非 常 羡 慕 他 有 一 位 当 机 长 的 父 亲。 We are very envious that he has a father who is a captain.…
“Poverty Limits My Imagination” Whenever people see others flaunting their wealth on social media, or interact briefly with the rich and famous, a common refrain is often heard: “贫穷限制了我的想象! (pín qióng xiàn zhì le wǒ de xiǎng xiàng) Poverty limits my imagination!”
This self-effacing sentence is saying that those with money can live lifestyles that the rest of us can’t even imagine, not because we’re not creative, but because we don’t have access to the resources that would let us experience the world in a totally different way.…
If you’ve ever read “The Art of War” you would also enjoy the “三十六计 (Sān shí liù jì) 36 ancient Chinese strategies” and their theories. Each proverb is accompanied by a brief explanation that explains how said proverb is applicable to military tactics. Its focus on the use of cunning and deception both on the battlefield and in court can be decoded to use in the business world as well.…
Food – the Be-all, End-all Before they had to stay home all day, many people took easy access to food for granted; these days, however, even though everyone is realizing just how important food is, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it, too. Eat what you need, but enjoy what you eat!…
The Chinese Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival because it starts at the beginning of spring. It is the most important festival in China and is traditionally a time for family reunions. Many of China’s ethnic minorities celebrate their Lunar New Year around the same time as the Han people, although some maintain their own calendars.…
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You have taken the time to successfully build up your social media following, so now what? Cash in on it! If your content topics include culture, language, Chinese heritage, or anything where you can find a way to plug us in your posts you’d be the perfect fit for our affiliate program.…
The Different Meanings Behind “What do you mean?” in Chinese (pt. 2) Hope that you’ve already had a cup of coffee, because for Part 2 of The Different Meanings Behind “What do you mean?” in Chinese (click here for Part 1) we’re jumping right in!…
When traveling or moving to a new country, such as China, it may seem that it’s nearly impossible to eat “健康 (jiàn kāng) healthy”. This is especially true in a country full of neverending varieties of deliciously tempting cuisines. Some “健康 (jiàn kāng) healthy” lifestyles are harder to accomodate and maintain than others such as having a strict plant-based lifestyle.…
Chinese 漫画 (màn huà) manhua, or Mandarin-language comic books, have been in the spotlight for a while now but lately Chinese animations “动画 (dònghuà)” are gaining the popularity they deserve. Not long ago if you wanted to watch an animated series in Chinese it was a laborious task to find one that was interesting and subtitled.…
The Different Meanings Behind “What do you mean?” in Chinese (pt. 1)
As with English, there are a few different ways you could express this phrase, depending on the situation, your intention, how familiar/formal you want to be, etc.
Here are some common ways, most of which are variations on a common theme.…
Leveling Up Your Chinese Through Video Game Phrases
wǒ yuán yǐ wéi shì gè qīng tóng , méi xiǎng dào shì gè wáng zhě 我原以为是个青铜，没想到是个王者
“I thought it was a bronzer, but I didn’t expect a challenger”
The Bronze and the Challenger are the lowest and highest levels in MOBA games (Multiplayer online battle arena) such as League of Legends, Arena of Alor, etc.…
Are You Living in a “内卷化 (nèi juǎn huà)” World? As more and more countries model themselves after capitilistic models, they find themselves increasingly unhappy compared to generations prior. In the world of Chinese netizens, there is a word that coincides and expressesthis sentiment quite accurately.…
Answer: 1. AB 2. A 3. B 4. A
1. biérén/rénjiā dōu zǒule, nǐ wèishéme bù zǒu? 别人/人家都走了，你为什么不走？ Others/people have all left, why haven’t you?
2. nǐ mànyìdiǎn xíng bù xíng, rénjiā gēn bú shàng ma! 你慢一点行不行，人家跟不上嘛！ Can you slow down? I can’t keep up!…
