Mastering Chinese Characters: Should I Learn All Radicals？
Have you ever marveled at the complexity of Chinese characters, wondering how these intricate symbols are constructed? Chinese characters are like intricate puzzles, each crafted from a unique set of building blocks. Think of them as the ‘Lego bricks’ that come together to form the …
Unlocking the Secret Power of Chinese Characters: Supercharging Children’s Cognitive Development
Chinese characters have a big impact on how children’s brains develop. Learning Chinese characters isn’t just about learning to write, it also helps children think and understand things better. Let’s look at the benefits of learning Chinese characters for children’s thinking skills.
1. Improved Memory…
How an 8-Year Old Boy Learned to Write Chinese Characters in 1 Year From Scratch
Below are some pictures of homework done by one of our students, David, who started learning Mandarin with us 1 year ago from scratch. Apparently he did a very good job in writing Chinese characters. Chinese teachers from eChineseLearning are good at teaching kids both …
Mandarin on Your Terms: Is It Possible to Skip Learning Chinese Characters?
I’m Jennifer Zhu from eChineseLearning, a teacher with 17 years of experience teaching Chinese to adult learners. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of instructing a diverse range of students. Interestingly, many of my friends often approach me with a common question: can we …
Answer Key – The Key to Mastering Chinese Characters: Identifying Differences
Answers:
1. A 2. B 3. B 4. A
Analysis:
Rénmen zǒngshì duì wèizhī shìwù chōngmǎn kǒngjù. 人们总是对未知事物充满恐惧。 People are always full of fear of the unknown.
Mǎyǎ rén céng yùyán èr líng yī èr nián shì shìjiè mòrì. 玛雅人曾预言2012年是世界末日。 The Maya prophesied that 2012 …
The Key to Mastering Chinese Characters: Identifying Differences
1. Please choose the best option to fill the blanks.
A. 未 (Wèi)
B. 末 (Mò)
Rénmen zǒngshì duì ______ zhī shìwù chōngmǎn kǒngjù. （1）人们总是对 ______知事物充满恐惧。
寄一封慢信给未来 Deliver A “Slow Letter” to the Future Mǎyǎ rén céng yùyán èr líng yī èr nián shì shìjiè …
Worth-It Hack to Learning Chinese Characters for Mandarin Beginners!
We love getting questions from our students! And recently, one of our students asked how to learn and remember Chinese characters quickly. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Chinese characters are very profound and interesting, and they are especially helpful while learning Chinese; what’s more, …
Answer to Worth-It Hack to Learning Chinese Characters for Mandarin Beginners!
Answers: 1. D 2. B 3. A 4. C
Analysis:
睛 (Jīng) n. eyeball; (often paired with “眼 (yǎn)”, hence “眼睛 (yǎnjīng)
清 (Qīng) adj. unmixed; clear; quiet; distinct
情 (Qíng) n. feeling; affection; favor; (often paired with “事 (shì)”, hence “事情 (shìqing )
晴 …
Answer to Similar But Different! How Well Do you Know These Chinese Characters?
Answers: 1. B 2. A; A 3. A 4. B; B
Analysis:
A. 土 (Tǔ)
B. 士 (Shì)
Xiǎo Lǐ zhèngzài gōngdú bóshì xuéwèi. 小李正在攻读博士学位。 Xiao Li is studying for her doctorate.
Wǒ shì ge tǔshēngtǔzhǎng de Zhōngguórén. 我是个土生土长的中国人。 I am a native Chinese.
Zhè …
Similar But Different! How Well Do You Know These Chinese Characters?
I. Please choose the best option to fill the blanks.
A. 土 B. 士
Xiǎo Lǐ zhèngzài gōngdú bó ( ) xuéwèi. 1. 小李正在攻读博（ ）学位。 Xiao Li is studying for her doctorate.
Wǒ shì ge ( ) shēng ( ) zhǎng de Zhōngguórén. 2. 我是个（ …
Answer to One of These Characters Could Be Your Soul Mate (Part II)
Answer: 1. A
Analysis:
Lì Lì: Nǐ shǔ shénme shēngxiào? 丽丽: 你属什么 生肖? LiLi: What’s your zodiac?
Xiǎo Hóng: Wǒ shǔ zhū, nǐ ne? 小红: 我属猪，你呢？ Xiao Hong: My zodiac is the pig. How about you?
Lì Lì: Wǒ bǐ nǐ dà, wǒ shǔ gǒu. …
One of These Characters Could Be Your Soul Mate (Part II)
(The picture source: www.photophoto.cn） Here is the second part of the popular ”十二生肖 (shí’èrshēngxiào): Chinese Zodiac” series that you all have been patiently waiting for. If your animal wasn’t included in the last installment, you are sure to find it below. In the last zodiac …
Take Your Chinese to the Next Step: Tips on Writing Chinese Characters
In a recent lesson, I shared with you some of my classroom tips for practicing your Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. In today’s lesson, I will do the same, but with another essential aspect of the Chinese language, the enriching act of writing Chinese characters. Usually, …
HSK Quiz: Which Characters Don’t Belong?
Find the wrong Chinese characters in the sentences and correct them.
1. 丽丽是一个很票亮的女孩。 2. 在一次白助餐晚会上，我吃了好多美味的实物。 3. 杰克母次学习都想偷懒。
…Answer to HSK Quiz: Which Characters Don’t Belong?
Answers:
1. 票→漂
票 (piào): ticket.
漂 (piào): fail; end in failure.
漂亮 (piàoliang): smart; beautiful.
“票 (piào)” and “漂 (piào)” are homophones having the same spelling but different meanings and origins. Lìli shì yí gè hěn piàoliang de nǚhái. 丽丽是 一 个 很 漂亮 …
Answer to Can You Put These Radicals Together to Form Characters?
Answers: 1.竞 (Jìng): compete; contest; strong; powerful.
Stroke Order:
2.阔 (Kuò)：wide, rich, broad.
Stroke Order:
3.染 (Rǎn): acquire (a bad habit, etc.); soil; contaminate.
Stroke Order:
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Can You Put These Radicals Together to Form Characters?
According to the Pinyin given in each question, take the character parts (A, B etc.) and put them together into a character that goes along with the Pinyin.
Example:
Pinyin— Hàn: A. 又 B. 氵
Answer:
汉 (Hàn): Chinese, name of a dynasty, Han.
Stroke …
What Is the Most Effective Way to Learn Chinese Characters?
Chinese is distinctive for its characters. When people think of China, they think of thousands upon thousands of symbols, normally amazed that people can memorize so many different icons for their language. For some it’s the characters that make them want to learn Chinese, and …