Love is in the air, and if you’re like many people, that means you’ve got one or two wedding invitations headed straight for your mailbox. As if deciding what to gift newlyweds isn’t hard enough, in China there are some culture-specific taboos. You’ll want to …
Answer: C
When using “a period of time+前(qián),” for example, “1个月前(yí gè yuè qián),” it means that the time the speaker is taking about is one month prior to when they are speaking, the translation would be “one …
Depending on where the character “前(qián) before” is placed in the sentence can change the meaning. For example, 时间段+前 (a period of time + before) vs 前+时间段 (before + a period of time). Try the quiz below to see if you can figure out the …
Correct Answers 1. C 2. A <<Back to “Tips to Make Chinese Unforgettable”
When learning Chinese, especially when you are not in China, you need a method to help you make the Chinese stick. One way to do that is to make Chinese feel like it is essential to your every day life, as it would be in …
蚂蚁报恩 (Mǎyǐ bào’ēn) The Ant and the Dove
Key Learning Points (Preview): 蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ) n. ant
咬 (yǎo)v. to bite
Xiàtiān, yǒu yìzhī mǎyǐ bèi fēng guādàole chítáng lǐ. 夏天， 有 一只 蚂蚁 被 风 刮到了 池塘 里。 In summer, an ant fell into a …
Answer: B Check out the diagram below to find out the gestures that are used in China to express numbers!
Body Parts: The Names of the Fingers in Chinese <<Back to “The Insider’s Look on Using Chinese Hand Gestures”
Did you know the gestures used to express numbers in the west and in China are different? Check out this quiz below and see if you already know the differences!
How old is the boy? A. “五 岁(wǔ suì)” 5 years old B. “六 岁(liù …
Too shy to let your guard down and bust a move when you’re on a night out? Maybe you should let China’s square dancers help you get in the groove. If you walk around a Chinese city in the evening, you’ll surely find them. “广场舞 …
雪中送炭 (xuězhōngsòngtàn) To offer fuel in snowy weather
Key Learning Points (Preview):
木炭 (mùtàn) n. charcoal
品尝 (pǐncháng) v. taste
Sòngcháo de shíhou, Sòng Tàizōng Zhào Guāngyì shì yígè guānxīn qióngkǔrén de huángdì. 宋朝 的 时候， 宋太宗 赵 光义 是 一个 关心 穷苦人 的 皇帝。 …
Answer: B The correct answer is B. “属于(shǔyú)” means “belong to” or “the category of something.” There are 12 kinds of animals within the Chinese Zodiac, including 鼠(shǔ) rat, 牛(niú) rat, 虎 (hǔ) tiger, 兔(tù) rabbit, 龙 (lóng) dragon, 蛇(shé) snake, 马(mǎ) horse, 羊 (yáng) …
Jié Kè: Māo ____ shíèr shēngxiāo ma? 杰 克：猫 ____ 十二 生肖 吗？ Jack: The cat is the 12th zodiac right? Mǎ Lì: Bù, shíèr shēngxiāo lǐmiàn méiyǒu māo. 玛 丽：不，十二 生肖 里面 没有 猫。 Mary: No, the cat isn’t one of the zodiacs. Jié …
The
“纸上谈兵(zhǐshàngtánbīng) armchair strategy” refers to people who engage in idle talk, but are unable to act on their high minded theories. It is usually used to urge people to combine theories with practical knowledge and not be bookworms. Let’s read about the …
Food is a big deal in China. In fact, food and eating are so important that a common greeting is “你吃了吗？(Nǐ chī le ma?)” This means, “Have you eaten yet?” Want to find out about one of the most delicious, regional cuisines in …
Answer: B As a technology user, you probably often reach into your “表情包(biǎoqíng bāo)” or “emoji bag” to represent some feeling that needs more than words. With this lesson you will get behind the scenes on what the emoticon actually means when it is sent …
Mǎ Kè: Lǐ Lì, míngtiān yìqǐ qù tīng yǎnchànghuì ba? 马 克：李丽，明天 一起 去 听 演唱会 吧？ Mark: Lily, there’s a concert tomorrow, we should go together! Lǐ Lì: Shuí de yǎnchànghuì a? 李丽：谁 的 演唱会 啊？ Lily: Who is playing? Mǎ Kè: Dāngdì de …
Answer: D Even thought the word “play” in English takes on many different meanings, in Chinese there is often a different word for different actions. Perhaps the most similar word in Chinese to the word play, would be “玩(wán).” This word is used as a …
