Chinese Idiom: 哪壶不开提哪壶 To Touch A Soft Spot
The idiom “哪壶不开提哪壶 (nǎ hú bù kāi tí nǎ hú)” literally means “to pick the kettle that is not boiling.” It’s used to indicate that someone is saying or doing something that shouldn’t be mentioned in front of others, or that someone is bringing up …
Chinese Idiom: 隔墙有耳 (géqiángyǒu’ěr) Walls Have Ears
Key Learning Point (Preview): 隔墙有耳 (géqiángyǒu’ěr): walls have ears
Cóngqián, yǒu yíge hàoqíxīn hěn zhòng de rén. 从前， 有 一个 好奇心 很 重 的 人。 Once upon a time, there was a curious man.
Tā zǒngshì xǐhuan sìchù dǎting biérén de mìmi. 他 总是 喜欢 …
Chinese Idiom: 毛遂自荐 (Máo Suí zìjiàn) To recommend oneself
Key Learning Point (Preview):
毛遂自荐 (Máo Suí zìjiàn) to volunteer for a task; to recommend oneself for a difficult job
Idiom Story:
Máo Suí zài Zhàoguó dāile sān nián, què yìzhí bú bèi zhòngyòng. 毛 遂 在 赵国 待了 三 年，却 一直 不 被 重用。 …
Kids Chinese Learning: 井底之蛙 (Jǐngdǐzhīwā) The Frog in the Well
The Chinese idiom “井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā)” is derived from a story about a frog who lived at the bottom of an unused well. People now use it to refer to people who are short-sighted and arrogant. Read the story below to improve your Chinese learning.
Yì …
Body Parts: The Names of the Fingers in Chinese
Read the Story:
“五个手指头的对话(Wǔ gè Shǒuzhǐtou de Duìhuà)” The Five Fingers’ Dialogue
Yìtiān wǎnshang, wǔ gè shǒuzhǐtou tǎng zài chuáng shàng liáotiān. 一天 晚上， 五 个 手指头 躺 在 床 上 聊天。 One night, five fingers laid on the bed chatting.
Zhōngzhǐ shuō: “āiyō, mǔzhǐ …
7 Tips for Choosing a Good Wonderful Chinese Tutor!
(Click to enlarge image)
Finding a good Chinese tutor is key if you want to learn the Chinese language correctly and in an effective way, but how do you know if your tutor is the right one for you? Use the following checklist as …
白雪公主 Snow White (Beginner)
(Learn Chinese through Cartoons)
Cóngqián yǒu yígè gōngzhǔ, tāde pífū báide xiàng xuě, suóyǐ guówáng gěi tā qǐmíng wéi báixuě 从前 有 一个 公主， 她的 皮肤 白得 像 雪，所以 国王 给 她 起名 为 白雪 gōngzhǔ. Dànshì gōngzhǔ de māma qùshì dé hěnzǎo. 公主。 但是 …
胸有成竹 To Have a Well-thought-out Plan
Sòngcháo de shíhou, yǒu yí gè jiào Wén Tóng de huàjiā, hěn shàncháng huà zhúzi. 宋朝 的 时候， 有 一 个 叫 文 同 的 画家， 很 擅长 画 竹子。 In the Song Dynasty, there was an artist whose name was Wen Tong; he was …
取长补短 To Draw upon One Another’s Strong Point to Overcome Deficiencies
Yǒuyìtiān, dàxiàng hé mǎyǐ fāshēng le yìchǎng zhēnglùn, tā liǎ dōu rènwéi zìjǐ de lìqi bǐ duìfāng dà. 有一天， 大象 和 蚂蚁 发生 了 一场 争论， 他 俩 都 认为 自己 的力气比 对方 大。 One day, there arose an argument between an elephant and an …
The Perfect Word to Get the Right Smiles – “茄子(qiézi)”
Do you know what Chinese people say when trying to get everyone to smile for a photo?
While Western people usually say “cheese” when taking photos, in China, people usually shout out “茄子(qiézi)!” which means “eggplant.”
Why Western people usually say “cheese” when taking photos? …
孔融让梨 Kong Rong Gave Away Bigger Pears
Key Learning Points (Preview):
“梨 (lí)” is the Chinese character for “pear.” （Riddle time: Guess the fruit.） Find taboo Chinese gift idea here! 礼物 (lǐwù) n. gift
Origin Story
Dōnghàn shíhou, yǒugè jiào Kǒng róng de rén. Tā xiǎoshíhou hěn cōngming, yǒu wǔgè gēge, …
You’ll Blush with Embarrassment if You Use These Wrong Tones!
For Chinese learners, one major difficulty you may face during your Chinese studies is the pronunciation of the four tones. These include the 1st tone which is level, the 2nd tone which rises, the 3rd tone which falls then rises, and the 4th tone …
What does “你吃了吗(Nǐ chī le ma)” Actually Mean in Mandarin?
There is a saying (Learn a popular Chinese saying!)among Chinese people that goes “民以食为天(mín yǐ shí wéi tiān).” This means “people regard food as their heaven,” which shows that they view eating to be of utmost importance. Along these same lines, many Chinese people …
“东风(dōngfēng)” and “耳边风(ěrbiānfēng)”﹣They are Different Kinds of Wind
In last week’s test, we learned about the idiom “喝西北风(hē xīběifēng)”, which means getting nothing to eat or having to live on air. Now in this issue we will get to know about two other kinds of “风(fēng)”: “东风(dōngfēng)” and “耳边风(ěrbiānfēng).”
“东风(dōngfēng)”
“东风(dōngfēng)” …
Answer to Do “牛奶(niúnǎi)” and “奶牛(nǎiniú)” mean the Same Thing?
Answer: B In option A, “蜜蜂(mìfēng)” means “bee” and “蜂蜜(fēngmì)” means “honey.” In B, “苹果(píngguǒ)” is “apple” but the character combination “果苹(guǒpíng)” doesn’t hold any meaning in Chinese. In option C, “国王(guówáng)” refers to “a king” and “王国(wángguó)” is his “kingdom.” Finally, in D, “白雪(báixuě)” …
“热点 (rèdiǎn)”, “热词 (rècí)”, “汉语热 (hànyǔrè)” and “健身热 (jiànshēnrè)”
Yesterday, May 6, 2015, was a special day called 立夏(Lì xià),” the seventh solar term of the 24 Chinese Solar Terms This is the day that marks the beginning of the hot summer in China. These days, the maximum air temperatures of most cities in …
Edible Art: “糖画(tánghuà)” Sugar Painting
Have you ever heard of Chinese “糖画(tánghuà) sugar painting?” If not, check out the video below for a glimpse of this intricate, edible art!
Have you ever seen anything like what the artist makes in the video? Do you think the way “糖画(tánghuà)” is made …
清明节 (Qīngmíngjié) Tomb Sweeping Day (Intermediate)
清明节 (Qīngmíngjié)
Tomb Sweeping Day
(Intermediate)
Key Learning Points (Preview):
放风筝 (fàng fēngzheng): v to fly kites
荡秋千 (dàng qiūqiān): v to swing
“清明节 (Qīngmíngjié) Tomb Sweeping Day” is celebrated fifteen days after the Spring equinox and is one of the few Chinese holidays that …