So you are learning to speak Mandarin. That’s great! But can you speak with native Chinese people? The first step to doing so is to use a little slang or at least be able to understand when you hear it in conversation. Today’s slang word …
In English we have the saying, “Take a chill pill!” This can be slightly derogatory, but it also can encourage others to relax a bit when they are being too up-tight. In Chinese we have a phrase that very much relates to this meaning. It …
Expressing emotion is difficult enough but trying to say how you feel in another language is a whole new challenge. Here is a Chinese slang expression that reveals feelings of frustration and aggravation. For instance, most of us have faced this situation: You are typing …
If you’re ever planning on living in China and understanding Mandarin Chinese, a working knowledge of Chinese words with both literal and figurative meanings will be absolutely necessary to follow the topic and direction of the conversation.
If we are learning through books or outdated …
As we all know, rice is a very common food in China. We eat it all the time! If you look at the amount of chopsticks we use it to eat every year, you can see it is a staple in our diet and our …
As you may know, colors hold an important role in the use of language in Chinese culture.
The color “红 (hóng) red” is associated with fortune and good luck.
The color “白 (bái) white” represents death and decay.
“黑 (hēi) black” can represent integrity, but …
Chinese Slang is my favorite thing to teach because there is so much meaning contained in the phrases. This week I taught my students two Chinese slang phrases because they contain the same word/character in them.
That character is:
底 (Dǐ). What does it mean? …
There is one thing that almost all Mandarin Chinese language students here in China have in common: we don’t have our own personal cars. Owing a car in China and being licensed to drive is a complicated and expensive process.
Plus, the public transportation such …
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, …
One of my favorite things about Chinese is that it has a wide range of depth and meaning, especially when it comes to characters, or combinations of characters that have evolved into daily conversation piece over time. One such word is “放水 (fàngshuǐ)”.
This catchy children’s song was written by Zhao Yingjun–and it is now a hit.
It has become a very popular children’s song since it was sung by a lovely father(Jia Nai Liang) and daughter(Jia Yunxin), and is now often sung and loved by many children …
Do you feel like you have people to back you up on a daily basis, in daily life? In Mandarin Chinese we have a special word for such sentiment, and the word is: “后台 (hòutái)”
In reality the word “后台 (hòutái)” has two different meanings …
None of us like to start a new learning process just to end up being average in the end. We all wish to become “masters” at what we do. I began learning Mandarin Chinese nearly two years ago. While I’m still far from being a …
In a previous article, I introduced a popular speaking topic that I explore in my Mandarin Chinese classes with curious students: 10 Expressions You Should Never Say to a Chinese Woman. In Part I, I introduced the first 5 expressions that Chinese women hate to …
One of the speaking topics that I love to explore, and that is never dull, in my Mandarin Chinese classes is the endless conversation on dating and relationships. Students enjoy comparing the behavior of men and women between cultures and are always curious about how …
Business relationships can be just as influential as personal ones in our daily lives, if you spend a lot of time at work. My fellow teachers and I are constantly interacting with one another, and this makes our lives richer and more fun, and it …
Daily life can be vastly different between the USA and China. It’s no secret that the food, history and culture of the two countries are not always similar. One other aspect of life that is unique in China is the things you can find when …
Although our students enjoy private, personalized 1-to-1 Chinese classes, each individual student is not alone in being part of the eChineseLearning team. We have a team of teachers from around China and an alumni of tens of thousands of students from over 100 countries (and …
Smog, also known as “雾霾 (wùmái)” in Chinese, has been a hot and serious topic in China, especially in winter. It is such an issue that it affects people’s daily life and work. To not only protect yourself against smog, but also improve your Chinese, …
Answers: 1. A 2. B
What does “上火(shànghuǒ)” mean in Mandarin? I am sick (Beginner) <<Back to “Our Top 4 Chinese Tips for Living with Smog”…
