You feel very hungry because you didn’t have breakfast this morning. But the Mandarin class doesn’t end for 20 more minutes. At the moment, you’d probably say “我恨不得现在就下课 (Wǒ hènbude xiànzài jiù xiàkè)!”
Question: What does the word “恨不得 (hènbude)” mean here?
A. hate B. …
Often, the Mandarin Chinese students in my class will hear trendy slang language that they don’t understand. It’s always fun, as a Chinese teacher, to explain to the class what these new expressions mean. Often, I let the students make an educated guess before explaining
Are you a person who is concerned about the body shapes of yourself and others? Sometimes on the street, we can’t take our eyes away when we see some nice body types, or some “辣眼睛 (làyǎnjīng) eyes feeling spicy” types. In Chinese, we …
I have been teaching Chinese for over 12 years. And I have seen my Chinese language-learning students every Chinese language mistake in the book! But I have noticed over the years that there are some mistakes almost everyone makes. Chances are you are making them, …
Often on the first day of class, I like to discuss with my students why they chose to learn Mandarin Chinese in China. Some students are young and interested in the appeal of something mysterious. Some of my students are a few decades older and …
Drinking culture in China, compared drinking culture in Western societies is quite different. And, by “drinking” I don’t mean tea or juice! Just as most other societies like to “put one back” and have one (or many!) alcoholic beverages in an evening, so too do …
Have you ever been this girl?
There was a girl making her way down the street one day. An attractive young man caught her eye. She walked, needing to put her foot onto the curb and ended up tripping over herself.
Have you ever been …
In a previous article , we introduced Initials and Finals. Today we will teach another important part of Pinyin: Tones. Many learners have difficulties mastering the tones of each character, but correct tonal pronunciation is essential for intelligibility because of the vast number of words …
“你吃饭了吗 (Nǐ chīfàn le ma) Have you eaten yet?” is a traditional way of greeting others. One day, one of my students tried to use this Chinese sentence to greet others before we started the class. It came as quite a shock when he …
Answer: B
In Chinese, a syllable is composed of an initial consonant, a vowel and a tone. The very beginning of a syllable is called the initial, and the rest of parts are called finals. For example, in the syllable “hǎo”, “h” is …
Today I will introduce to you one of my favorite lessons that I teach my foreign students. This topic is about how we address each other in China. It’s quite different from how people in the west address each other. In particular, I will explain …
Today I’m going to tell you about one of China’s most beloved summer time snacks. They are bright red when cooked. They come from the water. They have ten legs and two claws. Lobster, you might think? Guess again! Over the past twenty years, the …
In a previous article, I introduced Chinese songs for children and adults to learn if you are a beginner to intermediate level learner of Mandarin Chinese. In today’s article I will suggest some songs that are more suitable for advanced learners of Chinese. Singing songs …
Answer: A
The song “中国话 (Zhōngguóhuà) Chinese Language” is about the rise of Mandarin and the world’s increased interest in learning it! The song contains many nonsensical lines that are difficult to pronounce, including: Dàodĭ shì nà zuĭ shuō tuĭ hái shì tuĭ …
Today I’m going to introduce some fun and helpful Chinese songs that you can learn, from beginner to intermediate level. These songs can supplement your Mandarin Chinese progress and make things a bit more fun. In fact, one of my favorite parts of teaching Chinese …
When teaching my foreign students the importance of using the correct Mandarin Chinese speaking tones, I often use the example of “问 (wèn) ask” and “吻 (wěn) kiss” to show how a change of tone can completely change the meaning of a word. This speaking …
I’m going to tell you about China’s many 共享单车 (gòngxiǎng dānchē) programs. These programs are cheap, convenient and changing the way that locals and visitors are getting around in China. I’ve been studying Mandarin Chinese in Beijing for nearly a year now. Myself and my …
The second largest economy in the world, China, is rapidly changing. Recently two young men tried to rob a convenience store in China. They got in their disguises, gathered their weapons and drove in the middle of the night to a local convenience store. When …
I’m going to introduce a Chinese word that is useful to everyday situations of human interaction. We often use it in group work or when trying to get things accomplished. The word is 帮倒忙 (bāng dàománg) and I’m going to explain how we use it …
Answer: B
The speaking tones of Mandarin Chinese must be precise and accurate or else the meaning may change. It is important to learn speaking with native-speaking teachers and not rely on the feedback of non-native classmates and friends when trying to improve …
