Essential Chinese: “多少钱？(Duōshǎo qián?) How Much is It?”
Before you make a purchase in China, it’s important to know how to ask “多少钱？(Duōshǎo qián?) How much is it?” It’s an applicable phrase everywhere you go! Watch Video Answers …
Chinese Nursery Rhyme: I Found a Penny (Elementary)
一分钱 (Yìfēnqián) I Found a Penny
Wǒ zài mǎlù biān jiǎndào yìfēnqián, 我 在 马路 边 捡到 一分钱， I found a penny on the street,
Bǎ tā jiāogěi jǐngchá shūshu shǒu lǐbian. 把 它 交给 警察 叔叔 手 里边。 And handed it over to Uncle …
Where Is the Best Place to Study Chinese?
The northeastern provinces of China are still the best places to study and practice Chinese. Many learners choose to go to Hebei, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning. These provinces are where native Mandarin speakers speak with the clearest accent. Here are a few cities that are excellent …
Chinese Song: Counting Ducks (Elementary)
数鸭子 (Shǔ yāzi): Counting Ducks
Lyrics:
Mén qián dàqiáo xià, 门 前 大桥 下， Under the bridge and in front of the gate,
Yóu guò yìqún yā. 游 过 一群 鸭。 A team of ducks are swimming by.
Kuài lái kuài lái shǔyishǔ, 快 来 …
Chinese Idiom: 大材小用 To Waste One’s Talent on A Petty Job
“大材小用 (dàcáixiǎoyòng)” literally means “to use big materials to do small things.” It is used now to express that talented people are being misused. Key Learning Point (Preview): 大材小用 (dàcáixiǎoyòng) to waste one’s talent on a petty job
Idiom Story:
Listen to the whole story…
Four Taboo Chinese Wedding Gift Ideas (Intermediate)
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 …
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 …
Chinese Story: The Ant and the Dove (Beginner)
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 …
Chinese Idiom: 纸上谈兵 (zhǐshàngtánbīng) Armchair Strategy
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 …
Answer to Chinese Emoji: A Second Second Language
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 …
Chinese Story for Kids: The Pig Ate a Watermelon
The Pig Baijie is a much-loved character in the classic Chinese TV series Journey to the West《西游记》(Xīyóujì). He has the head of a pig and the body of a human, and is fat and greedy for food. The following story is an episode from Journey …
Kids’ Chinese Story: Three Monks Had no Water to Drink
三个和尚没水喝 (Sāngè Héshang Méi Shuǐ Hē) Three Monks Had no Water for Drinking
Listen to the whole story:
Key learning points (Preview):
和尚 (héshang): n. monk
挑水 (tiāoshuǐ): v.to draw water
Shānshàng yǒu zuò xiǎomiào, miàolǐ yǒu gè xiǎo héshang. 山上 …
Why 2016 Makes an Ancient Chinese Idiom Contradict Itself?
The Chinese idiom “猴年马月(hóunián mǎyuè)” literally means “monkey year, horse month” and is causing a lot of excitement on social media in China. Following the cycle of the 12 Chinese zodiacs, every 12 years is the year of the monkey. In accordance with this, each …
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: 对牛弹琴 To Play the Harp to A Cow
“对牛弹琴 (Duìniútánqín)” is used by Chinese people to describe someone who is explaining something complicated to a fool, or sometimes this idiom is used to describe a person who is trying to tell something to the wrong audience. In English, people sometimes joke around by …
The Secret to Speaking Chinese Easily: Phrases Adopted from English
Did you know that by knowing some simple English words you already can speak some popular colloquial Chinese phrases? If you have been studying Chinese for a while some words might immediately jump to mind. What occurs is actually the adoption of particular words from …
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 …
Nursery Rhyme -祝你圣诞快乐(Zhù Nǐ Shènɡdàn Kuàilè) Happy Christmas to You
Wǒmen zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè, 我们 祝 你圣诞快乐， Merry Christmas to you, Wǒmen zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè, 我们 祝 你圣诞快乐， Merry Christmas to you, Wǒmen zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè, 我们 祝 你圣诞快乐， Merry Christmas to you, Zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè, 祝 你 新年 快乐， Happy …