One of the first things you probably learned when studying Mandarin is how to count to 10. But did you know that the number “1” actually has another, special pronunciation?
In most cases you will just pronounce the number “1” as “一 (yī)” when wanting …
Last month, the British pound fell 6% to $1.18 against the US dollar in Asian markets. This dramatic drop of the British currency was based on fears regarding the future of trade in Britain following the June 2016 voter decision for the UK to leave …
If you are soon moving to China or already living there, it is possible that you will need to rent an apartment. For some people, such as English teachers, an apartment might be included in their contract. Students may live in dorms, which is prepared …
Dà fēngchē zhī ya zhī yōuyōu de zhuàn, 大 风车 吱 呀 吱 悠悠 的 转， The big pinwheel twirls,
Zhèlǐ de fēngjǐng a zhēn hǎokàn. 这里 的 风景 啊 真 好看。 The scenery here is so beautiful.
Tiān hǎokàn, dì hǎokàn, 天 好看， 地 …
Recently, a video of some misbehaving children in Henan Province, China went viral throughout the Chinese cyberworld. Some kids on a public bus were recorded on CCTV video footage dancing and swinging from the hanging straps. It all seemed like innocent “horse play” until one …
On Tuesday, November 8th 2016, the United States will elect a new president to begin serving in January of 2017. The two candidates this year are Donald Trump, representing the Republican Party and Hillary Clinton, representing the Democratic Party. These two candidates received more votes …
Chinese Song: 劳动最光荣 (Láodòng zuì guāngróng) Working Hard is Glorious (Beginner)
Watch the video and listen to the song:
Key Learning Points (Preview):
忙 (máng): adj. busy
爱 (ài): v./n. love
Listen to the whole song lyrics:
Tàiyáng guāng jīn liàngliàng, 太阳 光 金 亮亮， …
When British singer Adele announced her 2016 concert tour, more than 10 million fans swarmed the Ticketmaster.com website to buy tickets to see the megastar performer. Many of those 10 million ticket buyers were “scalpers,” or “黄牛党 (huángniúdǎng).” “黄牛党 (huángniúdǎng) ticket scalpers” are people who …
Chinese Song: 七色光之歌 (Qīsèguāng zhī gē) The Song of the Sunlight (Beginner)
太阳 (tàiyáng): n. the sun
今天 (jīntiān): n. today
“七色光之歌 (Qīsèguāng zhī gē)” is a very popular Chinese kid’s song about sunshine and being happy. Tàiyang tàiyang, 太阳 太阳， …
Recently, a humorous video titled “Obama hilariously mocks own retirement in skit” gained attention in the US and also in China. What was the occasion for the humorous video and what exactly did Obama do in it? He did something that we call “自黑 (zìhēi) …
Key Learning Points (Preview): 赏月 (shǎngyuè):
to admire the full moon
月饼 (yuèbǐng): n. moon cake
On Mid-autumn Festival, the custom of “赏月 (shǎngyuè) admiring the full moon” began with people in ancient China, and is still maintained. In the Zhou Dynasty, on the …
Zuò wán shǒushù, Liú dàifu de shǒu dōu zhǒng le, _______ tā xīnlǐ shì gāoxìng de. 做 完 手术， 刘 大夫 的 手 都 肿 了，_______ 他心里 是 高兴 的。 After completing the surgery, Doctor Liu’s hand was swollen, but in his heart he was …
Correct Answer: C Zuò wán shǒushù, Liú dàifu de shǒu dōu zhǒng le, kě tā xīnlǐ shì gāoxìng de. 做 完 手术， 刘 大夫 的 手 都 肿 了，可 他心里 是 高兴 的。 After completing the surgery, Doctor Liu’s hand was swollen, but in his …
Correct Answer: A Tā gěi wǒ jì lái le yì zhāng túpiàn. 他 给 我 寄 来 了 一 张 图片。 He sent me a picture.
Since there is no equivalent in English for certain measure words, you have to associate them with a similar …
Do you know why cats always want to eat mice? Read the following story to find out!
Listen to the whole story:
Key Learning Points (Preview):
睡 (shuì): v. to sleep
吃 (chī): v. to eat
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, māo hé lǎoshǔ jìshì línju, yòushì …
Another Olympic season has passed, and the same as the past few Olympics since 2008 in Beijing, swimming dominated the headlines. Particularly, the swimmers themselves made headlines from Rio to around the world. The most famous swimmer, 25-time gold medal winner Michael Phelps drew attention …
Chinese is growing in popularity, so there are new ways to learn online popping up every day. They aren’t all good though. I believe the best resource is, of course, you can work one-to-one with qualified instructors online. Here are some of the other…
狗屎运 (gǒushǐyùn), although sounds hilarious in English, is a slang to describe someone getting unexpected luck or good luck in bad days. The word “狗屎 (gǒushǐ)” means “dog shit” and “运 (yùn)” is from “运气 (yùnqi),” which means “fortune, luck.” This phrase comes from the …
Mandarin for Kids: 种太阳 (Zhòng tàiyang) Planting the Sun Listen to the song lyrics: Key Learning Points (Preview): 播种 (bōzhòng) v. to grow / to plant
角落 (jiǎoluò) n. corner
Wǒ yǒu yí gè měilì de yuànwàng, 我 有 一 个 美丽 的 愿望， I …
Everyone makes mistakes, right? Are we never allowed to complain just a bit? Well, when you’ve just about had enough of something (or someone), you can use the verb “吐槽 (tǔcáo)” to playfully express your discontent, or simply to complain about something or someone. You …
