Mike broke up with his girlfriend, and Tom didn’t know about it. One day, Tom came across Mike.
Nǐ dǎsuàn zěnme guò Qíngrénjié ya? Tom: 你 打算 怎么 过 情人节 呀？
Wǒ dàoshì xiǎng guò ne, kě méi rén gēn wǒ …
Yuánxiāojié wǒmen yìqǐ chūqù wán ba! Anne: 元宵节 我们 一起 出去 玩 吧？
Hǎo a. Lisa: 好 啊。
What does “玩 (wán)” mean here?
A. To play games
B. To go to a party
C. To go out and have a …
Tīngshuō iPhone 4s yào chūshòu le. Ivy: 听说 iPhone 4s 要 出售 了。 Shì a, yàoshì wǒ néng mǎi yí bù jiù hǎo le. Mary: 是啊，要是 我 能 买 一部 就 好 了。
What does Mary mean?
A. She can buy …
Lily: Happy Chinese New Year, Mary. Mary: Happy Chinese New Year, Lily. Lily: You want to go to our class’s reunion tomorrow? Mary: I’m so sorry, I can’t. Tomorrow I have to pay a New Year’s visit to my grandparents.
Which …
Yǒu qián méi qián, huíjiā guònián. 1. 有 钱 没 钱，回家 过年。 Money or no, we’ll be home for Spring Festival.
Background Information:
This popular phrase originated from a well-known song of the same name. On Chinese New Year, getting home to see family is …
One day, Lily came across her old classmate Lucy. They were very surprised and excited to meet each other.
Yìnián méi jiàn le, nǐ hǎo ma? Lily: 一年 没 见 了，你好 吗？ Lucy: _______。
Choose the correct sentence to fill in …
Conversation:
Dan, jīnnián shì nǐ zài Zhōngguó de dì yī ge Xīnnián ma? Jim: Dan，今年 是 你 在 中国 的 第一个 新年 吗？
Bú shì, wǒ lái Zhōngguó yǐjīng sān ___ nián le. Dan: 不 是，我 来 中国 已经 三 ___ …
Conversation: Wǒ dǎsuàn jīnnián qù Zhōngguó lǚyóu. Mike: 我 打算 今年 去 中国 旅游。 I plan to travel to China this year.
Yì qǐ ba, wǒ yě __ qùguo Zhōngguó ne. Dan: 一起吧, 我 也 __ 去过 中国 呢。 What about …
New Year’s Day, or “元旦 (Yuándàn)” is just around the corner. Wouldn’t you like to impress your friends and relatives by wishing them a happy holiday in Chinese? Today let’s take a look at a few popular phrases in Mandarin for the New Year.
Yuándàn …
Key Learning Points (Preview):
过新年 (Guò xīnnián): v. to celebrate the New Year
跳舞 (tiàowǔ): v. to dance
Guò xīnnián ya, dōng dōng dōng dōng qiàng, 过 新年 呀， 咚 咚 咚 咚 呛， We are celebrating the New Year, Tong Tong Tong Tong Qiang …
The New Year is coming. Dan sees Alice at work.
Dan: Hi, what did you prepare for “New Year’s Day?” Alice: I bought many things; fruits, meat, vegetables and so on. Question: How to say “…and so on” in Chinese?
A: …
Conversation:
It was New Year’s Day. The husband wanted to give his wife a surprise, so he prepared a big meal for her.
Yuádàn kuàile! Zhèxiē dōushì wǒ tèyì wèi nǐ zhǔnbèi de. Husband: 元旦 快乐！ 这些 都是 我 特意为 你 …
People in China love to sent text messages for blessings on Christmas. It is worth noting, but in Chinese, the pronunciation of the Chinese word for Christmas sounds exactly like another very common expression, “生蛋 (shēngdàn) lay an egg.” Thus we get a play on …
Key Learning Points (Preview):
聚 (jù): v. to get together
大餐 (dàcān): n. feast
Stockings and presents are just around the corner and westerners everywhere are busy wrapping, caroling and bustling about. Since its more widespread publicity in China since the 1990s, Christmas has slowly, …
Conversation
Zhōumò qù guàngjiē ba, Shèngdànjié hěnduō dōngxi dōu dǎzhé ne! Mary: 周末 去 逛街 吧，圣诞节 很多 东西 都 打折 呢。
Hǎo a. Lana: 好 啊。
What does Mary mean? A. Christmas is coming soon.
B. Discounts will be given in …
Read the conversation:
Nǐ zuò de cài zhēn hǎo chī. Tom: 你做 的 菜 真 好 吃。
Nà dāngrán le, zuòcài kě shì wǒ de náshǒuhǎoxì. Mike: 那 当然 了，做菜 可 是 我 的 拿手好戏。
What does Mike mean here? A. …
Key Learning Point (Preview):
如鱼得水 (rúyúdéshuǐ): to feel just like a fish in water
Dōnghàn mònián, tiānxià dà luàn. 东汉 末年， 天下 大 乱。 In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the country was in confusion.
Liú Bèi wèi tǒngyī tiānxià, tèyì bàifǎng yǐnjū de Zhūgě …
Key Learning Point (Preview): 小人 (xiǎorén): n. a mean/cruel person
One day, my British friend asked me how to say “adult” in Mandarin. It’s “大人 (dàrén) adult” I told him. “So then, I’m an ‘大人 (dàrén) adult’, and you are too,” he started, “but my …
Read the conversation:
A wife complains about the dish made by her husband.
Wife: Lǎogōng, nǐ zuòde zhèshì shénme cài ya, wǒ kànzhe dōu méi shíyù. Wife: 老公， 你 做 的 这是 什么 菜 呀，我 看着 都 没 食欲。
Husband:Nǐ ài …
Key Learning Point (Preview):
辣 (là): adj. spicy/hot
Read this short conversation where Mike and John discuss a new colleague.
Wǒmen bùmén xīn lái le yíge nǚ tóngshì. Mike: 我们 部门 新 来 了一个 女 同事。 There is a new woman colleague in our department. …
