Every culture has their own wedding traditions. In the USA it’s not uncommon for the bride to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Similarly, in China there are superstitious and ritualistic practices unique to each region’s culture. Instead of blue, for …
There is one word that I ALWAYS teach my students when they are new to Chinese culture. As with any country/culture, relationship is everything. To interact with meaning with those around you, it’s essential you have an understanding of how business, interpersonal, familial and other …
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 …
Have you heard about “刷脸 (shuāliǎn) Face Recognition” technology? It is beginning to become a popular and exciting development in China. Recently, during the celebration of National Day, a Kentucky Fried Chicken KPRO restaurant in Hangzhou Vientiane City utilized this new technology. Customers would go …
Have you ever met someone and been very impressed by how down to earth they are? In Chinese we have a phrase which is an equivalent to this idea in English and it is “接地气 (jiē dìqì)”. Native Chinese speakers often use it in daily …
Although some of my Mandarin Chinese students sign up for Chinese classes to impress their in-laws, enrich their cultural knowledge or just to exercise their brains, the vast majority of my students become interested in Mandarin Chinese due to its business and career applications. There …
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
Mandarin Chinese is definitely a foreign language for Westerners and even Easterners alike. But what are some of the most common misconceptions that Mandarin Chinese Learners have? We explore the top four below:
Not true! When I …
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 …
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 …
Have you ever just lost it and unloaded your negativity online? You’re not the only one. None of us is perfect, and occasionally we just want to mock our opponent. Since we spend so much time online, it’s hard to keep perfect behavior. So when …
As a student of Mandarin Chinese and a native English speaker, there are some things that fascinate me in comparing our two languages. One of these fascinations are the words that have no equivalent between the two languages. Some English words that don’t translate to …
As the saying goes: “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. Making personal contacts and relationships and then applying them to work in China is just as important as it is in any country. It can make or break you! In Mandarin Chinese, …
During the Spring Festival, Chinese adults will give children and elders “红包(hóngbāo),” known as Lucky Money or Red Envelopes in English, as a sign of luck and good fortune. However, this year, this Chinese tradition of …
New technology is being developed every day, and the Chinese are always up-to-date on what’s hot, with the newest gadget in hand. People in China are especially obsessed with smartphones. Take a trip on a bus or the subway in any Chinese city and have …
Compliments play an important role in maintaining good social relationships. After all, it never hurts to make others feel good about themselves! Let’s learn how to pay your Chinese friends compliments in Mandarin.
First, let’s have a look at the most common sentence structure for …
Are you the kind of person who is desperately overcommitted and suffering from exhaustion? Are you still upset about your most recent failure? Are you living with terrible pressure? If so, you’re the victim of negative emotions. To resolve these problems, you need some “正能量(zhèngnéngliàng),” …
Lately, discussions on social networking sites have turned their attention to, what some argue to be, a new type of ideal boyfriend called “暖男 (nuǎnnán).”
So, what is it about this type of men that makes them so sought after?
Do you or your man …
“拼(pīn)” means “to put together” or “piece together.” When you see someone spare no effort to do something, you can remark that he is very “拼(pīn).” When used for this meaning, “拼(pīn)” is used as an adjective or a verb, meaning to strive or struggle …
One basic meaning of “后(hòu)” is “after or later”, such as “一周后(yìzhōuhòu) after a week” and “三天后(sāntiānhòu) three days later.” Example Wǒ sāntiān hòu qù běijīng. 我 三天 后 去 北京。 I will leave for Beijing in three days.
At some point you will come …
