Quote of the Week (Feb. 3, 2010)
衣服有价，青春无价。
Yīfu yǒu jià, qīngchūn wú jià.
Clothes have price tags, but youth is priceless. —From the TV series 蜗居 (Wōjū) Dwelling Narrowness…
Mandarin Essentials
Chinese Mini-test: 节日 (Beginner)
Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí）
“Christmas is coming, so I wish you: ‘节日快乐 (jiérì kuàilè)!’ in advance.” “节日快乐 (jiérì kuàilè)” is one of Chinese Christmas greetings. Do you know what “节日 (jiérì)” means in English? A. Party B. Birthday C. Festival D. Ceremony Got questions? …
Chinese Mini-test: 了不起 (Advanced)
Advanced Level 高级 (gāojí)
《了不起的盖茨比》 是一本很有名的书. The Great Gatsby is a well-known book.” What is the Chinese pinyin for “了不起” in this sentence? A. Liǎobùqǐ B. Qiáobùqǐ C. Duìbùqǐ D. Mǎibùqǐ
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Chinese Mini-test: Ideal (Intermediate)
Intermediate Level中级 (zhōngjí)
“To be a scientist is an ideal of many people in their childhood.” What are the Chinese characters for “ideal?” A. 理解 (lǐjiě) B. 梦想 (mèngxiǎng) C. 理想 (lǐxiǎng) D. 理发 (lǐfà)
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Chinese Mini-test: Yellow (Beginner)
Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí）
“Banana’ s color is yellow.” Do you know the Chinese characters for “yellow?” A. 红色 (hóngsè) B. 蓝色 (lánsè) C. 白色 (báisè) D. 黄色 (huángsè)
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Chinese Mini-test: 没日没夜 (Advanced)
Advanced Level 高级(gāojí)
“为了得高分，他总是没日没夜地准备HSK考试。In order to gain a high score,he works day and night on the HSK Test.” Do you know the Chinese pinyin of “没日没夜” in this sentence?
A. Méiwánméiliǎo B. Ménxīnzìwèn C. Méishìzhǎoshì D. Méirìméiyè
Got questions? // // …
Chinese Mini-test: Practice (Intermediate)
Intermediate Level 中级 (zhōng jí)
“Don’t disturb him, for he is busy doing his AP Chinese practice now.” What does “practice” mean in this sentence? A. 练习 (liànxí) B. 学习 (xuéxí) C. 复习 (fùxí) D. 预习 (yùxí)
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Chinese Mini-test: 没关系 (Beginner)
Beginner Level 初级(chūjí)
When someone says “sorry” to you, you can reply with “没关系 (méiguānxi)” in Chinese. What does “没关系 (méiguānxi)” mean in English? A. Good night. B. It doesn’t matter. C. Excuse me. D. Thank you.
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Chinese Mini-test: 福气 (Advanced)
Advanced Level 高级 (gāojí)
“您真有福气，真羡慕您啊 (Nín zhēn yǒu fúqi, zhēn xiànmù nín a)!” Do you know the meaning of the phrase “福气 (fúqi)” in this sentence? A. Happiness B. Good fortune C. Blessing D. Rich
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Chinese Mini-test: Course (Intermediate)
Intermediate Level 中级 (zhōng jí)
“You will take many Chinese courses when you learn Mandarin.” Do you know the corresponding Chinese phrase for “course” in this sentence? A. 单词 B. 班级 C. 课程 D. 语法
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Chinese Mini-test: Happy (Beginner)
Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí)
“I am very happy today.” Here “happy” means “开心” in Chinese language. Do you know the Chinese pinyin of “开心?”
A. Kāikuò B. Kuàilè C. Qīngxǐng D. Kāixīn
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Chinese Mini-test: Hype (Advanced)
Advanced Level 高级 (gāojí)
“Despite the hype about the coming of unlimited bandwidth, WAN service remains costly today.” Can you choose the right meaning of the word “hype” in Chinese language? A. 炒作 (chǎozuò) B. 宣传 (xuānchuán) C. 出版 (chūbǎn) D. 通告 (tōnggào)
…Chinese Mini-test: Smile (Beginner)
Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí)
“Luck smiled on me last night.” In this sentence, do you know what the word “smile” means in Chinese language? A. 幸福 (xìngfú) B. 悲伤 (bēishāng) C. 痛苦 (tòngkǔ) D. 笑容 (xiàoróng)
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不错 (búcuò) Pretty Good/Not Bad (Beginner)
不错 (búcuò) Pretty Good/Not Bad (Beginner)
The character “不 (bú)” means not and “错 (cuò)” means bad.
Example:
Nǐ zhè cì wénzhāng xiě de búcuò, jiāyóu! 你这次文章写得不错，加油！
The article you’re writing this time is pretty good. Let’s continue to make greater effort! // // …
开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào) To Make a Joke (Intermediate)
开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào) To Make a Joke (Intermediate)
The character “开 (kāi)” literally means to open but here means to make; “玩
(wán)” means to play and “笑 (xiào)” means laugh or smile.
Example:
A: Gēmenr, wàimiàn yǒu gè měinǚ zhǎo nǐ ne! 哥们儿，外面有个美女找你呢！ Brother, …
生活 (shēnghuó) Life/ Living (Beginner)
生活 (shēnghuó) Life/Living (Beginner)
The character “生 (shēng)” means life and “活 (huó)” means living. Example:
Nǐ xiǎng yào huó de kuàilè, jiù yào rè’ài shēnghuó. 你想要活得快乐，就要热爱生活。
If you want to be happy, you need to love life itself. …
站着说话不腰疼 It’s easier said than done (Advanced)
Key Learning Points (Preview):
站着说话不腰疼(zhànzhe shuōhuà bù yāo téng) It’s easier said than done
黄昏(huánghūn): n. dusk
跪(guì): v. to kneel
打断(dǎduàn): v. to interrupt
Qíncháo de shíhou, Xiào Gōng de chǒngchén Jǐng Jiān jiāng Shāng Yāng yǐnjiàn gěi Qín Xiào Gōng. 秦朝 的 时候， …
加班 (jiābān) Work Overtime (Beginner)
加班 (jiābān) Work Overtime (Beginner)
The character “加 (jiā)” means to add or increase and “班 (bān)” means work
here. Example:
Jīntiān wǒ gōngzuò hěn duō, kàn lái yòu děi jiābān le. 今天我工作很多，看来又得加班了。
I have a lot of work today, and it appears I have …
发火 (fāhuǒ) To Get Angry (Intermediate)
发火 (fāhuǒ) To Get Angry (Intermediate)
The character “发 (fā)” means to show (one’s feeling) here and “火 (huǒ)”
literally means fire but here, means temper or anger. Example:
Gōngsī xiàoyì bù hǎo de shíhou, lǎobǎn jiù hěn ài fāhuǒ. 公司效益不好的时候，老板就很爱发火。
When a company is …