Chinese Language Blog

Studying a foreign language can be difficult and frustrating at times, but luckily, it can also be tons of fun. Of course, the best way to really study a language is to fully immerse yourself into it. As such, I’m here to help you plan a day full of the Chinese language. From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed, your day will be full of 中文, and you don’t even have to live in China to pull it off!

1. Build Your Vocabulary

To start off your day, get a cup of coffee ready… or, wait, this is supposed to be a Chinese day – scrap the coffee and get a big ole’ cup of tea (茶 – chá). Seeing as how different people may be at different levels in their Chinese studies, a good way to begin building your vocabulary is to check out some awesome resources that we have for you, right at your fingertips. Start out with our Chinese word of the day page; if you do this every day, you’ll learn 365 words a year! Then, download yourself a FREE COPY of our Byki Express software. This is a great way to build your vocabulary, and you can focus on specific areas that interest you. If you want to kick it up a notch, there are also Deluxe and Mobile versions of the program. Spend a solid hour working through some interactive flashcards, and your brain will be thinking in Chinese and ready to seize the day.

2. Practice your calligraphy

You'll be like this guy in time!

Writing Chinese characters is not easy, sure… but the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy (书法 – shū fǎ) is incredibly interesting. Plus, having an understanding of how to properly write characters will go a long way in helping you better understand the language. My advice on your Chinese immersion day is to sit down with a good dictionary, a pencil (you will probably make a few mistakes), and some post-it notes. For print, I’m a big fan of this Chinese-English picture dictionary, which is easy to follow and quite useful. If you prefer sticking to your computer, check out the amazing online dictionary at nciku, where you can click on individual characters and get a stroke-by-stroke tutorial on how to write them. Now that you’re ready to rock, practice your calligraphy skills by making post-it notes for the things in your apartment/house. It’s easy to forget the Chinese words for everyday things, like: refrigerator (冰箱 – bīng xiāng), cabinet (柜子 – guì zi), or mirror (镜子 – jìng zi). Having a post-it stuck there will reinforce the Chinese word every day!

3. Go for a walk

After a few hours of racking your brain indoors, it’s time to step outside. Don’t leave home without your MP3 player, though, as it’s time to practice your listening and speaking skills. As you know, we’ve got you covered with a sweet audio course featuring over 40 lessons. If you’re on iTunes, you should check out Chinese Pod, which has plenty of useful, fun, and free lessons. So load up your iPod with Chinese lessons and take a stroll. Don’t worry about other people looking at you like you’re crazy when you say, “Excuse me, where is the bathroom?” (请问，卫生间在哪里 – qǐng wèn, wèi shēng jiān zài nǎ lǐ) in Chinese to yourself.

4. Grab lunch in a Chinese restaurant

Chopsticks for dummies.

Food is a huge part of Chinese culture, and you can find a Chinese restaurant just about anywhere (I’m pretty sure they’ve got a noodle shop or two in Antarctica), so go practice some Chinese and get your chopstick skills up to par at the same time. In my experience, Chinese people living abroad are usually thrilled to speak their native language with a foreigner in a foreign country. Don’t worry if you’re just a beginner; they are very patient and encouraging as you stumble through the tones!

China <3s the Internetz.

Find a coffee shop or any place with a good, relaxing atmosphere, and plop down with your laptop for an hour or so. However, instead of updating your facebook status, create a Renren (人人网 – rén rén wǎng – lit. “everyone network”) account. Instead of having a brain-fart on Twitter, get yourself a Chinese Weibo (微博 – wēi bó); you can say a lot more in 140 Chinese characters, after all. Instead of watching “Fail” videos on YouTube, jump onto China’s Youku (优酷 – yōu kù) or Tudou (土豆网 – tǔ dòu wǎng – lit. “potato net”) and waste your time watching funny videos in Chinese. A full post on this topic from last year can be found HERE.

6. Read a freakin’ book!

There are thousands upon thousands of Chinese characters to learn, so you’d better get crackin’ and build your reading skills. For beginners, there are plenty of basic Chinese textbooks or children’s books available, and if you’re a bit more advanced, try to snag yourself a copy of a Chinese newspaper (you’ll need about 3-4,000 characters to actually read one).

An important part of studying any language is understanding the culture. As such, it’s a good idea in your busy immersion day to take a break and try to relax – the Chinese way. Grab a friend and play some ping pong (乒乓球 – pīng pāng qiú), do some tai chi (太极拳 – tài jí quán), or fly a kite (放风筝 – fàng fēng zhēng). If you live in a place where there are lots of Chinese people, chances are you’ll find some of them doing these same things, which will give you even more chances to practice!

Get your tai chi on!

8. Cook yourself a Chinese dinner

Whip up some tasty 饺子!

Go home and whip up a Chinese dinner. If you know how to make dumplings (饺子 – jiǎo zi), Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁 – gōng bǎo jī dīng), or any other Chinese dish yourself, you will wow and impress Chinese people. To challenge yourself even more, try following along with the recipe in Chinese, or try inviting some Chinese friends over for dinner and speaking only their language!

Chances are you’ll be pretty exhausted by this point in the day, so kick back, relax, and zone out to some Chinese TV. Watching something like CCTV News will be too difficult for most of us, so it’s best to go with a fun kids program instead. Try China’s most popular cartoon, “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf” (喜羊羊与灰太狼 – xǐ yáng yáng yǔ huī tài láng). It’s like a Chinese version of “Tom & Jerry,” only with a few goats and wolves instead. Oh yeah, and it’s all in Chinese! Or, for those of you who want more of a challenge, try watching “The Last Emperor” with the Chinese audio, subtitles, or better yet, both. Learn about China’s history and improve your language skills at the same time!

Watch a little bit of “Xi Yang Yang” on YouTube.

Last month, we introduced some classic Chinese dishes, proving that REAL Chinese food is a stark contrast from the sweet & sour chicken, egg rolls, and fortune cookies that are served up in most American Chinese restaurants. Today, we’ll go more in depth with the culinary traditions of this country that doesn’t eat to live, but rather lives to eat.

When it comes to authentic Chinese cuisines, there are eight culinary traditions (中国的八大菜系 – zhōng guó de bā dà cài xì):

• Hui (徽菜 – huī cài) – Anhui
• Yue (粤菜 – yuè cài) – Cantonese/Guangdong
• Min (闽菜 – mǐn cài) – Fujian
• Xiang (湘菜 – xiāng cài) – Hunan
• Su (苏菜 – sū cài) – Jiangsu
• Lu (鲁菜 – lǔ cài) – Shandong
• Chuan (川菜 – chuān cài) – Sichuan
• Zhe (浙菜 – zhè cài) – Zhejiang

A map of Chinese food.

Although they are not listed in the eight great traditions, both Beijing (京菜 – jīng cài – lit. capital cuisines) and Shanghai (滬菜 – hù cài) have developed their own unique styles, with external influences as they are both very international cities. These eight groups can be broken down even further into the four major styles (四大菜系 – sì dà cài xì). Making the cut are the previously mentioned Cantonese, Chuan, and Lu, as well as a sub-branch of Su Cuisine, known as Huaiyang (淮扬菜 – huái yáng cài). Although there are many styles present in Su Cuisine, the Huaiyang style is considered the most prestigious and popular throughout the country; thus, it makes the cut of the four most notable styles.

For simplicity’s sake, we’re going to break down the many styles of Chinese cuisines into the four main regions: North, South, East and West. One famous quote about Chinese cuisine, which gives you a basic look at the different styles, goes, “South is sweet, North is salty, East is spicy, and West is sour” (南甜, 北咸, 东辣, 西酸 – nán tián, běi xián, dōng là, xī suān) To kick things off, let’s take a closer look at the cuisine of Northern China (北方菜 – běi fāng cài):

Northern Cuisine includes food from Beijing, as well as the provinces of Shandong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Northwest China, and the Northeast region, which is collectively known as Dongbei (东北 – dōng běi). The North experiences harsh, cold and dry winters, as well as incredibly hot summers, and the bold and salty flavors of the cuisine pair nicely with these rough weather conditions. It’s a long way from Xinjiang province to Heilongjiang, though, so let’s examine some of these different regions of the North individually.

Beijing

Of course, the capital cuisine is most famous for its Peking roast duck (北京烤鸭 – běi jīng kǎo yā). A longtime favorite of Chinese Emperors, this delicious duck is now considered one of the national dishes in China, and a restaurant specializing in it is a guaranteed stop on any tour of Beijing. For more on the royal bird, check out Steve’s post or my video.

Beijing is also famous for its many snacks, which are sold by street vendors or small shops throughout the city. Here are a few examples of some Beijing snacks:

Fried pancake (褡裢火烧 – dā lián huǒ shāo)

An amazing, cheap snack.

A pan-fried roll filled with delicious ingredients such as pork, lamb, cabbage, or green onion, they are fried golden brown but yet manage to remain soft. Dip these in some vinegar, soy sauce, or chili pepper for an extra kick.

Fried sauce noodles (炸酱面 – zhá jiàng miàn)

A favorite of Beijing, and Joe Biden.

These are a staple in Beijing, and can be found just about anywhere. The “fried sauce” is salty fermented soybean paste, and it’s mixed in with some stir-fried ground pork, thick wheat noodles, and diced scallions and garlic. US Vice President Joe Biden tried these out when he visited Beijing, and the restaurant where he ate now features the “Biden Set Lunch,” an exact replica of what the VP and his entourage ordered. His choice to eat in a local, inexpensive restaurant has been dubbed “Noodle Diplomacy.” Nothing like pigging out to solve geo-political issues!

"Joe Biden Set" - includes 5 bowls of noodles, cold cucumbers, steamed buns, mountain yam salad, shredded potatoes, and a few bottles of Coke.

Beef tripe (爆肚 – bào dǔ)

Famous since the time of Emperor Qianlong, this tender and crispy snack can be found all over Beijing, in restaurants and on the street in several night markets. Sure, it is cow stomach, but if you’re in China, you might as well try it!

Yummy cow stomach.

Mung bean milk (豆汁 – dòu zhī)

Smells and looks gross, but at least it's healthy!

While this is a drink, it needs to be included in any list of Beijing snacks, as Beijingers love this funky looking and smelling bean milk. Don’t let the appearance or stench turn you off, though, as it’s high in protein and vitamin C and thus great for your health!

Northeast

Due to short growing seasons and very harsh winters, Northeastern cuisine relies primarily on hearty dishes and preserved food. Unlike most other areas, where rice is predominant, wheat is more common in this region, with noodles, dumplings, and steamed buns all featuring heavily in the daily diet. Here are a few common dishes:

Pickled cabbage (酸菜 – suān cài)

Pickled cabbage and pork stew.

With a taste similar to sauerkraut, this pickled cabbage is often cooked in a stew with some pork – perfect for keeping you warm in those bitter cold winters.

Lamb with cumin (孜然羊肉 – zī rán yáng ròu)

Delicious spiced lamb.

Stir-fried lamb with dried chillies and cumin seeds, this dish comes from the Mongols and is still very popular all throughout China, but especially in the Northeast.

Pork and scallion dumplings (猪肉大葱饺子 – zhū ròu dà cōng jiǎo zi)

A nice plate of dumplings.

The ubiquitous Chinese dumplings are all over the place in the Northeast, which should come as no surprise with temperatures well below freezing during the long, painful winter. Order up a plate of these bad boys, take a big swig of some 白酒, and you’ll be ready to brave the cold.

Lu (Shandong)

One of the most influential styles, Lu food was once a very important part of imperial cuisine. As Shandong province is on the coast, it should come as no surprise that seafood is prominent in many of the dishes. In coastal cities like Qingdao, you can head out to a local restaurant and take your pick from an abundance of delicacies from the sea, including prawns, scallops, and squid. Here are some classic Shandong dishes:

Braised abalone (原壳鲍鱼 – yuán ké bào yú)

One of many Shandong seafood delights.

Most seafood is cooked in some sort of light sauce, and both garlic and scallions are often used to add flavor. In this dish, the abalone are simmered in a sauced and served in their shells.

Sweet and sour carp (糖醋鲤鱼 – táng cù lǐ yú)

Amazing fresh fish is Shandong's specialty.

This is a famous traditional dish of Shandong province, and legend has it that it rose to fame in a small town by the Yellow River. This golden brown, crisp fish will certainly be fresh if you order it in Shandong, and the fragrant smell along with the sweet and sour tastes are sure to leave you satisfied.

Dezhou braised chicken (德州扒鸡 – dé zhōu bā jī)

KFC ain't got s**t on this chicken!

It’s not all seafood that makes up Lu Cuisine. Take, for example, the fantastic braised chicken from the city of Dezhou. A chicken is deep-fried until it is slightly burned. Then, mushrooms, soy sauce, fruit, sugar, and spices are added. The result is a juice, tender, and savory chicken.

你饿了吗? (nǐ è le ma) – in Chinese, that’s “Are you hungry?” I’m sure you’re probably drooling over all of the amazing dishes covered in this post, but don’t worry, because there’s much more to come. Stay tuned to the blog as we cover the other regions of Chinese cuisine!

We’ve already covered how to introduce yourself here on the Chinese blog (click here for the written post, and check out the video here), so now it’s time to equip you with some questions that you will certainly come in handy when you meet people in China:

1. 你叫什么名字? (nǐ jiào shén me míng zì) – What’s your (first) name?

2. 你姓什么? (nǐ xìng shén me) – What’s your last name/surname?

It should be noted here that when you are talking to elders, teachers, or anybody to whom you should show more respect, you should replace 你 with 您 (nín), as this is more polite.

3. 你是哪国人? (nǐ shì nǎ guó rén) – Which country are you from?

This is the most used form of one of the most common questions you will get in China. People are still fascinated by foreigners(外国人 – wài guó rén), especially outside of the big cities, and they are always curious to find out where you come from. You might hear this question asked in a few different ways, though, for example: 你是哪个国家的? (nǐ shì nǎ ge guó jiā de) or 你从哪来的? (nǐ cóng nǎ lái de). Just go ahead and assume that the first question any Chinese person will ask you will be some variation of this, and be prepared with your response.

4. 你是哪里的人? (nǐ shì nǎ lǐ de rén) – Where are you from?

This version of the question can be used when you are speaking to Chinese people to ask them which part of China they are from.

5. 你多大? (nǐ duō dà) – How old are you?

Unlike in Western cultures, Chinese will openly ask anyone their age. So just don’t be surprised, ladies, when people inquire about your age. They don’t mean to be rude, it’s just the Chinese way!

6. 你做什么工作? (nǐ zuò shén me gōng zuò) – What do you do?/What’s your job?

7. 你家有几个人? (nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ gè rén) – How many people are in your family?

8. 你结婚了吗? (nǐ jié hūn le ma) – Are you married?

This question brings us to our first example that features the character 吗. Although none of the previously mentioned questions contain this character, it is used to form a question. Adding 吗 to the sentence makes a big difference: 你结婚了 means “You are married,” while 你结婚了吗 means “Are you married?”

9. 你有孩子吗? (nǐ yǒu hái zi ma) – Do you have children?

10. 你有男朋友吗? (nǐ yǒu nán péng yǒu ma)/你有女朋友吗? (nǐ yǒu nǚ pén gyǒu ma? – Do you have a boyfriend?/Do you have a girlfriend?

11. 你会说中文吗? (nǐ huì shuō zhōng wén ma)/你会说英文吗? (nǐ huì shuō yīng wén ma) – Can you speak Chinese?/Can you speak English?

One you will hear from Chinese people all of the time, and the other you will probably find yourself asking Chinese people all the time.

12. 你在中国多长时间了? (nǐ zài zhōng guó duō cháng shí jiān le) – How long have you been in China?

13. 你喜欢中国吗? (nǐ xǐ huan zhōng guó ma) – Do you like China?

Chinese are always curious to hear what foreigners think about living here, so this question is quite common. You will also often be asked Do you like Chinese food? (你喜欢中国菜吗 – nǐ xǐ huan zhōng guó cài ma).

14. 你习惯住在中国吗? (nǐ xí guàn zhù zài zhōng guó ma) – Are you used to living in China?

Speaking Chinese is hard. Eating spicy food and strange things like chicken feet with chopsticks is hard. As such, Chinese people are interested to hear whether or not you are used to the way of life here.

15. 在中国你去过什么地方? (zài zhōng guó nǐ qù guò shèn me dì fāng) – Which places have you been to in China?

I’ve noticed that a lot of people in Beijing are always curious to ask me about my travels in China. Since I’ve been quite a few places, this is always a good conversation starter.

16. 你的爱好是什么? (nǐ de ài hào shì shén me) – What are your hobbies?

17. 你的工资是多少? (nǐ de gōng zī shì duō shǎo) – What’s your salary?

In the West, one’s income is thought to be a private matter, and as such, it’s considered rude to ask someone directly about their salary. This, however, is not the case in China. Chinese people will openly discuss their personal income, so don’t be surprised when your cab driver asks you how much you earn within a few minutes of meeting you.

18. 你为什么搬到中国? (nǐ wèi shén me bān dào zhōng guó) – Why did you move to China?

For a lot of Chinese people, they still can’t understand why someone would leave the US or another Western country to move here. Discussing your reasons for moving to China can result in very interesting conversations.

19. 你住在哪里? (nǐ zhù zài nǎ lǐ) – Where do you live?

20. 你的公寓是多少钱一个月? (nǐ de gōng yù shì duō shǎo qián yī gè yuè) – How much is your apartment every month?

Once again, Chinese are not shy when it comes to talking about finance. They’re always curious to hear whether foreigners own or rent an apartment, and how much they pay for it.

There ya go, 20 questions that you will most likely hear at some point if you should ever find yourself traveling or living in China. Now get working on your answers!