Chinese Language Blog

Next month, millions of high school seniors will take the most important exam (考试 kǎo shì) of their lives – the Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination. Shortly known as the 高考 (gāokǎo, higher education exam). The gaokao is the sole criteria for determining university (大学 dà xué) admissions in China. Failure in the gaokao, a…

If you’re at a beginner level of Chinese, one of the most intimidating experiences is going out to a local restaurant. You show up to a crowded, noisy place and glance at the menu on the wall. It’s nothing but Chinese characters. The waiter asks you a question, and you have no idea what he…

We’ve been all over China in the last few months, sampling some of the many delicious flavors that are unique to Chinese cuisine. From the imperial bird that is Beijing roast duck, (北京烤鸭 – běi jīng kǎo yā), to the numbing sensation induced by the Sichuan peppercorns (四川胡椒 – sì chuān hú jiāo), to the…

Adjectives (形容词 xíng róng cí) play an important role in any language. Adjectives are used to describe the noun and they are tremendously useful in daily spoken language. In this post we will focus on five must-know adjectives to describe (mostly but, of course, not only) people. These five traits and their antonyms will help…

One of the most common questions I get asked about living in China is “What’s real Chinese food like?” Well, it’s really hard to generalize Chinese food. One thing’s for sure, though – real Chinese food is a stark contrast from the sweet & sour chicken, egg rolls, and fortune cookies that are served up…

『我是不是你最疼爱的人』 is one of my favorite Chinese songs. It is also a good source to practice Chinese vocabulary and grammar. 『我是不是你最疼爱的人』 was originally preformed by the Taiwanese singer 潘越雲 (Pān Yuèyún) in the 80’s: 我是不是你最疼爱的人 从来就没冷过　因为有你在我身后 你总是轻声地说　黑夜有我 你总是默默承受　这样的我不敢怨尤 现在为了什么　不再看我 我是不是你最疼爱的人　你为什么不说话 握住是你冰冷的手　动也不动让我好难过 我是不是你最疼爱的人　你为什么不说话 当我需要你的时候　你却沉默不说 从来就没冷过　因为有你挡住寒冻 你总是在我身后　带着笑容 你总是细心温柔　呵护守候这样的我 现在是为了什么　不再看我 我是不是你最疼爱的人　你为什么不说话 握住是你冰冷的手　动也不动让我好难过 我是不是你最疼爱的人　你为什么不说话 当我需要你的时候　你却沉默不说 你最心疼我把眼哭红 记得你曾说过　不让我委屈泪流 我是不是你最疼爱的人　你为什么不说话 当我需要你的时候　你却沉默不说…

After learning all about Cantonese cuisine last month, we’re shifting towards western China to explore the rich flavors of this region. When it comes to the food from western China, the two most notable examples are certainly Sichuan cuisine (四川菜 – sì chuān cài) and Hunan cuisine (湖南菜 – hú nán cài). Let’s head west and delve…