Tips for Learning Chinese Posted by Ayana on Jan 25, 2022
A famous Chinese proverb says: 好事多磨 (hǎo shì duō mó). 好事 means good things, 多 means a lot, and 磨 means to grind, to rub. It comes to say that good things do not come without toil. Realizing your dreams involves much work, and that’s certainly true of Chinese fluency. The Foreign Service Institute of USA…
A Spring Festival History Lesson Posted by sasha on Jan 20, 2022
It’s that time of the year again, as China gears up for its most important holiday – the Spring Festival (春节 chūn jié). Also known around the world as Chinese New Year (农历新年 nóng lì xīn nián), this holiday begins on the first day of the first month (正月 zhēng yuè) of the lunar calendar. That’s…
The Spring Festival anxiety Posted by Ayana on Jan 10, 2022
Spring Festival celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. This year it will be celebrated on February 1st, 2022. It’s the most important Chinese holiday and it’s being celebrated with much excitement and festivities. A fifteen-day long holiday that will include a dinner feast, a family reunion, decorations, fireworks, red envelopes, and…
2022 Chinese Holiday Calendar Posted by sasha on Jan 5, 2022
A New Year is upon us and we’re excited about what it may bring. 2021 basically felt like a repeat of 2020, so here’s to hoping that 2022 is a better year for us all! One of the best things about the start of the year is looking forward to all the holidays. That’s why…
Giant panda breaks out of his Enclosure in front of visitors at Beijing Zoo Posted by Ayana on Dec 27, 2021
The Chinese word for zoo is composed of two nouns: 动物 (dòng wù, animal) + 园 (yuán, park) = 动物园 (dòng wù yuan, zoo) 动物 means animal. 园 means garden, park, and it is mostly used when talking about the beautiful public parks (公园 gōng yuán) of China (in Beijing, for example). The character 园 appears…
Most Popular Chinese Blog Posts of 2021 Posted by sasha on Dec 21, 2021
As we near the end of another year, here’s a good expression to learn in Chinese: 时间过得真快 (shí jiān guò dé zhēn kuài). It’s similar to saying “how time flies” in English, and I always find myself saying it this time of year. We have a tradition here at the blog of looking back on…
Talking about New Year Resolutions in Chinese Posted by Ayana on Dec 14, 2021
December has come and festive vibes are in the air. 2021 is almost over and a fresh atmosphere of beginning dominates the preparations for the coming year. 年末 (nián mò, end of the year), is a good time for self-reflection, and thinking about a better future self. 新的一年新的开始，人人要看看自己走的道路，对自己许下很多完美的祝愿。然后打算每一天怎么过，每一步怎么前行。 Xīn de yī nián xīn de kāi…