Chinese Time phrases Posted by Ayana on Apr 15, 2021
Time is the most valuable commodity. No one can create time, no one is able to buy more of it. It stands still for no one, and once it’s lost, it can never be replenished. Time is our most precious resource. We’ve already learned how to tell the time in Chinese, but talking about it…
Libraries in China Posted by sasha on Apr 8, 2021
In case you didn’t know, this week is Library Week in the United States. As such, we’re taking a look at libraries in the different countries represented on the language blogs here. In this post, we’ll learn all about libraries in China, starting with a bit of vocabulary. Chinese Library Vocabulary First of all, let’s…
Rocking Out in China (Part Two) Posted by sasha on Mar 31, 2021
I hope you’re ready to crank it up and do a little head-banging today, because we’re continuing our series about Rocking Out in China! In case you missed it, go back and read Part One. In it, you’ll learn about the first rock band in China who went by the name Peking All-Stars as well…
Asking about Age in Chinese Posted by Ayana on Mar 22, 2021
When you wonder about someone’s age (年龄 nián líng), and you don’t want to guess (猜猜 cāi cāi) or make an assessment (判断 pàn duàn), here are all the Chinese ways to ask for someone’s age. The character 多 (duō) has many usages. It serves as adjective, verb, and numeral; and means a lot, more…
Beijing Kao Ya: A Delectable Duck Posted by sasha on Mar 18, 2021
When one thinks of Beijing, a few things immediately come to mind – the Great Wall (长城 – cháng chéng), the Forbidden City (故宫 – gù gōng), and the city’s most famous dish – Beijing roast duck (北京烤鸭 – běi jīng kǎo yā). There are plenty of excellent Chinese dishes out there, but it’s hard…
China’s Square Dancing Posted by Ayana on Mar 10, 2021
If you ever visited a Chinese city and got to do some sightseeing of its parks and plazas, you probably encountered one of China’s popular folk dances – the public square dancing 广场舞 (guǎng chǎng wǔ). 广场舞蹈在中国是一个非常重要的艺术形式。群众自发组织，在在市区的广场、公园，等简陋的空地表演的舞蹈。广场舞蹈遍布了中国每一个角落。 Guǎng chǎng wǔ dǎo zài Zhōngguó shì yī gè fēi cháng zhòng yào de yì shù xíng shì…
Chinese Vocabulary for Getting a Driver’s License in China Posted by Ayana on Feb 22, 2021
Driving any motor vehicle (机动车 jī dòng chē) in China requires a driving license. In formal documents, a driver’s license will appear as 驾驶执照 (jià shǐ zhí zhào), or 驾驶证 (jià shǐ zhèng). Both terms include the verb 驾驶 (jià shǐ) which means to drive, to pilot. The common term used in spoken language is…