Archive for May, 2019
The Gaokao – The Most Important Exam in Chinese College Admissions Posted by Ayana on May 20, 2019
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…
7 Must-Know Questions for Eating Out in China Posted by sasha on May 16, 2019
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…
Eastern Chinese Cuisine Posted by sasha on May 8, 2019
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…
5 Must-Know Chinese Adjectives to Describe People Posted by Ayana on May 6, 2019
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…