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Chinese Morning Exercises Posted by Ayana on Mar 21, 2022
The Chinese phrase 晨练 is composed of two characters: 晨 (chén) that means morning, dawn; and 练 (liàn) that means to practice, to exercise. Together 晨练 (chén liàn) means morning exercise. 晨练是早上进行的健身运动。 Chén liàn shì zǎo shang jìn xíng de jiàn shēn yùn dòng. Morning exercise is the fitness workout one does in the morning. The…
Chinese Citizens in Ukraine Posted by Ayana on Mar 7, 2022
On February 28, the Chinese Ambassador (大使 dà shǐ) to Ukraine, 范先荣 (Fàn Xiānróng), published a video, in which he addressed the Chinese citizens living in Ukraine (乌克兰 wū kè lán). Fan wished to refute the rumors that the Chinese embassy had evacuated the capital. So he addressed his fellow citizens on camera, assuring them…
Chinese Friendship Vocabulary Posted by Ayana on Feb 22, 2022
One of the things I most love about China is the people. Over the years, while traveling, studying, and working in China, I was lucky to meet many kind people on the way. Despite different backgrounds and culture barriers we became good friends in joy and sorrow. China was the basis for our friendship, and…
The Beijing Winter Olympics Mascot Posted by Ayana on Feb 17, 2022
After fourteen years the Olympic Games have returned to China. The 2022 Winter Olympic Games (冬季奥运会 dōng jì ào yùn huì) are taking place this month in Beijing. Their panda mascot was already introduced to the world a couple of years ago: Over 5,800 submissions for the design of the 2022 Winter Games mascot (吉祥物…
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…
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…
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…