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Getting Glasses in Chinese Posted by Ayana on Nov 6, 2017
My first trip to China was more than a decade ago. I didn’t know much about China back then, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. So before leaving I’ve packed myself properly: I purchased a good pair of walking shoes, a new camera and a pair of expensive sunglasses. I’m short-sighted, so I bought…
A Good Morning Routine in Chinese Posted by Ayana on Oct 2, 2017
A morning routine is very important早晨起床后的日常习惯是很重要的 (zǎochén qǐchuáng hòu de rìcháng xíguàn shì hěn zhòngyào de). Your morning habits can affect your entire day. Adopting healthy customs can improve your mood for the whole day. And these customs don’t require much time or effort, like eating a nutritious breakfast. Let’s do all this in Chinese!…
4 Must-Know Expressions for Chinese Beginner’s Traveling in China Posted by Ayana on Sep 4, 2017
Yuzuki is a Japanese girl I met on the train to Kunming. It was only her third month in China, but thanks to her Asian features, the locals kept approaching her with rapid Mandarin. She was grateful for the opportunities to practice her new language, but consistently had to use her broken Chinese to remind…
How to use the Chinese conjunction word 即使 Posted by Ayana on Aug 7, 2017
Learning a new language isn’t an easy task. There are different sounds to utter, thousands of new words to remember, and a new alphabet to decipher. Every language bears its own difficulties, and so does Chinese: new syllables, characters instead of an alphabet, and precise pronunciation of four tones. But Chinese also has its advantages…
Discussing Nationalities and Foreigners in Chinese Posted by Ayana on Jul 3, 2017
Nationalities in Chinese are pretty easy – it’s the same pattern for every nationality. The pattern is composed of the country one is from + the word for people in Chinese 人 (Rén). For example, Thailand in Chinese is 泰国 (Tàiguó), so a Thai person will be 泰国 + 人 = 泰国人 (Tàiguó rén). If…
How Bento Became a Taiwanese Staple Posted by Ayana on Jun 12, 2017
In my post last month I discussed a traditional Chinese item that originally came from the Japanese culture – the Lucky Cat. The Lucky Cat was so well assimilated into the Chinese life, that it doesn’t feel imported at all. So is the item we are about to explore today – the Bento, or in…
The Lucky Cat Posted by Ayana on May 1, 2017
If you ever visited a Chinese restaurant, a Japanese store, or any other Asian business, you’ve probably noticed a small cat figurine perching quietly by the cash register, or placed in the doorway. The cat figurine is not only a cute decoration, but also a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. It’s a Japanese traditional…