Archive for 'Culture'
When Being Strict Is Good Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 30, 2010
If someone in China asks you 老师严不严? (lao3shi1 yan2bu4yan2 – is the teacher strict?), what kind of answer answer is the “good” or “better” answer? If you answer that the teacher is not strict, you might think you’re emphasizing that the teacher is very down to earth and doesn’t use authority to assert control. In…
Fate Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 30, 2010
In the States, it’s rare to bring up the topics of “fate” or “destiny” when first meeting people, but you may find that this is not the case in China. Don’t be surprised to hear any of the following when you meet someone: 我们认识了就是缘分 wo3men2 ren4shi4le jiu4shi4 yuan2fen4 – Our meeting was fate/destiny. 我们认识就是个偶遇 wo3men2ren4shi4le…
Entertainment and Nightlife Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 27, 2010
I’ve never been to a bar in the states that didn’t have a deck of cards on hand, and I’ve only once been to a bar in China that didn’t have a few cups for playing dice games. This is, of course, to participate in one of the numerous 酒令 (jiu3ling4 – drinking games) in…
“Welcome to take Beijing Taxi” pt. 1 Posted by Stephen on Apr 25, 2010
Until private automobiles in major Chinese metropolises all but choke traffic to standstill, the use of taxi cabs (出租车 chū zū chē）will be a mainstay of how you get around cities. Notice how I say “until” here, because traffic congestion in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing has grown into a major fiasco. That being…
A Phrase to Avoid Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 24, 2010
Sometimes when you’re speaking Chinese- especially when you’re at the beginning or intermediate level- it’s easy to get caught up in trying to express your meaning by directly translating your thoughts from English without fully considering what the listener understands. Here is an example of where that can go awry: I once was with a…
Tomb Sweeping Festival (清明节） Posted by Stephen on Apr 5, 2010
As the Easter holiday weekend passes here in the west, China is already taking part in one of it’s historic, yet newly reinstated holidays: the Qing Ming Jie (清明节）or Tomb Sweeping Festival. While a staple of Taiwanese, Macau and Hong Kong traditions, the 清明节，much like the Tet in Vietnamese culture is a holiday that falls…
Everything But the Table, Part 1: A Brief Introduction to Chinese Food Posted by Stephen on Mar 31, 2010
China truly is a gourmand’s paradise filled with delicious food everywhere you go. The food itself can be as far ranging as delicacies popularized during the Ming Dynasty or it can be as simple and down to earth as a 1 块 stick of 串 （think kebab) found on any roadside corner. Whatever the type…