Archive for 'Uncategorized'
A Beginner’s Guide to WeChat Posted by sasha on Aug 22, 2016
If you’ve ever been to China, you may have noticed that just about everyone is constantly staring at their cell phone (手机 – shǒu jī). There are around 700 million unique mobile subscribers in the Middle Kingdom with 1.3 billion mobile connections. As of early last year, around 70% of those connections were through smartphones, with…
How to Make a Phone Call in Chinese Posted by sasha on Aug 18, 2016
A great way to practice your Chinese skills is to make phone calls. This utilizes both your listening and speaking skills, and it’s good for improving your fluency. After all, if you can smoothly make a phone call – even one that’s just a minute long – you’ve come a long way in your quest…
Beijing Day Trip – Green Dragon Gorge Posted by sasha on Aug 17, 2016
Getting stuck in the concrete jungle during the hot summer months is no fun. Thankfully, there are countless day trips from Beijing that will bring you out to beautiful scenic areas in just a few hours. One such place is the Green Dragon Gorge (青龙峡 – qīng lóng xiá), where you can have fun on the…
Chinese Vocabulary – Summer Olympics Posted by sasha on Aug 15, 2016
Every four years, the eyes of the world are on the Summer Olympics (夏季奥运会 – xià jì ào yùn huì). This year, the games are taking place in Rio de Janeiro (里约热内卢 – lǐ yuē rè nèi lú), the first time the games have been held in South America. The slogan for the 2016 Olympics is…
Buying a Cell Phone in Chinese Posted by sasha on Aug 11, 2016
Once you land in China, there are two things you’re going to want to make sure you have at all times – toilet paper and a cell phone (手机 – shǒu jī). If you’re heading to China and your phone isn’t unlocked, one of your first orders of business will surely be to buy yourself…
Chinese Conjunctions Part One Posted by sasha on Jul 27, 2016
Once you start to reach a more intermediate level of Chinese, you’ll want to connect your ideas and begin using more complex sentences. To do this, you’ll need to learn some conjunctions. In Chinese, conjunctions do just what they do in English – just think back to “Schoolhouse Rock.” That’s right, “hooking up words, and…
A Weekend at Shi Du Posted by sasha on Jul 25, 2016
Spending the hot summer months trapped in the concrete jungle is no fun, especially in Chinese mega-cities like Beijing. Thankfully, there are plenty of options for excellent day or weekend trips just a few hours away. One such place is Shi Du, where you can go rafting, hike in karst mountains, or even do some…