Archive for 'Vocabulary'
Idioms Explained Posted by Stephen on Sep 24, 2011
Idioms or 成语 (chéng yǔ) are very prevalent in Chinese writing and even in common day sayings. Much like idiomatic expressions used in English, the Chinese equivalents are an amalgam of history, cultural influences and scholarly debate, imparted upon Mandarin and Cantonese over thousands of years. Further, because Chinese and English are the two largest…
Yes/No Questions Video Posted by sasha on Sep 20, 2011
The Chinese language lacks a direct translation of the words “yes” and “no.” This causes a lot of confusion amongst foreigners studying the language. It’s also the source of a lot of cultural misunderstandings for people traveling or living in the country. In a follow up to Steve’s written post, this short video tries to…
Chinese Numbers 0-1000 Posted by sasha on Sep 6, 2011
When learning a new language, one of the most important things is to get the numbers down. Whether you’re telling a new acquaintance how old you are, figuring out bus routes, ordering food in a restaurant, paying for a taxi, or bargaining in a local market, you’ll be totally lost without a firm grasp of…
Back to School (开课) Posted by Stephen on Aug 29, 2011
Well it’s that time of the year again, when students of all ages go back to school or 开课 (kāi kè). As commencement gets under way, students or 学生 (xué sheng) should familiarize themselves with the mandarin basics of school vocabulary, especially if they are studying in the mainland. Hopefully these vocabulary words can help you…
“Netizen” Web Slang (网际俚语) Posted by Stephen on Aug 18, 2011
China is the single largest national population of online users, and as a result, the Chinese have gravitated towards increased web lingo. In fact, China boasts the largest “netizen” (internet + citizens) community worldwide, even with “the Great Firewall of China” restricting the flow of information. If you thought it was hard enough learning English…
Days, Weeks, and Months (Video) Posted by sasha on Aug 12, 2011
Learn the vocabulary necessary to talk about days, weeks, and months in Chinese with this short, easy to follow video.
Useful Travel Phrases Posted by sasha on Aug 11, 2011
Having just returned to Beijing after a month and a half back in the States, with a friend who is here in China for his first time and speaks no Chinese, I figured a post with some useful travel phrases would be a good idea. If you are a total China n00b like my friend…