Archive for 'Vocabulary'
Wafer-Thin Margins, or Manufacturing in China Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 29, 2010
The US remains the largest 生产 (sheng1chan3 – manufacturing) nation, but few if any people I have asked have been able to answer correctly which country it is. Several days ago, I spoke with a trader who deals in appliances and power tools sourcing some components from the Mainland. I was particularly curious about one…
The Good and the Bad About Bad Goods Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 28, 2010
It was this time last year that I was en route to give a talk at a university in Wuhan. During the drive from the airport, I began to chat with the driver. Our focus soon shifted to trade between the US and China. As we built rapport, he asked very frankly, “是不是美国公司就把这些垃圾食品卖给我们中国人吃?” (Are American…
Mandarin Numbers 1-100 Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 24, 2010
If you’re interested in learning Chinese numbers 1-100, use the table below to help with your studies! Note that generally numbers are easy to construct. If you know the numbers 1-10 and 100, then you can express any number from 1-100! See below: *Note: Zero is 零 ling2.＊ 一 yi1 1 二 er4 2 三…
What Do People Eat for Lunch? Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 17, 2010
When lunchtime in China rolls around, what do people go to eat? Up north, many choose to go out for 饺子 (dumplings) or 面条 (noodles) at a local 面馆 (noodle restaurant). Other people might go to a nearby street stall and grab some 饭 (rice) with different selections of 荤菜 (meat dishes) and 素菜 (vegetable…
Traffic Design Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 16, 2010
Every day, from my 公寓 (apartment) looking out at 窗外 （outside the window), I see an egregious violation of 城市规划 (urban planning), particularly in the 交通方面 (traffic area). There is an a place along the road where cars may 掉头 (u-turn), but the allowed turning radius restricts most vehicles’ ability to complete it smoothly, while…
What Do People Eat? Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 15, 2010
There are a variety of breakfast choices available on the streets in China. People up north might enjoy a nice 煎饼 (fried pancake). People looking for something nourishing if they’re feeling under the weather might 喝粥 (drink porridge). One favorite (albeit one not high in protein) is to grab a 油条 (dough-stick. lit. oil…
Down on the Street (场外市场) Posted by Stephen on Mar 11, 2010
One of the most striking features of China and Chinese culture, when compared to the west, is the availability of goods on any given Chinese street. Sure, you could go to a Walmart 沃尔玛 wò ěr mǎ or a Carrefour 家乐福 Jiā lè fú, to find your daily sundries 事物 [shíwù], or even take the…