Chinese Measure Words Posted by Ayana on Oct 6, 2020
Measure words (量词liàng cí) indicate an amount of something. They denote a unit or measurement, and are used with count nouns and non-count nouns (such as sugar, or water). Measure words are very common in many languages. In English measure words are usually attached to nouns of food, liquid, stationery, and personal items. For example…
Talking About Fall in Chinese Posted by sasha on Sep 23, 2020
The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing colors, and the kids are all back to school. That can mean just one thing – fall (秋天 – qiū tiān) is here. You may be bummed that summer is over, but there’s lots to love about autumn as well. In China, fall means two very…
Learning Chinese through Songs Posted by Ayana on Sep 21, 2020
I love Chinese food, I adore Chinese characters, and I savor Chinese music. Chinese songs are not only pleasant to the ears, they are also a good way to learn the language. One of my favorite Chinese song is 其实你不懂我的心 (qí shí nǐ bù dǒng wǒ de xīn). Recorded in 1989 by the Taiwanese singer…
Visiting Beijing’s Summer Palace Posted by sasha on Sep 16, 2020
No visit to Beijing would be complete without a trip to the Summer Palace (颐和园 – yí hé yuán), a massive complex full of pagodas, gardens, palaces, and even a lake. In my 5 years of living in the Chinese capital, this was always my favorite place to visit, especially on rare clear day in…
A Chinese Book Review: Chronicle of a Blood Merchant Posted by Ayana on Sep 7, 2020
许三观卖血记 (Xǔ Sānguān Mài Xiě Jì) is a 1995 novel by the Chinese writer Yu Hua. Translated to English by the name Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, the book tells the story of Xu Sanguan who finds a way to augment his meager salary. A way that changes his life. Xu Sanguan lives in the city…
Qixi Festival: China’s Romantic Holiday Posted by sasha on Aug 25, 2020
Today marks the most romantic holiday on the Chinese calendar. In China, the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar is known as the Qixi Festival (七夕节 qī xì jié). This ancient Chinese festival goes by many names, including: the Night of Sevens, the Magpie Festival, and Qiqiao (乞巧 qǐ qiǎo). Many…
Using Children’s Fairy Tales to Practice Chinese Posted by Ayana on Aug 17, 2020
When I first arrived in China, more than a decade ago, I had a hobby: visiting book stores. I used to stand in awe in front of shelves full of books written in this beautiful ancient language. I stood there and wished one day to be able to open any of these books and read…