Tag Archives: beginner Chinese
25 Must-Know Chinese Verbs Posted by sasha on Apr 24, 2018
If you’re new to Chinese and are trying to start speaking more, a good idea is to focus on some key verbs. Here’s a list of 25 must-know Chinese verbs to get you going. Study the table first and then move on to see an example sentence for each one. 25 Must-Know Verbs Table Examples…
Rooms of the House and Furniture in Chinese Posted by sasha on Mar 12, 2018
Home life is a big part of Chinese culture. People spend a lot of time at home, and home ownership is very important. Interestingly enough, the Chinese word for home (家 – jiā) can also be used for family – perhaps because the two go hand in hand. When you chat with people in China, whether you know them very well…
A Guide to Telling Time in Chinese Posted by sasha on Feb 23, 2018
An important skill to master when learning a language is how to tell the time. In addition, you’ll also want to learn how to talk about days, weeks, months, and years. We’ve had several great posts on how to do this in Chinese over the years. If you’re new here, chances are you’ve missed them…
Guess the Chinese Word Posted by sasha on Feb 20, 2018
When learning a language, you’re always told to do your best not to try to translate everything into your mother tongue. I tell this to my Chinese students who are studying English, as directly translating everything often results in them speaking horrible Chinglish. For example, “Yesterday I with my mother together go shopping” or “I…
What Are You Doing? in Chinese Posted by sasha on Dec 26, 2017
When teaching English to my Chinese students, I find that it’s always a bit difficult for them to switch between the simple present and the simple present continuous tenses in English. That is, the different between saying “I go” and “I am going.” Thankfully, this really isn’t so tough in Chinese. In this post we’re…
Chinese Transportation Vocabulary Posted by sasha on Dec 14, 2017
Getting around China can be tough. Chinese mega-cities and the crowds of millions that inhabit them are tricky enough. The last thing you need is language barriers getting in the way! Never fear, as we’re here to help you learn some useful Chinese transportation vocabulary. Just follow this short video and practice at home, and…
Chinese Survival Phrases Posted by sasha on Nov 7, 2017
It’s no secret that Chinese is a tough language. With its tricky tones and thousands upon thousands of characters, it can be an intimidating language to study. Oh yeah, and there are also vast differences in pronunciation depending on what part of the country you’re in. While it can be a very difficult language, you’ll…