Mandarin Weekly #151

 

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Hi, {{! This is Mandarin Weekly #151, a free newsletter read by more than 20,000 students of Chinese around the world.

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Stone lions Intermediate Story

Have you ever seen stone lions in China? This story talks about their cultural significance:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/3015-2017-12-09-13-41-01

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Chinese gestures All Culture

So much is different in China; among them are hand gestures, which are different from those we know in the West:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/12/04/chinese-gestures/

Twitter: @FluentU

Peking opera All Culture

Peking Opera is a traditional form of entertainment that combines music, dance, costumes, story, and music. Here is some background on Peking Opera, as well as some useful vocabulary and linguistic tips:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/conventions-peking-opera/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

I’m a big fan Beginner Story

Are there some celebrities you follow and like? Here is a short story about fans of a famous singer:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3012-2017-12-06-07-21-18

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Online music Intermediate Story

Do you like listening to online music? You’re not alone; here is a story about listening on your computer:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/16-2009-12-02-23-37-52/3010-2017-12-04-03-43-33

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Harbin’s ice festival All Travel Culture

Harbin is the coldest city in China, and celebrates that fact with an annual snow and ice festival:

https://blog.hutong-school.com/experience-the-winter-wonders-of-harbin/

Twitter: @hutongschool

Restaurant vocabulary Beginner Food Video

Ordering at a restaurant can seem a bit daunting, but here are some useful vocabulary words to use when you first give it a go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPANzaNLcT0

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Does Chinese have a future tense? Beginner Grammar Video

If Chinese verbs don’t have tenses, then how do we express the future?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erwAjRvimj8

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Chinese music on Alexa All Culture

Do you have an Amazon Echo (“Alexa”)? If so, then you can listen to Chinese music, by following these instructions:

https://www.misspandachinese.com/amazon-echo-listen-chinese-songs-home-classroom/

Twitter: @MissPandaChines

Chinese movies on Netflix Advanced Culture

Want to improve your Chinese by watching movies? It turns out that Netflix has a very large selection. Here are some recommendations, good for improving your language and your cultural understanding:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/12/06/chinese-movies-netflix-2/

Twitter: @FluentU

Chinese foods to try Intermediate Video

What foods should you try when you’re in China? This short dialog will give you language practice and introduce you to some of these unusual foods:

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/chinese-conversation-clips-culture-food-try/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

Oh, it’s you! Advanced Video Grammar

Meeting someone you’ve heard about, or seeing someone you know for the first time in a while? Here are some useful phrases and grammar patterns to employ:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyqRAbLE9vA

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Big numbers! Intermediate Video Grammar

We can talk about large numbers in Chinese using 万 (wàn). Here are some ways to do it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdE7qc8t7q4

Twitter: @ECLSchool

McDonald’s in China Beginner Food

You see McDonald’s in many places around the world, and that includes China. Here is some history of the local version, as well as vocabulary you’ll want to order and eat there:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/the-history-of-mcdonalds-in-china/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Traditional Chinese string instruments All Culture

if you have ever walked through a park in China, then you’ve likely seen people playing traditional Chinese instruments. Here is some background on traditional string instruments, as well as some vocabulary you can use to describe them and the music they make:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-plucked-stringed-instruments/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

What would you like to drink? All Food

There’s lots to drink in China, from tea to juice to alcohol. Here’s a roundup of useful vocabulary for when you’re thirsty:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/drinking-in-china/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

More about 过 (guò) Intermediate Grammar

The word 过 is useful in many ways. Here are some examples of how it can describe a past event, or one that you have already experienced:

http://www.mandarinblueprint.com/blog/power-of-chinese-characters-guo-2

Twitter: @MandarinBP

Chinese drivers Beginner Grammar

Are Chinese drivers really that bad? Maybe, thanks to a loophole in Chinese law, as explained here:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/12/05/are-chinese-people-bad-drivers/

Pluralizing people words Intermediate Grammar

Chinese words typically don’t distinguish between singular and plural. Which ones do?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/27922/the-phrase-%e6%9c%8b%e5%8f%8b-vs-%e6%9c%8b%e5%8f%8b%e4%bb%ac

Well, maybe Intermediate Grammar

How do you say “probably” vs. “possibly” in Chinese?

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/%E5%8F%AF%E8%83%BD-%E6%9C%89%E5%8F%AF%E8%83%BD.3400119/


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