Mandarin Weekly #157

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This is Mandarin Weekly #157, a free newsletter read by more than 21,000 students of Chinese around the world.

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Shanghai used book market All Culture Travel

Want to get some good deals on used books? If you’re in Shanghai, then the used book market is a great place to start:

https://www.saporedicina.com/english/book-market-shanghai/

Working together Beginner Grammar

When you do an activity with someone else, Chinese has specific grammar patterns that let you express it:

https://www.saporedicina.com/english/complements-company-means-tools-topics-directions/

It’s getting cold All Culture Vocabulary

It’s cold outside, which leads us to an explanation of this period in the Chinese calendar, known as 大寒 (dà hán):

http://teresarainsegna.blogspot.com/2018/01/grande-freddo-great-cold.html

How many characters? Beginner Characters Learning

How many characters do you need to know, in order to read Chinese fluently? Here’s an explanation, or multiple explanations:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/how-many-chinese-characters-do-i-need-to-know/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

Originally… Intermediate Grammar

How can we say “originally” or “obviously” in Chinese? Here are some explanations, especially for those learning for HSK4:

https://medium.com/@alexzitowolf/chinese-hsk4-grammar-points-ca7c51ff35e9

Sending flowers Intermediate Vocabulary Culture

Want to get flowers for someone? If you’re in China, then realize that what and how you give can mean different things:

https://www.digmandarin.com/sending-flowers-china-dos-donts.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Work-Chinese balance All Learning

How do you balance learning Chinese with the rest of your life? Here are some thoughts on how to include Chinese with your work and school, from someone who has taught many people:

http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2018/01/17/work-chinese-balance

Year of the Dog All Culture

We’re about to start the Year of the Dog. What does this mean, and how does it describe people born in this year?

http://www.chinasimplified.com/2018/01/20/chinese-new-year-2018-lucky-dogs/

My treat! Beginner Grammar Video

Are things going well? Celebrate with others, by treating them. Here’s how you can talk about being so nice to your friends:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWafCzKiCA4

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Pay on time Intermediate Grammar Video

Don’t forget to pay the credit card bill (and other bills, for that matter) on time. Here’s how you can discuss it in Chinese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B12f14ttOKg

Twitter: @ECLSchool

The three “de”s in Chiense Beginner Grammar Characters Video

The three characters 的,得 and 地 are all pronounced “de”, and have similar meanings — but they aren’t the same, as described here:

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/difficult-chinese-characters-explained-simply-three-des/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

Chinese talk shows Advanced Video

You can improve your Chinese by watching talk shows. Where do you start? Here are five good ones:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2018/01/18/chinese-talk-show/

Twitter: @FluentU

For the kids Beginner Learning

If your children are learning Chinese, what resources can help them to advance? Here are some suggestions:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2018/01/18/learn-chinese-for-kids/

Twitter: @FluentU

Whom do you trust? All Learning

How can you decide whom to trust when it comes to learning Chinese? How can you find a good teacher and other resources? Here are some suggestions:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/whom-should-you-trust-for-advice-about-learning-chinese/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

The mouse and the cat Intermediate Story

Are you really upset, or are you just pretending? Here’s a story describing this sentiment in Chinese:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3052-2018-01-19-04-06-24

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Wolves and sheep Intermediate Story

Is there really a wolf? This short story will tell you not only that, but how to behave with others:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/3051-2018-01-19-04-02-39

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Tone helpers All Reviews Pronunciation

How can you improve your tones in Chinese? Here are some resources you can use that are especially helpful:

https://blog.hutong-school.com/chinese-listening-tones/

Twitter: @hutongschool

Saying thanks Beginner Grammar Culture

How can you thank someone for what they’ve said or done? Here are a few ways people in China do it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFi_CNbxj8E

Twitter: @ChinesePod

AM and PM in Chinese Beginner Grammar

How do we describe AM and PM time in Chinese?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hCnI0cBj54

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Using 又 (yòu) with two things Intermediate Grammar

How can we use 又 to describe multiple properties?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28488/can-i-use-%e5%8f%88-to-give-more-than-two-properties-of-something

Last year Beginner Grammar

Why don’t we say “last year” in Chinese using the same pattern as “last week” and “last month”?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28476/we-say-%e4%b8%8a%e4%b8%aa%e6%98%9f%e6%9c%9f-%e4%b8%8a%e4%b8%aa%e6%9c%88-and-%e5%8e%bb%e5%b9%b4-why-not-%e4%b8%8a%e4%b8%aa%e5%b9%b4

Mandarin Weekly #156

 

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This is Mandarin Weekly #156, a free newsletter read by more than 21,000 students of Chinese around the world.

Customize Mandarin Weekly, getting only the links that are useful to you! Subscribe to Mandarin Weekly Plus for less than $1/week.

Please take advantage of our list of discounts for students of Chinese.

To receive Mandarin Weekly every Monday, sign up MandarinWeekly.com. Every Tuesday, we go up on Facebook, at http://facebook.com/MandarinWeekly, Medium, at http://medium.com/@mandarinweekly, and Twitter, at @MandarinWeekly.  Please like, share, and retweet us!

Do you sell products or services for students of Chinese? Sponsor an issue, or insert a sponsored link into an upcoming edition. More information is here, on the MandarinWeekly.com “advertising” page.

Just a bit Intermediate Grammar

Several adverbs allow you to specify that you’re working with small quantities. Here is how to use them:

https://www.saporedicina.com/english/adverbs-zhi-jiu-cai-chinese/

Character stroke order Intermediate Characters

When you write characters, it’s not enough to know what to write. You also need to know how to write, and in which order to draw the strokes, as explained here:

http://teresarainsegna.blogspot.co.il/2018/01/ordine-dei-tratti-nella-scrittura.html

Reading in Chinese on your Kindle All Learning

It’s good to read for better comprehension. But did you know that you can read in Chinese on an Amazon Kindle? Here’s how, and where, to find books:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2018/01/11/learn-with-a-kindle/

Road rage! Intermediate Culture Video

Do you get angry with other drivers? Of course you do, but how do you express your feelings in Chinese?

https://chinesepod.com/blog/2018/01/13/say-road-rage-mandarin/

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Different types of thinking Intermediate Grammar

In English, we use the verb “to think” to describe a number of different types of activities involving cognition, emotion, and opinion. In Chinese, we can use different verbs to describe these actions:

https://www.digmandarin.com/i-think-in-chinese.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Chinese compound words Beginner Learning

How can you pick apart, and understand, compound words in Chinese? Here are some ideas and hints to help you:

https://www.digmandarin.com/unlocking-chinese-compound-words.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Songs to improve your Chinese All Video Vocabulary

A good way to improve not only your vocabulary but your knowledge of Chinese culture is via songs. Here are some good songs (and videos) that you can use to improve and also impress your friends:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2018/01/10/learn-chinese-with-songs/

Twitter: @FluentU

Ebooks vs. paper books Beginner Story

A short story about the progress of time, and the growing use of ebook readers:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3046-2018-01-12-04-02-48

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Can’t sleep Intermediate Story

Can’t sleep? Read this story on that very topic, and maybe you’ll doze off…

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3042-2018-01-08-05-48-14

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Talking about money Beginner Vocabulary Video

When we discuss money in Chinese, what noun should we use — 元 (yuán) or 块 (kuài)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5Q_PFYyEUE

Twitter: @chineseclass101

How many characters? Beginner Learning Characters

One of the most common questions I get about learning Chinese is: How many characters do you need to know? This post tries to answer this question:

https://www.mandarinblueprint.com/blog/2017/6/15/how-many-chinese-characters-do-i-need-to-learn

Twitter: @MandarinBP

HelloChinese review All Reviews

HelloChinese is an app that aims to teach you Chinese? How well does it do? Here’s a reivew:

https://www.alllanguageresources.com/hellochinese-review/

Dramas for business Advanced Culture Vocabulary

Want to use Chinese in your work? Watching TV might help, if the show is a Chinese drama about the business world:

https://www.asianlanguageschool.com/6-television-dramas-to-learn-chinese-for-business/

Twitter: @AlsSydney

Country names Beginner Vocabulary Video

Can you say your country’s name in Chinese? How about some of the world’s major countries? Here is a cute song that teaches some basic country names:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCXNiX30H-E

Twitter: @ChineseBuddy

Learning tones Beginner Pronunciation Video

Tones are a crucial part of Chinese pronunciation. Here is a roundup of resources and videos to teach you the tones, and how to pronounce them like a native:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/learn-the-chinese-tones/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

2018 holidays All Culture

China has lots of holidays. What are they, and when will they take place? Here’s a list of Chinese holidays in 2018, along with dates and some cultural notes:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-holidays-for-2018/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Bargaining Beginner Vocabulary Video

If you have ever gone shopping in China, you know that you can (and should) bargain. But how can you do it in Chinese?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgLxv8fD-F0

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Tigers! Intermediate Listening Story

Here’s a short story you can listen to about two tigers:

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/lulaoshichinese/episodes/2018-01-14T05_40_42-08_00

Not just for past tense All Grammar Video

We often think that 了 is used for past tense in Chinese. But that’s not quite true, as we learn here:

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/le-past-tense-how-to-use-le-chinese/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

Measure words All Grammar Video

Measure words are a crucial part of Chinese grammar; here is a good introduction to them, and when to use each one:

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/understand-chinese-measure-words-one-video/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

A short holiday Beginner Grammar Video

How short was the recent holiday? Before you answer, make sure you know which version of “short” to use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHh6n86xC28

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Mandarin Weekly #155

 

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Hi!  This is Mandarin Weekly #155, a free newsletter read by more than 21,000 students of Chinese around the world.

Customize Mandarin Weekly, getting only the links that are useful to you! Subscribe to Mandarin Weekly Plus for less than $1/week.

Please take advantage of our list of discounts for students of Chinese.

To receive Mandarin Weekly every Monday, sign up MandarinWeekly.com. Every Tuesday, we go up on Facebook, at http://facebook.com/MandarinWeekly, Medium, at http://medium.com/@mandarinweekly, and Twitter, at @MandarinWeekly.  Please like, share, and retweet us!

Do you sell products or services for students of Chinese? Sponsor an issue, or insert a sponsored link into an upcoming edition. More information is here, on the MandarinWeekly.com “advertising” page.

Topic-comment structure Intermediate Grammar

Normally, Chinese is SVO (subject-verb-object). But in the “topic-comment” structure, you mention a subject, and then discuss it:

https://www.saporedicina.com/english/topic-comment-structure-chinese/

The story of Nian Beginner Culture Video

Chinese New Year is coming up. Here is a video version of the legend behind this holiday, along with some introductory greetings you can use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPYE4zRRJzE

Again! Intermediate Grammar Video

How can you say that you want to do something again? This video explains the use of 在 (zài) in this way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x75u5BKnw4

Twitter: @ECLSchool

There are, aren’t there? Beginner Grammar Video

In Chinese, we can use the verb 有 (yǒu) to indicate that a place has a certain quality, or contains a certain item:

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

Twitter: @ECLSchool

That pesky 3rd tone Beginner Pronunciation

Tones are tough for many to understand when learning Chinese. The 3rd tone can be particularly tricky. Here are some tips for pronouncing it correctly:

https://www.mandarinblueprint.com/blog/sandhi-third-tone-rule

Twitter: @MandarinBP

Happy New Year! Beginner Vocabulary Video

How can we discuss the new (Gregorian) year, 2018? Here are some useful words you can use:

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

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Happy 2018! Beginner Vocabulary Video

How do people in China celebrate the New Year’s holiday? And how do they discuss it? Here are some details, as well as useful words to talk about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nj3Xnch_wk

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Visiting Guangdong All Travel

Guangdong province is large and varied, and contains lots of interesting cuisine, culture, and history, as shown here:

https://www.livethelanguage.cn/learn-china-guangdong/

Moving translations All Culture

How are your favorite movies’ names translated into Chinese? Here are some examples of some famous films from 2017, along with how people in China refer to them:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2018/01/chinese-movie-translations-spring-2018/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

Common characters in Chinatown Intermediate Characters

If you go to Chinatown — a Chinese neighborhood in your city — then you’ll likely see a few particular characters. Here is your guide to identifying and understanding them:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/common-chinese-symbols-and-meanings/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

New Year’s resolutions Beginner Vocabulary

Planning to make New Year’s resolutions? It’s not too late:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-new-years-resolution/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Thanks so much! Beginner Vocabulary

How can you thank someone in Chinese? As usual, there are multiple words and phrases you can sprinkle into your conversations:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2018/01/03/thank-you-in-chinese/

Twitter: @FluentU

Day trips from Kunming All Travel

Kunming itself is a lovely city — but if you go out of town, you can see some spectacular sights, as described here:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/5-awesome-kunming-day-trips/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Ice cream All Vocabulary

Do you enjoy eating ice cream? Of course you do! Here is how you can discuss ice cream in Chinese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsxcY4RiiE8

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Little pony Intermediate Story

A pony needs to cross the river. Will he make it? The story might not be so exciting, but it’s good practice:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/3036-2018-01-02-04-07-30

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Patience Intermediate Story

A short story introducing the idea of being patient, of not trying to do everything at once:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3040-2018-01-05-02-21-46

Twitter: @imandarinpod

When do they grow up? Beginner Grammar

When do we stop using the term 孩子 (hái zi) to talk about people in China. In other words, how big are “children”?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28314/at-what-age-one-stops-calling-a-person-%e5%ad%a9%e5%ad%90

Making comparisons Intermediate Grammar

How do we use 比一比 (bǐ yi bǐ) in a comparison?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28312/what-is-the-meaning-of-%e6%af%94%e4%b8%80%e6%af%94-in-this-sentence

Mandarin Weekly #154

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Hi! This is Mandarin Weekly #154, a free newsletter read by more than 21,000 students of Chinese around the world.

Customize Mandarin Weekly, getting only the links that are useful to you! Subscribe to Mandarin Weekly Plus for less than $1/week.

Happy New Year, and thanks for your subscription to Mandarin Weekly.  I’ve been providing this service for three years (!) now, and am delighted to help so many fellow students of Chinese around the world. A special “thank you” to those of you who support my efforts via a subscription to Mandarin Weekly Plus. If there’s a way that I can make MW better for you, please reply to this message and let me know! Meanwhile, 新年快乐!

To receive Mandarin Weekly every Monday, sign up MandarinWeekly.com. Every Tuesday, we go up on Facebook, at http://facebook.com/MandarinWeekly, Medium, at http://medium.com/@mandarinweekly, and Twitter, at @MandarinWeekly.  Please like, share, and retweet us!

Do you sell products or services for students of Chinese? Sponsor an issue, or insert a sponsored link into an upcoming edition. More information is here, on the MandarinWeekly.com “advertising” page.

Chinese films of the year Advanced Culture

What Chinese films were most worth watching last year? Here is a rundown of the best of 2017:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/12/twocs-films-of-the-year/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

Internet slang of 2017 Intermediate Culture Vocabulary

What Internet slang words were hottest in 2017? Look at this list, and see if you’re up to date with the latest phrases:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/12/chinese-pandians-top-keywords-of-2017/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

What are you doing? Beginner Grammar

What are you doing? That’s a pretty simple question, but the answers can be complex, as shown here:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/what-are-you-doing-in-chinese/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Using question words Beginner Grammar Video

How do you use question words in Chinese? This video should help to set you straight:

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/question-words-mandarin-chinese/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

How to type in Chinese All Characters

Typing in Chinese is crticial if you use a computer or a phone — which, given that you’re reading this newsletter, seems like a reasonable bet. How can you write Chinese? Here are some tips:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/12/27/how-to-type-in-chinese/

Twitter: @FluentU

Writing Chinese characters Beginner Characters

Of course, characters are traditionally written in ink, not on a computer. How can you get started with writing characters, and also practicing them?

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/12/26/chinese-writing-practice/

Twitter: @FluentU

Internet slang of 2017 Intermediate Culture Vocabulary

It’s the end of the year, and thus lists of “the ___ of 2017” are appearing all over. Here’s another list of hot Internet slang:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/chinese-slang-2017/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

Colorful language Intermediate Expressions

Every language has expressions that include colors , and Chinese is no exception. Here are some colorful expressions you can use in your own speech:

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

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Sleep more, learn more All Learning

Does getting more sleep help you to learn Chinese better?

https://www.mandarinblueprint.com/blog/2017/6/15/how-does-getting-enough-sleep-help-learning-chinese

Twitter: @MandarinBP

Sharing bicycles All Travel

Chinese cities have tons of for-rent bicycles. How can you rent and use them, and what are some tips for doing so?

https://www.saporedicina.com/english/bike-sharing-china/

Yes, but… Intermediate Grammar

What are some conjunctions (and, or, but, etc.) you can use in your Chinese? Here’s a complete list and guide:

https://www.saporedicina.com/english/conjunctions-chinese/

Happy New Year! Beginner Expressions

How can you wish someone a Happy New Year in Chinese? Here are a bunch of ways to do so:

https://www.livethelanguage.cn/happynewyearinchinese/

Beginner vs. Advanced methods All Learning

How should you study Chinese? And do these techniques change over time? This article discusses how beginning and advanced Chinese students should adjust their learning techniques over time:

https://www.digmandarin.com/learning-methods-beginner-advanced-chinese-learner.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Visiting Zhāngjiākǒu Advanced Story Travel

Want to visit Zhāngjiākǒu? What, you haven’t heard of it? Here’s a short story telling you about this city:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/16-2009-12-02-23-37-52/3032-2017-12-28-05-37-36

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Quitting time Beginner Story

Thinking of quitting from your job? Here’s a story on the subject:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3030-2017-12-26-05-25-12

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Happy New Year! Beginner Story

2018 has started, and here’s a story about celebrating the new year:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3033-2017-12-30-06-33-02

Twitter: @imandarinpod

The “most” words Intermediate Grammar

How can you say “the most,” given that there are several Chinese words that express this idea?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28237/%e8%87%b3%e5%a4%9a-%e6%9c%80%e5%a4%9a-%e9%a1%b6%e5%a4%9a-whats-the-difference

In the future Advanced Grammar

How can you express the “future perfect” tense in Chinese?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28201/future-perfect-tense-sentences-in-chinese-eg-next-month-i-will-have-been-marr