Month: March 2016

大家好！ (Hi, everyone!) Welcome to the latest Mandarin Weekly, with yet more links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

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What time is it?

How can you describe the different parts of the day (morning, afternoon, and night) in Chinese? This introduction from LearnChineseNow provides the answers, also pointing to where English and Chinese have different ways of describing the same time of day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0cIYgzYbmk

Twitter: @LearnChineseNow

Oh, no!

Your Chinese friend just gave you some bad news. How do you respond? In this video, you’ll hear some of the most common phrases, along with characters and pinyin:

http://mandarinhq.com/2016/03/7-phrases-responding-bad-news-mandarin-chinese-2/

Twitter: @MandarinHQ

OK? OK!

Many languages use “OK” as a generic form of “yes” or “I agree.” How do you express the same ideas in Chinese?

https://ninchanese.com/blog/2016/03/22/say-ok-in-chinese/

Essential phrases

If you’re very new at Chinese, and need the most basic, essential phrases for your first trip to China, here are 20 very useful ones:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/20-essential-chinese-phrases-for-newbies-and-travellers-2/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

“Ice” radical characters

The character for ice (冰, or bīng) is often used as a radical for characters that mean “cold.” Here is a list of such characters, and examples of when to use them:

http://www.digmandarin.com/learn-ice-radical-related-chinese-characters.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Saying “no” without saying “no”

Even English speakers know that it’s often easier to say “no” with a sentence or phrase than to use the word itself — to be polite, or to soften the blow. Here are some phrases that mean “no” in Chinese:

http://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-people-say-no-various-ways.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Chinese emoticons

You would think that Chinese, with a set of characters, doesn’t need emoticons. But that’s not the case; they’re used in China as much as in the West. Here are some favorite ones, along with their Chinese names:

http://www.duchinese.net/blog/22-what-emoticons-are-popular-in-china

Twitter: @DuChinese

Casual conversation

What are some basic phrases you can use when starting to speak with others in Chinese?

http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2016/03/23/basic-chinese-phrases/

Twitter: @FluentU

Oceania in Chinese

Maybe you can say “Australia” or “New Zealand” in Chinese, but what about the smaller nations in that part of the world, as well as the subdivisions of Australia? This list will set you straight:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/oceania-in-chinese/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

More Chinglish phrases

You can learn a lot about a language from the mistakes people make when translating it into another language. Here is a list (continuing the list from last week) of such phrases that sound just a little off in English:

http://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/learn-chinese-4-more-chinglish-phrases-really-help-you

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

Playing the lute

A simple story in Chinese, to improve your listening and reading ability:

http://chinese-at-ease.com/learn-chinese-online-play-the-lute-to-a-cow/

Twitter: @ChineseAtEase

Hard-to-pronounce words

Many Chinese words are hard for English speakers to pronounce. Here are 10 of the most commonly mispronounced one, from ChineseClass101; I’m not convinced that these are the hardest to pronounce, but perhaps they are for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmKeErMH56k

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Comprehensible input

Listening practice is important for gaining Chinese fluency — but what should you listen to? Should you listen to things you know, or those that push you? This article describes the different approaches, and suggests that at least some of your listening be on your level, aka “comprehensible input”:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-comprehensible-input/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Car names

This short video, from LearnChineseNow, will tell you how to describe cars in Chinese — from simple sedans to fancy sports cars:

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

Twitter: @LearnChineseNow

Emma moves in

Emma, from ChineseWithEmma, has moved into a new apartment. Join her as she describes the kitchen, cleans and unpacks, and also makes some food, all in Chinese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-gF2o7_hn4

Twitter: @ChineseWithEmma

 

Pronouncing radicals?

It’s well known that learning radicals is a great way to improve your reading of Chinese characters. But do you need to learn how to pronounce those radicals?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17551/radical-pronunciation-helpful-to-learn

For example

“For example” can be written as either 比如 (bǐ rú) or 例如 (lì rú). What is the difference between them?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17537/what-is-the-difference-between-%E6%AF%94%E5%A6%82-and-%E4%BE%8B%E5%A6%82

Express yourself

A number of different words in Chinese have to do with expressing oneself, or indicating something. This discussion goes into some detail about the differences between them:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17538/%E8%A1%A8%E8%BE%BE-vs-%E8%A1%A8%E7%8E%B0-vs-%E8%A1%A8%E7%A4%BA-vs-%E6%98%BE%E7%A4%BA

Fractions

How would you express a fractional amount of something in a sentence? A long discussion will be useful to math and science nerds learning Chinese:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17530/translation-of-fraction-in-a-sentence

Maestro

The characters 手 (shǒu) and 家 (jiā) can be used to describe a person’s ability or skill level. How are they different?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17513/when-to-use-%E6%89%8B-and-when-to-use-%E5%AE%B6-for-a-type-of-musician-or-other-specialist

 

It’s cold outside

A short discussion about various words (characters) used to discuss things that are cool or cold:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17508/differences-between-%E5%87%89-and-%E5%86%B7-%E5%86%BB-and-%E5%86%B0

大家好！ (Hi, everyone!) Welcome to the latest Mandarin Weekly, with yet more links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

To receive Mandarin Weekly in your e-mail inbox every Monday, just use the subscription box on the left side at MandarinWeekly.com. Or follow us on Twitter, at @MandarinWeekly!

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Hanping Chinese SoundBox

This new app (for Android) provides you with a native-recorded female voice for many characters. You can compare your pronunciation with the app, and thus sound better.

http://playboard.me/android/apps/com.embermitre.hanping.app.soundbox

Directional complements

You can often add a directional complement to a Chinese sentence to indicate the direction in which the action should take place. Here are some great examples of where and how to use these:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-directional-complements-one/

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-directional-complements-part-two/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Being polite

Many of us want to know how to be polite — say “excuse me,” “please,” and “thank you” — in Chinese. How do we do that, above and beyond the basics?

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/how-to-say-please-thank-you-sorry-excuse-me-chinese/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

Good news!

If you hear good news from a Chinese friend, how can or should you respond? Here are some phrases that can help you to sound more native during good times.

http://mandarinhq.com/2016/03/7-mandarin-chinese-phrases-responding-good-news/

Twitter: @MandarinHQ

Which particle?

In Chinese, we can use a particle at the end of a sentence to indicate an exclamation. Which you should use depends on a number of rules, explained here:

http://howtospeakonline.com/chinese/chinese-grammar-exclamatory-sentence-na-ya-wa-a.html

Useful expressions

Did someone sneeze? Are you about to start eating? Here are some phrases to use in your day-to-day conversations and situations:

https://ninchanese.com/blog/2016/03/15/chinese-expressions-to-fit-in-china/

Asking for permission

How do you ask for permission to do something? Your best bet is often to say 可以 (kě yǐ), as demonstrated here:

http://themandarincornerblog.com/2016/03/14/do-you-ask-for-permission-correctly/

Dying (in a good way)

In English, we can say, “I’m dying to” do something. Well, the same is true in Chinese, as this article with many examples demonstrates:

http://www.chinasimplified.com/2016/03/19/dying-to-sound-more-casually-chinese/

Short story

A short story about Sima Guang — with audio, characters, pinyin, and (if you need it) English translation.

http://chinese-at-ease.com/learn-chinese-online-a-story-of-sima-guang/

Twitter: @ChineseAtEase

Funny Chinese signs

When you make mistakes in Chinese, they often represent the grammar and vocabulary of your native language. These signs in Chinese (with English translation) demonstrate the opposite — features of Chinese grammar that sound funny or strange when translated into English.

http://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/learn-chinese-5-funny-chinglish-phrases-really-help-you

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

Using 那个 (nà ge)

We often learn that 那个 (nà ge) means “that,” but it can be used in many more contexts:

http://www.digmandarin.com/confusing-chinese-n-word.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

ChinesePod review

Nearly everyone who learns Chinese has heard of ChinesePod, and many of us have used it. ChinesePod has gone through a lot over the years, though; is it still a good resource?

http://www.hackingchinese.com/chinesepod-review/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Playful characters

Before learning Chinese, I often thought that characters were pictures of what they represented. That’s true in a few cases, but not in most. In this picture, however, AllAboutChinese has created a picture in which many of the elements are along with their characters:

http://allaboutchinese.tumblr.com/post/141098420088/allaboutchinese-how-many-characters-do-you

Twitter: @AllAboutChinese

Not for sale

A Chinese music video, with characters, pinyin, and translation from BedroomChinese.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ39_g3nYWg&feature=share

Twitter: @Chelseabubbly

Indirect objects

You can use 给 (gěi) not only to mean “give,” but also to indicate indirect objects, as demonstrated here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/4aujl9/trouble_understanding_grammar_of_this_sentence/

Responding to yes/no questions

How do you respond to yes/no questions in Chinese?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/4a93a2/responding_to_yesno_questions/

The meaning of 经

The 经 (jīng) character is used in many words and phrases. What does it mean, and how does that meaning connect all of those words and phrases?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17502/what-semantic-field-underlies-%E7%B6%93

Posters

The word for “poster” in Chinese is 海报 (hǎi bào). Where did this word come from?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17496/how-does-%E6%B5%B7%E6%8A%A5-became-a-poster

The evolution of 行

How did 行 (háng) come to mean “industry”?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17476/how-does-%E8%A1%8C-evolved-to-mean-industry

I want an answer

What does 回覆 (huí fù) mean, if you see it on a button?

http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/%E5%9B%9E%E8%A6%86.3152839/

It’s windy

What are the different ways to express that there’s a lot of wind?

http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/%E5%88%AE%E9%A3%8E-%E6%9C%89%E9%A3%8E.3150947/

大家好！ (Hi, everyone!) Welcome to the latest Mandarin Weekly, with yet more links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

To receive Mandarin Weekly in your e-mail inbox every Monday, just use the subscription box on the left side at MandarinWeekly.com. Or follow us on Twitter, at @MandarinWeekly!

Help to spread the word, by sharing Mandarin Weekly on Twitter. Tweet about Mandarin Weekly! here!

We’re also on Facebook, at http://facebook.com/MandarinWeekly. Please retweet and share our weekly postings, so that everyone can benefit from them!

Modal particles

Chinese is full of “particles” — characters that you add to the end of a sentence in order to change the meaning somewhat. This guide describes the particles, how to pronounce them, what they mean, and how to use them:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/complete-guide-chinese-modal-particles/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

And and and

There are different ways to say “and” in Chinese, and knowing how to choose from among them is a sign of your ability with the language. Here’s an explanation, along with many examples:

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/how-do-you-say-and-in-chinese/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

Or or or

There are also many ways to say “or” in Chinese, and LearnChineseNow describes them in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0mBD1lD0sk

Twitter: @LearnChineseNow

A great deal

Have you found a great deal on something? You might want to express this with the chengyu (four-character expression) 价廉物美 (jià lián wù měi), as described here:

https://mandarinfriend.wordpress.com/2016/03/12/chengyu-explanations-%E4%BB%B7%E5%BB%89%E7%89%A9%E7%BE%8E/

Bow radical characters

The bow radical (as in, bow-and-arrow) is used in many characters. How many do you already know?

http://www.digmandarin.com/learning-chinese-characters-bow-radical.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Idioms you already know

Some idioms in English are quite similar to their Chinese counterparts. Here are a few examples that you can sprinkle into your Chinese conversations:

http://www.digmandarin.com/english-idioms-chinese-origins.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Checking in

You arrive at your hotel in China, and want to check in. Can you do that in Chinese? Here are some sentences that you can use to do so. I’m going to be in Beijing in two weeks, and will definitely see how far I can get before they switch to English — and this article will definitely help!

http://www.duchinese.net/blog/21-checking-into-a-hotel

Twitter: @DuChinese

Seasonal foods

In China, certain foods are eaten at particular times of the year. Here is a list of the foods, and when they’re traditionally eaten:

http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2016/03/12/what-do-chinese-people-eat-when-new-seasons-are-coming/

Twitter: @HelloChineseApp

Lots and lots

How well do you know the 多(duō) character, and how to use it? This posting will help you out:

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/chinese-character-bites-52/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

Vocabulary challenge

How many new vocabulary words can you learn in the next few weeks? Join the vocabulary challenge, run by Hacking Chinese, and see:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-vocabulary-challenge-march-10th-31st/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Snack foods

What are the most popular snacks eaten in China? This list will introduce them, as well as provide the Chinese words for them:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/real-chinese-food-snacks/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

In my dreams

A catchy song from Qu Wanting, with characters and pinyin (and translation), for learning and singing along (when no one is watching, of course):

http://www.learnchinesechina.com/site-content/40-blog/1696-chinese-lyrics-translations-w-de-gesheng-l-you-exist-in-my-song-by-qu-wanting#.VuU5GT82voI

Women of China

In honor of International Women’s Day, ChinesePod offers a list of six famous women from Chinese history:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K1K3hD5ZoI

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Don’t call me 250!

Did you know that 二百五 (èr bǎi wǔ) is an insult, and means “idiot”? What’s the origin of this term?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/4a3fzw/why_does_%E4%BA%8C%E7%99%BE%E4%BA%94_mean_idiot/

Ping pong

The characters for ping pong in Chinese look like a set of paddles. Is this the origin of the word?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17453/%E4%B9%92-and-%E4%B9%93-characters-are-together-a-pictographic-group

Losing someone

The character 丢 (diū) refers to losing something. But if you can’t find your child in the mall, is this the right verb to use?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17438/can-%E4%B8%A2-refer-to-people

Should you or shouldn’t you?

If you want to say that someone shouldn’t do something, can you use either 不该 (bù gāi) or 不应 (bù yìng)? Is there any difference?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17430/%E4%B8%8D%E5%BA%94-vs-%E4%B8%8D%E8%AF%A5-which-is-used-in-formal-writing

Sweet potato

How do you say “sweet potato” in Chinese? The answer, of course, depends on where you’re living:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/4a6umy/how_do_you_say_sweet_potato_%E5%9C%B0%E7%93%9C_%E7%95%AA%E8%96%AF_%E7%BA%A2%E8%96%AF/

大家好！ (Hi, everyone!) Welcome to the latest Mandarin Weekly, with yet more links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

To receive Mandarin Weekly in your e-mail inbox every Monday, just use the subscription box on the left side at MandarinWeekly.com. Or follow us on Twitter, at @MandarinWeekly!

Help to spread the word, by sharing Mandarin Weekly on Twitter!

We’re also on Facebook, at http://facebook.com/MandarinWeekly. Please retweet and share our weekly postings, so that everyone can benefit from them!

Basic phrases

If it’s your first time in China, and you’re still new to Chinese, you’ll want to have at least a few basic phrases under your belt. Here are a few good ones to learn:

https://ninchanese.com/blog/2016/03/04/chinese-phrases-to-survive/

Beyond the basic phrases

This list of Chinese phrases is one of the most practical I’ve seen, ranging from asking waiters when your food will arrive, to complaining that the WiFi isn’t working:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2016/03/chinese-i-wish-i-knew-before-arriving/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

Formal addressing

How do you address people with particular titles, positions, or jobs?

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/how-to-address-people-politely-in-chinese/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

Discussing the Oscars

The Oscars have been awarded, with many winning (and even more losing) movies, actors, and directors. How can you discuss the Oscars in Chinese with your friends?

http://www.duchinese.net/blog/20-discussing-the-oscars-in-chinese

Twitter: @DuChinese

Chinese movie names

If we’re already on the subject of movies: Can you name your favorite movies? Perhaps, but can you name your favorite movies in Chinese? This extensive list will provide you with some good vocabulary, as well as conversation starters and some entertainment (when you see how some movie names are translated):

https://www.writtenchinese.com/great-chinese-movie-translations-list/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

What you won’t learn

So, you’re taking Chinese lessons. Great! But your class won’t teach you everything — which means that for those topics, your own your own. In this article from Olle Linge, we get insights into what we cannot expect from our teachers and courses, and thus will have to work on alone:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-course-will-not-teach/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Expressing the passive voice

How can we use the character 被 (bèi) to express the passive voice?

http://howtospeakonline.com/chinese/chinese-grammar-use-bei-to-express-passive-voice.html

Kitchen vocabulary

If you like to cook, then you need to know how to describe your tools. Here are some common Chinese words for items you’ll find in a kitchen:

http://www.chinesehskblog.com/2016/03/vocabulary-advanced-kitchen-part-1.html

You’ve got talent

Here are some chengyu (four-character idioms) that have to do with work and talent:

http://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-idioms-collection-about-particular-talent.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Flowers of China

China is a huge country, with many types of flowers. However, some have particular significance. Here are 10 of the most signfiicant ones, with explanations of their meanings:

http://www.getchinesetic.com/2016/03/top-10-most-popular-flowers-significant.html

Implicit vs. explicit Chinese

How can (and should) you use Chinese? This two-part series from Olle Linge lays out some theory, and then some strategies, for improving your Chinese:

http://mandarin.about.com/od/How-to-learn-Mandarin-Chinese/fl/Learning-Mandarin-explicitly-vs-implicitly-part-1.htm

http://mandarin.about.com/od/How-to-learn-Mandarin-Chinese/fl/Learning-Mandarin-explicitly-vs-implicitly-part-2.htm

Authentic Chinese food

“Chinese food” as served in the West, and Chinese food as served in China, are rather different. Here are some authentic Chinese dishes you’re unlikely to see outside of China:

http://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/chinese-food-6-Awesome-Authentic-Need-Know-bread-soup-china-hamburger-crayfish-pork-rice-frog

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

Street food

China has a great variety of “street food” — what are they selling, and how do you talk about it in Chinese?

https://ninchanese.com/blog/2016/03/02/chinese-street-food-the-guide/

Ways to talk

Chinese has a huge number of words that involve talking. When should each one be used?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17382/roots-of-the-difference-between-%E8%B0%88-%E8%AE%BA-%E8%AF%B4-%E8%AE%B2-%E8%AE%AE-%E5%8F%99-%E8%A8%80-%E6%8A%A5-%E5%91%8A

Understanding

What’s the difference between 听不懂 (tīng bù dǒng) and 不明白 (bù míng bái)? Do they mean the same thing in terms of understanding?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/4884ij/whats_the_difference_between_w%C7%92_t%C4%ABng_b%C3%B9_d%C7%92ng_and/

Talking about children

Chinese has several ways to talk about children. In which cases should you use each word?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17376/difference-between-%E5%AD%A9%E5%AD%90-and-%E5%84%BF%E7%AB%A5-and-%E5%AD%A9%E7%AB%A5-%E5%B0%91%E5%84%BF

Different types of “if”

只要 (zhǐ yào) and 如果 (rú guǒ) are similar in meaning, both having to do with “if.” How are they different?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17400/what-is-the-difference-between-%E5%8F%AA%E8%A6%81-and-%E5%A6%82%E6%9E%9C

Majoring in Chinese

Is it useful to major in Chinese? What sorts of career options does it open up?

http://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/4907ou/majoring_in_chinese/

Learning traditional characters

If you have learned simplified characters, how hard is it to learn the traditional ones?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/48qqji/how_hard_is_it_to_learn_traditional_characters/