大家好！ (Hi, everyone!) This is Mandarin Weekly #82, links and information for those of us learning Chinese.
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Being funny in Chinese
Like to tell jokes? Maybe, but can you tell jokes in Chinese? Not sure? Here is a video from ChinesePod.com, in which they give you the ins and outs of being humorous in Chinese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRK7xaKQIvA
Twitter: @ChinesePod
Conjunctions
Conjunctions work differently in Chinese than in other languages I’ve learned. Here is a list of conjunctions, along with tips and examples for when (and how) to use each of them:
https://www.writtenchinese.com/chinese-conjunctions-part-1/
Twitter: @WrittenChinese
Little tigers
This video and translation of “Two tigers,” the Chinese equivalent to Frère Jacques, is both amusing and educational, with a (surprisingly!) long description of the grammar and vocabulary in this simple, four-line song:
http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/%e4%b8%a4%e5%8f%aa%e8%80%81%e8%99%8e-the-chinese-frere-jacques/
Twitter: @ChineseLanguage
Talking about love
Chinese valentine’s day (中国情人节, or zhōng gúo qíng rén jié) falls on August 9th. Just in time are these phrases to help you talk about love:
http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2016/08/02/chinese-valentines-day/
Twitter: @FluentU
Olympic sports
It’s the Olympics! What sports do you like? You can probably find its Chinese name on this extensive vocabulary list:
http://www.decodemandarinchinese.com/learn-better/list-of-summer-olympic-sports-i
Twitter: @DecodeChinese
Olympic sports
It’s the Olympics! What sports do you like? You can probably find its Chinese name on this extensive vocabulary list:
http://www.decodemandarinchinese.com/learn-better/list-of-summer-olympic-sports-ii
Twitter: @DecodeChinese
Basic phrases
If you’re on a first visit to China, or just want to make sure you know the most basic words and sentences, here’s a useful quick-reference guide:
https://www.writtenchinese.com/basic-chinese-phrases-beginners-part-1/
Twitter: @WrittenChinese
All about 种
What does the 种 (zhǒng) character mean? It actually has several different meanings, and pronunciations:
http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2016/07/on-the-character-%e7%a7%8d/
Twitter: @WorldOfChinese
For beautiful skin
Want to have beautiful skin, the Chinese way? Here are some recipes (with the appropriate characters and pinyin) for traditional skin-enhancing products:
http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2016/08/05/culture/
School supplies
In this video from ChineseWithEmma.com, we learn how to speak about such purchases in Chinese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX57AENYOso
Twitter: @ChineseWithEmma
HSK5 and HSK6 vocabulary
Planning to take the two top levels of the HSK exam? Here are some handy PDF charts listing the words and phrases you’ll be expected to know:
http://www.digmandarin.com/hsk-5-vocabulary-list.html
Twitter: @DigMandarin
HSK5 and HSK6 vocabulary
Planning to take the two top levels of the HSK exam? Here are some handy PDF charts listing the words and phrases you’ll be expected to know. You’ll need to provide your e-mail address in order to receive these lists:
http://www.digmandarin.com/hsk-6-vocabulary-list.html
Twitter: @DigMandarin
Escape the Beijing heat
I’ve been to Beijing in the summer, and it can be quite hot! To cool off, many people go to the water, at 北戴河 (běi dài hé) and 南戴河 (nán dài hé). Learn about these locations and related vocabulary in this post:
http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/summer-escape-to-beidaihe-and-nandaihe/
Twitter: @ChineseLanguage
Being sneaky
How can you talk about doing something sneakily in Chinese? Here are some hints:
https://themandarincornerblog.com/2016/07/31/are-chinese-people-all-thieves/
Narrating? Talking? Something else?
The characters 会说 can mean “can speak,” but can also mean “narrator” in some contexts. How can we determine the context, and understand the appropriate meaning?
http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/20749/what-is-the-best-translation-for-%e4%bc%9a%e8%af%b4
Fourth vs. neutral tone
In the word 告诉 (gào sù, or “tell”), is the second character pronounced with a neutral tone, or witih a fourth tone?
http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/%E5%91%8A%E8%A8%B4.3213207/
Pronouncing 谁
Is 谁 (“who”) supposed to be pronounced shéi or shuí? Why are both acceptable, and which pronounciation is more appropriate for Chinese learners?
Getting more
What is the difference between 增加 (zēng jiā) and 增长 (zēng zhǎng), both of which seem to mean, “add more?”