Mandarin Weekly (每周中文) #107, 2017-January-30

大家好! (Hi, everyone!) This is Mandarin Weekly #107, a free newsletter with links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

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Get the bonus content: Links from Mandarin Weekly #107

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Congratulations!

Beginner Around this time of year, you’ll hear lots of Chinese New Year greetings. But there are lots of greetings in Chinese, and lots of ways to wish people well. Here is a long list of what to say, and how to say it, for numerous occasions:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/many-ways-express-congratulations-chinese/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

About the 鸡 (jī)

Intermediate This is the Year of the Rooster. Why a rooster? Here is a story that describes its origins and usage:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/2743-2017-01-18-02-46-3

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Year of the Cock?

Beginner Some say “chicken,” some say “rooster,” and still others might say “cock.” Are you giggling? Well, you won’t be alone, since there are similar connotations in Chinese:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/01/28/2017-the-year-of-the-cock/

Chinese New Year traditions

How can you celebrate Chinese New Year? Here is a list of traditional ways to celebrate, including the appropriate characters and pronunciation:

https://chinesepod.com/blog/6-simple-ways-anyone-can-celebrate-chinese-new-year/

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Gods of the Chinese New Year

Beginner Around Chinese New Year, you’ll hear about traditional gods. What are these gods, and how do Chinese factor them into their celebrations?

http://www.chinasimplified.com/2017/01/26/meet-gods-chinese-new-year/

Holiday foods

Beginner China has many holidays, and every holiday has its own traditional foods. Here is a whirlwind tour of the edible Chinese calendar:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/traditional-dishes-chinese-holiday/

Happy New Year Teeth

A short, funny, pun in a Chinese advertisement for a dental clinic:

http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2017/01/26/happy-new-year-teeth

How to bargain

Intermediate Buying something in China? It’s always worth bargaining with the shopkeeper. It’s a popular (non-Olympic) sport in China, and is a great way to practice your vocabulary. Here is a video from ChinesePod.com, describing how to bargain:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG-kjm52byY

Twitter: @ChinesePod

How to use 了 (le)

Intermediate One of the hardest things for Chinese learners to understand is the use of 了. Part of the issue is that it’s unlike anything in other languages, and part of the issue is that it’s used in a number of ways. Here is an explanation, with many examples, that can help you:

http://www.digmandarin.com/use-le-in-chinese.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Learning from everyone

Intermediate An expression from the Analects of Confucius, indicating that we have something to learn from everyone, in a short story:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2742-2017-01-13-06-38-21

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Must-eats in 广州(Guǎngzhōu)

Beginner Traveling to 广州? Here are some local foods you should know about, and maybe even eat:

http://www.spoonhunt.com/blog/top-10-must-eat-foods-while-visiting-guangzhou

Twitter: @spoonhunt

哈尔滨 (Hāěr bīn) in winter

Beginner The northern (and cold) city of Harbin can be an interesting place to visit, particularly during the winter. Here are some things to do there, as well as vocabulary to describe the most common sites:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/48-hours-in-harbin-part-one/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

In short

Intermediate How do you say, “in short,” or “to make a long story short” in Chinese? There’s a phrase for that, of course:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/01/25/listen-27/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Using 连 (lián)

Intermediate The word 连 can be used in a few ways, one of which is “even,” and another is “connect.” These examples make it clearer:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/01/23/listen-29/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Chinese TV

Advanced Looking for Chinese TV shows to watch, and improve your language skills, cultural understanding, or ability to chat with friends about shared favorites? Here is a list of interesting Chinese TV dramas:

http://www.tutormandarin.net/chinese-drama-recommendation/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

Serial verb phrases

Intermediate I did THIS to do THAT is a pretty common type of sentence. In Chinese, we can use “serial verb phrases” for this kind of sentence, as described here:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/constructions-in-series-chinese/

Chinese in 50 minutes

Beginner Can you really learn Chinese in 50 minutes? Of course not — but perhaps this 50-minute video, incorporating many previous ones from ChineseClass101.com, will help to improve your vocabulary and grammar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHMy0ogtnw8

Twitter: @chineseclass101

What do you do?

Beginner What sort of work do you do? Here’s a list of common occupations in Chinese, useful when you introduce yourself to others and also when applying for jobs:

http://www.hanbridgemandarin.com/article/business-chinese-learning-tips/job-title-and-occupation-in-chinese/

Twitter: @HanbridgeOnline

I’ll do X, then I’ll do Y

Intermediate If you want to express that you’ll do X, and then immediately continue to do Y, you can use the 一X就Y (yī X jiù Y) construct, as described here:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22540/position-and-meaning-of-%E4%BA%86-in-%E4%B8%80-%E5%B0%B1-construction

Why no measure words?

Intermediate Most words in Chinese require a “measure word” when you’re quantifying them. But some, like 天 (tiān) don’t. Why not?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/5p9m3u/%E5%90%8D%E9%87%8F%E8%AF%8D/

Two ways to smoke

Intermediate There are two words that mean “to smoke,” 抽烟 (chōu yān) and 吸烟 (xī yān). How are they different?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22529/what-is-the-difference-between-%E6%8A%BD%E7%83%9F-ch%C5%8Du-y%C4%81n-and-%E5%90%B8%E7%83%9F-x%C4%AB-y%C4%81n-which-both-pertain

Mandarin Weekly #106

大家好! (Hi, everyone!) This is Mandarin Weekly #106, a free newsletter with links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

As of this week, more than 10,000 people from around the world now subscribe to Mandarin Weekly. Thanks so much for subscribing; and for your feedback. If you enjoy Mandarin Weekly, please share it with your teacher and/or fellow students.  The best way you can say “thank you” for Mandarin Weekly is by encouraging others to subscribe.

We have a bunch of new features planned for the coming months, including letting you subscribe to specified levels of links (beginner/intermediate/advanced), to ensure that you get only the links that are most appropriate for you.  We have a number of giveaways planned, giving you  a chance to win high-quality Chinese learning and practice materials and products.

If you offer products or services aimed at students of Chinese, consider sponsoring Mandarin Weekly; contact Reuven (the publisher) for more details, at reuven@lerner.co.il.

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Why celebrate Spring Festival?

Intermediate Why do people in China celebrate the Spring Festival (aka Chinese New Year)? Here is a story, in characters (with pinyin and translation), which describes the legend:

http://mychinesereading.com/why-do-we-celebrate-spring-festival/

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Beginner How do Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year, which starts later this week? Here are some celebratory traditions to get you in the mood:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/10-things-to-do-for-chinese-new-year/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

One, two, three, travel!

Intermediate Enormous numbers of people travel for Chinese New Year, which means that just about every form of transportation is clogged at this time of year. Here is a description of the mad rush that ensues, and what different people can do about it:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/the-spring-festival-rush/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Chicken phrases

Intermediate It’s the year of the rooster! Here are some sayings and expressions that use the term “rooster” or “chicken” in them:

https://teachmechinese.wordpress.com/2017/01/20/chinese-idioms-involving-the-chicken/

A song for spring

Intermediate A music video for 春天 (Chūn tiān), from famous singer 汪峰(Wāng Fēng):

http://mychinesereading.com/in-the-spring/

WeChat (微信, wēi xìn) vocabulary

Beginner You might use e-mail, Web browers, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, but most Chinese people use a single app, known as 微信. Here are some basic vocabulary words for using this super-app:

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/wechat-a-gateway-into-chinese-language-and-culture

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Intro to Chinese characters

Beginner Chinese characters often seem daunting to learn: There are so many, and they all look so similar! But with a bit of practice, you can identify the differences between them, and start to read them, as well. Here is a video intro from ChineseClass101.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OctDk8ga-qM

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Mainland vs. Taiwanese Chinese

Intermediate How is mainland Chinese different from Taiwanese Chinese? They both speak “Mandarin,” but there are differences, as described in this video from YoYoChinese.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYxPFCFaIV8

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

Children’s cartoons

Advanced Looking for some television shows to help your children (or you; we won’t tell) to improve your Chinese? Here are 10 series watched by native Mandarin speakers, which might well help:

https://www.asianlanguageschool.com/top-10-chinese-animation-series-children-learning-mandarin/

Twitter: @AlsSydney

Serial verb phrases

Intermediate You can combine verb phrases to communicate complex meanings, as described here:

http://www.digmandarin.com/understanding-sentences-serial-verb-phrases-chinese.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

What’s for lunch?

Beginner What do people have for lunch in China? Here are some examples, with characters and pinyin (as well as some photos):

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-lunch-%E4%B8%AD%E5%BC%8F%E5%8D%88%E9%A4%90/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Suggestions and recommendations

Intermediate How can you suggest something, or make a recommendation? Here are some suggestions and recommendations for doing so, in a video from ChinesePod.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCdsd5BLCDA

Twitter: @ChinesePod

How to flirt

Beginner How do you flirt with someone in Chinese? Here are some words and phrases that you can use:

http://www.tutormandarin.net/flirt-chinese-girl-boy/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

What to eat in Shanghai

Beginner Heading to Shanghai? Don’t forget to have some of the local delicacies:

http://www.spoonhunt.com/blog/top-10-must-eat-foods-while-visiting-shanghai

Twitter: @spoonhunt

Doubling classifiers

Intermediate You can often double words in Chinese to change the meaning somewhat. What does it mean to double a classifier (i.e., measure word)?

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/doubling-classifiers-nouns-verbs-adjectives-chinese/

The sounds of old Chinese

Chinese is an ancient language; we have many written texts that are thousands of years old. However, what did ancient Chinese sound like? After all, we don’t have ancient recordings! However, as this posting describes, there are some old pronunciation guides that can be of help:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/01/19/how-is-it-possible-to-know-what-old-chinese-sounded-like/

Knowing nothing

Intermediate The phrase 无所知 (yī wú suǒ zhī) means “to know nothing,” and allows you to describe your ignorance with elegant Chinese:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/01/16/do-you-know-anything-about-this-chinese-word/

Trolling in Chinese

Beginner If you have ever let your temper rage on the Internet, then we might say you’re “trolling” in English. In Chinese, the word is 怼 (duì):

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/01/the-finer-points-of-chinese-trolling/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

About the Analects

Advanced Confucius (孔子, kǒng zǐ) is China’s best-known ancient scholar, and his book 论语 (lún yǔ), known as the “Analects,” is still studied. Here is a short dialogue about these books and their place in society:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/2734-2017-01-18-02-46-02

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Poetry time

Advanced Learn a poem by 李白(Li Bai), a poet from the Tang dynasty; if classical Chinese is new to y ou, then this might be a good place to start:

http://www.tutormandarin.net/chinese-literature-tang-poems/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

Cats and dogs

Intermediate Why do both 狗 (gǒu) and 猫 (māo) use the “dog” radical?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22464/why-a-cat-and-dog-share-the-same-dog-radical

Sick?

Advanced The word 感冒 (gǎn mào) means to have a cold , but what does 冒 mean in that word?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22505/what-is-the-meaning-of-%E5%86%92-in-%E6%84%9F%E5%86%92

Spouse

Beginner How do you say “spouse” as a general term? And which of the (many) terms for “husband” and “wife” are most often used in Chinese?

http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/%E7%88%B1%E4%BA%BA.2034576/

Mandarin Weekly #105

大家好! (Hi, everyone!) This is Mandarin Weekly #105, a free newsletter with links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

Thousands of people from around the world now subscribe to Mandarin Weekly. If you enjoy it, please share it with your teacher and/or fellow students:

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More about comparisons

Beginner ChinesePod.com is back with another video about how to comparisons, this time aimed at beginners:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a6p_fqNKyU

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Different types of “later”

Beginner How do you say “later”? We have words such as 后来 (hòu lái), 以后 (yǐ hòu), and 之后 (zhī hòu), but when should each be used?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEXy5O04Plc

Understanding 了 (le)

Intermediate A video series from MandarinMonkey.com continues, describing new ways to use 了 to describe complex ideas — in this case, doing different permutations of “doing X and then doing Y”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTTTI3WXe2Q

Twitter: @Mandarin_Monkey

Existential sentences

Intermediate No, “existential sentences” have nothing to do with philosophy. Rather, they describe a situation in which something exists, appears, or disappears, and have a slightly unusual syntax:

http://www.digmandarin.com/existential-sentences-mandarin.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

HSK3 grammar videos

Intermediate Interested in preparing for the HSK3 exam? These videos (part of a larger, paid product) can help you out. I viewed several, and enjoyed them; you might, too:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ3IlLg5VGeydxtswBoyt6A/videos

I did it!

Beginner If you want to indicate that you have done something in the past, you can use 过 (guò) after the verb. Here are some examples of how to use 过:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/the-aspect-markers-verb-chinese/

Chinese New Year song

Intermediate Here are the music and lyrics (in characters, with Pinyin if you hover your mouse cursor) for a popular (ad catchy!) Chinese New Year song:

http://mychinesereading.com/happy-new-year/

Tough for you

Beginner Did someone do something for you that was particularly tough? You can use the phrase 难为你了 (nánwéi nǐ le), which means “tough for you”:

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/chinese-way-of-giving-a-compliment-and-apology

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Describing your online habits

Intermediate Do you go online a lot? Do you use social media? Here are some Chinese words and phrases you can use to describe what you’re doing:

https://mandarinhq.com/2017/01/talking-social-media-internet-habits-chinese/

Twitter: @MandarinHQ

Numerical idioms

Intermediate Numbers can be used in Chinese phrases to represent ideas, not just the numbers themselves:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/01/13/listen-19/

Twitter: @eputonghua

What food to order in China

Beginner When you get to a restaurant in China, you might be overwhelmed by the number of options. Here are some suggestions for what to get:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/what-order-restaurant-china/

It’s a mess

Intermediate The word 乱 (luàn) means “messy,” but not just in the physical sense. You can have a messy room, but you can also speak or think in a messy way, as described here:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/01/09/is-china-a-messy-country/

Movie review

Advanced A recent Chinese blockbuster, 湄公河事件 (méi gong hé shì jiàn), makes for a good movie, as well as good practice:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/01/12/movie-of-the-month-operation-mekong/

Chinese tongue twisters

Intermediate Can you say these tongue twisters quickly? Whether you can or not, they are still fun to say:

http://www.tutormandarin.net/chinese-tongue-twister-challenge-2/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

Using spaced reptition

Spaced repetition is a common technique used in learning languages, including Chinese. How can you use it, and how can you use it beyond traditional flashcards?

http://www.hackingchinese.com/spaced-repetition-not-limited-flashcards/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Slang to try

Beginner Know any hipsters? Want to know how to describe them in Chinese? Here are explanations for this and other slang terms:

http://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/Learn-Chinese-Slang-Modern-Chinese-Useful-Words

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

Superstitious numbers

Beginner Numbers in China have significance, and knowing the good ones vs. the bad ones can be important in conversation and gift giving, as this article states:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/chinese-superstitions-numbers-cultural-no-nos/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

Phrase: 五十步笑百步

Advanced What does the phrase 五十步笑百步 (Wǔ shí bù xiào bǎi bù) mean? Here is an explanation:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2730-2017-01-13-06-38-20

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Chinese book club

Advanced This month, the book club is reading and discussing “1988:我想和这个世界谈谈” by 韩寒. Want to join the group, read the book, and discuss it with others? Go here to learn more:

https://np.reddit.com/r/chinesebookclub/comments/5nbqky/the_january_book_is_1988%E6%88%91%E6%83%B3%E5%92%8C%E8%BF%99%E4%B8%AA%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E8%B0%88%E8%B0%88_by_%E9%9F%A9%E5%AF%92/

Radicals and components

Intermediate What are the names for radicals and components in Chinese characters?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22438/chinese-names-for-different-types-of-radicals

Addressing letters

Beginner How do you address and send a letter in China? I know, I know; who sends letters when we have e-mail and WeChat? But assuming that you do want to send a letter (or package), here are some guidelines:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22402/how-do-the-chinese-address-letters

Time in Chinese

Intermediate For many foreigners learning Chinese, the lack of a past tense is odd and difficult. The answers to this question try to put time usage into context in Chinese:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22398/how-exactly-does-time-and-tense-work-in-mandarin-really

Mandarin Weekly (每周中文) #104, 2017-January-09

大家好! (Hi, everyone!) This is Mandarin Weekly #104, a free newsletter with links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

Get the links:

Thousands of people from around the world now subscribe to Mandarin Weekly. If you enjoy it, please share it with your teacher and/or fellow students:

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To receive Mandarin Weekly in your e-mail inbox every Monday, just use the box on our Web site, at MandarinWeekly.com. Or follow us on Twitter, at @MandarinWeekly! We’re also on Facebook, at http://facebook.com/MandarinWeekly, and Medium, at http://medium.com/@mandarinweekly.

Comparisons with 比 (bǐ)

Beginner In Chinese, you make comparisons with 比. But there are several ways to do this, and several grammar patterns that will allow you to compare different things in different ways, as this video from ChinesePod.com shows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE7TFeZNkO0

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Songs for Chinese New Year

Beginner Chinese New Year is later this month. Here are several children’s songs about the new year, with characters and (very cute) music videos:

https://www.asianlanguageschool.com/chinese-new-year-songs-for-kids/

Twitter: @AlsSydney

Chinese holidays in 2017

Chinese holidays are unusual, and often result in odd work schedules before and/or after. Here is a list of official and unofficial Chinese holidays in 2017, along with some videos showing what the celebrations look like:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-holidays-2017/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Happy New Year!

Beginner Chinese New Year begins soon, which means that it’s almost time to give your friends some appropriate greetings. Here is a long list of such greetings, with characters, pinyin, and even a video from an episode of 快乐汉语 (kuài lè hàn yǔ):

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-new-year-greetings/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Tallying in Chinese

In Western countries, we often tally in groups of five lines — four vertical ones, and a diagonal line to finish each group. In Chinese, tallying works similarly, but using the character 正, as displayed here:

http://chinahopelive.net/2017/01/06/how-to-tally-things-up-in-chinese

Twitter: @ChinaHopeLive

Eating in 西安 (xī’ān)

Beginner Looking for something good ot eat in Xi’an? Here are some interesting local delicacies, including the characters and some background:

http://www.spoonhunt.com/blog/top-10-foods-to-eat-in-xi-an

Twitter: @spoonhunt

How to die eating

Intermediate I’m not convinced by all of the nutritional advice and science provided here, but this video from ChineseClass101.com provides some fun sentences and vocabulary about unhealthy foods:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO16cXZe6uY

Twitter: @chineseclass101

In my opinion…

Intermediate Want to express an opinion? Start your statement with 早我看来 (zài wǒ kàn lái):

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/01/05/listen-11/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Basic emotions

Beginner Feeling happy? Angry? This short video from ChineseWithEmma.com quickly introduces a number of useful vocabulary words:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vJRCP40bUo

Twitter: @ChineseWithEmma

Splitting the bill with AA

Beginner If you go out to dinner in China, don’t expect to split the bill, which is rare. But if you somehow do, then it’s described as AA制 (zhì):

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/learn-aa-and-when-to-do-it

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Holiday ticket snatchers

Intermediate With Chinese New Year comes the transportation crush, when many residents of China travel to see their families. But what can you do if no tickets are left? Ticket “snatching” services are the answer, as described in this article:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/01/invasion-of-the-ticket-snatchers/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

Spring and Autumn period

Advanced Practice your reading, and learn some history at the same time, with this passage about China more than 2,000 years ago:

http://mychinesereading.com/spring-autumn-period/

Japanese vs. Chinese

It’s common (in my experience, anyway) for people to believe that Chinese and Japanese are similar languages. While this isn’t true, they’re not completely disconnected from one another, either. Here are some similarities and differences between the languages, which might be useful for students of Chinese who know Japanese, or for those of us who just like to learn about languages:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/similarities-differences-chinese-japanese/

A short legend

Intermediate A short story in intermediate Chinese (with downloadable pinyin and audio):

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2726-2017-01-07-07-33-09

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Popular Internet terms

Advanced What online expressions were popular in China in 2016? Here is a list, with pinyin and audio:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/2722-2016

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Using 的 (de) to describe categories

Intermediate In Chinese, you can describe a category of things as ___ 的, in which all of those things have that quality. Here are some examples and explanations:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22347/usage-of-%E7%9A%84-to-refer-to-a-generic-class-of-things

One-character vs. two-character words

Intermediate Some two-character words, such as 应该 (yīng gāi), sometimes exist in one-character versions, such as 该 (gāi). Is one more casual or modern than the other?

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/53021-%E5%BA%94%E8%AF%A5-vs-%E8%AF%A5-%E6%94%B9%E5%8F%98-vs-%E5%8F%98/

Using 些 (xiē) vs. 点 (diǎn)

Beginner What is the difference between 些 and 点 when expressing small numbers or amounts? Can they be used interchangeably?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/5ls4j8/%E4%BA%9B_or_%E9%BB%9E/

Practicing speaking

Beginner What are some good strategies to practice (and improve) your speaking?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/5lk9sf/best_ways_to_practice_speaking/

Can 弟弟 (dìdì) mean a little cousin, as well as a brother?

Beginner The word 弟弟 means “younger brother,” but can it also be used to describe a cousin or other relative?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22354/%E5%BC%9F%E5%BC%9F-denoting-cousin-of-younger-age

Call and be called

Beginner The word 叫 (jiào) can be used to describe calling someone or something, but also how someone is called:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22343/when-can-%E5%8F%AB-be-used-saying-that-someone-is-calling-someone-and-when-for-asking-a

Mandarin Weekly (每周中文) #103, 2017-January-02

大家好! (Hi, everyone!) This is Mandarin Weekly #103, a free newsletter with links and information for those of us learning Chinese.

Thousands of people from around the world now subscribe to Mandarin Weekly. If you enjoy it, please share it with your teacher and/or fellow students:

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Happy New Year!

Enjoying your 2017 already? Here is a video from ChinesePod.com, describing how to wish people well, and make some resolutions for the new year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BK-r9lTbuo

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Reading Chinese

Intermediate An important part of improving your Chinese fluency is reading. Where can you find good Chinese texts

http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2016/12/29/easy-chinese-short-stories/

Twitter: @FluentU

As long as…

Intermediate “As long as Mandarin Weekly publishes weekly issues, I’ll keep reading them.” Aside from being an obvious statement, it also uses a grammar pattern that LearnChineseNow.com describes, using 只要 (zhǐ yào):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY3jUmCwLFk

Twitter: @LearnChineseNow

Contrasting adjectives

Intermediate Want to compare two things? Say, one is big and the other little? Or one is expensive and the other is cheap? There are a number of ways to do that in Chinese, as described here:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/comparitives-chinese-language/

Or or or?

Beginner There are two types of “or” in Chinese, as described in this video from HanbridgeMandarin.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4H_AEzu7ZM

Twitter: @HanbridgeOnline

But actually

Intermediate How do you say “actually” in a sentence in Chinese? The term is 其实 (qíshí), and can be used in a few different ways:

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/answer-to-learn-actually-with-this-chinese-quiz

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Playing the 二胡 (èrhú)

Intermediate Th erhu is a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. In this video from ChinesePod.com, the dialogue is between a music student and a teacher:

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

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Why is English hard for native Chinese speakers?

You think that Chinese is hard to learn? Have you ever tried to learn English, when your native language is Chinese? This won’t necessarily help you with your Chinese, but will help you to understand that English is far from easy, and why Chinese speakers make certain mistakes:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/why-is-english-so-hard-for-chinese-people/

Name that province

Beginner China is divided into many provinces, and remembering their names (and locations) can be challenging for foreigners. Here is a list of provinces, as well as their Chinese names and pronunciations:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2016/12/who-nan-a-guide-to-province-names/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

Numbers in China

Beginner Why do Chinese people love the number 8, and avoid the number 4? Here is a short description of the reasoning behind these common beliefs:

http://www.touchchinese.com/learn-chinese-online/punctual-in-china-numerical-culture.html

Introducing 蔡骏 (Cài jùn)

Advanced Looking for some good and scary modern Chinese fiction? You should consider reading books by 蔡骏, as described in this recommendation:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2016/12/29/cai-jun-the-chinese-stephen-king/

Using commas

Intermediate How do you use commas in Chinese? This introduction is good if you’re weak on Chinese grammar or on your general use of punctuation:

http://www.decodemandarinchinese.com/how-to-use-the-comma/

Twitter: @DecodeChinese

Father and sons

Intermediate A story about a father and his sons, in characters and audio:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/2719-2016-12-31-10-03-26

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Using 了

Beginner One of the trickiest things to learn in Chinese is the use of 了 (le). How do you use it to indicate past tense, and where else can it be used?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/5l82cz/when_to_leave_%E4%BA%86_and_when_to_drop_it_in_past_tense/

Light vs. light

Beginner Two characters, 灯 (dēng) and 光 (guāng), can be understood as “light,” but they have different meanings:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/5kg0fu/%E7%81%AF_vs_%E5%85%89/

Chinese music

Advanced Want to listen to Chinese music, either to improve your listening comprehension or just to keep up with local cultural trends? Here are some ideas for where you can find such music:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinese/comments/5kx952/looking_for_a_big_playlist_of_mandarin_chinese/

HSK vs. TOCFL

Many of us are familiar with HSK, the Chinese examination of language fluency. How similar is it to TOCFL, the Taiwanese equivalent?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/5kqc82/hsk_vs_tocfl/

The right word for cm

Beginner How do you say “centimeter” in Chinese? There are two words, 公分and 厘米; are they used the same?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22325/what-is-the-difference-between-%E5%85%AC%E5%88%86and-%E5%8E%98%E7%B1%B3

Does knowing Japanese help with learning Chinese?

Beginner Written Japanese uses many Chinese characters. Does that make it easier for people who know Japanese to learn Chinese?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinese/comments/5k9zqb/does_japanese_assist_with_mandarin_at_all/

Learning to write characters

Beginner Is it worth learning to write characters by hand? Or is the computer/phone enough for most people learning Chinese?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/5k73b8/any_reason_to_learn_how_to_write_characters/