Month: April 2017

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Traditional characters

All There is a long-standing debate over simplified vs. traditional Chinese characters, one which has political as well as linguistic dimensions. This post assumes that you’re learning simplified characters (as are used in mainland China), and wonder why anyone would learn traditional ones. There are numerous reasons, it turns out:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/4-reasons-why-shouldnt-ignore-traditional-chinese-characters/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

Two ways to learn

All What sort of listening should you do, in order to improve your fluency? There are two different approaches, “comprehension-based listening” and “deep-end immersion.” Which is right for you, and how should you go about using them?

http://www.hackingchinese.com/comprehension-based-listening-vs-deep-end-immersion/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Don’t play garlic

Intermediate Are you playing dumb, pretending not to understand? In Chinese, that would be 装蒜 (zhuāng suàn), as described here with examples and (of course) an origin story:

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/pretending-garlic-useful-chinese-saying

Twitter: @ECLSchool

It’s off to work we go

Intermediate Do you work hard? Do you value hard work? If so (and even if not), then here are 12 traditional Chinese sayings about hard work:

http://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-proverbs-about-work.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Improving your tones

Beginner Tones are one of those aspects of Chinese that everyone knows they need to get right, but which are tricky for many non-native speakers. Here are some tone basics, as well as suggestions for how to learn and remember them:

https://chinesepod.com/blog/learn-chinese-tones-properly/

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Two words for “thing”

Beginner Why does Chinese have two words for “thing”? You can say 东西 (dōng xi) to mean “a tangible thing,” or 事 (shì) to mean “an intangible thing.” Here’s an introduction to the two, and the issues it can cause:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/04/17/why-does-mandarin-have-two-words-for-thing/

Online translation bakeoff

All Which online translation service can handle some Internet slang the best? An amusing look at the difficulties online translations can give:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/04/who-translates-it-best/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

Chinese immersion, from anywhere

All One of the best ways (if not the best) to get better at a language is to immerse yourself in it. How can you do that with Chinese? What resources are available to see, read, and hear Chinese all around you, even if you’re not in China?

http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2017/04/19/learn-chinese-immersion/

Twitter: @FluentU

Steve Jobs, the Chinese biography

Advances The story of Steve Jobs, in Chinese:

http://www.alllanguageresources.com/steve-jobs-advanced-simplified-summary/

On the airplane

Beginner So, you’re flying to (or from) China! How can you communicate with the crew, as well as understand their announcements? Here’s a short guide to some common expressions:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-lesson-on-the-plane/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

At the airport

Beginner You’ve arrived at the airport in China. You can expect to be asked many questions — and you might have questions of your own, too! Here are some useful phrases to know, both to hear and speak, before you head off:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-lesson-at-the-airport/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Learning Chinese

Beginner A short, graphical guide to learning Chinese in China — what to expect, how much you’ll pay, and what cities (and countries) you can/should visit:

http://www.chinahush.com/2017/04/20/frequently-asked-questions-about-studying-mandarin-chinese-in-china/

Getting a Chinese cellphone

Beginner If you are planning to spend a long time in China, you’ll want a local cellphone plan. Here are some tips and vocabulary for doing so:

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/buying-a-sim-card-in-china-the-chinese-you-need

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Should you take the HSK?

All The HSK (levels 1-6) is the standard test of Chinese given by the Chinese government. Many people work to pass the HSK, but is it worthwhile? Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t worry about it too much:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/04/19/why-you-shouldnt-study-for-the-hsk/

Nonstop chatter

Intermediate How can you say that someone is talking nonstop? How about 喋喋不休 (dié dié bù xiū):

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/04/22/listen-96/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Dinner party

Beginner A short story about a dinner party and making conversation:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/2821-2017-04-22-05-49-03

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Classic literature

Advanced A short conversation about some of China’s most famous literary works:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/2817-2017-04-19-02-30-00

Twitter: @imandarinpod

What could have been

Intermediate How can you construct a sentence in Chinese that talks about what could have been, or would have been?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23455/how-do-you-translate-could-have-been-sentences

Anyone? Someone?

Intermediate How can you ask questions in Chinese using the equivalents of “somebody” and “anybody”?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23491/how-to-ask-anybody-anyone-somebody-someone-questions-in-chinese

Refrigerator vs. freezer

Intermediate If both “refrigerator” and “freezer” are translated into Chinese as 冰箱 (bīng xiāng), then how can you distinguish between them?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23462/fridge-and-freezer-beyond-%e5%86%b0%e7%ae%b1

If you enjoy Mandarin Weekly, please share it with others. And don’t forget to 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!

If you offer products or services aimed at students of Chinese, and want to sponsor one or more issues, then please contact Reuven at reuven@lerner.co.il.

Better learning via scaffolding

All “Scaffolding” is a common idea in education, helping learners by gradually reducing the support they receive (and need) in order to learn things more easily. This post provides a number of suggestions for scaffolding and supports when learning Chinese:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/8-great-ways-scaffold-chinese-learning/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Save the planet (in Chinese)

Intermediate What can you do to save the Earth? In honor of Earth Day, we have this video from ChineseClass101.com, with useful phrases:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwtk6nPs-50

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Choosing a translation app

Beginner Having a translation app on your phone is important for learners of all levels. What are some of the options, and how can you choose from among them?

http://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-translator-app-review.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Improving from Chinese movies

Intermediate A review of a new resource for improving your Chinese, Learn-Chinese-From-Movies.com, which aims to help us improve our fluency by exposing us to as many Chinese movies as possible:

http://www.alllanguageresources.com/357-2/

Twitter: @LCFMofficial

Yo ho ho, and a bottle of liquor component

Intermediate The component 酉 (yǒu) refers to a bottle of liquor and is used in a large number of characters that have to do with fermentation or seasoning:

http://www.decodemandarinchinese.com/compmonent-%e9%85%89-a-jar-for-storing-liquors/

Twitter: @DecodeChinese

Airport vocabulary

Beginner Traveling to or from China by air? Knowing these airport-related terms will smooth your journey:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-air-travel-vocabulary/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Buying airplane tickets

Beginner Unless you live in China, you will likely need to buy airline tickets to and from there. Here are some words and phrases you’ll need to buy your tickets:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/how-to-buy-a-plane-ticket-in-chinese/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

All about pandas

Advanced Almost every loves pandas; here is a short essay about them:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/2810-2017-04-13-11-38-47

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Smuggled goods

Intermediate There are lots of counterfeit goods, 行货 (hánghuò), in China. Don’t mix up that term with 水货 (shuǐhuò), which is how you refer to smuggled goods:

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/which-will-you-choose-shuihuo-vs-hanghuo

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Is beer alcohol?

Beginner A funny dialogue between a driver and a policeman, pointing to the many inconsistencies in Chinese terms:

http://chinese-at-ease.com/is-beer-alcohol-chinese-story-for-beginners/

Twitter: @ChineseAtEase

Withdrawing money

Beginner Where is the nearest ATM? A short story that is all-too-familiar to those of us who travel often:

http://mychinesereading.com/where-is-the-nearest-atm/

Let down your hair!

Intermediate The story of Rapunzel, told in Chinese (audio, characters, and pinyin):

http://www.alllanguageresources.com/rapunzel-intermediate-reader-audio/

Weather terms

Beginner What is the weather like outside? Here’s how to say it in Chinese:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/04/16/listen-89/

Twitter: @eputonghua

We’re early; we’re late

Beginner Did you get somewhere early? Or (like me) late? Here’s how to express that in Chinese:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/04/09/listen-92/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Chinese art forms

Beginner China has many types of traditional art forms. Here is a list of five of them, along with the words and phrases you’ll need to describe them:

https://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/Learn-Chinese-Traditional-Art-Music-Peking-Opera-Calligraphy

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

Invest time, learn more efficiently

All Which is the best way for you to improve your Chinese? Take some time to figure that out, since doing so will save you time, and improve your learning in the long run:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/analysis-paralysis-choosing-method-becomes-problem/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

148 expressions

Intermediate Common sayings, known as 成语 (chéng yǔ), are a part of colloquial Chinese speech and writing. Here are 148 (!) common ones that you can either learn to understand from others, or incorporate into your own speech:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/list-chengyu/

Cross that river

Beginner How do you cross a river? By using the rocks you see. This is true metaphorically, and not just literally, as this short story explains:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2811-2017-04-14-03-11-05

Twitter: @imandarinpod

All of it

Intermediate Chinese has several ways to say “all,” such as 所有 (suǒ yǒu) and 全部 (quán bù). When is each appropriate?

Describing shapes

Intermediate How can you say that something is heart-shaped, star-shaped, or anything-else-shaped?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23349/what-is-the-correct-way-to-say-shaped

Difference between 吃 and 食

Intermediate The characters 吃 (chī) and 食 (shí) both have to do with eating and food. When is each used?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23346/%E5%90%83-and-%E9%A3%9F-difference

If you enjoy Mandarin Weekly, please share it with others. And don’t forget to 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!

If you offer products or services aimed at students of Chinese, and want to sponsor one or more issues, then please contact Reuven at reuven@lerner.co.il.

I’m doing it now

Intermediate How can you express that you are currently performing an action? Use one or more of the words 在 (zài), 正 (zhènɡ), and 正在 (zhènɡ zài):

http://www.digmandarin.com/ongoing-state-continuity-action-chinese.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Basic sentence patterns

Beginner A few sentence patterns are all you need to start saying a remarkably large number of things in Chinese. Here is a list of such basic sentence patterns, along with many examples:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/10-essential-chinese-sentence-patterns-every-beginner-should-know/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

Teach children Chinese

Beginner Do you want your children to learn Chinese, but aren’t sure what resources would be appropriate for them? Here is a list of what you can use to help your little ones learn this fascinating language:

http://www.misspandachinese.com/teach-your-kids-chinese/

Twitter: @MissPandaChines

Grammar books

Intermediate If you’re like me, then understanding grammar is a great way to improve your Chinese. But where can you turn, other than textbooks, for summaries of Chinese grammar? Here is a summary and review of several well-known books that you might want to check out:

http://www.alllanguageresources.com/best-chinese-grammar-book-beginner-intermediate-students/

Tomb Sweeping Day

Beginner Last week was 清明节 (qīng míng jié), Tomb Sweeeping Day, a holiday on which many Chinese go to remember their ancestors. Here is some information about this holiday, its practices, and origins:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/history-and-customs-of-tomb-sweeping-day/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Learning Chinese fast

Beginner Everyone wants to learn Chinese quickly, but some people really need to get as fluent as possible, as soon as possible. Here are some strategies you can use to maximize your learning in a short period of time:

http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2017/04/05/learn-chinese-in-three-months/

Twitter: @FluentU

Characters with 月 (yuè) in them

Beginner Many characters contain the 月 component. Here is a list of such characters, along with their pronunciations and meanings:

http://allaboutchinese.tumblr.com/post/159182027497/allaboutchinese-all-about-chineses-%E6%9C%88-%E8%AE%B0%E5%BF%86%E5%9B%BE

C is for cookie

Beginner Want a cookie? Then which word should you use? This question is surprisingly difficult to answer, as this post describes:

http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2017/04/08/try-find-cookies-chinese-word-use/

Twitter: @HelloChineseApp

Spring has sprung

Beginner Spring has arrived, and two friends discuss the weather and make plans, in this short story:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2803-2017-04-07-08-08-12

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Going to the gym

Beginner If you’re living in China and plan to join a gym to keep fit, this posting has a great deal of useful information, as well as some phrases and words, to help you out:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/04/09/is-it-easy-to-join-a-gym-in-china/

Nothing to be done

Beginner If you are a bit frustrated and/or exasperated by a situation, you can always say 没办法 (méi bàn fǎ):

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/04/04/this-phrase-will-make-your-chinese-sound-naturally-hopeless/

Little Red Riding Hood

Intermediate You might know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but have you ever read it in Chinese?

http://www.alllanguageresources.com/little-red-riding-hood-intermediate-reader/

Travel words and phrases

Beginner Planning to travel in China? This video from ChineseClass101.com includes all sorts of travel-related words, from cities to transportation to passport control:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2LctdJD1zo

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Pulling the carrot

Beginner Many countries and cultures have a story about a huge carrot that requires everyone’s help to be pulled from the ground. Here is a Chinese song and video with 拔萝卜 (bá luó bo), the Chinese version:

http://nihaohello.blogspot.co.il/2017/04/pull-carrot-song-lyrics.html

Making mistakes

Intermediate Why do so many Chinese speakers make mistakes when writing, using the wrong characters? An interesting discussion for us non-natives who often make such mistakes:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23273/why-chinese-use-too-many-%E9%94%99%E5%88%AB%E5%AD%97

Non-Internet networks

Advanced We often think of 网 (wǎng) as a computer network, but how would you describe a non-computer network, such as a mathematical network diagram or just networking with colleagues? The answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think:

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23324/how-to-say-network-but-not-internet

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Blackbeard the Pirate

Intermediate All about Blackbeard, the famous pirate — in Chinese:

http://www.alllanguageresources.com/blackbeard-pirate-intermediate-reader/

Robin Hood

Advanced Have you ever heard of Robin Hood? Of course you have. But have you ever read about him in Chinese? Here’s your chance to be introduced to the legendary figure:

http://www.alllanguageresources.com/advanced-chinese-reading-practice-robin-hood/

Chinese weapons

Beginner China has a long history of warfare. Here is an introduction to many of the weapons that were invented over the years, along with their Chinese names:

http://viewofchina.com/ancient-chinese-military-weapons/

LINE-based scam

Advanced If you use LINE (a smartphone app), then you might be targeted in a scam that’s making the rounds in Taiwan. That’s useful to know, but a linguistic analysis of what the scammers are writing is great for students of Chinese:

http://chinesehacks.com/usage/a-common-line-scam-in-taiwan/

Visiting 天津 (tiān jīn)

Beginner The city of 天津 has a great deal of history of sights to see. Here is a short introduction to the city and what it has to offer:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/better-know-a-municipality-tianjin/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Left box radical words

Intermediate The radical 匚 (fāng), known as 左方框 (zuǒ fāng kuāng), is used in many different characters. Here is a list:

http://www.decodemandarinchinese.com/component-%E5%8C%9A-left-box/

Twitter: @DecodeChinese

Friendship

Intermediate Do you have friends? I sure hope so! Here are some traditional Chinese expressions having to do with friends:

http://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-proverbs-about-friendship.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Animated Chinese movies

Intermediate Cartoons are fun to watch — and when you can improve your Chinese when watching, all the better! Here are some recommended animated movies from China:

http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2017/03/29/chinese-animated-movies/

Twitter: @FluentU

Reading challenge

Hacking Chinese has another challenge, and this time it’s all about reading. Read as much Chinese as you can this month, regardless of your level, and watch your fluency improv:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-reading-challenge-april-1st-30th/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Apps for kids

Beginner Many children are learning Chinese, so it’s no surprise that there are many apps to help them to learn. Here are some of the most useful apps for children to improve their Chinese reading, writing, and listening:

https://www.asianlanguageschool.com/chinese-learning-apps-for-kids/

Twitter: @AlsSydney

Fish and seafood

Beginner Chinese cuisine is full of fish and seafood. Here’s a list of the common dishes you’re likely to encounter when visiting China:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-vocabulary-for-seafood/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

The White House

Intermediate The White House is one of the most famous buildings in the world. Here is an introduction to it in Chinese:

http://mychinesereading.com/the-white-house/

Baby swallows

Beginner Here’s a short story about helping some baby swallows:

http://mychinesereading.com/the-baby-swallows/

Telling jokes in Chinese

Intermediate I love to tell jokes and funny stories (and my family sometimes even thinks they’re funny). How can you tell jokes in Chinese, or describe the sorts of humor that I enjoy?

https://www.writtenchinese.com/are-you-being-funny-how-tell-jokes-in-chinese/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

Workplace conversation

Beginner Two people at work discuss how they spend their time, with one of them getting a bit aggressive, in this video from ChinesePod.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90T63VzD4zI

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Food and restaurants

Beginner Here is a collection of videos from ChineseClass101.com, describing a variety of words having to do with food and restaurants in Chinese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAssVOc11Tg

Twitter: @chineseclass101

April fools!

Beginner The world just celebrated April Fool’s Day, or 愚人节 (yú rén jié) in Chinese. Here is some vocabulary that might come in handy if your Chinese-speaking friends tried to prank you:

http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2017/04/01/april-fools-day-say-prank/

Twitter: @HelloChineseApp

Intro Chinese for travelers

Beginner If you’re totally new to Chinese, and want to learn a bit of the language before traveling, here is a quick introduction that you can use to get up to speed with the basics:

https://medium.com/a-better-guide-to-beijing/elementary-mandarin-for-travellers-to-china-6524f838a6a

No fooling!

Beginner A short story about going to see a movie on April Fool’s Day:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2798-2017-04-01-14-07-36

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Separating 朋友 (péng yǒu)

Beginner The word 朋友 is very common, but can we use the characters ouside of that word?

http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23261/do-%E6%9C%8B-and-%E5%8F%8B-differ-in-meaning