Month: May 2017

 

Hi, there! This is Mandarin Weekly #124, a free newsletter read by more than 18,000 students of Chinese around the world. 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. Punctuation Intermediate Grammar Characters What do you call punctuation marks in Chinese, and how do you enter them on a keyboard? This article will describe it all: https://www.writtenchinese.com/how-to-use-chinese-punctuation-and-keyboard-input/ Twitter: @WrittenChinese Pinyin videos Beginner Pronunciation Video Pinyin is, for many of us, the key to learning and pronouncing Chinese correctly. And yet, many of us aren’t always sure how to pronounce things correctly, or how to map pinyin to Western sounds. Here is a video series that goes over pronounciation and pinyin in great detail: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLioS_-8erSI1B8dEErLr28sdgsHMui1d- Twitter: @YoYoChinese Particles in Chinese Beginner Grammar Chinese is full of “particles,” characters that change the meaning of a sentence. Knowing these particles and how to use them can make your Chinese sound much more fluent. Here’s a guide to some of the more common particles: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/grammatical-particle-chinese/ Decimals and fractions Intermediate Grammar How can you talk about decimals, fractions, and percents in Chinese? This video should give you some good ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw6tdzTbTcQ Twitter: @ECLSchool Now hear this! Beginner Vocabulary Trying to say something important to people in China? Here’s how you can get their attention: https://mandarinhq.com/2017/05/get-people-take-seriously-mandarin-chinese/ Twitter: @MandarinHQ Good jokes Intermediate Story Heard a good joke lately? Here are some jokes in Chinese for you to use to improve your comprehension: http://learnmandarinonline.net/best-jokes-2017-learn-mandarin-chinese/ Unspoken “if” Intermediate Grammar We know that you can say 如果 (rú guǒ) to mean “if.” But this “if” is often left out, making the meaning of some sentences ambiguous: http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2017/05/24/the-challenge-of-implied-grammar-structures Cartoons for children Beginner Learning Story Are your children learning Chinese? If so, then they might enjoy watching some of these animated adventures in simple Chinese: https://www.misspandachinese.com/chinese-cartoons-for-kids/ Twitter: @MissPandaChines Summer vacation spots All Travel Where should you go for a summer vacation in China? Here are some suggestions, including not only city names, but things to do in each one: https://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/5-Amazing-Places-China-visit-Summer-Vacation Twitter: @YoYoChinese Getting a taxi All Travel Trying to get a taxi in Shanghai (even without an app)? Here are some tips for how to succeed: http://www.digmandarin.com/how-to-hail-a-shanghai-cab.html Twitter: @DigMandarin Warriors Beginner Travel Near the city of 西安 (Xī’ān), you can see 兵马俑 (bīng mǎ yǒng), an amazing collection of sculptures. Here is a full description of what is there, as well as some vocabulary to tell others what you’ve seen: http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/terracotta-warriors/ Twitter: @ChineseLanguage Basic pronunciation Beginner Pronunciation Pronouncing Chinese accurately is key to using the language. Here is an introduction to pronunciation issues you might encounter, and how to practice/improve them: http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2017/05/24/chinese-pronunciation-guide/ Twitter: @FluentU Idioms for writing Intermediate Expressions Here are some lovely idioms about spring that can help to make your language more colorful and expressive: https://teachmechinese.wordpress.com/2017/05/25/using-chinese-idioms-in-writing/ Seven years of Hacking Chinese All Learning Hacking Chinese is one of the best known resources for Chinese learners. Olle, the author, gives some retrospective and consideration: http://www.hackingchinese.com/whats-name-hacking-chinese/ Twitter: @HackingChinese Starbucks and Chinese holidays Intermediate Holidays It’s traditional to eat 粽子 （zòng zi） on Dragon Boat. Starbucks is trying something new; here is their promotional material, which is interesting both culturally and for those of us improving our reading: http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2017/05/27/starbucks-bring-traditional-chinese-holidays/ Twitter: @HelloChineseApp Relationship trouble Beginner Story A short story about a couple having issues, and whether their differences are the end of the relationship: http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2851-2017-05-29-03-28-04 Twitter: @imandarinpod Learning characters Intermediate Story Learning characters is hard; here is a story about someone trying to improve their knowledge: http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/2845-2017-05-22-02-32-04 Twitter: @imandarinpod Don’t be rude! Beginner Culture If you have ever traveled to China, you know that some things which are accepted in the West are considered rude in China — and vice versa. Here is some information about such differences, as well as an important word, 倒胃口 (dǎo wèi kǒu), to describe such behavior: http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/see-misbehavior-describe-it-with-daoweikou Twitter: @ECLSchool Expressing love Beginner Vocabulary When you say “I really like you” in Chinese, does that mean you love them? What’s the difference between liking and loving? https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23888/%e6%88%91%e5%be%88%e5%96%9c%e6%ad%a1%e4%bd%a0%e5%91%80-in-a-specific-context He should be here by now Intermediate Grammar If you want to say “they should have been here by now,” do you need 了? How does this sentence work? https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23852/why-is-%e4%ba%86-used-in-this-context When does evening start? Beginner Vocabulary You can indicate evening in Chinese with 晚上 (wǎn shàng). When does this start, though, and how is it distinguished from afternoon and night? https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23869/when-does-evening-%e6%99%9a%e4%b8%8a-begin-in-china

 

Hi, there! This is Mandarin Weekly #123, a free newsletter read by more than 18,000 students of Chinese around the world. This week, we have a new feature: Topic tags!  Not only is each link ranked by level (beginner/intermediate/advanced), but also with several tags that should make it easier to identify things that are of interest to you.  Do you have other suggestions for how Mandarin Weekly can be more effective?  Just 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. Look better, feel better Intermediate Culture Getting a massage? Or perhaps cosmetic surgery? Or maybe just a new hairstyle? People in China are doing all sorts of things to improve the way they look. Here are some words to help you look your best, or just describe those who have done so: https://www.writtenchinese.com/beauty-in-the-east-salons-spas-and-cosmetic-surgery-in-china/ Twitter: @WrittenChinese Chinese TV Intermediate Reviews Learning How can you use Chinese-language TV to improve your comprehension? Here are some possible shows, as well as suggestions for using TV to improve your learning: https://chinahopelive.net/2017/05/16/watching-chinese-tv-for-language-learning Twitter: @ChinaHopeLive Angry words Intermediate Vocabulary Video Angry with other drivers? Or perhaps with other people in general? Here are some useful words and phrases for expressing anger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLZFKCbEilU Twitter: @ChinesePod I love you, in numbers Beginner Culture Why would the number 520 represent love? Because of word games that Chinese love to play. Which means that May 20th is another day on which to express your feelings: http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2017/05/19/520-chinese-number-expresses-love/ Twitter: @HelloChineseApp Multi-sound characters Intermediate Characters Some characters have more than one sound. How can you figure out which is the right one? This guide will give you some ideas: https://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/Using-Context-Clues-Read-Chinese-Characters-Multiple-Pronunciations Twitter: @YoYoChinese Asking someone’s age Beginner Story How do you ask someone how old they are in Chinese? It depends on how old they are, ironically. Here’s a story about someone learning this the hard way: http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2843-2017-05-20-07-59-24 Twitter: @imandarinpod Food treasures to try Beginner Food In the West, “Chinese food” is seen as one type of cuisine. But there are so many styles and tastes, it can be overwhelming. Here are five things to try when you’re in China: http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2017/05/18/eating-ones-way-china-favorite-five/ Twitter: @HelloChineseApp 25 famous landmarks Beginner Travel China is full of famous, interesting, and beautiful locations. Here are 25 of them, along with their Chinese names and some useful sentences when discussing your travel plans: http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/25-famous-chinese-landmarks/ Twitter: @ChineseLanguage What’s for dinner? Beginner Food What are you having for dinner tonight? In China, people eat differently than in the West. Here are some example dishes that people are probably eating tonight, all over the country: http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-dinner-%e4%b8%ad%e5%bc%8f%e6%99%9a%e9%a4%90/ Twitter: @ChineseLanguage Scapegoat Intermediate Vocabulary In English, someone who is unfairly blamed is known as a “scapegoat.” In Chinese, we can say 背黑锅 (bēi hēi guō), as described here: http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/learn-bei-heiguo-and-its-fascinating-origin-story Twitter: @ECLSchool Listen better Intermediate Listening Want to practice your listening? Here are a bunch of stories and quizzes that will help you to fine-tune your ability to listen to (and understand) Chinese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZeLL3_Doz0 Twitter: @chineseclass101 Chinese names All Culture When you learn Chinese, you get (and use) a Chinese name. What techniques are used to learn new names? And what about people who don’t have Chinese names — how are they referred to within China? http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/05/fantastic-chinese-names-and-how-to-pick-them/ Twitter: @WorldOfChinese Body parts Beginner Vocabulary Video This video introduces several body parts, and is followed by a quiz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BTvn8DyjK0 Twitter: @ECLSchool Cool slang Beginner Vocabulary It’s always fun to learn some new Chinese slang; here are 10 of the latest words and phrases that you can use to blend in with the natives (or so we’d like to think): https://medium.com/@TutorMing/10-chinese-slang-words-to-make-you-sound-like-a-native-cff249737e52 If Beginner Grammar If these examples don’t show you how to use “if” effectively, then I’ll be surprised: http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/05/20/listen-124/ Twitter: @eputonghua Big dreams Advanced Story Castles in the air? Other unrealistic plans? Here’s a story for you about this idea in Chinese: http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/2841-2017-05-18-12-40-57 Twitter: @imandarinpod People don’t change Intermediate Expressions People don’t change, and the world doesn’t change, as this expression reveals: http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/05/18/listen-123/ Twitter: @eputonghua I’ll drink to that Beginner Vocabulary Here are some alcoholic drinks you might want to mention (or enjoy) when you’re in China: http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/05/16/listen-120/ Twitter: @eputonghua Don’t worry Intermediate Grammar How do you say “not to worry” in Chinese? https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23796/do-you-say-%e5%88%ab%e6%8b%85%e5%bf%83-or-%e4%b8%8d%e6%8b%85%e5%bf%83-for-dont-worry Locked door Intermediate Grammar How can you speak of a door as being locked? https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23820/how-to-describe-the-state-of-a-locked-door

This is Mandarin Weekly #122, a free newsletter read by more than 17,000 students of Chinese around the world.  (Sorry for the delay in publishing this issue, but I arrived in Beijing just a few hours ago…)

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.

Completed actions Intermediate

How can you indicate that an action is complete in Chinese? There are, of course, several ways to do so, as described here:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/how-to-express-a-finished-action-in-chinese/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

Mother’s Day song Intermediate

This Sunday was Mother’s Day in many countries. Here is a Chinese song (and video) in honor of this day, with some useful vocabulary for talking about mothers:

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/learn-the-perfect-chinese-song-for-mother-day

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Mother’s Day wishes Beginner

What can (should) you wish your mother on Mother’s Day? Here are some suggestions… in Chinese, of course:

http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2017/05/12/5-heartfelt-simple-mothers-day-wishes/

Twitter: @HelloChineseApp

The structure of characters All

When you first start to learn Chinese, all characters look the same. Then you start to distinguish among them. Then you notice the components, and separate them out. But have you ever thought about the placement of those components? In this blog post, we see how the characters are built from smaller pieces:

www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2017/05/10/learn-the-structural-patterns-of-chinese-characters

Sooner or later Intermediate

How can you say “sooner or later” in Chinese? This is a very practical word, with some great explanations:

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/05/08/sooner-or-later-you-will-need-this-word/

After your flight Intermediate

So, you’ve arrived in a Chinese-speaking country. What now? This article will tell you how to find transportation, or deal with unpleasant things such as lost luggage:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-lesson-after-the-flight/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Time Beginner

How can you express time in Chinese — this morning, next week, and the like? Here is a guide to the most common time-related expressions:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/05/13/listen-117/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Mistakes to make in China All

New language? New country? You’re bound to make mistakes. Here are some that this author describes, along with the Chinese words you might need to avoid making the same mistakes. (Note: I use ExpressVPN quite a bit, and rarely have issues.)

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/05/12/5-mistakes-you-will-make-in-china/

Learning languages All

Not specifically about Chinese, but about how to approach learning a language. Useful advice to keep in mind as we move toward fluency:

https://medium.com/@alex_rawlings/10-things-about-learning-languages-i-wish-id-known-10-years-ago-3c1728a28130

Review of Du Chinese All

Du Chinese is an app that you can use to improve your reading and listening fluency. Here is a review of this app, which has also advertised in Mandarin Weekly — and which offers a discount to our readers:

http://www.digmandarin.com/duchinese-review.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Different types of books Beginner

A short list of books, and types of books, you’re likely to encounter in Chinese:

http://allaboutchinese.tumblr.com/post/160507433901/allaboutchinese-%E4%B9%A6-books

Vegetarian in China Beginner

Are you a vegetarian? Don’t worry, there is still plenty for you to eat in China, as this guide shows:

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/being-a-vegetarian-in-china/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

All the best Beginner

How can you wish someone well in Chinese? The answer depends on the person with whom you’re speaking, and what you’re wishing them:

https://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/How-Wish-Someone-Well-Chinese

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

Dragon Boat Beginner

Duān Wǔ Jié (端午節), aka “Dragon Boat Festival,” is coming on May 30th. Here are some traditional activities and words associated with this holiday:

https://www.misspandachinese.com/learning-about-dragon-boat-festival-duan-wu-jie-%e7%ab%af%e5%8d%88%e7%af%80/

Twitter: @MissPandaChines

What to do in Shanghai All

Going to Shanghai? The good news is that it’s a huge city, with lots to do. So, what should you do there? Here are some suggestions:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/travel-to-shanghai/

Spicy hotpot Intermediate

Here’s a short conversation with someone selling spicy hotpot in China. Watch the video to improve your listening — and to understand why many in China eat such spicy food:

https://mandarinhq.com/2017/05/spicy-sichuan-hotpot/

Twitter: @MandarinHQ

Measure words 套 (tào) and 副 (fù) Intermediate

Both of these measure words refer to sets of things. But they are used differently. Here is a video lesson, followed by exercises to improve your understanding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkZHvDQNWS0

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Learning via language exchange All

How can you use language exchange to improve your Chinese? Here are some hints for getting the most out of it:

http://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-language-exchange.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

A game to improve Chinese Intermediate

Want to improve your vocabulary and fluency? Here is a new text game that aims to do just that:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/haze-new-text-adventure-game-chinese-learners/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Tigers are fierce, but they must sleep Intermediate

A short story about tigers, and their day-to-day habits:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2837-2017-03-30-12-18-30

Twitter: @imandarinpod

The Comac C919 Beginner

The Chinese company Comac has unveiled their C919 jet. Here is a short story about it:

http://chinese-at-ease.com/china-comac-c919-completes-maiden-flight-chinese-news/

Twitter: @ChineseAtEase

Silver linings Advanced

When a US president is robbed, he sees the positive side of things:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/05/07/listen-112/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Expressing fractions Beginner

How can you say 1/3 in Chinese? Is there a short way, just as we have “one half”?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23736/is-there-a-word-for-1-3

Crazy like a fox Intermediate

“Crazy” in English can mean “strange,” not just mentally ill. Is the same true in Chinese?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23692/%E7%96%AF%E7%8B%82%E7%9A%84-crazy-meaning-unconventional

Talking about clothing Advanced

There are multiple words for “clothing” in Chinese. When can (should) we use 衣衫 (yī shān), vs. 衣服 (yī fu)?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23752/how-does-%e8%a1%a3%e8%a1%ab-compare-to-%e8%a1%a3%e6%9c%8d-in-terms-of-meaning-and-flavour

This is Mandarin Weekly #121, a free newsletter read by more than 17,000 students of Chinese around the world.

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.

What to eat and drink Intermediate

Traditional Chinese medicine strongly influences the food and drink that people in China have. Here are some basic ideas to consider and keep in mind:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/the-mysterious-impact-food-can-have-on-the-body-according-to-tcm/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

More or less Intermediate

How long will it take? How hot will it be today? How quickly do you type? These and other questions are often answered not with a specific number, but with an approximate one. How can you indicate that the value is approximate in Chinese?

http://www.digmandarin.com/expressing-approximate-number-mandarin.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Starting a conversation Beginner

Maybe you can have a conversation in Chinse, but how do you start the conversation? Here are some tips and ways to do so:

https://mandarinhq.com/2017/05/start-a-conversation-in-chinese/

Twitter: @MandarinHQ

Body parts Beginner

How do you say different body parts in Chinese? This video provides numerous examples of the most common body parts, as well as some expressions you can use with them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f98EJHin0to

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Restaurant phrases Intermediate

Planning to eat in a restaurant soon, and want to practice your Chinese? Here are 60 words and phrases you can use, along with an explanation of when they would be appropriate:

http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2017/05/03/chinese-restaurant-phrases/

Twitter: @FluentU

About Einstein Advanced

Albert Einstein was one of the most prominent scientists of the 20th century. This story, in Chinese, describes his life and accomplishments:

http://www.alllanguageresources.com/albert-einstein-advanced-reading-practice-audio/

A mouse? Or a monster? Intermediate

A short story (well, the first part of one) describing an emperor who couldn’t’ tell the difference between a mouse and a monster:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/2833-2017-05-06-07-00-31

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Reading narrowly All

How can you improve your Chinese reading? “Narrow reading” is one technique, which helps you to improve your fluency by focusing on a single subject or author. Here’s how to use it:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/narrow-listening-reading-can-help-learn-chinese/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Custom fonts All

Here is a collection of book covers in that use custom Chinese characters, adding to the design:

http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2017/05/03/cool-custom-fonts-for-chinese-book-covers

Popular foods Beginner

What are some of the most famous foods in China? This video introduces them, so that you can know what to order when you next go out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R8MOddWr4E

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Ancient Chinese money Advanced

What was Chinese money like in ancient times? Here is a story that describes it:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/2830-2017-05-04-08-29-32

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Wedding words Intermediate

How do you talk about engagement, marriage, and everything else having to do with getting married? Here are some useful words, and an explanation of how the words are related:

http://blog.hellochinese.cc/2017/05/05/woman-will-get-married-character-%e5%a9%9a-will-tell/

Twitter: @HelloChineseApp

Watch more TV! (In Chinese) Advanced

Watching TV in Chinese might be challenging, but it’ll improve your comprehension and expose you to current cultural and linguistic thinking. Here are some Chinese shows to watch out for:

https://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/5-Popular-Chinese-TV-Shows-Immerse-You-Chinese-Culture

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

Chinese calligraphy All

Chinese calligraphy is a famous form of art that you’re likely to see on any trip to China. Here is some background on calligraphy, along with vocabulary to describe it:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/art-calligraphy-china/

Checking a report Beginner

A student asks his mother to check his report for school, in this short dialogue:

http://mychinesereading.com/can-check-paper/

Only Beginner

How do you say “only” in Chinese? You can use the character 只 (zhǐ),but how do you include it in your sentences, and is it always appropriate?

https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/05/06/its-only/

I’ll take care of it Beginner

A short story exhibiting the use of a common idiom:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2831-2017-05-05-06-23-36

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Counting days Beginner

Why do we use 天 (tiān) for counting days in Chinese, rather than 日 (rì)?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23627/why-%E5%A4%A9-is-chosen-for-counting-days-instead-of-%E6%97%A5-in-mandarin

Look out! Advanced

What does the expression 好自为之 (hǎo zì wéi zhī) mean? And is it to be take positively or negatively?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23686/translating-the-two-meanings-of-%e5%a5%bd%e8%87%aa%e4%b8%ba%e4%b9%8b

Hi, there! This is Mandarin Weekly #120, a free newsletter read by more than 17,000 students of Chinese around the world.

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.

So sorry! Beginner

How do you say “I’m sorry” in Chinese, to apologize for a mistake you’ve made, or for bothering someone? This short video demonstrates it nicely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yRiNu7b4T0

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

Labor Day Beginner

Today (May 1st) is Labor Day, in China and in many other countries around the world. This video introduces the Chinese terms associated with Labor Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqd9-4Hpkus

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Coming soon Intermediate

You’re going to do something soon, or something is happening soon. How can you express that in Chinese? An in-depth look at a common need (and common patterns):

http://www.digmandarin.com/say-something-will-happen-soon-mandarin-chinese.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Mispronounced writing Intermediate

When native Chinese write, they sometimes get the characters wrong. But they can also modify the characters used in a word for comic effect. Some examples are here:

http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2017/04/25/the-cute-mispronounced-chinese-words-confounding-your-reading

What do you think? Beginner

How do you ask someone for their opinion? And how do you express your opinion in an answer? This short video introduces and demonstrates this grammar pattern with numerous examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4rAx5dsxho

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Flag origins All

The Chinese flag, with its red background and yellow stars, is easy to recognize. What do the different parts mean, and what alternatives were considered?

http://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/the-chinese-flag/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

If only I knew… Intermediate

If only! Here are some phrases (some of them very loving and romantic!) that are all about “if only” something being true:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/04/25/listen-99/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Nose and eyes Intermediate

How realistic is a picture? In Chinese, you can talk about their noses and eyes, as described in this short story:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2825-2017-04-28-03-18-39

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Useful sites All

What Web sites will provide you with the most and best Chinese practice? Here’s a roundup of some of the most useful ones:

http://www.fluentu.com/chinese/blog/2017/04/26/best-website-to-learn-chinese/

Twitter: @FluentU

Old friends Beginner

In China, people often refer to their home town. If you meet someone from there, or have a friend from there, they are your 老乡 (lǎo xiāng):

http://www.echineselearning.com/blog/share-the-same-hometown

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Getting paid Intermediate

A short dialogue about getting paid, and working in a high-tech company:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/04/30/listen-104/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Ordering food Beginner

How do you order food in Chinese? And how can you ask the waiter for a recommendation? This short video answers these and other simple questions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OJPR06wjHw

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

Searching for Pinyin All

The search engine “Duck Duck Go” has always offered a number of special searches with its “bang syntax,” meaning an exclamation point (!) before a special word. They now include translation via Arch Chinese, as explained here:

http://duckgobang.com/english-chinese-dictionary-bang/

The Ordinary Road Advanced

A beautiful song, 平凡之路 (píng fán zhī lù), with characters, pinyin, and translation:

http://mychinesereading.com/the-ordinary-road/

Shopping bags Advanced

Do you bring your own bags to the supermarket? Do you have to pay for plastic bags in your country? You do if you’re in China, as this story explains:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/16-2009-12-02-23-37-52/2823-2017-04-26-14-02-38

Twitter: @imandarinpod

All nighters Intermediate

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter for school or work? Here’s how you can talk about it in Chinese:

http://www.e-putonghua.com/zone/index.php/2017/04/26/listen-100/

Twitter: @eputonghua

Pandas in Holland Intermediate

A short story about pandas arriving in Holland:

http://chinese-at-ease.com/panda-xingya-wuwen-arrived-in-the-netherlands-news-in-chinese/

Twitter: @ChineseAtEase

Lecturing Intermediate

How can you say “give a lecture” in Chinese?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23605/what-is-the-difference-between-%e8%ae%b2%e8%af%be-and-%e6%bc%94%e8%ae%b2

Weekdays Beginner

How do you describe weekdays (as opposed to “working days”)?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23585/is-there-a-generic-way-to-say-weekday-without-the-concept-of-work-business-sc