Mandarin Weekly (每周中文) #122, 2017-May-15

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…)

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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