Mandarin Weekly (每周中文) #123, 2017-May-22

Hi, there! This is Mandarin Weekly #123, a free newsletter read by more than 18,000 students of Chinese around the world.

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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