Hi! This is Mandarin Weekly #137, a free newsletter read by more than 20,000 students of Chinese around the world. Sorry about the delay in getting this out, but I just returned from a (great, relaxing, fun-with-family) vacation. We should be back on a normal schedule starting next week (i.e., September 11th).
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Word order Beginner Grammar Video
How different is word order in Chinese from English? This video provides a useful perspective, with simple but effective examples:
http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2017/08/30/chinese-word-order-and-english-word-order-how-similar
Types of characters All Characters
There are many different Chinese characters, but there are only a few types of characters, distinct patterns into which the characters can be organized. Here is an introduction to these patterns, and how to use them to read more easily:
https://www.writtenchinese.com/lowdown-6-types-of-chinese-characters/
Twitter: @WrittenChinese
Emotions Beginner Grammar Video
Want to express emotions and feelings in Chinese? These cute videos demonstrate a variety of them, with some catchy music, to boot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glbjvNh0Iv8
Twitter: @ChineseBuddy
Question words Beginner Grammar
How do you ask questions in Chinese? You use a question word, of coursze, just like in English and many other languages. Here is an introduction to the various question words in Chinese:
http://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/09/04/chinese-question-words/
Twitter: @FluentU
Flirt in Chinese Intermediate Vocabulary Expressions
Love is in the air! Lots of Chinese-learning blogs have recently posted about how to flirt in Chinese. In case you missed the other posts, or just want to try a few new and different ways to say you find someone attractive, here’s the latest way to flirt in Chinese:
http://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/08/28/flirt-in-chinese/
Twitter: @FluentU
Let’s get dressed! Beginner Vocabulary
Want to get dressed in Chinese? Here are some essential vocabulary words you’ll need to do so:
http://allaboutchinese.tumblr.com/post/164718394088/allaboutchinese-%E6%89%93%E6%89%AE-dress-up
Verbling review All Reviews
Want to improve your Chinese speaking (and listening) ability? Verbling is another company offering paid, online instructors with whom you can practice in real time:
https://www.alllanguageresources.com/verbling-review-an-alternative-to-italki/
Basic travel expressions Beginner Travel
Planning to travel in China? Knowing some Chinese, even if you’re totally new to the language, will help a great deal. Here are some basic phrases that you should learn before your first trip:
https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/4-must-know-expressions-for-chinese-beginners-traveling-in-china/
Twitter: @ChineseLanguage
Organic in China Intermediate Food
Want to buy organic produce in China, or eat at restaurants that only use organic products? You’ll find yourself challenged to do so, but after reading this article, at least you’ll know how to ask the right questions (and even understand the answers):
https://chinesepod.com/blog/2017/08/30/going-organic/
Twitter: @ChinesePod
Ghost month! All Culture
This is “ghost month” in China, during which certain traditions (or even “superstitions”) come out of the wordwork. Here are some things to know about ghost month:
https://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-ghost-month.html
Twitter: @DigMandarin
Animal expressions Intermediate Expressions
Chinese is full of sayings and expressions. These often mention animals, as we can see here:
https://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-idioms-chengyu-animals.html
Twitter: @DigMandarin
Listen better Intermediate Listening
Learning to hear the sounds of Chinese is important not just for comprehension, but also for speaking correctly. Here are some suggestions for improving your listening, and a new course that can help you to do so:
http://www.hackingchinese.com/training-and-testing-your-ability-to-hear-mandarin-sounds/
Twitter: @HackingChinese
Mandarin vs. Cantonese All Culture
Mandarin Weekly is about, well, Mandarin Chinese. But there are other forms, or “dialects,” of Chinese. One of the most common is Cantonese. How are Mandarin and Cantonese similar, and how are they different?
https://www.tutormandarin.net/en/similarities-differences-cantonese-vs-mandarin/
Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin
Numbers in Chinese Beginner Grammar
Counting is very easy in Chinese, once you get the hang of the number system:
http://www.saporedicina.com/english/chinese-numeric-system/
Different ways to travel Intermediate Vocabulary
There are different words for “travel” in Chinese, but is there any difference between them? For example, we can say either 旅游 (lǚ yóu) or 旅行 (lǚ xíng), as described here:
https://themandarincornerblog.com/2017/08/25/whats-the-difference-between-lu-you-%e6%97%85%e6%b8%b8-and-lu-xing%e6%97%85%e8%a1%8c/
Eclipse fever All Vocabulary
Much of the United States was gripped by eclipse excitement in August, with a total solar eclipse. How can you describe it in Chinese? Here’s a nice article on the subject:
https://teachmechinese.wordpress.com/2017/08/29/learn-the-chinese-word-for-a-total-solar-eclipse/
Measuring meals Advanced Grammar
顿 (dùn) and 道 (dào) can both be used as measure word for meals and eating. How are they different?
https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/26331/whats-the-difference-between-%e9%a1%bf-and-%e9%81%93-as-a-measure-word-for-meals
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