Month: October 2017

This is Mandarin Weekly #144, a free newsletter read by more than 20,000 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.

Chinese number slang Intermediate Culture

Chinese has many homophones and almost-homophones, which has led to many word games and puns. “Number slang” is a version of this, in which each number can represent one or more characters with similar sounds:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/10/16/chinese-number-slang/

Twitter: @FluentU

Measure words Intermediate Grammar

Mirror words are an essential part of Chinese grammar. Here are two lists of mirror words that you can incorporate into your speaking and writing:

https://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-measure-words-events-buildings-structures.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

Measure words Intermediate Grammar

Mirror words are an essential part of Chinese grammar. Here are two lists of mirror words that you can incorporate into your speaking and writing:

https://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-measure-words-foods-household-items-clothing.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

WeChat tutorial All Culture

微信 aka WeChat, is enormously popular in China. After installing it, how can you use it? Here’s a full guide. Feel free to add me (“ReuvenLerner” is my username) as a friend!

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/how-to-use-wechat-or-weixin/

Understanding tones Beginner Pronunciation

People unfamiliar with Chinese are sure that tones are difficult to learn. And for sure, when you’re starting, tones can be hard. But here’s an introduction that describes why you shouldn’t fear them too much:

https://chinachannel.org/2017/10/17/what-about-tones/

Twitter: @larbchina

Apps for reading All Reviews

There are numerous apps to help you read Chinese better. Here are some of them, along with a review of their strengths and weaknesses:

https://www.tutormandarin.net/en/6-best-learn-read-chinese-apps/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

Science Fiction — in Chinese Advanced Learning

If you are learning Chinese and enjoy science fiction, then why not read science fiction in Chinese? Here are some recommended books and authors for you to try:

https://chinesepod.com/blog/2017/10/20/read-chinese-science-fiction/

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Online class review Beginner Learning Reviews

A roundup and review of many online (recorded) classes for learning Chinese:

https://www.alllanguageresources.com/online-chinese-courses/

Final A, initial B Beginner Pronunciation Video

Pronunciation is important in Chinese; in this video lesson, we learn about “initials” and “finals,” and how to pronounce some basic sounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kRJ8cKrYVk

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Sichuan cuisine — more than just spicy All Food

Sichuanese food is a famous cuisine of China. What can you expect when you eat it, and where can you expect to find or get it?

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/an-intro-to-sichuan-cuisine/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Beijing Opera All Culture

Beijing Opera is a famous form of music and culture. But what is it, when is it from, and what is it like?

https://www.writtenchinese.com/mei-lan-fang-king-peking-opera/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

How are you? Beginner Vocabulary Video

If someone asks you how you are doing, how can you answer in Chinese? Here are a few phrases you can learn and then use in your responses:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwbB1Bc0drQ

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Factory tour Beginner Story

This short story talks about visiting a company and getting a factory tour:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2971-2017-10-20-03-16-26

Twitter: @imandarinpod

The story of Guan Yu Intermediate Story

关羽 (guān yǔ) is a famous figure in Chinese history; learn about him and his times in this story:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/2967-2017-10-15-07-01-30

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Using 之 (zhī) Advanced Grammar

What does the character 之 mean, and how is it used?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/27101/what-does-%e4%b9%8b-mean-in-this-sentence

Roads and paths Intermediate Grammar

If a road is 路 (lù), then why is the Chinese national highway 国道 (guó dào)?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/27044/why-is-china-national-highway-called-%E5%9B%BD%E9%81%93-instead-of-%E5%9B%BD%E8%B7%AF

Alcohol to the max Advanced Grammar

What does the term 十分酒 (shí fēn jiǔ) mean, and how does it relate to Chinese poetry?

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/%E5%8D%81%E5%88%86%E9%85%92.3381177/

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.

Expression for bad times Intermediate Story

When things aren’t so good, here’s a story with a useful expression to describe the times:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2965-2017-10-13-02-12-35

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Funny phrases Intermediate Expressions

Ha, ha! Here are some humorous phrases you can use in Chinese:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/10/11/funny-chinese-phrases/

Twitter: @FluentU

Daily activities Beginner Vocabulary

Perhaps our daily activities — sleeping, eating, going to work or school, and speaking on the phone — are mundane, but they also come up in daily conversation:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/my-day-in-chinese/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Apps for speaking Beginner Pronunciation Reviews

There are lots of apps for learning Chinese. But how many of them will help you to speak more accurately? Here is a review of several such apps, which you can install and use on your phone:

https://www.tutormandarin.net/en/5-best-learn-to-speak-chinese-apps/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

How’s the weather? Beginner Grammar Video

How is the weather? This video explores this question and its possible answers:

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

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Happy birthday! Beginner Grammar Video

Happy birthday to you, or to someone you know! This video tells you how you can wish others a happy birthday, and tells you about Chinese birthday culture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE3whGV3OPU

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Song compilation Beginner Video

Over the last few months, Chinese Buddy has produced a number of music videos to teach simple Chinese words and phrases. Here is a compilation of their composer’s most favorite songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6AUNVRpGzo

Twitter: @ChineseBuddy

Conversation starters Beginner Learning

So you’ve been learning Chinese, end up in a Chinese-speaking environment, and … what do you talk about? Here are some subjects you can try to use to open up a conversation:

https://www.digmandarin.com/topics-chinese-conversation.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

NBA teams All Vocabulary

Do you follow NBA basketball? Here are all of the team names, as they’re known in Chinese:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-names-for-all-30-nba-teams/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Getting fluent All Learning

How can you get fluent with Chinese? Here are some tips, whether you’re living in China or not:

https://medium.com/@wheatpond/its-probably-time-to-learn-chinese-63587376c2d2

Moonlight verse Advanced Story

Mid-Autumn Festival is over, but stories about the moon and its light continue to appear:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/13-2009-12-02-23-35-40/2962-2017-10-11-07-36-47

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Watching Chinese TV Intermediate Learning

A great way to improve your Chinese is by watching TV. Here are some shows you should check out:

https://blog.hutong-school.com/chinese-tv-shows/

Twitter: @hutongschool

Chinese funerals, in movies and real life All Culture

Funerals and death rituals aren’t a fun topic, but it is an important part of understanding Chinese culture. Here is a description of these rituals, along with reviews of several films that depict them:

https://www.tutormandarin.net/en/almost-heaven/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

Agree or disagree Intermediate Expressions

Agree or disagree with someone, you should express your feelings on a subject. Here are some ways to say “I agree” and “I disagree” in Chinese with a bit of flair:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtXuLnmIN0Y

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Review: Chinese for Us Beginner Learning Reviews

A review of “Chinese For Us,” an online to help you learn Chinese:

https://www.alllanguageresources.com/chinese-for-us/

Ask a doctor Beginner Story

If you get hit by a car, maybe you should ask a doctor before proclaiming yourself well, as this story points out:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2963-2017-10-11-08-00-07

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Classic poems Intermediate Culture

Chinese poetry has been around for many years, and can be challenging for beginners to learn — but also gives you insights and understanding into Chinese history, literature, and language. Here’s an introduction to some classic poetry:

http://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/learn-chinese-through-famous-classical-poems/

Twitter: @Fluent_Mandarin

ChinesePod questions All Video

The hosts of ChinesePod’s videos get personal with two videos about their own lives and life in Taiwan; there might not be a lot of language learning here, but it’s great fun for all ChinesePod fans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAAbCJ-ipYk

Twitter: @ChinesePod

ChinesePod questions All Video

The hosts of ChinesePod’s videos get personal with two videos about their own lives and life in Taiwan; there might not be a lot of language learning here, but it’s great fun for all ChinesePod fans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-gEvnWC5Q

Twitter: @ChinesePod

So many ifs! Intermediate Grammar

There are many ways to say “if” in Chinese; what is the difference between them?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/27033/what-is-the-difference-among-many-if-words

Source of politeness Intermediate Vocabulary

The word 客气 (kè qì) means “polite.” How did the words for “guest” and “air” end up with this meaning?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/26939/how-does-%e5%ae%a2-k%c3%a8-customer-guest-and-%e6%b0%94-q%c3%ac-gas-anger-combine-to-give-%e5%ae%a2%e6%b0%94

高兴 (gāo xìng) vs. 开心 (kāi xīn) Intermediate Vocabulary

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between these two words? Now you can know:

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/26933/gaoxing-%E9%AB%98%E5%85%B4-vs-kaixin-%E5%BC%80%E5%BF%83

Different types of black Intermediate Grammar

You can say “black” in two ways in Chinese; what is the difference between these words?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/26899/%E9%BB%91-and-%E4%B9%8C-talking-about-colours

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.

Mid-Autumn Festival vocabulary Beginner Culture Video

What are traditional ways to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival? Watching the moon and eating moon cakes, as described here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HSKgHsCJA4

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Mid-Autumn Festival traditions Beginner Culture Vocabulary

Everyone is talking about the Mid-Autumn Festival; here are some more phrases and traditions to learn:

https://www.tutormandarin.net/en/chinese-mid-autumn-festival/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

A Mid-Autumn story Beginner Story Culture

Read a short story about the origins of Mid-Autumn Festival:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2960-2017-10-03-11-53-49

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Mid-Autumn dialogues Beginner Culture Vocabulary Video

This introduction to Mid-Autumn Festival goes over vocabulary and traditions includes interviews with native Chinese about how they celebrate the holiday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH1SG66VU-k

Twitter: @YoYoChinese

National Day All Culture Vocabulary

Residents of China are celebrating two holidays — Mid-Autumn Festival, and also National Day. This article describes both, but has some great tidbits about National Day, including the Chinese anthem:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/national-day-and-mid-autumn-festival/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Describing textures Intermediate Vocabulary Video

Here’s a fun game: Touch an object, describe it in Chinese, and then guess what it is. Amusing and useful for some additional descriptive words:

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

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Drinking alcohol All Culture Vocabulary Video

Want to drink either 白酒 (bái jiǔ) or 黄酒 (huáng jiǔ)? Here is some background on them, as well as vocabulary and cultural information about making and drinking them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du7qliD2lDM

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Chinese vs. Japanese vs. Korean All Learning

Some people want to learn not only Chinese, but also Japanese and Korean. Are these languages similar to one another? And in what order should you pursue studying them?

https://www.digmandarin.com/master-three-languages-chinese-japanese-korean.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

More measure words! Intermediate Grammar

Measure words are an essential part of Chinese grammar. Here are some measure words that you might not know, along with examples of everyday objects that use them:

https://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-measure-words-size-shape-wrapped-items.html

Twitter: @DigMandarin

You’re really something Intermediate Grammar Video

Want to indicate amazement at someone’s abilities, or (by contrast) their amazing foolishness? In both cases, you can say 你可以呀 (nĭ kĕyĭ ya):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3znEIXI070

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Pinyin and pronunciation All Pronunciation

An important part of Chinese is correct pronounciation. And for most people learning Chinese, that means knowing how to correctly pronounce each of the Pinyin syllables. Here are some hints for how to learn and improve your pronounciation, starting with Pinyin:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/10/05/chinese-pinyin-pronunciation/

Twitter: @FluentU

Twitter feeds to follow All Learning

There are lots of great Twitter feeds for people learning Chinese (other than @MandarinWeekly, of course). Here are 10 that you should definitely be watching:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/10/02/learn-chinese-twitter/

Twitter: @FluentU

Using vocabulary lists All Learning Characters

Are vocabulary lists useful? Perhaps; a previous post talked about that. But if you have a good list, how can you use it most effectively to learn and absorb new vocabulary?

http://www.hackingchinese.com/different-lists-for-learning-chinese/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Good morning! Intermediate Culture Vocabulary

What do you do each morning? Get up, brush your teeth, wash your face, have breakfast… Do you know how to say each of these in Chinese? This article takes you through a typical morning for many people, and reviews the vocabulary and phrases you’ll need:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/a-good-morning-routine-in-chinese/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Getting service Beginner Vocabulary

If you’re not sure what (or how) to call the service person where you are, you can use the term 劳驾 (láo jià):

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/10/the-magic-word-for-addressing-strangers/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

All about Go Intermediate Vocabulary

The game of Go 围棋 (wéi qí) is ancient and yet remains challenging, and is popular in China. Here are some additional thoughts and vocabulary words about this game:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/10/on-the-character-%e6%a3%8b/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

Tea ceremony Beginner Culture Vocabulary Video

Tea is an iconic drink in China, and serving (and drinking) it includes a ceremony, as describes here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQLJ-w1-oOE

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Teacher’s Day Beginner Vocabulary Culture

You should always show respect to (and appreciation for) your teachers, but here’s information about Teacher’s Day, a holiday in China and Taiwan (albeit on different days):

https://www.tutormandarin.net/en/chinese-teachers-day/

Twitter: @MyTutorMandarin

Idiomatic expressions Intermediate Expressions

Your Chinese will sound more natural and authentic when you use native expressions. Here are some great ones to begin using in your conversations:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/idiomatic-expressions-chinese/

Pumping gas Intermediate Grammar

How do you say that you want to put gas in your car?

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/%E6%88%91%E8%A6%81%E7%BB%99%E8%BD%A6%E5%8A%A0%E6%B2%B9.3374100/

This is Mandarin Weekly #141, a free newsletter read by more than 20,000 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.

Describing people Beginner Culture Grammar

How do you describe people? You can describe their personality and/or their appearance. Here, we get some basic terms for describing people:

http://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/09/25/chinese-adjectives-to-describe-a-person/

Twitter: @FluentU

Family words Beginner Grammar

Chinese family words are more complex than in many languages, because they take the side (mother vs. father) and age (elder vs. younger) into account. Here are some basic terms to describe family members:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/family-vocabulary-in-chinese/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Hacking Chinese challenge All Learning

Want to improve your reading? Join the Hacking Chinese reading challenge, and read as much as you can during the month of October:

http://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-reading-challenge-october-2017/

Twitter: @HackingChinese

Basic radicals Beginner Characters

When you first start to learn Chinese, the characters all look the same, A key part in distinguishing them is the “radicals,” which can be used to classify (and then remember) many characters’ meanings. Here are some examples:

https://medium.com/@LingQ_Central/break-it-down-chinese-radicals-for-beginners-28c44c5e4fbb

Mid-Autumn Festival All Culture

What is the mid-Autumn Festival, which begins this week? Here is a description of the history, culture, and celebration:

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/chinese-mid-autumn-festival/

Ancient Chinese history All Culture

Chinese civilization started about 4,000 years ago. But what about before then? Here is a description of ancient Chinese civilization:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/neolithic-china-beginnings-chinese-civilization/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

Utensils Beginner Culture Vocabulary Video

What utensils are used for eating in China? And what cultural beliefs are associated with them? All is explained in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA7HB6cnG1Y

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Learning challenges (and solutions) Intermediate Learning

What are some problems that people face when learning Chinese? What models for success should we follow?

http://carlgene.com/blog/2017/10/lecture-1-how-to-improve-foreign-language-students-learning-habits-and-methods/

Twitter: @carlfordham

Planning ahead Intermediate Story

In this two-part story, a family learns to plan and take precautions:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/2954-2017-09-27-02-47-22

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Planning ahead Intermediate Story

In this two-part story, a family learns to plan and take precautions:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/2956-2017-09-28-05-27-37

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Quality, not just quantity Intermediate Story

In this story, we learn that it’s not how much you do, but how well you do it:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/2957-2017-09-29-01-25-01

Twitter: @imandarinpod