Hi, {{! This is Mandarin Weekly #149, a free newsletter read by more than 20,000 students of Chinese around the world.
Please 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!
Do you sell products or services for students of Chinese? Sponsor an issue, or insert a sponsored link into an upcoming edition. More information is here, on the MandarinWeekly.com “advertising” page.
Quantitative complements Intermediate Grammar
Just as you can have directional complements in Chinese, you can also have quantitative complements. Here is an examplanation, as well as a number of examples:
http://www.saporedicina.com/english/quantitative-complements-chinese/
Associated constructions Intermediate Grammar
There are lots of “associated constructions” in Chinese — words that connect between different ideas, such as “however” and “other than.” Here is an exhaustive list of such constructions, along with examples of how/when to use them:
https://www.digmandarin.com/making-clean-sweep-basic-associated-constructions-chinese.html
Twitter: @DigMandarin
Saying “no” Beginner Grammar
We’ve heard that you cannot say “no” in Chinese. But still, how can you indicate the idea of “no,” or of a negative answer?
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2017/11/20/how-to-say-no-in-chinese/
Twitter: @FluentU
Using chopsticks All Culture Video
How do you use chopsticks? That question might seem elementary to many, but others are undoubtedly happy to learn how to use this crucial Chinese (well, east Asian) tool — including how to use them to eat very non-Chinese food:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyLNPjAKqKs
Twitter: @ChinesePod
Colors Intermediate Expressions Culture Video
Perhaps you know the words for different colors in Chinese, but do you know how the colors are used in cultural contexts and expressions?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35qceH6ZVfs
Twitter: @ECLSchool
Counting one’s chickens Intermediate Story Expressions
If you’re a bit over-eager, we might say that you’re counting your chickens before they’ve hatched. Here’s a story demonstrating the equivalent Chinese expression:
http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3003-2017-11-26-06-22-49
Twitter: @imandarinpod
Learning faster with harder material? All Learning
Should you read less harder material that challenges you, or more material that is at your level? The pros and cons of each approach:
http://www.hackingchinese.com/can-you-learn-chinese-faster-by-making-it-harder/
Twitter: @HackingChinese
Learning resources summary All Learning Reviews
Wondering what resources are out there, that you can use to improve your Chinese? Here is a roundup of many different courses, apps, sites, and options:
http://www.mandarinblueprint.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-chinese-onlinelearning-9agff
Twitter: @MandarinBP
Writing characters, part 2 All Characters
Writing characters is a skill that takes time to perfect, but there are tricks that definitely make it easier. Here are some more:
https://www.writtenchinese.com/how-to-handwrite-chinese-characters-with-finesse-part-2/
Twitter: @WrittenChinese
Chinese students talk about Taiwan Intermediate Culture Video
How do (mainland) Chinese students feel about being in Taiwan? Not politically, but culturally, what are the differences? A short and interesting video on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yrp4GVjJQk
Hunting Game Advanced Culture
The latest hit TV series in China, Game of Hunting (猎场), is worth a look! Here is some info about it, if you haven’t tried it yet:
http://viewofchina.com/game-of-hunting/
Twitter: @classicchina
Introducing yourself Beginner Story
How do you introduce yourself in Chinese? This short story will demonstrate it to you:
http://mychinesereading.com/introducing-yourself/
Light snow Beginner Culture Vocabulary
Colder weather is coming (to the northern hemisphere, at least), and along with it, we can have some initial snow. Here’s a description of this season in China:
http://teresarainsegna.blogspot.co.il/2017/11/nevicata-leggera-light-snow.html
Yes, Taobao sells everything All Culture
It’s well known that Taobao sells anything and everything in China. Here are some items that you would expect would be too much, even for them:
http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2017/11/eight-products-too-weird-for-taobao-maybe/
Twitter: @WorldOfChinese
How have things been? Beginner Grammar Video
How have things been? That’s a pretty common question/greeting in Chinese, as introduced here (with numerous examples):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMMG36Q5R6Y
Twitter: @ECLSchool
Going to school Intermediate Culture Video
Going to school? Here’s a Chinese children’s song to sign while you’re on your way:
https://www.asianlanguageschool.com/all-time-favourite-chinese-songs-for-kids/
Twitter: @AlsSydney
Tofu metaphors Intermediate Expressions
Tofu isn’t just a food; it also figures in a number of Chinese expressions, as described here:
https://chinachannel.org/2017/11/21/tofu-metaphors/
Twitter: @larbchina
Tumbalalaika Intermediate Culture Video
This was a weird one, but a funny one: The Yiddish folk song, “Tumbalalaika” translated into Chinese? Not what you expect in a Chinese song, but the vocabulary (and beautiful music) are probably worth it:
https://teachmechinese.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/sing-yiddish-song-tumbalalaika-in-chinese/
Lose the accent! All Learning
How can you improve your accent when learning to speak Chinese (or any language, for that matter)? Here are some tips:
http://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/better-accent/
|