Mandarin Weekly #155

 

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Hi!  This is Mandarin Weekly #155, a free newsletter read by more than 21,000 students of Chinese around the world.

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Topic-comment structure Intermediate Grammar

Normally, Chinese is SVO (subject-verb-object). But in the “topic-comment” structure, you mention a subject, and then discuss it:

https://www.saporedicina.com/english/topic-comment-structure-chinese/

The story of Nian Beginner Culture Video

Chinese New Year is coming up. Here is a video version of the legend behind this holiday, along with some introductory greetings you can use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPYE4zRRJzE

Again! Intermediate Grammar Video

How can you say that you want to do something again? This video explains the use of 在 (zài) in this way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x75u5BKnw4

Twitter: @ECLSchool

There are, aren’t there? Beginner Grammar Video

In Chinese, we can use the verb 有 (yǒu) to indicate that a place has a certain quality, or contains a certain item:

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

Twitter: @ECLSchool

That pesky 3rd tone Beginner Pronunciation

Tones are tough for many to understand when learning Chinese. The 3rd tone can be particularly tricky. Here are some tips for pronouncing it correctly:

https://www.mandarinblueprint.com/blog/sandhi-third-tone-rule

Twitter: @MandarinBP

Happy New Year! Beginner Vocabulary Video

How can we discuss the new (Gregorian) year, 2018? Here are some useful words you can use:

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

Twitter: @ChinesePod

Happy 2018! Beginner Vocabulary Video

How do people in China celebrate the New Year’s holiday? And how do they discuss it? Here are some details, as well as useful words to talk about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nj3Xnch_wk

Twitter: @chineseclass101

Visiting Guangdong All Travel

Guangdong province is large and varied, and contains lots of interesting cuisine, culture, and history, as shown here:

https://www.livethelanguage.cn/learn-china-guangdong/

Moving translations All Culture

How are your favorite movies’ names translated into Chinese? Here are some examples of some famous films from 2017, along with how people in China refer to them:

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2018/01/chinese-movie-translations-spring-2018/

Twitter: @WorldOfChinese

Common characters in Chinatown Intermediate Characters

If you go to Chinatown — a Chinese neighborhood in your city — then you’ll likely see a few particular characters. Here is your guide to identifying and understanding them:

https://www.writtenchinese.com/common-chinese-symbols-and-meanings/

Twitter: @WrittenChinese

New Year’s resolutions Beginner Vocabulary

Planning to make New Year’s resolutions? It’s not too late:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/chinese-new-years-resolution/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Thanks so much! Beginner Vocabulary

How can you thank someone in Chinese? As usual, there are multiple words and phrases you can sprinkle into your conversations:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/2018/01/03/thank-you-in-chinese/

Twitter: @FluentU

Day trips from Kunming All Travel

Kunming itself is a lovely city — but if you go out of town, you can see some spectacular sights, as described here:

https://blogs.transparent.com/chinese/5-awesome-kunming-day-trips/

Twitter: @ChineseLanguage

Ice cream All Vocabulary

Do you enjoy eating ice cream? Of course you do! Here is how you can discuss ice cream in Chinese:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsxcY4RiiE8

Twitter: @ECLSchool

Little pony Intermediate Story

A pony needs to cross the river. Will he make it? The story might not be so exciting, but it’s good practice:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/15-2009-12-02-23-37-29/3036-2018-01-02-04-07-30

Twitter: @imandarinpod

Patience Intermediate Story

A short story introducing the idea of being patient, of not trying to do everything at once:

http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/podcasts/14-2009-12-02-23-37-05/3040-2018-01-05-02-21-46

Twitter: @imandarinpod

When do they grow up? Beginner Grammar

When do we stop using the term 孩子 (hái zi) to talk about people in China. In other words, how big are “children”?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28314/at-what-age-one-stops-calling-a-person-%e5%ad%a9%e5%ad%90

Making comparisons Intermediate Grammar

How do we use 比一比 (bǐ yi bǐ) in a comparison?

https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28312/what-is-the-meaning-of-%e6%af%94%e4%b8%80%e6%af%94-in-this-sentence


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