“Why” seems to be a very simple word, yet Chinese is such a complex language that it has many ways of saying it. The biggest difference here is between spoken and written Chinese. Since you have already started learning this language, you might have heard about it already: Chinese has a very rich formal language … Read more
Despite the fact that Christmas is not an officially celebrated holiday in East Asia, you can definitely see its cultural influence on Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Celebrating Christmas is not part of Chinese tradition; however, many Chinese people seem to adore the Christmas spirit, especially the Christmas trees, lights and shopping for gifts. … Read more
Apologizing plays a crucial role in all the cultures. In Chinese culture, apologies not only used to express regret and sympathy, but it also is a way to save face and keeps relationships intact. Therefore, apologize is important. Whether we’ve just accidently stepped on someone’s shoe, arrived late for a meeting or heard a bad … Read more
The word ‘no’ is another important phrase that every Chinese learner should grasp and thus should be covered in the early stages of learning. Knowing how- to say ‘no’ will help protect your best interests and keep you safe during travelling or working in China, as is the case in every country. Similar to the … Read more
One of the most important words to grasp when starting a new language is of course the word ‘yes’. You will find it can be applied to various scenarios, becoming a go-to phrase to give an affirmative response to a question, comment, or statement, or simply to keep the conversation going. One may find it … Read more
Chinese New Year is coming soon! It’s time to learn some Chinese New Year sayings (新年吉祥话, xīn nián jí xiáng huà) and visit your Chinese friends! Here we list several Chinese New Year expressions along with examples. Let’s find out! Three sections has been written below:– 十二生肖 (shí èr shēng xiāo, 12 Symbolic Animals)– Chinese … Read more
For most Chinese learners, you might know “我爱你” (wǒ ài nǐ，I love You). But do you want to know other alternative ways to say I love you in Chinese and surprise your Chinese girlfirend/boyfriend? Here I list several Chinese I love you expressions along with examples. Let’s find out! How to say I love you … Read more
For most Chinese learners, the first Chinese word that you learned might be “你好” (nǐ hǎo， Hello). But do you know this is a really formal greeting expression, which is weird if you say that to your close friends or your family? You might say “你好” when first meet someone. (Also, it’s better to say … Read more
No matter what language you learn, how to say “thank you” is a must known if you want to be friendly to others in a polite manner. You might know “thank you” is 谢谢 (xiè xiè) in Chinese. But do you want to know the other ways to say thank you and surprise your Chinese … Read more
Have you found a Chinese word could have different meanings for different contexts? “这个大学很水，硕士学位含金量很低。” Do you know what meanings of “水” and “含金量” in this sentence? Do they simply just refer to water and gold content? Just like some words in English, for example, when is your “date” of birth? My favourite fruit is “date”. … Read more
