How to Use 好（hǎo）in Five Ways
Almost everyone starts their Chinese language learning journey with the phrase “你好” (nǐhǎo), which means “hello”. It’s a useful place to start, and a great way to introduce learners to…
Serious Mandarin Chinese Learner: The Comparison Trap
“Reader be warned: at the time of writing, I’ve only completed six months of formal Chinese language instruction. I’m still a beginner, perhaps verging on intermediate, so my thoughts on…
Cracking the Wisdom of Chinese Idioms
Here are two facts about Chinese idioms: there are lots and lots of them, and for the most part they are not particularly useful. I’ve been a student of Mandarin…
The Best Chinese Picture Books for your Kids
If you're raising your child to be bilingual in Chinese and you don't have the benefit of living in China, then one fantastic way to practice with your Children would…
Mastering the Different Ways to Say “Because” and “So” in Chinese
If you want to say "because" or "so" in Mandarin Chinese, we can help. You might know "because" as "因为" (yīnwèi) and "so" as "所以" (suǒyǐ), but there are other…
“正”, the Chinese Tally Mark And Other Kinds of Tally Marks from Around the World
Tally marks are a numerical system used for to make counting easier. As the name suggests, it is a system that helps keep “tally” of things by number. Tally marks…
狗年 The Year of Dog 2018
Now that 2018 is upon us, it is also nearing the time of a new lunar year on the Chinese calendar, and just like in the West, the Chinese also…
Sending Flowers in China: Do’s and Don’ts
The topic of how to send flowers in China came to my mind a short time ago when one of my friends told me of a student who sent her…
How to “Think” in Chinese: Understanding the Differences Between 想, 觉得, 认为 and 以为
When Chinese learners reach the intermediate or advanced stage, they encounter synonyms and have to navigate the nuances between them. Differentiating between these words is crucial to improving mastery of…
Finding the Hidden Keys to Unlocking Chinese Compound Words
A huge bulk of the words in Chinese are compound words, consisting of two or more characters put together. Even if you’re already aware of the fact that Chinese characters…