The Extended Usages of “起来”(qǐlái ) and “下去”(xiàqu)
You may have already learned the how to use the Directional Verbs “……起来” and “……下去”， but in some situations, how they are supposed to be used doesn’t work very well,…
总是 VS 一直: “Always” is not always the same in Chinese
There are two ways to say “always” in Chinese, and these are the words “总是(zǒngshì)” and “一直(yīzhí)”. Both “总是(zǒngshì)” and “一直(yīzhí)” share the meaning of “always”, but people sometimes mistakenly…
从(cóng) VS 离(lí) and 向(xiàng) VS 往(wǎng): Two Commonly Confused Chinese Grammar Structures
If you’ve spent more than a year or so learning Mandarin, you’ve probably encountered the familiar predicament where you must decide whether to use 从(cóng) versus 离(lí) or向 (xiàng) versus…
When to Use “有(一)点儿” VS “(一)点儿” in Chinese
During Chinese class, whenever I ask my students, “今天上课累不累？(jīn tiān shàngkè lèi bu lèi? / Do you feel tired in class today?)”, they often answer me with the phrase ”一点儿累(yìdiǎnr…
上下(shànɡxià)？左右(zuǒyòu)？前后(qiánhòu)？- Expressing an “Approximate Number” in Mandarin
If you need to express an “Approximate Number” in terms of time, weight, age, or any other term that involves a number, there are a number of ways to do…
How to Say that Something will Happen “Soon” in Mandarin Chinese
Unlike other languages such as English, Mandarin does not change the form of its verbs to express past, present, and future tenses. Instead, there are other ways to say how…
How to Express an Ongoing State or a Continuity of an Action in Chinese
In Chinese, and unlike in English, people don’t change the form of a word to express the ongoing continuity of an action or a state of being. Instead, Chinese focuses…
“和”(hé) Means “And” (Or Does It?) – The Complete Guide to Using “和” in Chinese
The conjunction “和” is a common and useful word which all of us have learned in our first classes. From my teaching experiences, and from corresponding researches, I find that…
“越来越” (yuè lái yuè) VS “越…越…” (yuè…yuè…): Two Similar Phrases But With Different Uses
Introduction We are all familiar with the basic English expression “more and more”, an expression which actually exists in many languages. Chinese is no exception. Chinese learners are taught these…