Mastering the Different Ways to Say “Because” and “So” in Chinese
One of the biggest steps you can take in learning a new language is moving beyond simple sentences and being able to explain why something happened or what happened next…
How to “Think” in Chinese: Understanding the Differences Between 想, 觉得, 认为 and 以为
As you start to build a wider vocabulary in Chinese, you’re bound to encounter words that share the same general translation in English but have widely different nuances in meaning…
Comparing 4 Chinese Words that Mean “the Future”
A real question many Chinese learners will encounter early is how to express future events. In Chinese, we have a series of time words to address that: “将来”(jiānglái), “未来”(wèilái), “以后”(yǐhòu)…
Making a Clean Sweep of all Basic Associated Constructions in Chinese
You may have hit a wall in the study of Function words in Chinese. Maybe you have mastered Function words like “着”, “了”, “过”, but the next step is to…
The Extended Usages of “起来”(qǐlái ) and “下去”(xiàqu)
The Chinese language is rich with a variety of directional verbs that add depth and nuance to everyday conversations. Among these, 起来 (qǐlái) and 下去 (xiàqu) are two commonly used…
总是 VS 一直: Two Ways to Say “Always” in Chinese
If you’re learning Chinese, you might have come across two words that both mean “always”: 总是(zǒngshì) and 一直(yīzhí). While these two words share a similar meaning, they are not interchangeable…
Mastering Chinese Prepositions: When to Use 从, 离, 向 and 往
If you’ve been learning Mandarin for over a year, you’ve probably come across a situation where you have to choose between using 从(cóng) or 离(lí), or 向(xiàng) or 往(wǎng) when…
Mastering When to Use 一点儿 and 有一点儿
Learning a new language always carries new challenges, and these challenges can even appear in the subtleties of everyday conversation.As a Chinese teacher, I often notice my students using the…
Practical Mandarin: Essential Ways to Express Approximate Numbers
When it comes to expressing approximate numbers in Mandarin, whether it’s related to time, weight, age, or any other numerical term, there are various ways to convey this concept. In…