10 Chinese Proverbs About Friendship
There is an old saying in Burma that goes: “Friendship, knowledge and food are the three most valuable things in the world.” This saying reminds us of how important friends…
Study In China: A Look at Chinese Universities and What You Can Expect
“First of all, my experience of studying in China is quite different from the norm. I came to China when I was 9 years old as my mother was one of…
“帮助他(bāngzhù tā) is Correct, but 帮忙他(bāngmáng tā) is Not?” 离合词(Separable words): A Special Kind of Chinese Verbs
Introduction: The word “help” can be translated as either “帮助” (bāngzhù) or “帮忙”(bāngmáng) in Chinese. But when you want to say “help him”, you will be corrected by your Chinese…
“早饭吃完了”(The breakfast has been eaten) – Learn All About the Unmarked Passive Sentence in Chinese
Passive sentences make up a big and important part of modern Chinese. There are generally two types: Marked Passive Sentences and Unmarked Passive Sentences. We have talked about Marked Passive…
The Taxi Chinese Plateau and How To Get Over It
Some days it seems as though the majority of foreigners in China speak amazingly fluent Mandarin. Some days it feels like no one cares about it once they are able…
通过(tōng guò) VS经过(jīng guò): The Many Ways of “Passing Through” in Mandarin
Here is a lesson that is a bit more advanced, and it involves two words that are often thought to have the same meaning and are sometimes used interchangeably. These…
Differences and Similarities between 本来 (běn lái) and 原来 (yuán lái)
If something was originally a certain way, or "should be" a certain way, two words, "本来" (běn lái) and "原来" (yuán lái), are often used in daily Chinese conversation. Sometimes…
How Chinese People Say “No” in Various Ways
Saying “no” is often a very hard thing to do - especially for Chinese people when dealing with acquaintances. This causes them to sometimes say “yes,” or other words, when…
English Idioms with Chinese Origins
Have you ever wondered where idioms come from? Well, being one of the oldest civilizations on our planet today, it is no surprise that the source of many English sayings…