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…
Using Topics and Scenarios to Make Your Chinese Learning More Efficient
As a Mandarin teacher, I am always delighted to observe and learn from my students. One thing I have noticed in my interactions with my students is how hard most…
Confusing Chinese “N” word: 那个(nà ge/ nèi ge)
In my first year as a high school Chinese teacher in India, I noticed that sometimes my students giggled when I spoke. At first I thought it was my Chinglish…
“Roughly speaking” in Chinese
The Chinese are famously pretty vague in giving answers. As most will readily admit, they prefer to offer estimations rather than specifics, especially if there may be consequences involved. Instead…
How to Master Tones without Using Tone Marks
I’ve been learning Chinese for over 10 years and one thing I’ve seen countless students struggle with is the tones. Why is it that so many Chinese language students struggle…
Learning Experience Sharing: Remembering Chinese Tones
I am from Spain and recently I lived and worked in Shenyang for 7 months where I learned Chinese by myself, including talking with my Chinese friends and coworkers. One…
Recommended Chinese Songs for Perfecting Your Accent
Everyone has that one friend, the one with the terrible Mandarin accent. They speak in a flat monotone, with no emotion and no respect to timing. It's as if they…
Top 100 Common Business Chinese Phrases & Expressions
Foreign people who want to do business in China or with Chinese people often are baffled by the social and business behaviors that they encounter. These business encounters include formal email…
Tones Prefer Company! Part II – An exciting new audio-visual way to practice Mandarin tones
My last Digmandarin article “Tones Prefer Company!“ generated a lot of interest, prompting me to pen this follow-up. The idea that tones should not be studied in isolation, and the…