Wowza! or is it 哇塞? An Introduction to Chinese Onomatopoeia
Learning our native language is one of our earliest experiences that irreversibly shapes how we perceive the world. Did you know that your native language even shapes how you hear…
Read Between the Lines: 15 Common Chinese Euphemisms
Unlocking the hidden mysteries of the Chinese language can be a fascinating journey. You’ve mastered countless words and sentence structures, yet there are times when comprehension eludes you. Imagine encountering…
Meat is not always meat – The most common expressions with “肉” in Chinese
In Chinese, you will frequently encounter words that contain the character “肉” (ròu). This is because food plays a significant role in people’s daily lives, and “肉” is an important…
The Uses of “Door” in Chinese – All about “门”
We all know that “门”(a door) represents an entrance, and therefore it plays an important role in our lives. The traditional Chinese character for door is written as 門 (mén),…
Responding with ‘好的’(hǎo de), ‘好啊’(hǎo a), ‘好吧’(hǎo ba), ‘好嘛’(hǎo ma), ‘好啦’(hǎo la)
好(hǎo) is one of the first characters that you’ll encounter when you start studying Chinese, and anyone can tell you that it means ‘good.’ But there’s a little more to…
5 Common Chinese Interjections to Add Tonal Color -啊(a) 吧(ba) 呢(ne) 啦(la) 嘛(ma)
An interjection is an exclamation, especially as a part of speech. An example of an interjection in English would be “Ah!” or “Oh!” Many of you may already know it’s…
Business Chinese: Essential Mandarin Expressions for Online Meetings
Necessity is the mother of invention, particularly in a time when everyone is working from home. Online meeting platforms, such as Skype, Google Hangouts, and Zoom, have revolutionized the world…
Chinese Color Theory: The Cultural Significance and Meaning Behind Colors
Have you ever wondered why the color red is so significant in Chinese culture? It’s not just because it’s a bold and vibrant hue. In fact, you’ll see it on…
“Almost” The Same – A Comparison of 差点儿, 几乎, and 差不多
When delving into the world of Chinese language and texts, you’ll often come across different expressions that seemingly translate to the same word in English. But here’s the thing: every…