How to Choose Your very Own Chinese Name
One of the first things that might surprise you when you meet a Chinese native speaker for the first time is that the name they use to introduce themselves to…
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…
5 Lucky Things in Chinese Culture
Who doesn’t want to be “lucky”? Every culture, in their search for special “lucky charms”, has their own symbols that they believe will bring them good fortune. There are tons…
14 “Wild Chinese Phrases” You Won’t Find in Your Textbooks
Chances are, students who have been studying Mandarin Chinese will not find the following words/phrases in regular books. You might encounter these words when watching Chinese TV series or the…
Learning Chinese as an Adult VS as a Child
When I first came to China, I knew all of two words, “nǐ hǎo” (你好, “hello”), and “xièxie” (谢谢, “thanks”). It took me over three years to get from there…
How To Start Speaking Mandarin Chinese Very Quickly – An unconventional fast-track model to cut your time to fluency by 50%
Chat to Learn Chinese About 13% of the world’s population speaks Mandarin Chinese. Have you ever wished you could speak fluent Chinese with a native speaker? You might be thinking,…
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…
8 Tips to Guide You Bargaining in China
One of the many things China is famous for is the many different types of markets all over the country. From gorgeous silk scarves and fashionable clothes, to designer bags…
10 Chinese Travel Superstitions
In the immortal words of Hans Christian Andersen, “to travel is to live.” But the question then becomes, where do you live when you travel? A hotel? A hostel?? A…