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…
Finding the Hidden Keys to Unlocking Chinese Compound Words
A huge bulk of the words in Chinese are compound words, consisting of two or more characters put together. Even if you’re already aware of the fact that Chinese characters…
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)…
6 Common Chinese Chengyu For Life and Success
Chinese Chengyu (成语, Chéngyǔ) plays an important role in Chinese culture. They are the collected wisdom from ancient Chinese people; and they contain deep insights into human life. Behind the…
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…
Chinese Idioms or Chéngyǔ About Animals
What is a Chinese idiom/Chéngyǔ? Briefly speaking, Chengyu (成语, Chéngyǔ) are Chinese idioms that are normally made up of four Chinese characters. Chengyu are usually handed down from way back…
Can the Chinese Actually Understand the Japanese and Korean languages?
What are the differences between Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (collectively called CJK, for short)? Are Chinese characters (hànzì) the same as Japanese kanji and Korean hanja? You are not alone…
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…