Food Vocabulary 蔬菜蔬菜 Vegetables in Chinese When visiting Taiwan or China, ordering greens isn’t just about saying “broccoli” or “cabbage.” Local stir-fry restaurants (熱炒店rèchǎodiàn热炒店rèchǎodiàn) feature incredible, unique leafy greens you might have never seen before! Let’s master the names of these local specialties and everyday vegetables. 🥬 Stir-fry Culture (熱炒rèchǎo热炒rèchǎo) In Taiwan, a “Re Chao”…
Author: tiffany
Mushroom and Tofu in Chinese
Food Vocabulary 素食食材素食食材 Mushrooms, Beans, Tofu & Seaweed Are you a vegetarian or simply a fan of plant-based protein? Taiwan and China offer an incredible variety of mushrooms (菇類gūlèi菇类gūlèi), beans (豆類dòulèi豆类dòulèi), tofu/soy products (豆製品dòuzhìpǐn豆制品dòuzhìpǐn), and seaweeds (海帶類hǎidàilèi海带类hǎidàilèi). Let’s explore the vocabulary for these delicious ingredients! 🥗 Taiwan’s Unique Vegetarian Culture (素食天堂sùshí tiāntáng素食天堂sùshí tiāntáng) Taiwan is…
“But” in Chinese 3 – 不過/不过 búguò
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 4 Grammar Point · HSK 4 不過不过 búguò — “But” 不過不过 búguò is the softest of the three “but” words. It’s casual, a little more relaxed, and often used to gently soften a contrast rather than push back hard against it. 不過不过 búguò works the same slot as 但是 dànshì…
“But” in Chinese 2 – 可是 kěshì
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 3 Grammar Point · HSK 3 可是 kěshì — “But” 可是 kěshì means roughly the same thing as 但是 dànshì, but it carries a slightly more spoken, conversational feel. It works in both speech and writing, and can shorten to 可 kě in slightly formal contexts. 可是 kěshì swaps in…
Openly in Chinese – 公然 gōngrán
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 7-9 Grammar Point · HSK 7-9 公然 gōngrán公然 gōngrán — “Openly, Brazenly” 公然 gōngrán公然 gōngrán describes doing something in plain sight, without any attempt to hide it — and almost always something wrong, shameless, or against the rules. It’s a formal, written-register adverb common in news reports and legal language….
断然 vs 毅然 vs 截然 Chinese grammar
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 7-9 Grammar Point · HSK 7-9 斷然 duànrán,断然 duànrán, 截然 jiérán & 毅然 yìrán All three are literary, single-word adverbs, but only two of them mean “resolutely.” 斷然 duànrán断然 duànrán and 毅然 yìrán毅然 yìrán both describe firm, decisive action — with different emotional colouring. 截然 jiérán截然 jiérán is the odd…
Suddenly in Chinese – 骤然 zhòurán
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 7-9 Grammar Point · HSK 7-9 驟然 zòurán骤然 zhòurán — “Suddenly” 驟然 zòurán骤然 zhòurán is a literary, high-register word for “suddenly” — reserved for formal writing, news reports, and dramatic narration. It describes an abrupt, often intense shift, and rarely shows up in everyday conversation. Where 忽然 hūrán忽然 hūrán and…
纵然 zòngrán & 固然 gùrán Chinese Grammar
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 6 Grammar Point · HSK 6 固然固然 gùrán & 縱然纵然 zòngrán 固然固然 gùrán and 縱然纵然 zòngrán both set up a concession before a contrasting point, but they work on different footing: 固然固然 gùrán concedes something already true, while 縱然纵然 zòngrán concedes something hypothetical or extreme — closer to “even if.”…
Expressing the Unexpected 2 – 居然 jūrán
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 5 Grammar Point · HSK 5 居然 jūrán — “Surprisingly” 居然 jūrán works like 竟然 jìngrán, but hits harder — it’s more colloquial and carries a stronger sense of disbelief or astonishment. Unusually for an adverb, it can sit either before or after the subject, but it can never shorten…
Suddenly in Chinese – 忽然 hūrán
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 4 Grammar Point · HSK 4 忽然 hūrán — “Suddenly” 忽然 hūrán emphasizes that something happened within a short span of time — it’s about the quickness of the change, not necessarily whether it was expected. It’s an adverb only, and it can’t be preceded by a degree adverb like…