Learn a little Chinese every day
In Chinese, there are several ways to ask and answer questions, and we’ll discuss the two most basic ones in this article. Question Structure S + V + O + 嗎/吗 ma This is the most simple and common yes-no question asking whether the person does it. 你nǐ吃chī飯fàn嗎ma？ 你nǐ吃chī饭fàn吗ma？ Do you eat? (This not a…
Fruits in Chinese — OneDotDot Chinese (Redesign) 水水果果 · Chinese Vocabulary Fruits in Chinese 水水果果 Fruit names are an easy place to start — but in Chinese, fruit also comes with an opinion about your body. Traditional Chinese medicine sorts every fruit into one of five “natures,” and which one you reach for is thought…
Grammar Point:In Chinese, adjectives are often used differently than in English, and one of the notable features is the use of the word 很 hěn when describing nouns with adjectives. Let me explain how this works: What is Chinese Adjectives? Chinese adjectives (also known as stative verbs, or state verbs) are used to describe the…
Grammar Point:The phrase 不 bù in Chinese is typically used to negate a statement, similar to how “not” is used in English. Structure 不 + Adjective 加拿大jiānádà的de夏天xiàtiān不bú熱rè加拿大jiānádà的de夏天xiàtiān不bú热rèThe summers in Canada are not hot. 我wǒ家jiā不bú大dà我wǒ家jiā不bú大dàMy house is not big. 我wǒ不bù矮ǎi、 不bú胖pàng、 不bú笨bèn也yě不bù醜chǒu我wǒ不bù矮ǎi、 不bú胖pàng、 不bú笨bèn也yě不bù丑chǒuI am not short, not fat, not stupid, and also not ugly. 小貓xiǎomāo不bù開心kāixīn小猫xiǎomāo不bù开心kāixīnThe…
Grammar Point:In Chinese grammar, 嗎吗 ma and 呢 ne are both sentence-ending particles used to ask questions and seek information or clarification, but they serve different purposes: Final Particles 嗎/吗 ma This is a question marker that is added to the end of a statement to turn it into a yes-no question. It is used…
Grammar Point:In Chinese, the expression 只好 zhǐhǎo is used to convey the idea that someone has no choice but to do something because it’s the only viable option or the best available solution in a given situation. Structure (S) + 只好 zhǐhǎo + V 大家dàjiā都dōu不想bùxiǎng當dāng班代bāndài， 只好zhǐhǎo抽籤chōuqiān決定juédìng大家dàjiā都dōu不想bùxiǎng当dāng班代bāndài， 只好zhǐhǎo抽签chōuqiān决定juédìngNo one wants to be the class representative, so…
Grammar Point:In Chinese grammar, there are several words and phrases that can be used to express a sense of urgency or the need to do something quickly. Here are some commonly used expressions: 趕緊赶紧 gǎnjǐn, 趕赶快 gǎnkuài, 連连忙 liánmáng, and 立刻 lìkè. 趕緊/赶紧 gǎnjǐn It is often used in imperative sentences or statements to urge…
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 5 Grammar Point · HSK 5 簡直 jiǎnzhí — “Simply” 簡直 jiǎnzhí is a Chinese adverb often used to express exaggeration and convey a sense of something being untrue and hypothetical. It’s similar in meaning to English words such as “simply,” “absolutely,” “completely,” “literally,” or “downright.” 簡直 jiǎnzhí barges into…
Grammar Point:根本 gēnběn is a Chinese adverb that the speaker uses to emphasize a negative view or a sense of impossibility. It often conveys a strong sense of negation or skepticism in sentences, highlighting that something is fundamentally lacking or impossible. Structure S + gēnběn + V 加州jiāzhōu房價fángjià那麼nàme高gāo， 年輕人niánqīngrén根本gēnběn買不起mǎibùqǐ房子fángzi加州jiāzhōu房价fángjià那么nàme高gāo， 年轻人niánqīngrén根本gēnběn买不起mǎibuqǐ房子fángziThe housing prices in California are…
Symptoms in Chinese — OneDotDot Chinese (Redesign) 症症狀状與与中中醫医 · Chinese Vocabulary Symptoms in Chinese 症症狀状 zhèngzhuàng A plain list of symptoms is dull on its own, so this one comes with the Traditional Chinese Medicine logic behind each group — how it explains what’s going wrong, and what’s traditionally done about it. The idea behind…