Learn a little Chinese every day
The word “the” is used frequently in English, and you may wonder how to translate it into Chinese. However, there is no direct equivalent for “the” in Chinese. One common usage of “the” in English is to refer to specific nouns. In Chinese, there are three ways to express this concept. Using Topic-comment Structure In…
Before we look up the direction words in Chinese, let me tell you something. There are two different ways people tell you to turn: Southerners use the word 拐 guǎi while Northerners use the word 轉/转 zhuǎn. In Taiwan, we also use 轉/转 zhuǎn. For example, 前面左轉/前面左转 qiánmiàn zuǒzhuǎn (turn left in the front). Basic…
The Difference Between 安心 ānxīn and 放心 fàngxīn Both 安心 ānxīn and 放心 fàngxīn indicate a sense of peace or ease, but they have slightly different nuances. 安心 emphasizes a feeling of calmness that results from a sense of safety and security, and it is often used to describe a general sense of well-being. For…
What is the most common sentence order in Chinese? 📌 Time + Subject + How + Location + Action * Time words can either go after the subject or before the subject.* If you want to specify the direction, the directional word should come after ‘how’ and before ‘location’. Time Subject How Direction Location Action 去年 弟弟 坐船…
The three verbs 能 néng, 會会 huì, and 可以 kěyǐ can all be translated as “can” in English. However, each of these terms has a unique meaning, and they are not always interchangeable. At times, their meanings do overlap, but not always. 能 néng 能 néng emphasizes one’s natural ability, as opposed to learned ability….
Before we look up the location and appliance words in Chinese, let me ask you a question. Do you know that the proportion of Taiwanese over the age of twenty living with their parents is 33.5 percent, according to the latest statistics from Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior? About a million of those between 35 and…
力氣力气 lìqìlìqi and 力量 lìliàng can both be translated to power, strength, force, or energy. Both serve as nouns. So, if you are looking for an adjective like strong, please check the difference between 強 qiáng and 強壯 qiángzhuàng. 力氣 lìqì /力气 lìqi 力氣力气 lìqìlìqi generally refers to physical strength or effort, particularly the strength required for manual labor…
Before we look up the location words in Chinese, let me tell you a story. In my first year of teaching, I didn’t know much about China. One day my student asked me, “Tiffany I am going to Kenting next month to take a rest and have fun. Do you recommend any nice “jiǔdiàn” (hotel)? And…
強 qiáng and 強壯强壮 qiángzhuàng both can be translated to strong.Both serve as adjectives. So, if you are looking for a noun like power, or strength, please check the difference between 力氣力气 lìqìlìqi and 力量 lìliàng 強壯 / 强壮 qiángzhuàng 強壯强壮 qiángzhuàng indicates the physical conditions or vigor. 多duō運動yùndòng可以kěyǐ讓ràng你的nǐde身體shēntǐ變biàn得de更gèng強壯qiángzhuàng多duō运动yùndòng可以kěyǐ让ràng你的nǐde身体shēntǐ变biàn得de更gèng强壮qiángzhuàngRegular exercise can make your body stronger. 老虎lǎohǔ是shì很hěn強壯qiángzhuàng的de動物dòngwù老虎lǎohǔ是shì很hěn强壮qiángzhuàng的de动物dòngwùThe tiger is a strong…
Before we look up the occupation words in Chinese, let me tell you a fun fact. It’s very common and polite to address a woman you don’t know or a waitress “xiǎojiě” in Taiwan. However, you may upset people when you use it in China. That is because “xiǎojiě” is used as “street girl, prostitute”…