Food Vocabulary 海鮮鲜Seafood in Chinese Squid, cuttlefish, and octopus alone have at least half a dozen overlapping Chinese names between them — even native speakers mix them up. Work through shrimp, crab, shellfish, cephalopods, and a handful of other seafood staples, then a few phrases for ordering. 01 — 蝦類 Shrimp Chinese English Korean Japanese…
Author: tiffany
Money Related & Natural
Chinese Vocabulary · 中文詞彙中文词汇 Money Related and Nature Words in Chinese 金錢與自然詞彙金钱与自然词汇 jīnqián yǔ zìrán cíhuì Before we get into the vocab, here’s a fact about Taiwan worth knowing: it runs one of the more effective recycling systems in the world, recovering just over half of household and business waste and more than three-quarters of…
China National Day
China National Day — OneDotDot Chinese Chinese Festivals · 中國節日中国节日 China National Day 國慶節国庆节 guóqìngjié The official name is a mouthful: the National Day of the People’s Republic of China, 中華人民共和國國慶節中华人民共和国国庆节 Zhōnghuá rénmín gònghéguó guóqìngjié. In everyday use, almost everyone just says 國慶節国庆节 guóqìngjié. The date When is 國慶節国庆节 guóqìngjié? The People’s Republic of China…
Media and Location
Chinese Vocabulary · 中文詞彙中文词汇 Media and Location Words in Chinese 媒體與地點詞彙媒体与地点词汇 méitǐ yǔ dìdiǎn cíhuì Before we get into the vocab, here’s a fact about Taiwan’s diplomatic situation: because most countries follow a “One-China” policy and maintain formal diplomatic ties with Beijing instead, they can’t operate an official “embassy” in Taipei. Instead, many countries run…
More and More
Grammar Point:越來来越 yuèláiyuè is a common Chinese grammatical structure used to express the idea of “increasingly” or “more and more”. It is often used to describe how something is changing or developing over time. The first character 越 yuè means “to exceed” or “to surpass”, while the second character 來来 lái means “to come” or…
Ongoing Particle – 着 zhe
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 2 Grammar Point · HSK 2 著着 zhe — the ongoing particle 著着 zhe shows that an action or state is continuing. It’s common in stories and descriptions, while in everyday conversation people usually use 在在 zài for actions in progress. The key difference: 在在 zài describes an action happening,…
Abbreviations of Chinese Grammar Terms
A field guide for learners Abbreviations of Chinese Grammar Terms Every grammar term you meet in a Chinese textbook comes with a small-print abbreviation — n., v., adj. — borrowed straight from English. Taiwan and mainland China don’t always agree on the term itself, though. Here’s both, side by side. Word-level — parts of speech,…
Taiwan National Day
Taiwan National Day — OneDotDot Chinese Chinese Festivals · 中國節日中国节日 Taiwan National Day 雙十節双十节 shuāngshíjié Taiwan’s National Day is also known as Double Ten Day or Double Tenth Day. It’s a nickname for the date itself — the 10th day of the 10th month. Clearing up the confusion ROC vs. PRC Taiwan’s official name is…
Chinese Measure Words
A field guide for learners Chinese Measure Words A flock of birds. A herd of cows. English has measure words too — it’s just optional. Chinese uses them constantly, and skipping one isn’t a stylistic choice; it’s a mistake. The basics What Is a Measure Word? In English, you can say “There is a flock…
Sushi in Chinese
Food Vocabulary 壽司寿司 Sushi in Chinese Do you know how to order your favorite nigiri in Chinese? Interestingly, the names for sushi ingredients often differ significantly between Taiwan and mainland China (like Salmon being 鮭魚鲑鱼 vs 三文魚三文鱼). Let’s dive into the vocabulary for sushi menus! 🍣 Taipei’s Seafood Paradise If you love sushi and seafood,…