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Dragon Boat Festival — OneDotDot Chinese Chinese Festivals · 中國節日中国节日 Dragon Boat Festival 端午節端午节 duānwǔjié 端午節端午节 duānwǔjié falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month — a festival of dragon boat races, sticky rice dumplings, and a whole calendar’s worth of folk remedies against summer’s bad luck. Also known as Duanwu What is…
Grammar Point:In Chinese, “how” can be translated as 怎么样 zěnme yàng or simply 怎么 zěnme, depending on the context. As for “how long,” it can be translated as 多久 duō jiǔ. How – 怎麼/怎么 zěnme Depending on the context, 怎麼怎么 zěnme can be translated as “how” or “what”. It is used to indicate the manner…
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 2 Grammar Point · HSK 2 可能可能 kěnéng — “may” / “possibly” 可能可能 kěnéng expresses possibility. Use it to say that something is likely or might be true. 可能可能 kěnéng goes right after the subject and before the verb or adjective, just like “may” or “probably” in English. 1Structure S…
Grammar Point:In Chinese grammar, the term 應該应该 yīnggāi is used to express “should” or “ought to” in a general sense. It indicates what is considered the proper or expected course of action. Structure S + 應該应该 + V + O The term 應該应该 yīnggāi can be shortened to just 該该 gāi while still conveying a…
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 2 Grammar Point · HSK 2 得得 de — Verb Modifier The verb modifier 得得 de comes between the verb and the complement, describing the result or state of the action represented by the verb. In Mandarin Chinese, the results always come after the actions. 1 Structure V + 得得…
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 2 Grammar Point · HSK 2 一起 yìqǐ and 一塊 yíkuài一块儿 yíkuàir The word “together” in Chinese can be translated as 一起 yìqǐ or 一塊 yíkuài一块儿 yíkuàir. Both terms convey doing something in a shared or collective manner. The subject must be in plural form (e.g., using a plural pronoun…
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 2 Grammar Point · HSK 2 Chinese Bigger Numbers萬 wàn万 wàn & 億 yì亿 yì In Chinese, numbers beyond 10,000 follow a different naming pattern compared to English. Two new units do all the work: 萬 wàn万 wàn and 億 yì亿 yì. Understanding how to express bigger numbers in Chinese…
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 2 Grammar Point · HSK 2 別别 bié — “don’t” 別别 bié is how Mandarin tells someone not to do something, or to stop doing something they’re already doing. The good news: 別别 bié almost always works the same way. Put it right before the verb (or adjective) you want…
OneDotDot Chinese Grammar · HSK 2 Grammar Point · HSK 2 Chinese Personal Pronouns 2自己自己 zìjǐ — Myself, Yourself, Oneself One word covers myself, yourself, himself and themselves — 自己自己 zìjǐ stays the same no matter who you’re talking about. 自己自己 zìjǐ does three jobs: it says someone did something by themselves, that an action…
Grammar Points:The words “剛刚 gāng” and “剛剛刚刚 gānggāng” are used to indicate an action that has just happened a short while ago. However, there are some subtle differences in their meanings and usage: 剛/刚 gāng It is an adverb that can only be used before a verb or adjctive and after a subject. It emphasizes…