Very often in Chinese, you will come across words that share the same pronunciation, but are written using different characters – the so-calles Chinese homonyms. In this article, we are going to take a look at 4 pairs of homonyms, which are frequently used in both daily conversations and in academic topics. Same Sound,...
Sometimes, you can create two different words by putting two of the same Chinese characters into a different order. In this article, we are going to take a look at 5 examples of reversible Chinese words. Same Characters, Different Meaning It’s believed that a Chinese learner should master around 3500 frequently-used Chinese characters to be able to...
A modal or exclamative particle is an important grammatical concept in Chinese. Adding different exclamative particles at the end of your sentences can help you make your speech more vivid – and consequently, make conversations more effective. Using appropriate Chinese exclamative particles, combined with correct intonation, is an essential way to share your feelings with other people. In...
If you had a chance to talk to many Chinese locals, you might have noticed that people from different regions speak Chinese with different accents. On one hand, it’s a relief – you don’t have to worry too much if don’t understand some words, as the person you are talking to might also “share the blame”....
Even if you started to learn Chinese yesterday, you must have already picked up the famous Chinese greeting which means “hello”: 你好 nǐ hǎo. Well, if we take a look at these two characters separately, it turns out that 你 nǐ means “you”, and 好 hǎo means “good”. As the literal meaning of 你好 nǐ hǎo is “you good”, it can...
In this article, we will take a look at some of the typical and most common Chinese radicals. Importance of Learning Chinese Radicals Unlike in European languages, in Chinese, words are represented by characters. Statistically, there are around 3500 commonly-used Chinese characters. And from time to time, Chinese learners get “awe-struck” when facing some of...
Foreigners in China often experience a cultural shock, because some Chinese habits and ways of living are just beyond their understanding. For example, Chinese people’s passion for drinking hot water still remains a mystery to the outside world… In this article, we’re going to look at some of the habits Chinese people have that baffle foreigners. 1. Collecting plastic bags...
Every culture has its unique features, and people from different cultural backgrounds have different understandings of etiquette and manners. Nevertheless, the nuances in the understanding of etiquette and manners often have a direct impact on people’s daily life, which means people from different countries have their own definition of something being “acceptable” or “unacceptable”. Today...
The younger generation of Chinese people, the so-called “millennials” (80后 and 90后) are quite different from their predecessors. They’re willing to accept different cultures and their lifestyle is, to a certain extent, beyond the old generation’s understanding. In this article, we’re going to look at 5 traits that are special about young people in China. They tend...
In any culture, there is always a part – big or small – that has something to do with superstitions. Chinese culture is of no exception. Chinese people are extremely superstitious about many things (you can become our student and get known about other things in the funniest way). An area that, perhaps, strikes out the most is numbers and dates. People are very...
Shanghai has become China‘s financial center, and hundreds of multinational companies have opened their branches and offices here. As a result, Shanghai’s traffic can get quite overloaded. And yet people in Shanghai have plenty of options to move around the city! So today, we’re going to take a look at some of the most common means of transportation...
Every country has its own culture, and China is of no exception here. Many foreigners, after living in China for several years, have noticed some drastic differences between the western culture and the Chinese culture. They’re also baffled by some Chinese people’s habits that can be observed in their daily life. In this article, we’re...
Chinese people clearly understand the importance of education. Therefore, how to educate children has always been a topic which leads to heated discussions. However, Chinese parents’ attitude towards their kids is quite different from the western stereotype. In this article we’re going to find out how parents in China deal with their kids in terms...
China’s economy is growing rapidly and it offers numerous job opportunities to young people. However, as a result of the rapid economic growth, Chinese people are faced with big work pressure and often don’t have much time left for themselves apart from weekends. It’s interesting to know what young people in China like to do...
An unforgettable wedding is what every girl is longing for because presumably you’ll have it only once in your life. The concept of “family” is highly valued in the Chinese culture, and that’s probably why Chinese people are willing to spend fortunes of money on holding an extraordinary wedding. If you have a Chinese friend...
Chinese people are famous for their hospitality and they are always excited to show foreigners about the Chinese culture. They’re also curious about people from different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, if you’re a foreigner living in China, don’t feel surprised if your Chinese friends invite you to their places for a visit, even if you’re not...
China pays great attention to courtesy, even when it comes to food culture. Dining etiquette is deep-rooted in the Chinese history, table manners and distinctive courtesies are two indispensable parts of an enjoyable dining experience. In this article we will offer you a few advice on what you need to pay attention to when eating...
In Chinese, the word guanxi (关系) has two basic meanings – “relationship” and “connections”. It’s not an exagerration to say that Chinese people are dealing with guanxi almost every minute of their daily lives. It includes one’s relationships with parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, and pretty much everyone around. If you are in China, guanxi may come...
More and more Chinese people use different apps to make their lives more convenient. As Chinese economy continues to grow, Chinese people have realized that time is money. That’s one of the reasons why everyone is so keen on using lifestyle mobile apps – they save a lot of time, both at work and at home! In this article, we look at...
China’s growing economy provides numerous job opportunities to locals and foreigners alike. Many people see China as the right place to pursue a career, counting on its huge economic potential. China has recently gone through a series of reforms in different areas, including education, so the so-called “state job allocation for college graduates” now no longer exists....
