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Archive | November, 2011

5 reasons to learn Chinese through authentic video content

By on November 29, 2011 in Beginner Chinese, Chinese Learning Tips, FluentU, Intermediate and Advanced Chinese

I have a secret to share with you. It’s embarrassing, but I want the best for our readers. It’s how I broke through Chinese learning plateaus. What’s my secret? Hours upon hours of Chinese dating shows and the Chinese version of “Sex and the City.” My point? Not that you should watch those shows, but [...]

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Essential Chengyu: To play the lute for a cow

By on November 26, 2011 in Essential Chengyu

Have you ever shared something great on Facebook, only to have no one like it? Maybe what you shared wasn’t actually that great. Or maybe your friends lack your taste and sophistication. Maybe it was a case of 对牛弹琴(duì niú tán qín). 对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín) basically means “to cast pearls before swine” or “to preach [...]

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Essential Chengyu: To be dazzled or overwhelmed

By on November 23, 2011 in Essential Chengyu

Have you been to a Chinese casino? If not, you should check one out – they’re so colorful and glitzy that they make Western ones seem quiet and subdued in comparison! If you go, we can’t guarantee that you’ll make money, but they’ll definitely make you 眼花缭乱(yǎn huā liáo luàn). 眼花缭乱(yǎn huā liáo luàn) is [...]

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Essential Chengyu: Smooth talk

By on November 21, 2011 in Essential Chengyu

Have you ever been talked into buying something you didn’t want? Or doing something you didn’t want to do? Then you probably know what it’s like to be smooth talked with 花言巧语 (huā yán qiǎo yǔ). 花言巧语 (huā yán qiǎo yǔ) refers to words that sound nice but are deceiving and artful. Literally, it means “flowery [...]

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Essential Chengyu: Word is bond

By on November 18, 2011 in Essential Chengyu

If you’re into hip-hop music and culture, you may be familiar with the phrase “word is bond.” According to the Urban Dictionary: It’s “short for “My word is my bond”. You’re saying that what you’re saying is true and without reproach.” It means “that you’d stake your life on what you say, and stand behind your [...]

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Essential Chengyu: Warren Buffett’s favorite

By on November 16, 2011 in Essential Chengyu

If you’ve noticed, our blog never promises results in 5 minutes a day.  And we never will, because we still believe that old school values like hard work are the key to success in Chinese (as in other areas in life). If you’re also old school, you may like this chengyu: 脚踏实地 (jiǎo tà shí dì). [...]

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Essential Chengyu for that familiar love story

By on November 14, 2011 in Essential Chengyu

Have you heard this love story before? Two strangers work and live near each other. They’re perfect for each other, but as fate has it, they keep barely missing each other until one moment where they magically meet each other and fall in love. It turns out there is a chengyu that’s perfect for this [...]

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Embrace the Embarrassing Moments: The Importance of Tones!

By on November 11, 2011 in Beginner Chinese, Chinese Learning Tips, Embarrassing Moments, Intermediate and Advanced Chinese

As part of our Embrace the Embarrassing Moments series, we feature a reader’s story about an embarrassing moment from when they were learning Chinese. Of course, the point of it is not to laugh at the reader but to celebrate embarrassing moments, which can actually be helpful to learning Chinese. Enjoy! “My first Chinese Teacher’s name [...]

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Chinese slang to help you celebrate “Magical Singles Day”

By on November 9, 2011 in Advanced Chinese Slang

What is this “Singles Day” business? In 2 days, single Chinese people will be celebrating their singleness together on “Singles Day” –  光棍节 (guāng gùn jié). November 11 (11/11) has been unofficially designated as Singles Day because it appears as 4 “1″s. 光棍 (guāng gùn) generally means bachelor but literally means “bare stick,” making the name [...]

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Essential Chengyu: How to describe the scene at “Occupy Wall Street”?

By on November 7, 2011 in Essential Chengyu

Occupy Wall Street is perhaps the top news story of the day, and Chinese people love to talk about it. Is there a chengyu that you can use next time you talk about it with your Chinese friend or tutor? You bet: 浩浩荡荡 (hàohàodàngdàng). 浩浩荡荡 (hàohàodàngdàng) basically means vast and awe-inspiring and is used mainly for [...]

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