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Archive | July, 2012

Top 10 Tweets of July

By on July 30, 2012 in FluentU, Top 10 Tweets of the Month

The sweltering July heat didn’t slow us down here at FluentU! We were honored to be featured on premier Chinese learning blogs iLearn Mandarin and Confused Laowai, be named one of the best Chinese Twitter feeds at Hacking Chinese, and surpass 500 followers on Twitter! As we approach public launch of our amazing new video-based Chinese [...]

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Chinese Learner Interview Series: Sarah Heintze

By on July 26, 2012 in Chinese Learner Interview Series, Chinese Learner Interviews, Chinese Learning Tips

Next up in our Chinese Learner Interview Series is Sarah Heintze.  In her own words, My name is Sarah, although my friends call me Selly. You’re very welcome to use my Chinese nickname 小南瓜 (very popular among my friends!) or just use my Chinese name: 韩香萍. I’m German but I moved to Ireland seven years [...]

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No Nonsense Newbie Tips:想 vs. 觉得

By on July 24, 2012 in Beginner Chinese, Chinese Grammar Tips, No Nonsense Newbie Tips

In the next installment of our No Nonsense Newbie Tips, lets examine another important distinction long giving Chinese learners grief. Like “I know“, “I think” is one of the very first phrases learned when studying a foreign language.  In Chinese, there are two phrases with much overlap that can both be translated as “I think”- 我想 and [...]

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3 Chengyus for New iPad Launch in China

By on July 20, 2012 in Essential Chengyu, Intermediate and Advanced Chinese

Despite a glut of counterfeit products, Apple has been finding stunning success in China. Today, Apple looks to build on this success with the launch of the “New iPad” in China. Whether you are an Apple fanatic or stubborn skeptic, we bring you 3 chengyus to celebrate the occasion!   1.  万众瞩目- wàn zhòng zhǔ mù 万 [...]

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Hot on Weibo: The Anatomy of a “Winning” Character

By on July 18, 2012 in Beginner Chinese, Hot on Weibo

What are five qualities a winner must possess?  How could you represent them all in one character? A fascinating image circulated on Weibo this week.  It is a great example of the profound and logical beauty found in so many common Chinese characters. It analyzes  the five radicals which together form the character 赢 (yíng- to [...]

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Chinese Learner Interview Series: Dan Jones

By on July 16, 2012 in Chinese Learner Interview Series, Chinese Learner Interviews, Chinese Learning Tips

Next up in our Chinese learner interview series is experienced learner Dan Jones.  Be sure to check out his blog here, where he posts lots of great photographs from China.  In his own words: I’m from the Wales and currently teaching English at the Dalian University of Technology. I love photography, I have my own projects [...]

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No Nonsense Newbie Tips: 知道 vs 认识

By on July 13, 2012 in Beginner Chinese, Chinese Grammar Tips, No Nonsense Newbie Tips

For the first in our series No Nonsense Newbie Tips, let’s tackle the particularly thorny issue of 知道 (zhīdào) versus 认识 (rènshi). Both approximately hover around the English “to know”, but there are very important differences between the two. There are certain circumstances where usage might be interchangeable, but more often than not you’ll want [...]

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New Series: No Nonsense Newbie Tips!

By on July 12, 2012 in Beginner Chinese, No Nonsense Newbie Tips

With over 100 blog posts under our belt, we’ve decided to switch gears a bit. This past year, we’ve had a blast bringing you essential chengyus, advanced slang, hot on Weibo, Chinese learner interviews, embarrassing moments, and everything in between. As we consider the opportunities moving forward, we have decided to include a segment thus [...]

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Chinese Learner Interview Series: Natasha Lutes

By on July 11, 2012 in Chinese Learner Interview Series, Chinese Learner Interviews, Chinese Learning Tips

There are countless fascinating Chinese language learners out there, and we are honored to feature interviews with many of them here. Next up in our series is Natasha Lutes.  In her own words, I’m 25, married to a Taiwanese man and living in Taiwan. I’ve been here for three years now, though I originally came here [...]

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Hot on Weibo: 7 Flimsiest Breakup Reasons

By on July 9, 2012 in Chinese Slang 101, Hot on Weibo

When summer-loving has run its course and it’s time to part ways, you’ll always remember the final words. If you have ever been dumped with the standard “it’s not you, it’s me”, take solace that it could have been worse. This week, Weibo users posted about the most “flimsy” or “baseless” reasons for breaking up. [...]

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