The common expression 几点了？ (Jǐ diǎn le?)        This is the most straightforward way to ask “What time is it?” It’s casual and widely used in everyday conversation. e.g. 你知道现在几点了吗？(Nǐ zhīdào xiànzài jǐ diǎn le ma?) Do you know what time it is now? 妈妈，几点了？我饿了。(Māma, jǐ diǎn le? Wǒ è le.) Mom, what time is it? I’m hungry. 几点了？我们应该回家了吧。(Jǐ diǎn le? Wǒmen yīnggāi huí jiā le ba.) What time is it? We should go home now, shouldn’t we? The uses in sentences 现在几点钟？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn zhōng?)        Adding “钟 (zhōng)” after “几点” makes the questio ..read more

The common expressions and their uses in sentences 怎么 (zěnme)        Subject + 怎么 + ……？ 怎么 + Subject + ……？ This is the most direct and common way to say “how come” in Chinese. It’s versatile and can be used in both informal and slightly more formal contexts. e.g. 怎么你还没去睡觉？(Zěnme nǐ hái méi qù shuìjiào?) How come you haven’t gone to sleep yet? 你怎么知道？(Nǐ zěnme zhīdào?) How come you know? 你们怎么出现这样的误会？(Nǐmen zěnme chūxiàn zhèyàng de wùhuì?) How could such a misunderstanding happen? 怎么回事 (zěnme huí shì)        ……，怎么回事？ 怎么回事，……？ Literally t ..read more

The common expressions their uses in sentences 多久一次 (duō jiǔ yī cì)        Literally “how long once,” used to ask about the frequency of something happening over a period of time. e.g. 你多久去一次健身房？(Nǐ duō jiǔ qù yī cì jiànshēnfáng?) How often do you go to the gym? 你们多久约会一次？(Nǐmen duō jiǔ yuēhuì yī cì?) How often do you go on dates? 她一般多久回一次老家？(Tā yībān duō jiǔ huí yī cì lǎojiā?) How often does she usually go back to her hometown? 多经常 (duō jīngcháng)        Literally “how often,” used to inquire about the regularity of an action. e.g ..read more

The common expressions and their uses in sentences 为什么不 (wèishénme bù)        A direct translation of “why not,” used to question why something shouldn’t be done. e.g. 为什么不试试看新的方法呢？(Wèishénme bù shì shì kàn xīn de fāngfǎ ne?) Why not try a new method? 为什么不把它当做一个挑战呢？(Wèishénme bù bǎ tā dāngzuò yīgè tiǎozhàn ne?) Why not take it as a challenge? 为什么不趁现在开始做计划？(Wèishénme bù chèn xiànzài kāishǐ zuò jìhuà?) Why not start planning now? 干嘛不 (gàn má bù)        This one is more colloquial, which can be used to express “why not” in a more asserti ..read more

The common expressions 我饿了 (Wǒ è le)        The most straightforward way to say “I’m hungry.” It’s casual and commonly used in everyday conversation. e.g. 我饿了，我们现在去吃饭吧？(Wǒ è le, wǒmen xiànzài qù chīfàn ba?) I’m hungry, shall we go eat now? 我饿了，你们饿不饿？(Wǒ è le, nǐmen è bù è?) I’m hungry, are you guys hungry? The uses in sentences Subject + Degree adverb + 饿 To stress the degree of hunger, it’s often to add the degree adverb before the adjective 饿, such as 很，非常，好，特别，有点儿 and etc. e.g. 我好饿啊，我们什么时候吃？(Wǒ hǎo è ā, wǒmen shénme shíhòu chī?) I’m really hungry, when are we e ..read more

The common expressions and their uses in sentences 难怪 (nán guài)        This is the most direct way to say “no wonder” in Chinese, used when something becomes clear or makes sense after the fact. e.g. A: 他们为什么离婚了？(Tāmen wèishéme líhūn le?) Why did they get divorced? B: 因为男的赌博。(Yīnwèi nán de dǔbó.) Because the man gambled. A：难怪。(Nán guài.) No wonder. A：妈妈怎么又生气了？(Māmā zěnme yòu shēngqì le?) Why is mom angry again? B：爸爸又喝醉了。(Bàba yòu hē zuì le.) Dad got drunk again. A：难怪。(Nán guài.) No wonder. 难怪他不回我的消息，他的手机坏了。(Nán guài tā bù huí wǒ de xiāoxī, tā de shǒujī huài le ..read more

The common expressions and their uses in sentences 你喜欢……吗？(Nǐ xǐhuān …… ma?)        This is the most straightforward way to ask “Do you like?” in Chinese, suitable for both formal and informal contexts. e.g. 你喜欢这首歌吗？(Nǐ xǐhuān zhè shǒu gē ma?) Do you like this song? 你喜欢目前的自己吗？(Nǐ xǐhuān mùqián de zìjǐ ma?) Do you like your current self? 你喜欢边泡澡边听歌吗？(Nǐ xǐhuān biān pào zǎo biān tīng gē ma?) Do you like listening to music while taking a bath? 你喜不喜欢……？(Nǐ xǐ bù xǐhuān ……?)        This construction offers a choice between liking and not li ..read more

另外 (lìngwài)        Translates to “in addition” or “furthermore.” It’s used to introduce new information or add to what has been previously said, with a slightly more formal tone. e.g. 这次会议我们主要汇报一下上周的工作，另外，我们还需要讨论下一步的计划。(Zhè cì huìyì wǒmen zhǔyào huìbào yíxià shàng zhōu de gōngzuò, lìngwài, wǒmen hái xūyào tǎolùn xià yí bù de jìhuà.) In this meeting, we will mainly report on last week’s work; furthermore, we need to discuss the next steps of the plan. 我们已经完成了设计工作，另外，生产部门也已经开始准备了。(Wǒmen yǐjīng wánchéng le shèjì gōngzuò, lìngwài, shēngchǎn bùmén yě yǐjīng kāishǐ zh ..read more

The common expressions and their uses in sentences 你有空吗？(Nǐ yǒu kòng ma?)        “你有空吗？” is a common and general way to ask if someone is free. It’s suitable for both formal and informal contexts. For a more casual and concise way, you can use “你空吗？(Nǐ kòng ma?)”, which is popular among friends. e.g. 我想和你聊一聊，你有空吗？(Wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ liáo yì liáo, nǐ yǒu kòng ma?) I’d like to have a chat with you, are you free? 今晚你有空吗？我们一起去看电影。(Jīn wǎn nǐ yǒu kòng ma? Wǒmen yīqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.) Are you free tonight? Let’s go watch a movie together. 明天下午你空吗？(Míngtiān xiàwǔ nǐ kòng ma ..read more

Books are one of the tried-and-true methods for improving written comprehension in foreign languages, but have you considered that you can also use them to boost your listening skills? Audiobooks, in fact, are a fantastic resource for learning Chinese. They help in mastering pronunciation and understanding spoken language. In this guide, we will present a comprehensive overview of the best Chinese audiobooks, tailored for listeners at various proficiency levels. This guide will break them down by Chinese language level, recommend audiobook platforms, and suggest specific resources for every in ..read more