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

Learning Chinese in China offers unparalleled advantages, particularly through immersive learning experiences that significantly enhance language acquisition. Immersion in the local environment allows learners to practice Mandarin in a variety of real-life situations, from navigating public transportation to ordering food, which reinforces classroom learning in a natural and continuous way. Moreover, this direct exposure to the language is complemented by cultural immersion, providing learners with a deeper understanding of Chinese customs, traditions, and social etiquettes. Such an approach n ..read more

Being able to write by hand in English is a skill we often take for granted. It’s a fine motor skill requiring both dexterity and muscle memory that we’ve carefully fine-tuned over decades. Many native English speakers who take on the challenge of learning a new script, such as Chinese, find themselves frustrated by the fact that their handwriting is oversized, poorly balanced, and full of mistakes. But think back to when you were learning to write as a child, your handwriting in English was likely no better. The key to overcoming the obstacles of learning to write in Chinese is to follow the ..read more

In the era of self-published webnovels and TikToks that teach you 10 different ways to say “Hello,” learning a language has become more accessible than ever before. The number of resources for the Chinese language in particular has exploded over the past few years, many of them accessible for free. However, self-study isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Creating your own curriculum can prove challenging, you have no one to ask questions to, and it’s hard to receive feedback when you’re on your own. But! You don’t have to do this all alone. There are also a variety of different classes and ..read more

“You’re learning Chinese? Why don’t you just pick something easier?” “Are you sure you want to do that? It’s going to take forever.” “I could never learn such an intimidating language.” These are all things that teachers, family members, and friends said to me when I started to learn Mandarin Chinese at the age of 16. Yet despite all the comments I heard about the “extreme difficulty” of the language, I always felt that it was actually quite intuitive to pick up. As much as I would love to pretend to be a genius with an innate gift for Chinese fluency, the fact of the matter is that many peopl ..read more