10 ways to use 点 (diǎn)
点 (diǎn) is one of those characters in Mandarin that pops-up all over the place. In the dictionary, there are multiple meanings given, including “dot”, “point”, a “small amount”. In…
The Major Differences Between 两(liǎng) and 二(èr)
Are you learning Chinese and struggling to differentiate between the two words for "two" - 二 and 两? Don't worry, you're not alone! Many Chinese learners find it difficult to…
Chinese Characters Learning: The “Three Drops Of Water” Radical
A radical is collection of brush strokes in Chinese that conveys a certain meaning. Radicals are combined to form characters, and recognizing a particular radical can often give you a clue as to that…
5 Common Mistakes Chinese Learners Make
Having taught Chinese for a while, we’ve noticed a lot of common errors that English speakers make when learning Chinese. This is understandable, as Chinese has very different grammatical rules…
3 Sets of Similar Chinese Words…or are they?
Chinese is a rich language with a vast vocabulary - every nuance of a given concept or object is expressed by its own word. This can get confusing, as there…
Essential Mandarin Phrases for Speaking with Your Chinese Customers
As increasing numbers of Chinese nationals are traveling abroad, more and more of us are welcoming Mandarin speakers to our hometowns and workplaces as guests and clients. No longer is…
Recommended Cool Games for Mandarin Learning
Imagine if you could play a role playing game and by the end of it, you would be fluent in Chinese? Sounds stupid, right? Traditional logic states it is stupid…
Using “很 (hěn)” with Adjectives
“How do you describe something in Chinese?” This is a question that our tutors often encounter in our Chinese classes for beginners. It sounds like a basic grammar rule, but…
These Flashcards Might Help You Learn Chinese
If you’re learning Chinese, then there is almost no way to avoid flashcards short of enrolling yourself in an extremely rural elementary school and starting from scratch. You need some…