The Doorknob Theory of Chinese
A few years back, Nicholas Kristof wrote a New York Times column about the Peace Corps that might have gone unnoticed—as much as a Nicholas Kristof column can go unnoticed—if…
Dig Mandarin’s Book of the Month: Cheng & Tsui’s “Strive for a 5-AP Chinese Practice Tests”
Following up on last’s month article, we continue with this month’s edition of “ DigMandarin’s Book Of The Month”, brought to you by the publisher of “Integrated Chinese”— Cheng &Tsui’s…
A Beginner’s Guide to Asking Questions in Chinese: Particles and Sentence Patterns
Asking questions in Chinese is not only a vital component of language learning but also a fundamental skill for effective communication. Mandarin, being a tonal language, requires more than simply…
Expressing Location and Existence in Chinese: Using 在, 有 and 是
When describing the position of an object or person in a sentence, Mandarin Chinese commonly uses three verbs: 在(zài), 是(shì), and 有(yǒu). These verbs convey different nuances and can be…
How to Address Someone Based on Their Status in Chinese
Do people in China still use the term 同志 (tóng zhì) to address each other? Although you may have seen people in communist China calling each other 同志 with enthusiasm…
120 Daily Used Short Sentences
Hi all, today my article is quite easy to understand and very useful for every beginner, as it contains 120 useful short sentences in Mandarin language that you can definitely…
上 and 下 in Chinese: Beyond the Basic “Up” and “Down”
Have you ever stopped to consider how often you use the words 上(shàng) and 下(xià) in your daily life? These two characters are so ubiquitous in the Chinese language that…
Mastering 把 Sentences: Key Uses and Examples for Chinese Learners
Are you struggling with mastering 把 sentences in Chinese? You're not alone! For many learners, this grammar concept can be a major pain point. But fear not, as we're here…
Some Tips on Past Tenses Illustration (Intermediate Level)
Example: “我吃了火锅” 1. We know that when you add “了” after a verb, it indicates that this action happened at some time in the past, like“我吃了火锅” just means “ I…