“Almost” The Same – A Comparison of 差点儿, 几乎, and 差不多
When delving into the world of Chinese language and texts, you'll often come across different expressions that seemingly translate to the same word in English. But here's the thing: every…
All About Chinese Prefixes and Suffixes
In this article, we are going to take a look at a very practical part of vocabulary-prefixes and suffixes. You might find it a little bit odd because prefixes and…
Think Fast: Reacting Quickly in Chinese with 连忙, 急忙, and 匆忙
As learners progress beyond the introductory stage, the desire to employ more complex words to convey specific and intricate meanings becomes inevitable. It is during this phase that they encounter…
Enhance Your Chinese Vocabulary: Saying “Sometimes” Using 时而
As beginners, almost all Chinese learners are taught the word 有时候 (yǒu shíhou), which means "sometimes". However, as you delve deeper into the language, you'll find that this word cannot…
忽然 vs 突然: an analysis of the word “suddenly” in Chinese
When you want to express “all of a sudden” or “suddenly”, there are two words that come to mind: 突然 and 忽然. Both of these words can be used before…
A Summary of the Different Aspects of Chinese Action Expressions
In English, the verb is usually the key to show the different aspects of an action in English, such as be / be doing / was / was doing /…
Exploring Emphasis: Understanding the ‘是…的’ Structure in Chinese Grammar
If you’re a beginner Chinese learner looking to delve beyond the basics and start creating more dynamic sentences, look no further! In our Chinese Made Simple Level 1 Course, we…
How to Tell Tenses in Chinese -Use the Adverbs and Nouns of Time Correctly
Unlike English and some other languages, Chinese doesn’t have a specialized pattern of verb changes to indicate tenses. So how do the Chinese tell the different tenses apart? Well, we…
Decoding Chinese Homophones: Understanding the Meaning Behind Similar Pronunciations
Homophones can be one of the biggest enigmas learners face when it comes to the Chinese language. First, picture this: two sentences, both containing the character "花" (huā), yet discussing…