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…
Making a Clean Sweep of all Basic Associated Constructions in Chinese
You may have hit a wall in the study of Function words in Chinese. Maybe you have mastered Function words like “着”, “了”, “过”, but the next step is to…
The Extended Usages of “起来”(qǐlái ) and “下去”(xiàqu)
The Chinese language is rich with a variety of directional verbs that add depth and nuance to everyday conversations. Among these, 起来 (qǐlái) and 下去 (xiàqu) are two commonly used…
Mastering Chinese Prepositions: When to Use 从, 离, 向 and 往
If you've been learning Mandarin for over a year, you've probably come across a situation where you have to choose between using 从(cóng) or 离(lí), or 向(xiàng) or 往(wǎng) when…
Mastering When to Use 一点儿 and 有一点儿
Learning a new language can be challenging, especially when it comes to mastering the nuances and subtleties of everyday conversation. As a Chinese teacher, I often notice my students using…
Practical Mandarin: Essential Ways to Express Approximate Numbers
When it comes to expressing approximate numbers in Mandarin, whether it's related to time, weight, age, or any other numerical term, there are various ways to convey this concept. In…