“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…
Topic-Oriented Method: The Most Efficient Way to Learn Hundreds of Chinese Characters
The Chinese language has a reputation for its complex grammar and difficult writing system, not to mention its deep culture background. Only a few brave souls go and attempt to…
Learning Through the Screen: How Chinese TV can Become Your Chinese Teacher
No matter how much I love learning Chinese, studying from a textbook can start to get boring after awhile. While the textbook’s explanations are clear, sometimes I just need to…
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…
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…
Learning and Teaching Chinese Language Through Song
Songs are a great way to learn a new language as well as mandarin Chinese, because through music you can learn words and phrases from the lyrics. What is particularly…
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…