I thought for ages before deciding on a title for this post, no matter what I came up with they all seemed, well, wrong. This just seems to be one of those phrases that is difficult to express succinctly in … Continue reading
The first time I heard 超（chāo）”super” used to emphasise a statement I was in a curry house in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, when one of the delivery people came back into the restaurant from outside and said 外面超冷（wài miàn chāo lěng）, which … Continue reading
When you think of the Chinese character 口（kǒu）you’ll no doubt think of “mouth”, though 口 is also used as a general word to represent openings. The image below shows three examples of how 口 can be used to represent an … Continue reading
Depending on where you are in the (English speaking) world, the box outside your house or apartment for receiving letters might be known as a mailbox or letterbox, and the Chinese equivalent is just as simple: 信箱 Pinyin: xìn xiāng … Continue reading
This has to be up there with some of the most fun Chinese sayings – it stands out in a sentence, and will cause some puzzled reactions if you use it among people who’ve never heard it. 露出馬腳（露出马脚） Pinyin: lòu … Continue reading
Here’s an interesting phrase that I came across the other day while talking with a friend. I had mentioned that the transfer time for their flight might not be enough, and if there were to be a delay they would … Continue reading
When learning new words it’s often good to compare them to other similar words in order to extract the subtle meanings of each and the ways in which they can be used. As your Chinese improves, using the right word … Continue reading
Here’s an extremely useful, yet extremely easy saying to understand. This is perfect for when you want to emphasise that something is impossible by comparing it to something that is easier, yet equally impossible. It is exactly the same as … Continue reading
The following is a guest post by reader Dave Vallance, ‘Software QM by day, Chinese student, amateur musician and closet Baileys drinker by night.‘ As good as the food in Asia can be, there are just those times when you … Continue reading
Yes, you read the title of this post correctly. There are no less than five ways to say “no” in Mandarin. Though naturally the meanings all vary slightly, as does the situations and places you might use or see each … Continue reading
