What are Chinese Chengyu? Chengyu 成语 (chéng yǔ) are idioms, usually made up of four Chinese characters. An idiom is a group of words that have a meaning not obviously made through the individual words. Most languages have their own idioms. For example, in English when it rains heavily we commonly say it’s raining ‘cats… Read More
Some of the first recorded texts in China’s history are poems, such as their long and respected history in Chinese culture. Literary Chinese, which came about around 771 BCE, was the language used to write poetry during the ‘golden age’ of China, as well as many popular books of the time such as those written… Read More
It will only take [est_time] to read this post! We’re all so busy, busy, busy. Most of us find it hard to dedicate an hour each day to our Chinese-learning studies. Fortunately, ChinesePod makes easy-to-digest lessons that can follow you offline and on the go. Use the time waiting in line for the bank, on… Read More
It will only take [est_time] to read this post! Did you study Chinese at home and then find that once you arrived in China you couldn’t understand a word anyone said? Don’t feel bad, seriously, you are not the first or the last person who has experienced this bizarre realisation! Sadly, most textbooks aren’t teaching… Read More
At the end of each year, a list of the ‘hottest’ words and phrases from the year are posted on Chinese social media. Just like trending memes on Twitter, Chinese social media has its own version of scathing cultural remarks and self-mockery. Here are some 5 of the hottest Chinese slang of 2017 with an… Read More
When I first started to learn Mandarin, I really couldn’t get my head around the idea that there wasn’t really a word for yes in Chinese. The ones that I initially picked up and used were 是的 (shì de) and 对 (duì), but there are quite a few more that you can use in order… Read More