Author Archive | Sheena Dizon

Chinese for Beginners: The 6 First Lessons You Should Learn

Imagine learning a language with no cases, genders or tenses. Sound too good to be true? Then let me take it up a notch by throwing a simple grammar system into the mix. Now it really sounds like I’m …

Meet the Chinese Language: The Master Guide to Chinese and Its Dialects

There’s so much to uncover with the Chinese language, in both its written and spoken forms. I’ve lived in China for the majority of my life and I still learn new things every day. If you find Chinese as mysterious …

过 Guo in Chinese: 11 Ways Guo Functions as a Verb, Adverb and Aspect Particle

You’ve probably come across tons of vocabulary lists, with one simple translation per character or word. But if you have any experience with the language, Chinese characters rarely have a singular definition. On top of that, characters can take on …

Chinese De Particles: What’s the Difference Between 的, 得 and 地?

Ever heard of the Chinese de? It may sound like the exclamation “duh” in English, but it’s something slightly more complicated in Chinese. The Chinese de isn’t just some simple utterance, but rather, an important (and nuanced) element of Chinese …

Chinese Grammar: The Complete Guide to 15 Core Elements

Chinese grammar is logical, structural and simple. To be completely honest, Chinese language structures make more sense to me than grammar rules of other languages—English included. Let’s explore the key grammatical elements of the Chinese language system, and I think …

30 Must-have Chinese Apps for Spending Time in China

No access to Google, YouTube, Facebook or Whatsapp in China? No problem! The Great Firewall of China might prevent you from browsing your usual sites and platforms, but there are plenty of alternatives and essentials that will tide you over.…

10 Popular Video Games Available in Chinese for a Chill Immersion Experience

It’s amazing how much you can pick up when you’re gaming in another language. I’m not even a huge gamer myself. But when I find something I like, I get completely absorbed. And I love a good Chinese review sesh …

My Complete ChineseClass101 Review: Is It Worth Upgrading from a Free Account?

It has been floating around on language learning forums that ChineseClass101 is pretty good in terms of course flexibility and catering to all levels of learners, so I thought I’d give it a go. If you’ve been curious about …

The 24 Best Apps for Learning Chinese in 2022

Chinese learning apps are an awesome addition to your study toolbox. They can connect you with native speakers, teach you how to write Chinese characters, help you remember vocabulary, and more. We’ve been reviewing Chinese learning resources and written hundreds …

7 Handy Tools That Give You the Pinyin Subtitles You Want

If you’re interested in Chinese culture, you might have gotten into it through being captivated by Mandarin-language movies and television shows. But unfortunately for beginner learners, watching Chinese films authentically usually isn’t possible. Most Chinese films offer 汉字 (hàn zì)…

How Many Chinese Characters Are There? A Guide for Fluency and HSK Goals

How many Chinese characters do you need to know to be considered fluent in Chinese? Or to pass the different HSK test levels? In this post, we’ll walk you through the importance of Chinese characters and how learning them …

Merry Christmas and More! 10 Warm Chinese Christmas Greetings and Traditions

The smell of the holidays is in the air, whether you’re ready for it or not! People are decorating for Christmas, prepping for cozy parties and preparing gifts for the ones they love. And not just in the United States …

Learn Chinese with Songs: 15 Awesome Tracks for Memorizing Mandarin

Music is the language of the soul. It can also be a tool. But how exactly can an English speaker learn Chinese with songs? [fluentu-toc] How Can I Learn Chinese with Songs? Watching Taiwanese dramas and listening to …

The Ultimate Guide to Understanding and Mastering Chinese Particles

If I asked you to name the parts of speech, could you name all of them? Nouns. Verbs. Adjectives. Adverbs. Pronouns. Prepositions. Conjunctions. Determiners. Interjections. Those are the nine parts of speech that we learned about in school. I don’t …

Beyond the Basics: All the Different Ways to Say “And” in Chinese

One of the easiest ways to make your language skills sound more advanced is by connecting your thoughts using conjunctions like “and.” Just look at the difference: I like to eat chicken. I also like to eat beef. I like …

How to Talk About the Months in Chinese (Gregorian and Lunar Calendars)

If you’re a beginner in Chinese, you’ll want to learn how to say the months in Mandarin. You’ll should also know how to translate dates and related phrases so you can talk about appointments and or describe when something …

How to Talk About the Days of the Week in Standard, Colloquial and Modern Chinese

It’s hard to have a conversation in Chinese without knowing how to describe something as simple as the date. Did you know there are actually three ways you could say “Saturday” and six ways you can say “Sunday” in Mandarin?…

55 Words and Phrases to Talk About Money in Chinese with Ease

Money makes the world go round, doesn’t it? Okay, money isn’t everything, but it does play a huge part in our lives. 钱 (qián) is money in Chinese, but do you know other vocabulary and phrases to talk …

Feel It Out! 20 Chinese Feelings and How to Express Those Emotions Like a Native Speaker

As humans, we talk about our emotions all the time. Whether it’s feelings towards other people, behaviors or inanimate objects, we like to let others know how we feel. So if you’re learning Chinese, it’s important to learn the words …

30+ Must-know Chinese Honorifics for Being Polite Like a Pro

I never really liked being referred to as “ma’am.” It always makes me feel old. Although it sure beats hearing people shout “lady” to get my attention. It might not be rude in every culture, but it definitely isn’t polite …

Congratulations in Chinese: How to Shower Praise like a Supportive Native Speaker

Life is too short to not celebrate each other and each other’s proud accomplishments—big and small! There are infinite events and moments in life worth celebrating. From an engagement to landing a new job, acing your driver’s test to becoming …

Get What You Want in Chinese: How to Express Desires and Needs

How often do you claim that you need something when it’s merely something that you want? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. People confuse their wants with their needs all the time. While humans really only need food, water, …

70+ Body Parts in Chinese: A Complete List of Body-related Words and Idioms

So how much of the body or 身体 (shēn tǐ) do you actually know? You might’ve already come across the easy body parts in Chinese. Maybe you know how to say 皮肤 (pí fū) for …

12 Inspirational Quotes in Chinese to Help You Keep Calm and Carry On

Have you been feeling down in the dumps lately? Life can be pretty rough at times, which can make it hard for us to remain positive 100% of the time. But as the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, …

13 Beautiful Chinese Words with Fascinating Hidden Meanings

Serendipity. Ethereal. Limerence. These are just a handful of the most beautiful words in the English language. What deems a word beautiful? Is it the way it rolls off your tongue? What about the word pulchritudinous? It doesn’t exactly …

10 Unique Resources to Easily Learn Mandarin Online

Are you learning Mandarin with textbooks and would like to have online resources to supplement your learning? Or, are you looking to study Mandarin without textbooks altogether? If so, keep reading because, in this blog post, I will give you …

10 Iconic Chinese Poems to Deepen Your Cultural Knowledge

Poems and other forms of literature reveal various perspectives and truths that a typical history textbook may lack. In addition to being a model for teaching language skills, poetry often contains references to epics, folk tales and stories of …

60 Animals in Chinese and Their Cultural Significance

If you’re learning Mandarin Chinese, at some point you’ll probably want to be able to talk about animals. After all, animals figure prominently in Chinese cultural stories and everyday idioms. Not to mention, China is home to thousands of …

The 10 Best Chinese Songs of All Time for Your Next KTV Party

If there’s one activity that Chinese people love, it’s karaoke. Whether they’re social drinkers or don’t drink at all, there’s nothing that’ll easily bring people together like a KTV party. You might not be as enthusiastic about it, but …

Just Press Play! 16 Chinese Movies with English Subtitles

Watch movies to learn Chinese, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. But if you aren’t already proficient in the language, watching Chinese movies is just plain overwhelming. It’s a tricky language! How are you supposed to follow along …

ChinesePod Review: An Honest Look at the Chinese Learning Podcast

In the world of online Chinese language learning, podcasts are pretty underrated. A lot of language learners these days desire accessibility and ease, with quick daily exercises and elements that are way cooler than a boring old textbook. Some …

The 16 Best YouTube Channels for Learning Chinese in 2022

Perhaps the biggest challenge of learning Chinese on YouTube is navigating through the sea of content. These 16 YouTube channels are great starting points. Also included are tips for making the most of your video study plans. Read on for …

The Ultimate Vocabulary Guide to Family Introductions in Chinese

Meeting the family can be pretty awkward. Whether you’re being introduced as the new love interest or even just as a classmate, there’s a lot of pressure to make a good first impression with the parents. Throw in a language …

Wondering How to Order Food in Mandarin? Start Here!

Deciding what you want to eat can be very difficult when you love food. But deciding what you want from a foreign-language menu? That’s even harder. In this post, we’ll help you get up to speed on all the …

The Hardest Chinese Words to Pronounce and How to Master Them

Yin and yang, P.F. Chang’s… Chinese words can’t be all that difficult to pronounce, right? The truth? Chinese is one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn. There are tons of vocab words that are difficult to …

Instant Mandarin: 5 Chinese Character Recognition Apps

Have you ever had to order from a Chinese menu with no pictures? In China, you’ll find that a lot of local places have their list of food items on the wall, with no English translations and no images to …

4 Ways Mandarin Speakers Show Love Without “I Love You”

Saying “I love you” in Mandarin is sometimes as simple as saying 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ). But there are also many other, less straightforward ways to convey the same sentiments. In China, you’d mostly use expressions other than “I love …

Chinese Birthdays 101: “Happy Birthday” in Mandarin and More

Your Chinese partner just invited you to their mother’s birthday celebration. It’s your first time meeting the parents (and the rest of the family). You want to make a good first impression, so you decide that you …

Blessings and Good Fortune! How to Wish Someone Good Luck in Native Sounding Chinese

Luck is a huge part of Chinese culture. So it may come as no surprise that there are many different ways to wish someone “good luck” in Chinese. Whether someone just started a new job, is getting married …

Lovers, Pals, Strangers… Chinese Terms of Endearment for All!

Are you more of a “sweetheart” person, or do you prefer “babe”? Perhaps you’re into millennial terms like “bae.” Some cringe at pet names altogether, but hey, to each their own, right? Regardless of how you feel about them, the …

Play with a Full Deck: Chinese Vocabulary Cards for Learners of All Levels

Flashcards are great for studying, but who has time to make them these days? It’s true that creating flashcards by hand offers that tactile learning experience, which stimulates better recall for character writing. However, not everyone has the patience (or …

How Do Plurals Work in Chinese? The Simple 3-step Guide

What do you mean, no plurals?! You may’ve heard that in Chinese, nouns are the same in both singular and plural forms. You can’t just tack on an -s, like we do in English. So how will you …

Take a Sick Day: Over 50 Chinese Medical Terms for Anything That Ails You

A hospital’s a scary place. It’s even worse when you don’t speak the language. Sure, you can resort to your handy, dandy translation app. However, neither you nor the hospital staff has time to be communicating via mobile dictionaries.…

The 14 Best Taiwanese Dramas for Dramatically Better Chinese Listening Skills

It’s no secret that Chinese shows and Chinese dramas are great tools to help you flex your listening skills. Taiwanese dramas (also called TDrama or TWDrama) are no different! If you want to fine-tune your Chinese listening skills the fun …

5 Fun and Easy Jokes in Chinese to Impress Your Friends

How good are you at keeping a conversation going? Holding a conversation is a social skill that doesn’t come naturally for all of us. Sometimes even chitchat in our native tongue can be a real challenge. But the real question …

The Easy Guide to Chinese Vowels in Pinyin: A, E, I, O, U, Ü and Beyond

Did you know that Chinese has vowels too? That’s right, Chinese characters can be translated into a romanized version called pinyin. This spells out the characters in a way that is easier for Latin language speakers to understand. While pinyin…

Chinese Writing Practice: 6 Tools for Mastering Written Hanzi

Like most skills, learning to write in Chinese takes practice. Recognizing a word in context is a different skill from being able to write it down. Luckily, we’re found some of the best available resources. These will provide you with …

How to Remember Chinese Tones and Sound Like a Native

Conversation is a lost art. If you don’t understand the importance of tones when speaking Mandarin Chinese, odds are everyone will be lost after your conversation. There’s no way around it. If you want to say what you mean, …

How to Say No in Chinese: Denying, Declining, Rejecting and Denouncing

How many ways can you say, “no”? Let’s see. You could say, “I’m all right, thanks,” “I’d rather not” and “that’s wrong.” There are also the colloquial variations, such as “nah” and “nope,” and some indirect forms like “we’ll …

Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation: Overview + Practice Guide

Afraid to try out your Chinese pronunciation? Some say that Mandarin Chinese is so hard to learn. They say the phonetic system pushes you so far from your comfort zone that it makes pronunciation a nightmare. It’s true that …

Be the Barista’s Favorite: How to Perfectly Order Coffee in Chinese

You’ve got a busy day ahead. The baristas at your local coffee joint do, too. They’re running around grinding beans, steeping tea, taking orders, cleaning counters… Neither of you really have time to play charades for every item on their …

20 Best Classic Movies for Learning Chinese

Learning Chinese can be as entertaining as it is educational. Keep scrolling down to check out my favorite films for Chinese language learners! [fluentu-toc] Best Strategies for Learning Chinese from Movies Don’t get the popcorn popping just yet. First, …

Mandarin on the Go: 17 Awesome Chinese Podcasts in 2022 You’ve Never Heard Of

Mandarin Chinese language podcasts could be a great way to improve your Chinese listening skills, especially if you often have to ask native speakers to repeat what they said until you understand. Instead of spending most of our time on …