Author Archive | Sheena Dizon

15 Ways to Say Congratulations in Chinese: Common Phrases and What They Mean (With Examples)

Life is too short not to celebrate. An engagement, landing a new job, acing your driver’s test, becoming a homeowner—it would be rude not to say congratulations when someone shares their good news with you! In China, praising others is …

Get What You Want in Chinese: When to Use 要 vs. 想 vs. 想要

In English, it’s common practice to interchange “want” and “need” when communicating desires, but there’s a clearer distinction in Chinese. You’ll also learn that (yào), (xiǎng) and (xiǎng yào) can all be translated as “to want.” So, how do …

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

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

22 Inspirational Quotes in Chinese About Life (With Translations and Explanations)

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, the tough get going.” It’s expressions like these that …

13 Most Beautiful Chinese Words with Fascinating Hidden Meanings

Do you think the word pulchritudinous is beautiful? It’s not light and flowy, and it even sounds like it implies something negative. But in fact, it’s a synonym for lovely and gorgeous. In this case, the meaning makes the word …

10 Iconic Chinese Poems (With Translations, Notes and Vocabulary) 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, folktales and stories of historical …

75+ Animals in Chinese and Their Cultural Significance (Audio Included)

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

The 19 Best Chinese Songs You Gotta Add to Your Mandarin Playlist

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” It shapes culture and is something for people to bond over. And with Chinese songs, it’s no different. Mandopop is the most popular genre for Chinese songs today, …

16 Chinese Movies with English Subtitles Available Online

If you aren’t already proficient in the language, watching Chinese movies can be overwhelming. But by watching Chinese movies with English subtitles, you can follow along with the storyline while improving your language skills. You can learn new vocab, expose …

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 …