What is the view of marriage in your country? Marriage is a major milestone in a Chinese person’s life, not only for the sake of marriage and companionship itself, but also because of the practice of ancestral worship and the continuation of the family line. This is especially so nowadays as most families have only […]
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In lesson 25, the dialogue revolved around Adam wanting to find a job in China. As with other people in their late 20’s, they are probably settling into a particular career choice, and are working on bringing things to the next level. Are you someone in a similar stage of your life? Or have you […]
Read MoreIn lesson 25, we learn another useful particle 过(guo), which can be used to talk about experiences you have had before. For experiences you have not had, 没有(méiyǒu) or 没(méi) is used for the negation. For examples, 我爬过长城(Wǒ páguo Chángchéng). I’ve climbed the Great Wall before. 他没有学过这个汉字(Wǒ méiyǒu xuéguo zhè ge Hànzì). I’ve not learnt this […]
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In my twenties, a friend used to describe me as a young lion, full of curiosity and fearless in exploring. This was probably still applicable to me when I was 30 and entering China. The potential of the country outshone the difficulties, I was inexperienced, and the combination set the stage for a tough journey. That […]
Read MoreFor people in different age groups relative to you, there are slightly different ways to talk about age: 1. Adult around your age If you are talking to an adult, from late teens to an age that is not too much older than you, you can ask for the person’s age by saying 你今年多大(nǐ jīnnián […]
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As China’s economy boomed in the last two decades, and businesses rushed to make money, sometimes unscrupulously, 诚信(chéngxìn) became a value that is widely espoused by many so as to create a healthier and sustainable business environment. 诚信(chéngxìn) can be understood as 诚实(chéngshí) and 信用(xìnyòng), that is “honesty” and “keeping one’s word”, and the closest English word in my […]
Read MoreOne way to say this is 要下雨了(yào xiàyǔ le). The 要(yào)…了(le) construction can be used to talk about actions or events that “are going to” happen soon. Examples: 要周末了，你打算做什么(Yào zhōumò le, nǐ dǎsuàn zuò shénme)? It’s going to be the weekend soon, what are you planning to do? 已经一点了，我们要迟到了(Yǐjīng yī diǎn le, wǒmen yào chídào […]
Read MoreOne way to convey this is to say 明天会下雨(míngtiān huì xiàyǔ). 会(huì) is an auxiliary verb that we learn in lesson 23, to convey future actions that “will” happen, as well as predict future occurrences such as in the example sentence. 会(huì) is placed in front of the verb that “will” happen, and is negated […]
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Remember to take those crucial little breaks as you savour your journey in life. Below is the original photo courtesy of Tan Siok Siok:
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There was this moment at Berkeley that is somehow stuck in my memory. It was the first week of class, and I was in a Chemistry lab class. We were supposed to partner up with the other person on the same bench to conduct an experiment that I no longer recall, and my partner was […]
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Customs and etiquette are a big part of traditional China, and the dinner table is one place where some of these traditions are still retained, especially if it is a formal or business dinner. Seating Arrangements There is a Chinese saying that is 对号入座(duìhào-rùzuò), which literally means “to sit in the seat with the correct […]
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In lesson 22, we learned the other major use of 了(le), which is to function as a “perfect aspect particle”. What does that mean? It means that 了(le) can be placed after a verb to indicate that the action described by the verb has occurred or is completed. One way to recognize this use is […]
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Is lifelong learning one of your motivations in life?
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Even though I grew up in a traditional Chinese family in a predominantly Chinese Singapore, it was interesting that the sentiments I had with regards to gifting were rather western. I was actually 30 years old, and starting to take on the China market, when I learnt the phrase 礼多人不怪(lǐ duō rén bù guài) from […]
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Have you ever experienced failure? Chances are if you have ever learnt another language, you might say that you have. You might think of the many times you have forgotten a word that seems to be at the tip of your tongue, or when you forgot how to conjugate a particular verb, or when you […]
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