Fun Learning Chinese

Shopping vocabulary is something that helped me practice speaking Chinese because when we lived in Taiwan for a few months, most people I came across while shopping did not speak any intelligible English. I recall being told by another American business man’s wife that the most useful shopping words I would learn would be: 不要 […]

在巧克力店裡練習說中文 (在)(巧克力)(店)(裡)(練習)(說)(中文) (zai4) (qiao3 ke4 li4) (dian4) (li3) (lian4 xi2) (shuo1) (zhong1 wen2) (at) (chocolate) (store) (in) (practice) (to speak) (Chinese language) Practice Speaking Chinese at the Chocolate Store     It can be scary, but it is a good habit to get into. 如果你要學會說中文，你就得跟許多人練習說。 (如果)(你)(要)(學會)❶(說)(中文)，(你)(就)(得)(跟)(許多)(人)(練習)(說)。 (ru2 guo3) (ni3) (yao4) (xue2 hui4) (shuo1) (zhong1 wen2) […]

  [hr] Travel to Palm Springs 到棕櫚泉旅行 in Chinese. 到棕櫚泉旅行 (到)[(棕櫚)(泉)](旅行) (ㄉㄠˋ) [(ㄗㄨㄥ ㄌㄩˇ) (ㄑㄩㄢˊ)] (ㄌㄩˇ ㄒㄧㄥˊ) (dào) [(zōng lǚ)(quán)] (lǚ xíng) (arrive) [(palm)(spring)] (travel)     I had never been there before. 不過我搭飛機去過很多地方。 (不過)(我)(搭)(飛機)[(去)(過)](很)(多)(地方)。 (ㄅㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ) (ㄨㄛˇ) (ㄉㄚ) (ㄈㄟ ㄐㄧ) [(ㄑㄩˋ) (ㄍㄨㄛˋ)] (ㄏㄣˇ) (ㄉㄨㄛ) (ㄉㄧˋ ㄈㄤ) (bú guò) (wǒ) (dā) (fēi jī) [(qù)(guò)] (hěn) […]

如何治療感冒 (如何)(治療)(感冒) (ru2 he2) (zhi4 liao2) (gan3 mao4) (how) (to treat) (to feel + to be exposed to = common cold)     I tried to ignore it. 可惜這個感冒病毒我不能無視它的存在。 (可惜)(這個)(感冒)(病毒)(我)(不)(能)(無視)(它的)(存在)。 (ke3 xi1) (zhe4 ge.) (gan3 mao4) (bing4 du2) (wo3) (bu4) (neng2) (wu2 shi4) (ta1 de.) (cun2 zai4) (it is a pity, unfortunately) (this + measure […]

如何小睡 (如何)❶(小睡) (ru2 he2) (xiao3 shui4) (how to deal with) (small sleep) How to take a nap.   Here is a common blessing in any language: 祝你健康快樂！ (祝)(你)(健康)(快樂)！ (zhu4) (ni3) (jian4 kang1) (kuai4 le4) (to wish) (you) (health) (happy, joy) Wishing you health and happiness!   There are ways a person can increase their chances […]

  [If you sign up for my Fun Learning Chinese newsletter, you will get access to my private resource page which included printable pdf’s of lessons and audio recordings of my Fun Learning Chinese books!] 吃宵夜 (吃)(宵夜) (ㄔ)(ㄒㄧㄠ ㄧㄝˋ) (chī)(xiāo yè) (to eat) (midnight snack)❾ Eat a midnight snack.     First, some vocabulary that […]

I have to admit that I am playing around here. Since I have been able to set up a blog dedicated to my Chinese studies, I want to publish more posts that list vocabulary I am learning in conjunction with a theme. Since I recently posted the blog about How to Keep a Secret in Chinese, […]

怎麼樣有自己的秘密 (怎麼樣)(有)(自己的)(秘密) (zen3 me. yang4) (you3) (zi4 ji4 de.) (mi4 mi4) (how to, in what way to) (have) (your own) (secret) People have a hard time sharing many things. 不過每個人都喜歡分享很好的秘密。 (不過)(每個人)(都)(喜歡)(分享)(很)(好的)(秘密)❶。 (bu2 guo4) (mei3 ge. ren2) (dou1)(xi3 huan1) (fen1 xiang3) (hen3) (hao3 de.) (mi4 mi4) (however) (every person) (all) (to like) (to share) (very) (good) […]

    怎麼做水果奶昔 (怎麼)(做)(水果奶昔) (zen3 me.) (zuo4) (shui3 guo3 nai3 xi2) (how) (to make) (fruit milkshake) How to make a fruit smoothie.❶     It is the perfect summer lunch. 你只要一些水果，足夠的液體，和一點冰塊。 (你)(只)(要)(一些)(水果)❷，(足夠的)❸(液體)，(和)(一點)(冰塊)。 (ni3) (zhi3) (yao4) (yi1 xie1) (shui3 guo3), (zu2 gou4 de.) (yi4 ti3), (han4) (yi1 dian3) (bing1 kuai4) (you) (only) (to need) (some) (fruit), […]

Contrary to much science fiction literature, 每個人都是女人生的。 (每個)(人)(都)(是)[(女人)(生)(的)]❶。 (mei3 ge.) (ren2) (dou1) (shi4) [(nü3 ren2) (sheng1) (de.)] (every) (person) (all) (it/to be) [(woman) (to be born) (adjective marker)] Every person is born of a woman.   No one can do it by themselves. 一個女人得經由生產所以每個各人可以出生。 (一個)(女人)(得)(經由)(生產)(所以)(每個)(各)(人)(可以)(出生)❷。 (yi1 ge.) (nü3 ren2) (dei3) (jing1 you2) (sheng1 chan3) (suo3 […]

    怎麼遛你的狗 (怎麼)(遛)❶(你的)(狗) (zen3 me.) (liu4) (ni3 de.) (gou3) (how) ) (to stroll, to walk slowly) (your) (dog) How to walk your dog.     Having dogs as pets is a fairly recent phenomena in Taiwan. 五十年以前台灣的人比較貧窮。 (五十)(年)(以前)(台灣的)(人)(比較)(貧窮)。 (wu3 shi2) (nian2) (yi3 qian2) (tai2 wan1 de.) (ren2) (bi3 jiao4) (pin2 qiong2) (fifty) (year) (before, […]

怎麼複製某人 (怎麼)(複製)❶(某人) (zen2 me.) (fu4 zhi4) (mou3 ren2) (how) (to copy/to clone) (someone)       (click on photo to enlarge) Photography by Natalie Blodgett       It sounds good in theory. 有時候你需要更多幫 忙 (有時候)(你)(需要)(更多)(幫忙) (you3 shi2 hou4) (ni3) (xu1 yao4) (geng4 duo1) (bang1 mang2) (sometimes) (you) (to want) (more) (help) Sometimes you really […]

This foot was apparently added, rather than lost, in the translation. In fact, the Chinese characters on the sign in question, found by someone while hiking in China and posted at engrish.com, don’t say anything directly about feet. Part of the problem is that which is universal to all signs. Wording on signs is abbreviated. […]

Hugs are cross cultural Proving once again that there are many major similarities in common between most cultures, the Chinese word for to hug will be discussed today.  While in English, the word has wonderful connotations, the Chinese version leaves no room for doubt. First, some vocabulary: 擁抱           ㄩㄥˇ ㄅㄠˋ    […]

  Her own hair is often both a woman’s personal nemesis and a treasure. 最後我滿意我自己的卷頭髮. (最後)❶(我)(滿意)(我)[(自己)(的)](卷頭髮)❺. (zui4 hou4) (wo3) (man3 yi4) (wo3) [(zi4 ji3) (de.)] (juan3 tou1 fa2) (most after = finally) (I) (satisfied, approve) (my) [(self) (possesive ending) = own] (curly hair) Finally, I am satisfied with my curly hair.   It wasn’t always […]

I have always thought the American term “text” was odd. 它是很短和方便，可是它不是平常每天用的英文。 (它)(是)(很)(短)(和)(方便)，(可是)(它)(不)(是)(平常)(每天)(用的)(英文) (ta1) (shi4) (hen3) (duan3) (han4) (fang1 bian4), (ke3 shi4) (ta1) (bu2) (shi4) (ping2 chang) (mei2 tian1) (yong4 de.) (ying1 wen2) (it) (is) (very) (short) (and) (convenient), (but) (it) (not) (is) (normal, ordinary) (every day) (used) (English) It is very short and convenient, but […]

怎麼談論關於妳的老公 (怎麼)(談論)(關於)(妳的)(老公) (zen3 me.) (tan2 lun4) (guan1 yu1) (ni3 de.) (lao3 gong1) (how to) (to discuss) (about) (your) (husband)   I like to talk about my husband 因為我愛他而且他是很棒！ (因為)(我)(愛)(他)(而且)(他)(是)(很)(幫)！ (yin1 wei4) (wo3) (ai4) (ta1) (er2 qie3) (ta1) (shi4) (hen3) (bang4) (because) (I) (love) (him) (but also) (he) (to be/is) (very) (great) Because I love him, […]

When we make a suggestion 建議 (jian4 yi4) in English we often begin the phrase with words such as “would you like to…” or “why don’t we…” and it is phrased as a question. In Chinese, you can ask a question such as:   你要不要看電影？ (你)(要不要)(看)(電影) (ni3) (yao4 bu2 yao4) (kan4) (dian4 ying3) (you) (want […]

Most Americans have eaten “chow mein” before. 我是年輕人的時候我也吃炒麵。 (我)(是)(年輕)(人)(的時候)❸(我)(也)(吃)(炒)(麵)。 (wo3) (shi4) (nian2 qing1) (de. shi2 hou4) (wo3) (ye3) (chi1) (chao3) (mian4) (I) (to be) (young/youthful) (person) (when) (I) (also) (to eat) (stir fry) (noodle) When I was a young person, I also ate chow mein.   But Americans apparently pronounce it with an Italian accent, […]

怎麼捕捉老鼠 (怎麼)(捕捉)❶(老鼠) (zen3 me.) (bu3 zhuo1) (lao3 shu3) (how) (to catch) (mouse or rat) How To Catch a Mouse   I have a big problem. 很多的老鼠侵略我的雞舍 [(很)(多)(的)] (老鼠) (侵略)❷ (我的) (雞舍)❸ [(hen3)(duo1)(de.)] (lao3 shu3) (qin1 lue4) (wo3 de.) (ji1 she4) [(very) (many) (adjective marker)] (mouse) (invade) (my) (chicken coop) Many mice have invaded my chicken […]