Robert Bailey

Mandarin

How to Say the Chinese New Year Animals in Mandarin

The twelve Chinese New Year animals represent the Zodiac. Learn what each of them mean and how you can say Zodiac animal you are in Chinese.

Mandarin

How to Speak Chinese With Your Body: A Guide to Chinese Body Language

You may have heard that language is 90% non-verbal, but you might be surprised to hear that Chinese non-verbal cues are different than those in your own country. Here's what you need to know to make sure that your body language matches what you’re trying to say.

Mandarin

How to Say Jia You, Lao Wai, and 4 Other Strange Chinese Translations

When it comes to Chinese, strange translations are not unique. But behind those funny translations lies a language which fundamentally works differently. Each character comes imbued with meaning, and that means that longer ‘words’ which combine characters, can actually be seen in different ways.

Mandarin

How to Learn Chinese in 5 Minutes Every Day

“It’s impossible!”, I hear you say. ​ Well, no, it’s not. It’s hard, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do it! Here's how to learn Chinese in 5 minutes by taking part in some simple exercises every day.

Mandarin

Happy New Year in Chinese: Language, Culture, and Celebration 2021

A beginner’s guide to truly understanding Chinese New Year, from what your Zodiac really means to the gifts which are given, and how to say Happy New Year in Chinese.

Mandarin

The Best Chinese Slang to Come Out of 2017

From the awkward to the wealthy, here’s the top Mandarin Slang 2017 gave us, along with a couple of tips on how and when to use them.

Mandarin

Things You’ve Probably Been Taught in Mandarin Which You Shouldn’t Listen To

Some basic techniques for making your Mandarin sound a little more natural, including how to say hello like a local, saying goodbye, and finding out about a person's day.

Mandarin

The Best YouTube Channels for Improving your Chinese Listening Comprehension

5 great YouTube Channels for working on your Chinese listening comprehension, whilst having a lot of fun.

Mandarin

Adding Mandarin Modal Particles Like a Local: When, Where, and Why?

What is a Chinese grammar particle? A Chinese grammar particle is a part of a sentence which is used to express meaning without the use of tone. Now you’re probably thinking that this is pretty much true of most words, and you would be right. However, due to the

Mandarin

Is Top Down or Bottom Up Processing Best When Learning Chinese?

You might have heard of top down or bottom up language learning techniques. If not, don’t worry, by the time you finish this article you’ll know what they are and the advantages and disadvantages of using them. You’ll also know in what ways to use them to

Mandarin

The Best Speech Techniques to Avoid Sounding Like a Foreigner in Chinese

Chinglish. We've all heard it. It's that cross between Chinese and English which just doesn't sound quite right but still tries to be English. Well, it works the other way around as well: it's called Englese. Englese is where Chinese learners will speak in Chinese, but they incorporate elements of

Mandarin

Best Oral Techniques for Showing Politeness in China (Depending on Who You’re Around)

If you don’t already know about the Chinese concept of Face, it’s probably about time you read up on it. In essence, Face relates to dignity and prestige. To lose Face is to look bad in front of others. In Chinese Society, it is vitally important what one

Mandarin

The Best Chinese Novels for Catching Culture

In an age of technology and video, it can sometimes feel as though novels no longer have a reason to exist. Movies are faster, easier to digest, and (for some) a lot more fun. But novels are still important. For every movie out there, there are at least 10 books,

Chinese

A Guide to Chinese Idioms and Chengyu, Not Just a List

Chinese idioms are called chengyu. If you’re learning Chinese, you have probably come across them before. Long lists of them, put together by other learners, or possibly teachers. But if you see one outside of a guide, how do you know something is a Chengyu? How do you know

Mandarin

How to Create a Chinese Language Environment - Even If You’re Not in China

You don’t have to join a Chinese immersion program in China to immerse yourself in the Chinese language. In fact, you don’t even have to join a Chinese immersion program in the US. It’s more than possible to immerse yourself in Chinese from the comfort of your

Mandarin

The Best Chinese TV Shows for Learners Who Want to Understand China

Learning a language isn't all about picking up vocabulary and being able to construct grammatically correct sentences. There's a whole other side to language which is too often forgotten. That side is culture. TV shows and movies can be two of the best means by which to access that culture,

Mandarin

The Best Chinese Words to Practice as a Beginner: The Definitive List Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of the Best Chinese Words to Practice as a Beginner: The Definitive List. Whilst previously we covered initial sounds, now we're going to make a start on finals. If you missed The Definitive List: Part 1, be sure to take a look and add those words

Mandarin

The Best Chinese Words to Practice as a Beginner: The Definitive List Part 1

When it comes to learning a new language, one thing always comes up almost immediately: vocabulary. Students often wonder which words they should learn and how they can learn them in the best (read: the fastest) way possible. What Chinese words are the easiest? What Chinese words are the most

Mandarin

The Three Levels of Chinese Reading Materials for Learners

So you’re ready to give Mandarin Chinese writing and reading a go. It's a hard path you've set yourself on, but once you've made it, you'll really feel like you've accomplished something great. This article is all about helping you get there. We're going to introduce the 3 levels

Mandarin

Using Chinglish to Learn Mandarin Chinese: The Power of Literal Translation

Big family good! That right there is the literal translation of a Mandarin Chinese sentence into English. Some might know this as Chinglish. What am I saying? I'm saying Hello Everybody, or 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo). At this point, you might be asking why I am starting an article in such

Mandarin

6 of the Most Common Mandarin Chinese Words Influenced by Dialect

Dialect can be the bane of any language learner’s existence. Sometimes it feels like the language you’re learning just isn’t what’s in the textbook. It’s as though what you think is correct, is actually only correct in the classroom, or on a whiteboard, or during

Mandarin

Chinese Internet Slang 101

Whoever said technology doesn’t affect language? It wasn't us, that's for sure! The fact is that technology and language are about as linked as a painter's canvas is to any artwork he creates. Just because the artist might remain the same, doesn’t mean their canvas always will. It's

Mandarin

How to Speak Chinese - The Ultimate Guide to Chinese Pronunciation

Regardless of whether you have or haven’t started learning Chinese, you’ve probably heard that it’s one of the (if not THE) hardest languages in the world to learn. This is especially true when it comes to speaking. However, despite what you may have heard about how it

Mandarin

5 Different Techniques to Indicate Time and Tense in Chinese

When we speak, we tend to communicate differently than when we write. This is true in any language, right? I mean, it’s unlikely you’re going to start your finest piece of prose with an ‘alright mate?’ or a ‘so, like, it all, like, started like this’. There are

Mandarin

5 Tips and Tricks for Omitting Words from Chinese Sentences

No, we’re not talking about forgetting how to say something properly We’re talking about situations where it’s perfectly ok to omit certain words from sentences and phrases. These are situations where one or two words just aren't needed and it can actually be better to omit them.