Learning Chinese - Speechling Official Blog

‘Saving Face’: Mandarin to Help you Survive

In Chinese culture, saving face is a vital part of maintaining dignity, respect, and social harmony. It influences how people communicate, resolve conflict, and build relationships.

Mandarin

Top 7 Reasons Why You Should Learn Mandarin Chinese

Chinese has a reputation for being a very difficult language to learn. The U.S. State Department ranks both Mandarin and Cantonese as Category IV “super-hard languages”, the most challenging for English-speaking diplomats to master. The combination of written characters and spoken tones presents a double-whammy for those of us

Mandarin

The Ultimate Guide to Zhuyin (Bopomofo) And How to Learn It

One of the biggest challenges of learning Chinese is that it does not have a phonetic alphabet. Unlike languages like English where each letter represents a sound, the Chinese writing system is not broken up into separate consonants and vowels. Instead, each character represents a word or concept, and therefore

Mandarin

12 Chinese Proverbs About Love and Life for Chinese Learners

Plenty of people find wisdom where they least expect it. Often times we turn to proverbs and phrases to help us understand or connect with inexplicable feelings. Chinese proverbs, or 諺語 (yàn yŭ), are no different!

Mandarin

How to Learn Chengyu Through Chinese Zodiac Animals

When learning Chinese, the idioms known as "chengyu" can be difficult to learn, memorize, and use correctly. There are hundreds and thousands of them! One of the best ways to master chengyu is to associate them with memorable things, such as the iconic animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Mandarin

Chinese Learner's Guide to the Dragon Boat Festival

What is the Dragon Boat Festival? As the heat of summer approaches, so too does this historic Chinese holiday, also known as 端午节 (duānwǔjié - Dragon Boat Festival). In this article, you can learn key Chinese phrases about this holiday. If you're lucky, you can practice them at a real

Mandarin

A Simple Guide to Speaking Mandarin Chinese With Perfect Tones

One aspect of Mandarin that learners often find intimidating its four tones. Knowing how to pronounce each one in isolation is just the first step. In this article we’re going to look at how you can avoid this stumbling block and take your Mandarin to the next level with perfect tones!

Mandarin

The Ultimate Guide to Chinese Food and Dishes for Mandarin Learners

Eating to learn, learning to eat as a Mandarin Chinese learner Chinese food is often the keystone in many people's lives. A solid foundation of food vocabulary will boost your Chinese speaking capabilities and is sure to lubricate many a conversation. Food is paramount in China, and many diverse cultures