What are the differences in use between laowai (老外) and waiguoren (外国人)?
Wai Guo Ren is the formal, written form to describe a person with a nationality other than China. Lao Wai is a oral term to …
Why is the right side of 門 have a ”亅” and not a “丨”?
Very good question, but my answer will probably be a disappointment. Sometimes the answer for an interesting question is actually quite mundane. First, let’s take …
What is the difference between 天 and 空?
If you know Chinese character, you know each character or its component is a picture. The character 天 is 一大。大 is picture of a man，空 …
What are some brilliant Chinese names for foreign brands/products?
IKEA (宜家) all the way. Now this is a hard name for translators to tackle because few people (even in the West) know what the name …
In Chinese, what’s the difference between 器 and 机?
Quite often you can find a pair of Chinese characters that complement one another, 机器 is one of these. Sometimes you can even switch them …
Why is Mandarin written as “汉语” in Mandarin?
Before I explain the reason to you, please allow me to show you some fun facts. China the word was originated from Qin dynasty. Cin …
What was Chinese food like 1000 years ago?
A thousand years ago was the most exciting period of recipes evolution for Chinese food. Most of the Hangzhou cuisine today dates back 1000 years …
What is a Chinese secret that only a Chinese person would know?
1. Chinese food As we all know, China has a long history and is a great food country. An foreign friend once said that he …
What is the coolest Chinese symbol and its meaning?
For me it must be this character 武（wu 3) majorly means martial art,or Kung Fu ,one of the most famous Chinese cultural symbol for the …
What are some examples of folk etymology in Chinese?
[In Chinese, tomatoes are called “foreign eggplants/aubergines”] In Taiwan 番茄 fānqié/fanchye “tomato” is often mistakenly written 蕃茄 (with a “grassy plant” radical above the first character). It …