What is the best English translation for 缘 (yuan)?
This is very difficult to translate, because the cultural connotations are so different. Literally, 緣 means hem, the hem on a garment, which doesn’t help …
chinesespeaking
What does “996 (jiǔ jiǔ liù)” mean in Chinese?
It means working from 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week. It started to gain popularity when some Chinese company, predominately tech companies …
Can you read classical Chinese? Do you know all 50,000 characters?
These are two very different questions. Classical Chinese is a language, it can be written in either traditional Chinese character fonts or any modern Chinese …
Is Cantonese the second most spoken variety of Chinese after Mandarin?
Definitely not. I am sure Cantonese isn’t that big in China (everything is bigger in China), so I consulted Wiki for a quick look. According …
How useful is Mandarin Chinese outside of China?
The argument that the Chinese language isn’t very useful outside of China make some say 2 things: Duh. Like, a billion people speak it there. …
Why was 聽 simplified to 听? They seem to have nothing in common
I’ve wondered about this myself. I checked Lucas Lee’s source as well, but it was not very detailed, so I looked to other sources. Note …
What is the best way to memorize Chinese characters along with their sounds in Mandarin?
Not the best person to answer this question but since you requested to me, here’s how I memorize Mandarin pronunciation (spelling) of Chinese Characters. For …
How do I master Chinese tones?
Here’s something I wrote many years ago in answer to this very question: True story: When I was a grad student in the States, I …
When learning Mandarin, what mistakes waste time for beginners?
As a former Chinese beginner-level learner, I could give you my 2-cents in regard to 10 bad habits that many freshers have when they start …
Is it cultural appropriation to name my son “Chiang Kai-Shek” if I am not Chinese?
Is it cultural appropriation to name my son “Chiang Kai-Shek” if I am not Chinese? I am a White American who admires Chiang. Do NOT …