Akiko's Lingoland Blog

一分钱一分货 You Get What You Pay For

Since we’re on the topics of shopping and money (videos here and here; audio list here) on the Mandarin Weekly series, I thought it’d be apt to introduce this proverb. Scroll down for the explanation and examples. So, what...

Mandarin Tone Sandhi Rules At A Glance

Find Mandarin tone changes confusing? Here’s the cheat sheet – Mandarin Tone Sandhi Rules At A Glance! Watch the videos here for explanation and examples. If you’ve enjoyed this, don’t forget to hit one of the sharing...

背猫走天涯 Kitty Back Ride

I’ve been seeing this photo circulating around, and every time it never fails to make me feel like pinching the faces of these little cuties. They sure warrant a dedicated piece! What came to mind the moment...

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 减少购买、重复使用、回收再造

Learn the 3R’s from a famous Chinese painter of the last century! 减少购买、重复使用、回收再造 reduce, reuse, recycle 減らす、再使用、再循環 新阿大 (xīn ādà) New for the eldest 一番目は新品 旧阿二 (jiù ā’èr) Old for the second 二番目は古着 破阿三 (pò āsān) Torn for the...

Mandarin’s Many Names

(Edited on 2014/04/27) 汉语、普通话、华语、国语、中国话、北京话、中文、华文…… Oh Mandarin! Why do you call yourself by so many names? Confused? This post hopes to help clarify! I hope this was helpful! To simplify, 中 zhōng、汉 hàn、华 huá all mean Chinese (erm,...