I remembered that when I was quite young, I used to knock the bowl with the chopsticks when I was waiting for my mom’s delicious meal. One day, my mother told me seriously that :” You are a grown up now, so I have to tell you something seriously. In the past, you always use the chopsticks to knock the bowl, but I didn’t tell you that is bad because you were still a kid. While, now I have to tell you that it is really a bad manners to knock the bowls or the plates with the chopsticks. So I hope you could pay attention to that, ok?” .If you have ever had some Chinese classes online, you may know that there are a lot of table manners when you have meals with the others. The manners of using chopsticks is one of them.

The manners of using chopsticks has once appeared in the HSK test as a choice question, so I suggest that you know the manners of using chopsticks in case that it will appear again in the tests if you want to pass some.

In China, when you are using chopsticks, especially when you are having meals with some elder or important person like your clients, bosses, etc, you should pay full attention to the manners because it will influence your impression on them. Here, I will provide you with some online Chinese lessons about the taboos of using chopsticks in China. Firstly, you should not hold the chopsticks with your index finger pointing out or point to the others with the chopsticks because this is a way of cursing. Secondly, you should not put one end of the chopsticks in your mouth and bite it because this will be seen as a lack of family education. Thirdly, you should not knock the bowls or the dishes with the chopsticks because this is the way the beggars begging for money. It will be impolite. Forth, you should not insert the chopsticks straightly in the food because it looks like praying to the death.

When I grow up then, I checked on the internet about the manners of using chopsticks. The above four ones are the most common mistakes people make when they use chopsticks. If you are having the HSK preparation, you could memorize these information, and I believe that it will do you a great help.

 

In Hong Kong movies, you can always see a lot of bad guys who engage in illegal activities. They are always called 黑社会（heishehui）in Chinese. When I was young, I didn't know why those people were called 黑社会，and the only thing I knew was that they were all bad people. When I grew up and learned the meaning of black, I came to know why they had gotten such a name. I told you that I would write a series of online Chinese lessons about the meanings and usages of colors. This time, I will tell you something about black.

I know that there are a lot of people around the world who are interested in Chinese and want to learn it well. Additionally, there are a lot of Chinese tests like the IB Chinese, which can be used to certify your Chinese language level. This is one reason why I provide you with these articles about colors, as these words will appear on the tests and will influence your ability to understand the material. Therefore, I hope that you will make full use of what I will tell you today and get a better score on your tests.

Black in Chinese has two important meanings. On one hand, it is like the color of iron, and it can be used to represent a firm and steadfast character. For example, for Chinese opera facial makeup, black is always used to symbolize the impartial and incorruptible noble qualities of historical figures. If you have taken anyChinese classes before, you may know that night is black, too. So, black can also be used to represent solemn and mysterious things.

On the other hand, in the Chinese culture, people will always use black to describe hell. Therefore, it can be related to terrible things like death and darkness. Also, it is used frequently nowadays as an adjective to describe some illegal or bad things.  Maybe you have also seen some videos through Chinese skype lessons, and you will see that the cars without licenses are be called 黑车（heiche, unlicensed taxi）, and the crime world is called 黑社会（heishehui）.

I don’t know whether the information I shared with you will help you or not, but I sincerely hope that you have learned something useful from this lesson. If you are interested in knowing more about the meanings and usages of colors, follow me and I will provide you with more online Chinese lessons.

 

One of the two most interesting forms of transportation in China (1)

Some friends and I were planning to go to the mountains nearby our school this weekend, so I began to check for transportation and mapped out the trip by bus. To my surprise, when we got off the bus, we still had 10 kilometers to hike before we even reached the base of the mountain. It really was going to be a long trek on foot. This had us worried about time. In the midst of this, I looked up and I saw someone who was also having the same dilemma as us. He shared that there were two ways of reaching the mountain, which would save us a lot of time. When you come to China, or when you want to pass the HSK test or some other Chinese tests, I suggest you to learn about the various forms of transportation because they will sometimes appear on the exams.

One of them is called Bengbengche (蹦蹦车, Bouncy car). It is a kind of tricycle  (三轮车, Sanlunche) which functions like a taxi. I don’t know if you have taken any online Chinese lessons about transportation, or if you have ever heard about this type of vehicle? If you have seen these vehicles in action, you may be confused about why people even take bouncy cars instead of taxis. The bouncy cars ask for almost the same price and they are less comfortable than taxis. Well, here are the reasons.

First, if you have ever taken any Chinese classes and are familiar with modern life in China, or if you have ever been to China, you will know how packed the traffic can be especially during rush hour. There's constant traffic congestion and this often makes getting to work on time a stressful process. Bouncy cars are a kind of vehicle which is smaller than most cars and can go in narrow spaces, which means it can more easily pass through heavy traffic or go onto the side lines where normal cars don't easily fit. You can get to your destination without waiting for the heavy traffic to dissipate.

Second, in some rural areas, there are no taxis and there is little or even no bus service. Bouncy cars are especially useful in such areas. You can also see a lot of bouncy cars near scenic spots where the big cars or buses cannot go.

Do you want to know about other interesting forms of transportation in China? Or do you want to learn about other fascinating topics? This is the site where I had my Chinese online lesson, and you should go and check it out.

Dragon Boat Festival in Chinese is 端午节(Duānwǔ jié). It is on the fifth of May of lunar calendar. Do you know how Chinese celebrate this Festival? Well, in today’s learning Chinese lesson, I will introduce you the most popular activity, which Chinese usually do on dragon boat festival.

It's widely known that people enjoy "粽子 (zòngzi) rice dumplings" and "赛龙舟 (sài lóngzhōu) dragon-boat races" during the annual Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, but among all the customs, the most elegant one is surely the making and adorning of a sachet. So I will talk about details about it in following parts.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the fifth month (aka month of Poison) and fifth day on the lunar calendar marks the emergence of many poisonous insects. To ward them off, people hang wormwood, drink realgar wine, and "戴香包 (dài xiāngbāo) wear a sachet.”There are several learning points for business Mandarin learners.

The sachet, a small bag full of various spices, came about in ancient times when people used realgar and wormwood to repel insects. It grew in popularity when it became symbolic of a woman’s great skill in selecting a variety of cloths and designs for making the sachets that were expected to protect and keep their children safe. You can’t miss this if you want to learn Chinese.

Nowadays, venders during the Chinese dragon boat festival sell sachets just about everywhere. Likewise, customers buy them for the same reasons as they were originally used for long ago: in hopes for peace and happiness and less bites from hungry pests.

If you live in China, or you are planning to have a trip on Duanwu Festival, you have to know those information advanced, and if you want to know more popular activities, you can learn Chinese online at first.

Not to pocket the money one has picked up “shí jīn bú mèi”(拾金不昧) is a kind of spirit that we cheer up. In this learn Chinese online class, I will teach you an interesting Chinese nursery. You can learn Chinese with fun.

Here is the lyric:

Wǒ zài mǎlù biān jiǎndào yìfēnqián,

我  在 马路  边  捡到   一分钱,

I found a penny on the street,

bǎ tā jiāogěi jǐngchá shūshu shǒu lǐbian.

把 它 交到   警察   叔叔  手  里边。

and handed it over to Uncle Policeman.

Shūshu názhe qián, duì wǒ bǎ tóu diǎn.

叔叔  拿着   钱, 对  我  把 头 点。

The Uncle Policeman took the penny, nodding his head at me with a smile.

Wǒ gāoxìng de shuō le shēng: “shūshu, zàijiàn!”

我    高兴 地 说  了 声：“    叔叔，再见!”

Happily I said goodbye to Uncle Policeman!

Business Chinese:

钱 (qián)

Wǒ yǒu liǎngyuán qián.

我  有   两元    钱。

I have two Yuan.

Zhège píngguǒ duōshǎo-qián?

这个   苹果    多少钱？

How much is this apple?

Mandarin for Kids:

叔叔 (shūshu)

Lìlide shūshu shì yīshēng.

丽丽的 叔叔 是 医生。

Lily’s uncle is a doctor.

Sījī shūshu sòng wǒ qù xuéxiào.

司机  叔叔  送 我  去 学校。

Uncle Driver sends me to school.

Chinese for Kids:

再见 (Zàijiàn)

Péngyou, zàijiàn!

朋友，  再见！

Goodbye, friends!

Líkāishí, wǒ duì māma shuō zàijiàn.

离开时， 我  对 妈妈  说   再见。

I said goodbye to my mom when I was leaving.

Learn Chinese from native Chinese teachers:

1. Which one of the following means uncle?________

A. 妈妈 (māma)

B. 叔叔 (shūshu)

C. 爸爸 (bàba)

2. When you finish school and go home, what will you say to your classmates?___

A. 你好。 (Nǐhǎo.)

B. 早上好。 (Zǎoshanghǎo.)

C. 再见。 (Zàijiàn.)

What have you learned from this nursery song? Do you want to get more learning Chinese materials? If you have any questions, please leave comments here, and I will answer you as soon as possible. Or you can sign up on our site, and have a free trial.

Each Chinese idiom has an interesting story. You can get a lot from these stories, not only knowledge, but also philosophy. In this learn Chinese lesson, I will tell you a story, named Deer or Horse? (zhǐ lù wéi mǎ指鹿为马), which describe someone who calls white black.

Key points for learning Chinese:

鹿(lù)n. deer

马(mǎ)n. horse

Zài Qíncháo, yǒu gè hěn déshì de jiānchén jiào Zhào Gāo.

在  秦朝，  有 个 很  得势  的 奸臣   叫 赵   高。

In Qin dynasty, there was a powerful and evil counselor named Zhao Gao.

Zhào Gāo xiǎng zàofǎn,

赵   高  想   造反，

dànshì yòu bù zhīdào qún chén zhōng yǒu duōshǎo rén huì zhīchí tā.

但是   又 不  知道  群 臣   中    有 多少   人 会   支持  他。

Zhao Gao wanted to rebel, but he didn't know how many people in the court would stand by his side.

Learn Chinese from native Chinese teachers:

千里马 (qiānlǐmǎ): n. a swift horse

明明 (míngmíng): adv. obviously; undoubtedly

Yúshì tā xiǎngle gè bànfǎ lái cèshì.

于是  他 想了  个  办法 来 测试。

So he worked out a way to test the people.

Tā zài qún chén miànqián sòngle yì tóu lù gěi huángshàng, bìng shuō zhè shì yì  pǐ qiānlǐmǎ.

他 在 群  臣  面前    送了 一  头鹿 给  皇上， 并 说这是一  匹 千里马。

He presented a deer as a tribute to the emperor in front of the court, and said that it was a swift horse.

Huángshàng bú xìn, shuō, "Zhè míngmíng shì lù a."

皇上   不 信，说，“ 这  明明    是鹿啊。”

The emperor not accepting his statement said, "This is obviously a deer."

……

I will tell the rest part of this story in tomorrow’s learning Chinese lesson. If you can’t wait until tomorrow, you can visit www.echineselearning.com to read the rest of the story. If you want to have a free one-on-one live learn Chinese lesson, you just need to sign up at our website and our professional Chinese teachers will contact you, and offer you a free trial.

In last learning Chinese lesson, I talked ”亡羊补牢” It’s Never Too Late to Take Action. Do you still remember it? I will continue to tell the story today.

Learn Chinese from native Chinese teachers:

早上(zǎo shang) n. morning

窟窿(kū long) n. hole

Dìèrtiān zǎoshang, tā qù fàngyáng, fāxiàn yòu shǎole yìzhī yáng.

第二天   早上， 他 去 放羊，   发现  又 少了  一只   羊。

The next morning, he discovered that another sheep was missing.

Yuánlái láng yòu cóng kūlong lǐ zuān jìnlái bǎ yáng diāo zǒule.

原来   狼  又  从  窟窿  里  钻 进来 把  羊  叼  走了。

Once again, the wolf stole the sheep through the hole in the fence.

Tā hěn hòuhuǐ, bùgāi bù jiēshòu línju de quàngào.

他 很  后悔， 不该 不 接受  邻居 的 劝告。

The shepherd regretted not taking the neighbor's advice.

Learn Chinese from native Chinese teachers:

修(xiū) vt. fix

Tā gǎnkuài dǔshàng nàgè kūlong,

他   赶快   堵上  那个 窟窿，

bǎ yángjuàn xiūde jiējieshíshi de.

把 羊圈    修得  结结实实 的。

So he plugged the hole to secure the sheep pen.

Cóngcǐ, tā de yáng zài méiyǒu bèi láng diāo zǒule.

从此， 他 的 羊  再 没有   被 狼  叼  走了。

From then on, no more sheep was stolen by the wolf.

Learn how to use these words from Chinese teachers:

Nǐ tīngguò "láng hé xiǎoyáng" de gùshi ma?

你   听过  “狼 和 小羊” 的 故事 吗？

Have you ever heard the story of The Wolf and the Little Lamb?

Wǒ jiēshòu nǐ de dàoqiàn le, wǒmen háishì hǎopéngyou.

我  接受  你 的 道歉  了，我们  还是   好朋友。

I accept your apology, and we are still close friends.

The story is over. Do you want to get more idioms and stories? Sign up to get more learning Chinese materials and a free learn Chinese lesson now!

Tongue Twister is a good method for learning Chinese. Today I will introduce you an easy tong twister named 会与费 (Huì yǔ fèi)  Can and Cost. The Chinese tongue twister below is a very typical one which will help you practice the Chinese Pinyin pronunciation of “h” and “f.”

Learning tongue twister from native Chinese teachers:

Shǒuyì  xué   búhuì,

手艺    学    不会，　

When one can not learn a craft,

Cáiliào yòng de  fèi.

材料  用   得 费。　

Materials cost a lot.

Zhèng shì huì de búfèi,

正是 会 的 不费，　

It costs less when you know the craft,

Fèi de búhuì.

费 的 不会。

But it costs more when you don’t have the craft.

Key Points for Learning Chinese:

1.学 (xué): v to learn

Example:

   Jiàqī nǐ xiǎng  xuédiánr  shénme ya?

A: 假期  你 想     学点儿   什么  呀？　

   What do you want to learn during the holidays?

  Wǒ xiǎng xué  lādīngwǔ.

B: 我  想  学    拉丁舞。

   I want to learn Latin dance.

2.会 (huì): v can/be able to

Example:

Wǒ liùsuì de  dìdi  xiànzài huì yóuyǒng le.

我  六岁  的  弟弟  现在  会  游泳   了。　

My six-year-old brother can swim now.

Learn vocabularies from Chinese teachers:

手艺 (shǒuyì): n craft

材料 (cáiliào): n material 　

费用 (fèiyong): v to cost

This tongue twister is for beginners, if you have got these learning points, and you want to get more learning Chinese materials, please visit www.echineselearning.com. Sign up to get free online Chinese classes live tutor now!