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Merry Christmas! Let's see why these people are going shopping after christmas! What does 打折 （Dǎzhé）mean? Where you live, do shops 打折 after Christmas?? Check your answer here: https://bit.ly/2VcPUNZ

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叮叮当，叮叮当，铃儿响叮当， 今晚滑雪多快乐，我们坐在雪橇上！ Here's a short part of Jingle Bells in Chinese! Can you tell me WHAT RADICALS 偏旁（Piānpáng）are in 橇 (Qiāo)?? 雪橇：(xuěqiāo) sleigh 叮当响：(Dīngdāngxiǎng) the sound the bells make Try singing it yourself!

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Learn Wisdom from This Chinese Story of Children’s Debate

Many Chinese idioms and proverbs have wonderful stories about how they originated. This fable is a classic story from ancient China. It is said to be written by Lie Zi during the Warring States period and holds a great moral that is essential for all people seeking wisdom and knowledge.

两小儿辩日 (Liǎng xiǎo ér biàn rì) Two Children’s Debate

Yìtiān, kǒngzǐ jiàndào liǎng gè xiǎohái zhèngzài biànlùn. 一天，孔子见到两个小孩正在辩论。 One day, Confucius met two children who were arguing.

Tā hěn hàoqí, yúshì jiù wèn tāmen zhēngbiàn de yuányīn. 他很好奇,于是就问他们争辩的原因。 He was curious and asked them why they were arguing.

Yígè xiǎo háizi shuō: “Wǒ rènwéi tàiyáng gānggang shēngqǐ de shíhòu jùlí wǒmen zuì jìn, dào le zhōngwǔ de shíhòu, jùlí wǒmen zuì yuǎn.” 一个小孩子说：“我认为太阳刚刚升起的时候距离我们最近，到了中午的时候，距离我们最远。” One child said: “I think the sun is closest to us when it is just rising, and furthest away from us by noon.”

Ér lìng yígè xiǎo háizi liánmáng shuō: “Búduì búduì, tàiyáng gānggang shēngqǐ de shíhòu jùlí wǒmen zuì yuǎn, dào le zhōngwǔ de shíhòu bǐjiào jìn.” 而另一个小孩子连忙说：“不对不对，太阳刚刚升起的时候距离我们最远，到了中午的时候比较近。” And the other child hurriedly said: “It’s wrong, the sun is the furthest away from us when it is just rising, and by noon it is closer.”

Dìyī gè xiǎo háizi shuō: “Tàiyáng gāng shēngqǐ shí, dà de jiù xiàng yì bǎ dǎkāi de dà sǎn, dào le zhōngwǔ, tàiyáng bùguò xiàng pánzi yìbān dàxiǎo.” 第一个小孩说：“太阳刚升起时，大得就像一把打开的大伞, 到了中午，太阳不过像盘子一般大小.” The first child said: “when the sun first rises, it is as big as an open umbrella. At noon, the sun is only the size of a plate.”

“Zhè nándào búshì yīnwèi zǎoshàng tàiyáng lí wǒmen jìn xiǎnde dà, zhōngwǔ lí wǒmen yuǎn xiǎnde xiǎo ma?” “这难道不是因为早上太阳离我们近显得大，中午离我们远显得小吗？” “Isn’t it because the sun is near us in the morning hence it looks big and is far away from us at noon hence appearing small?”

Lìng yígè xiǎo háizi shuō: “Zǎoshàng tàiyáng chūlái de shíhòu liángkuài, dào le zhōngwǔ de shíhòu rè de rútóng shuǐ zhǔ fèi yíyàng.“ 另一个小孩子说：“早上太阳出来的时候凉快，到了中午的时候热得如同水煮沸一样.“ The other child said: “It is cool when the sun comes out in the morning, and it is as hot as boiling water at noon.”

“Zhè nándào búshì yīnwèi zǎochén tàiyáng lí wǒmen yuǎn jiù gǎnjué liángsōusou de, zhōngwǔ lí wǒmen jìn jiù gǎnjué hěn rè de yuángù ma?” “这难道不是因为早晨太阳离我们远就感觉凉飕飕的，中午离我们近就感觉很热的缘故吗？” “Could that be because in the early morning the sun is further from us so it feels much chillier, and in the afternoon the sun is closer so it feels warmer?”

Zhègè kàn sì jiǎndān de wèntí què bǎ néngyánshànbiàn de kǒng lǎo xiānshēng yě nán zhù le, 这个看似简单的问题却把能言善辩的孔老先生也难住了， This seemingly simple question was difficult for the eloquent Confucius,

Yīnwèi dānshí zìrán kēxué hái bù fādá, kǒngzǐ tīng le zhīhòu yě bùnéng pànduàn tāmen liǎ shéi duì shéi cuò. 因为当时自然科学还不发达，孔子听了之后也不能判断他们俩谁对谁错。 Because at that time the natural sciences were still undeveloped, and Confucius wasn’t able to judge who was right and who was wrong when he heard this.

Liǎng gè xiǎo háizi xiào zhe duì kǒngzǐ shuō: “Nǐ búshì hěn bóxué ma? Yuánlái nǐ yě yǒu bù dǒng de dìfāng a!” 两个小孩子笑着对孔子说：“你不是很博学吗？原来你也有不懂的地方啊！” The two children smiled and said to him: “Aren’t you very knowledgeable? It turns out, there’s something you also don’t understand!”

Common Pairs Antonym

大/小 (Dà / xiǎo): big / small

远/近 (Yuǎn / jìn):  far / near

冷/热 (Lěng / rè):  cold / hot

对/错 (Duì / cuò): right / wrong

Examples 1: Jīdàn hé yādàn dàxiǎo chàbuduō. 鸡蛋和鸭蛋大小差不多。 Eggs are about the same size as duck eggs.

Examples 2: Tā shì yuǎnjìn wénmíng de císhàn jiā. 他是远近闻名的慈善家。 His reputation as a philanthropist spread near and far.

Examples 3: Lěng rè kōngqì xiāngyù huì xíngchéng jiàngyǔ. 冷热空气相遇会形成降雨。 Cold and hot air meet to form rain.

Examples 4: Búlùn duì cuò, wǒ zǒngshì huì zhīchí tā de. 不论对错，我总是会支持她的。 Whether right or wrong, I will always support her.

What It Tells Us? “两小儿辩日 (Liǎng xiǎo ér biàn rì) Two children arguing about the sun” shows the ancient spirit of independent thinking, daring to question, and seeking truth from facts. At the same time, it tells us there’s no end to learning so we have to continue seeking knowledge. Through reading this, we find that the two children have the quality of observation and are brave to explore the world around them. While Confucius is practical, modest, and prudent he is able to present us with the moral that we should seek truth from facts and not pretend to understand what we learn.

After reading this article, which child’s perspective is right about the sun? Why? Or, perhaps, do you have a different view? We welcome you to leave a message for us. We’d love to hear what you think.

1. After reading the article do you know what the two kids are arguing about?

    Tāmen zài tǎolùn tàiyáng de dàxiǎo wèntí. A. 他们在讨论太阳的大小问题。

Tāmen zài tǎolùn tàiyáng jùlí yuǎnjìn de wèntí. B. 他们在讨论太阳距离远近的问题。

 Tāmen zài tǎolùn zǎoshàng hé zhōngwǔ de lěng     rè wèntí. C. 他们在讨论早上和中午的冷热问题。

 2. Which of the following pairs are not the opposite meaning?

A. 大和小 (Dà hé xiǎo)

B. 好和坏 (Hǎo hé huài)

C. 长和宽 (Cháng hé kuān)

D. 高和矮 (Gāo hé ǎi)

 Check your answer here: https://bit.ly/2GlpypB

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Just in time for Christmas! There is a special offer going on right now. Buy or renew a lesson package by December 21, 2018 and get up to 20 lessons FREE! https://bit.ly/2QspjxT

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Courtesy and Politeness in Chinese: Learning Etiquette and Manners for Better Communication

Please choose the best option and make the dialogue complete:

Lì Li: “Xiǎo Xīn, nǐ zěnme la?” 丽丽：“小新，你怎么啦？”

Xiǎo Xīn: “Duìbuqǐ, wǒ xiān ( ) yí xià, xiànzài yǒu jiàn jǐnjí de shìqíng yào chǔlǐ.” 小新： ”对不起，我先( )一下，现在有件紧急的事情要处理。“

A. 失陪 (Shīpéi)

B. 包涵 (Bāohán)

C. 原谅 (Yuánliàng)

D. 见谅 (Jiànliàng)

Check your answer here: https://bit.ly/2G03oJB

If you wanna know more about Chinese etiquette and manners, please read the following text.

Compliments, modest remarks, and polite expressions are all forms of respect. We have these in every culture, complimenting the other party or praising them for something they have accomplished, belittling oneself as a form of modesty, as well as terms of respect that express politeness. These are all important parts of an elegant conversation.

Honoring the other party in a conversation consists of “modest speech,” or expressions to show respect and politeness. Using these effectively exhibits that the speaker is charming and polite. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how to use some honorific terms in interpersonal communication.

These terms and phrases are often used in the following situations:

1. Greetings:

  • When you greet a teacher, elder or senior, you should say “您好 (nín hǎo) Hello.”   • When you ask someone’s last name, you can say “贵姓 (guìxìng) honorable surname (a formal expression to ask one’s family name)” or you can put these together and say “您好，请问您贵姓？ (nǐn hǎo, qǐnwèn nǐn guìxìng?) Hello, may I ask your family name?”   • When you meet someone you have admired or heard good things about for a long time, you can say “久仰 (jiǔyǎng) I have been admiring you for a long time.”   • When meeting someone for the first time, you can say: “幸会 (xìnghuì) Nice to meet you. / I’m very pleased to see you.”

These words convey three things: how much you respect them, how kind you are, and it also expresses that you are expecting a friendship with them. At the same time, it also shows how cultured you are, that you have manners, and you are very polite.

2. Expressing Thanks and Responding to Thanks and Praises Given:

  • After others offer help, give support, show care and respect, or praise you, the simplest and most effective response is to say “谢谢 (xièxie) Thanks!”   • How you can respond when someone says “谢谢 (xièxie!):”    “不用谢 (bú yòng xiè) You’re so welcome!” and “不客气 (bú kèqì) My pleasure! /Don’t mention it! / I’m glad to help!” as a polite response.

(How Do We Use the Chinese Phrase “不客气 (bú kèqì)?”)

  • How you can respond when someone praises you:   You can say “过奖了 (guòjiǎng le) I don’t deserve it! / You flatter me!”

3. When asking for help:

  • When you ask someone for advice, you might say “向您请教 (xiàng nǐn qǐngjiào) consult with you.”   • When you ask someone for help, you could say “拜托 (bàituō) Could you please do something?”   • When you ask someone who is busy with something, you might say “打扰 (dǎrǎo) Excuse me.”

4. Excusing oneself and making an apology:

  • When you can’t meet others’ demands, you can say “抱歉 (bàoqiàn) sorry” or “不好意思 (búhǎoyìsī) sorry.”   • When you ask people to tolerate little mistakes we’ve made, we may say “包涵 (bāohán) Please forgive…”   • When we have to leave halfway through a meeting or party, we can say “失陪 (shīpéi) Please excuse me for a minute. / Could you please excuse me for a minute? / Would you please excuse me for a bit?”   • When asking others for understanding, you may say “见谅 (jiànliàng) excuse me/ forgive me.”

Sidenote:

Some of these phrases, such as “贵姓 (guìxìng)” “久仰 (jiǔyǎng)” “幸会 (xìnghuì)” “抱歉 (bàoqiàn)” “包涵 (bāohán)” “失陪 (shīpéi)” “见谅 (jiànliàng)are not commonly spoken in daily conversations these days because they are a bit more formal. They are more often used in business situations or while attending important meetings, or you might hear them used in Chinese TV dramas.

In addition to the above four categories, there are many honorific sayings or idioms which are used in social settings to show a person’s charm. For instance “辛苦啦 (xīnkǔ lā) Thanks for hard work” “请多关照 (qǐng duō guānzhào) I appreciate your kind consideration” and so on.

Ok! So now that we’ve learned a lot of very useful phrases, let’s try to apply these in our daily life conversations! These simple cues will win you more understanding and support from others.

Dialogue1: Scene: The student Xiao Ming meets a senior Professor.

Xiǎo Míng: “Lǐ jiàoshòu, jiǔyǎng dàmíng, wǒ zhēn de hěn xǐhuān nǐn de wénzhāng ne.” 小明：“李教授，久仰大名，我真的很喜欢您的文章呢。” Xiao Ming: “Professor Li, I have admired you for a long time, and I really like your articles.”

Lǐ jiàoshòu: “Xièxie, guòjiǎng le.” 李教授：“谢谢，过奖了。” Professor Li: “Thank you. I’m flattered.”

Dialogue2: Scene: Xiao Lei says hello to his colleague on the first day of work.

Xiǎo Léi: “Chūcì jiànmiàn, qǐng duō guānzhào.” 小雷: “初次见面，请多关照。” Xiao Lei: “Nice to meet you.”

Xiǎo Jūn: “Huānyíng jiārù!” 小军：“欢迎加入!” Xiao Jun: “Welcome aboard!”

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7 Steps to Get Yourself Started Finding Another “Mom” in China

What do you get when you order “外卖 (Wàimài)” or better known in your city as “Takeout?” Not only can you can get a variety of foods suited to your different moods or cravings, but it’s geared towards this modern fast-paced lifestyle.

 In China this way of ordering food is becoming one of the most popular, fastest and easiest things to do with a popular takeout APP called “饿了么(è le me) Ele.me.” You can download it on your phone and with just a few clicks, you can have food hand-delivered to you from all sorts of restaurants! Almost everyone has it, and it’s tough for people to turn down a quick, cheap meal that’s just a click away.

 The Hunger is the platform “饿了么(è le me) Ele.me” was created on which handles the ordering, retailing, instant delivery, and catering supplies for its participating restaurants. The APP has spread to over 2,000 cities across China with over 2 million restaurants joining the ranks of online delivery participants. With over 260 million hungry users, they have a lot of food to deliver daily!

 Their slogan is “If you’re hungry, you don’t have to ask for mommy, you just need ‘Ele.me!’” In Chinese, we have a saying called “衣食父母(yīshí fùmǔ)” which means the people one depends upon for one's livelihood or one's bread and butter. Now Ele.me basically became “衣食父母(yīshí fùmǔ)” of all because all Chinese people is using the app to order meals.And because of this “饿了么(è le me)” has become an online buzzword.

 There Are 7 Steps to get yourself started using the Ele.me App:

1. Search and “下载 (xià zǎi) download” Ele.me APP on your mobile phone.

2. Find the registration button, click it to enter the registration page and create a new account. Or you can directly “登录 (dēnglù) login” if you have a “微信 (wēi xìn) WeChat,”  QQ, or Sina accounts.

 3. After registering, the screen prompts you to enter the address where you want your food delivered.

4. “点餐 (diǎn cān) ordering your meal.” Ele.me APP will only show you the nearby restaurants that are part of their program. You choose the item at any of the restaurants listed, and if you’re not sure how reliable they are, you can refer to people who have reviewed them, their monthly sales, and the number of people who have “给他们点赞 (gěi tāmen diǎn zàn) or liked” their experience.

5. After you select what you would like, you click the "plus/add" button, put it into your shopping cart, and then you can pay for it. There are two methods for payment, "在线支付 (zài xiàn zhīfù) online payment" and "货到付款 (huò dào fùkuǎn) cash on delivery." If you choose the payment preferred by the restaurant, you are automatically entitled to some extra benefits.

 6. Waiting for the takeout to arrive. If you have been waiting for a long time, you can click on the "催单 (cuī dān) expedite the order" to remind them to send it as soon as possible, or you have the option of calling them directly.

  7. Once you receive your order you open the APP and confirm the order arrived, write your review of the service provided, and you get points for every review you give. If you order food from the same restaurant a lot, you can accumulate a lot of points! Then you are awarded different prizes based on the amount of points you’ve accumulated

 Wanna try? You may start from the step 1.

― Written by Lisa Zhang ―

Lisa Zhang is a Chinese teacher and editor for eChineseLearning. She has many years of Chinese language teaching experience, loves  to read and is definitely a foodie. She hopes she can help more people to learn Chinese language and really get to know Chinese culture.

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哑巴吃饺子，心里有数。 Yǎba chī jiǎozi, xīnlǐ yǒushù.

What do you know about Chinese dumplings?

[echineselearning-blog1]

This one’s a little tricky! Can you get it? Check Your Answer Here:  https://bit.ly/2QhLt59

[echineselearning-blog1]

Courtesy and Politeness in Chinese: Learning Etiquette and Manners for Better Communication

Compliments, modest remarks, and polite expressions are all forms of respect. We have these in every culture, complimenting the other party or praising them for something they have accomplished, belittling oneself as a form of modesty, as well as terms of respect that express politeness. These are all important parts of an elegant conversation when you learn Mandarin Chinese.

Honoring the other party in a conversation consists of “modest speech,” or expressions to show respect and politeness. Using these effectively exhibits that the speaker is charming and polite. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how to use some honorific terms in interpersonal communication.

These terms and phrases are often used in the following situations:

1. Greetings：

  • When you greet a teacher, elder or senior, you should say “您好 (nín hǎo) Hello.”   • When you ask someone’s last name, you can say “贵姓 (guìxìng) honorable surname (a formal expression to ask one’s family name)” or you can put these together and say “您好，请问您贵姓？ (nǐn hǎo, qǐnwèn nǐn guìxìng?) Hello, may I ask your family name?”   • When you meet someone you have admired or heard good things about for a long time, you can say “久仰 (jiǔyǎng) I have been admiring you for a long time.”   • When meeting someone for the first time, you can say: “幸会 (xìnghuì) Nice to meet you. / I’m very pleased to see you.”

These words convey three things: how much you respect them, how kind you are, and it also expresses that you are expecting a friendship with them. At the same time, it also shows how cultured you are, that you have manners, and you are very polite.

2. Expressing Thanks and Responding to Thanks and Praises Given:

  • After others offer help, give support, show care and respect, or praise you, the simplest and most effective response is to say “谢谢 (xièxie) Thanks!”   • How you can respond when someone says “谢谢 (xièxie!) ”:   “ 不用谢 (bú yòng xiè) You’re so welcome!’’ and “不客气 (bú kèqì) My pleasure! /Don’t mention it! / I’m glad to help!” as a polite response.

(How Do We Use the Chinese Phrase “不客气 (bú kèqì)”?)

  • How you can respond when someone praises you:   You can say...

...for the FULL LESSON on etiquette and politeness in Mandarin Chinese, you can READ ALONG WITH US HERE!

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Thanksgiving Day Seems Like What Chinese Holiday? Take Our Quiz And Find Out!

Read the dialogue and answer the question below:

Míng Míng: Nǐ néng hé wǒ shuōshuo gǎn’ēnjié ma?

明明：你能和我说说感恩节吗？

Xiǎo Xīn: Gǎn’ēnjié jiù shì yí gè dà de jiātíng jùhuì. Wǒmen zǒng huì zuò hěnduō hǎochī de shíwù lìrú huǒjī, huǒtuǐ huò nánguā pài.

小新：感恩节就是一个大的家庭聚会。我们总会做很多好吃的食物例如火鸡，火腿或南瓜派.

(How to Talk About Thanksgiving Day in Chinese?)

Míng Míng: Tīng qǐlái ______wǒ men chūnjié de tuányuán fàn. 明明：听起来______我们春节的团圆饭。

Xiǎo Xīn: Shì a, huì hěn yǒu yìsī de. 小新：是啊，会很有意思的。

Which of the following is the best answer to fill the blank?

A. 似乎 (Sìhū)

B. 好像 (Hǎoxiàng)

C. 相像 (Xiāngxiàng)

D. 相仿 (Xiāngfǎng)

...for the ANSWER AND ANALYSIS, you can READ ALONG WITH US HERE!

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! 亲爱的学生，感恩节快乐！我们很感谢你！ (qīnài de xuéshēng, gǎnēnjié kuàilè! wǒmen hěn gǎnxiè nǐ) Give the gift of learning this Thanksgiving! >>>>>https://bit.ly/2zkOlUO <<<<

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What's the most difficult #ChineseGrammar point in your opinion? 

Let us know, and...

Get your questions answered by signing up to meet online with one of our teachers for FREE here: https://goo.gl/xjLDeT

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Satisfied? Write “Good” or “Bad” reviews in Chinese

E-commerce refers to the process of buying or selling products or services over the Internet. Online shopping platforms are slowly taking over from traditional shopping, in which buyers go to the market and pay for things with cash. (Must Known Chinese words for online shopping) In China, E-Commerce has been gaining in popularity and websites such as Taobao, Alibaba and JD.com are becoming a part of the daily lives of Chinese shoppers who don’t have time to go to the market.

How buyers can give sellers ratings is an important part of these websites. Just as a customer can leave a “好评 (hǎopíng) positive review” or “差评 (chàpíng) negative review ” on Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc., customers can leave opinionated reviews on JD.com, Amazon.com or other E-Commerce shopping websites. These reviews will greatly affect the business of the sellers! Let’s break it down:

好 (hǎo) = positive /good (adjective) 差 (chà) = negative/bad (adjective) 评 (píng) = review (noun)

好评 (hǎopíng): positive review 差评 (chàpíng): negative review

The two phrases are always used together with “得/受到 (dé/shòu dào) receive,” “给 (gěi) give,” Let’s look at the examples and learn how to use...

...for the FULL LESSON on leaving positive or negative reviews in Chinese, YOU CAN READ ALONG WITH US HERE!

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For Personal Or Business Purposes: Learn Important Mandarin Chinese Financial Phrases

One of the most useful and motivating topics for my Mandarin Chinese students is to talk about important life lessons using Chinese expressions and vocabulary. So, what life lessons do we talk about in the Mandarin Chinese classes?

Popular topics are: renting or buying a home, applying for visas and residency abroad, how to follow recipes and instructions in the kitchen, and because money is so important, some financial phrases are very common. These phrases can be used for personal finance, or also in the business environment. In today’s lesson, I’d like to introduce some of these important phrases to you.

Personal financing refers to the management of money and income in order to prosper in the future. Finance is often connected with “投资 (tóuzī) investment” because this is intertwined with finance.

Financial management also contains “风险管理 (fēngxiǎn guǎnlǐ) risk management.” Owing to the uncertainty of future events both personally and also in the wider economy, including personal safety risk, property risk and market risk, all of which may affect the risk of income interruption or other unforeseen events that could put your financial situation in disarray, “风险管理 (fēngxiǎn guǎnlǐ) risk management” will help you balance this risk.

The stock is now a popular method of investment for Chinese citizens. Investors are engaged in stock trading activities. The main goal is to make a “利润 (lìrùn) profit” by putting the “成本 (chéngběn) cost” into the stock market, according to the price difference. All stock price spreads are subject to variation, especially in volatile market conditions. Therefore...

...for the FULL LESSON on Mandarin Chinese financial terms, you can READ ALONG WITH US HERE!

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These students are taking IB Chinese lessons with eChineseLearning and they made a song for us!  The lyrics are below if you want to sing along  Click this link to learn more -->https://bit.ly/2JNxPAS

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The Uses And Rules of the Mandarin Chinese Word “了 (Le)” (Part II)

In a previous article, I introduced some common usages and grammar rules of “了 (Le).” And in today’s lesson, Part II, I will introduce three more rules and fixed phrases about it.

There are additional rules to follow when using “了 (le):”

(a) “了 (le)” is placed at the end of a sentence to indicate that a new state or a new situation has occurred.

Jīntiān xiàyǔ.  今天下雨.

VS.

Jīntiān xiàyǔ le. 今天下雨了. It is rainy today.

Although both of these two sentences express almost the same meaning, they are a bit different. By placing the “了 (le)” at the end of the sentence, we now know that it is...

...for the FULL ARTICLE on the uses of “了 (le)”, you can READ ALONG WITH US HERE!