Monday, January 31, 2011

Traditions behind Chinese New Year

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eChineseLearning Newsletter (Jan. 31, 2011)

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Highlights in This Issue

1. Chinese Test (Beginner) --- Happiness

2. General Chinese (Intermediate) --- The Origin of New Year's Eve
    
3. Chinese for Teens (Intermediate) --- Why is the Rabbit the Fourth Animal in the Chinese Zodiac?

4. Popular Chinese Expressions (Beginner) --- 新年好!(Xīnnián hǎo!) Happy New Year!

5. Q&A --- How to Learn Mandarin Quickly?

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Typical Students Profiles          Quote of the Week
  Chinese Test (Beginner) Forward this article
   Online Chinese Test --- Happiness

The Year of the Rabbit is coming! We hope all of you will find happiness in the New Year.
What does "happiness" mean in the above sentence?
 A. 幸福 (xìngfú)
 B. 幸运 (xìngyùn)
 C. 祝福 (zhùfú)
 D. 运气 (yùnqi)

See Answers                           

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   General Chinese (Intermediate) Forward this article
    The origin of New Year‘s Eve (Intermediate)  

 

Key Learning Points (Preview):
商量 (shāngliang): v. to discuss/talk over
决定 (juédìng): n./v. decision/to decide

A long time ago, there was a monster called "夕 ( )." The monster was fond of bullying and eating people, especially beautiful girls. People hated the monster, but had no way to stop it. There was a hunter called "七郎 ( Qīláng)" who was very strong and skilled with an arrow. He wanted to help his people by killing the monster, so he spent a year looking for it. On the thirtieth of the twelfth lunar month, the hunter came to a town where many people lived. He thought the monster might come, so he and the people "商量 ( shāngliang) discussed" how to kill the monster. They "决定 ( juédìng) decided" to use noise to scare the monster out into the open and then kill it. When they made noise, just as expected, the monster was scared and came out into the open whereupon the hunter shot it dead. From then on, people called the thirtieth of the twelfth lunar month "除夕 ( chúxī)." "除 ( chú)" means "to get rid of" and "夕 ( )" is the name of the... (Learn More)

Key Learning Points:
商量 (shāngliang): v. to discuss/talk over

Example:
Wǒ yǒu diǎnr sīshì hé nǐ shāngliang.
我    有   点儿   私事 和 你    商量。
I have something personal to discuss with you.

Zhè ge wèntí wǒmen yǐjīng shāngliang guò le.
这    个  问题   我们      已经     商量             过   了。
We have already discussed this problem.

决定 (juédìng): n./v. decision/to decide

Example:
Zhè ge juédìng jiāng gǎibiàn tā de yì shēng.
这    个   决定      将       改变     他  的 一  生。
The decision will change his life.

Tā juédìng fàngqì zhè ge jīhuì.
她    决定     放弃     这  个  机会。
She decided to give up this... (Learn More)

   
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  Chinese for Teens (Intermediate) Forward this article
  兔子为什么在生肖中排第四? Why is the Rabbit the fourth animal in the Chinese Zodiac?  


Listen to the story

Key Learning Points (Preview):
生肖 (shēngxiāo): n. Zodiac
出发 (chūfā): v. to start off

Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, Yùhuáng dàdì dǎsuàn zài dòngwù zhōng xuǎn shí’èr gè pái shēngxiāo.
很     久  以前,  玉皇        大帝    打算    在    动物       中       选      十二  个  排     生肖。
Long ago, the Jade Emperor prepared to select twelve animals to be the zodiac signs.

Gēnjù guīdìng, zài zhǐdìng de nà yì tiān, nǎ ge dòngwù xiān dào jiù huì bèi xuǎn zhòng.
根据      规定,  在   指定     的  那 一 天,哪 个      动物      先    到    就  会 被     选       中。
In accord with decree, the first twelve animals to arrive on the appointed day would be selected as the animals of the zodiac.

Huángniú yǔ tùzi yuēdìng yìqǐ cānjiā jìngsài.
黄牛           与 兔子  约定  一起  参加      竞赛。
The ox and the rabbit agreed to take part in the event together.

Zhēng shēngxiāo de rìzi zhōngyú lái le.
争            生肖          的 日子 终于     来  了。
The day arrived.

Tùzi qǐ de hěn zǎo, méiyǒu děng huángniú jiù chūfā le.
兔子起 的   很   早,没有        等        黄牛        就   出发 了。

The rabbit got up early and started off without waiting for the ox.

Tùzi pǎo le yí zhèn zi, fāxiàn lùshang méi yǒu qítā dòngwù de yǐngzi.
兔子 跑   了一  阵   子,发现   路上       没     有   其它   动物    的   影子。

After running for a while, the rabbit found that no other animals were on the way.

Yúshì, zài cǎodì shang shuì qǐ jiào lái.
于是,在   草地     上      睡    起  觉   来。
So he began to doze off in... (See Full Article)

Key Learning Points:
生肖 (shēngxiāo): n. Zodiac

Example:
    Nǐ de shēngxiāo shì shénme?
A: 你 的    生肖          是    什么?
    Which year of the zodiac were you born in?

    Wǒ shì tù nián de.
B: 我   是  兔  年    的。
     I was born in the year of the rabbit.

出发 (chūfā): v. to start off

Example:
Wǒmen míngtiān xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn chūfā.
我们          明天        下午  五    点     出发。
We will start off at... (Learn More )

 
   
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Popular Chinese Words (Beginner)

新年好 !(Xīnnián hǎo!) Happy New Year!  


Example: 

    Xīnnián hǎo!
A: 新年      好!

    Happy New Year!

    Nǐ yě yíyàng!
B: 你 也  一样!

      The same to you!

(
Learn more popular Chinese words)  

 

  
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Q&A

How Can I Learn Mandarin Quickly?


Question

How can I learn Mandarin quickly? I want to be able to learn quickly on top of my busy work schedule.

Answer:

I'm Jennifer, a professional Chinese teacher from Beijing China. I've taught Chinese for many years. As for learning Mandarin quickly, it is important to learn Chinese Pinyin well at the beginning. Chinese Pinyin is a Roman-letter based system that China now uses to mark the pronunciation of Chinese characters. That is to say, Chinese Pinyin is... (See more discussion on this topic and other topics related to Chinese learning.) 
 
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Quote of the Week:
 


Qíshí chāoyuè zìjǐ de gǎnjué shì zuì shuǎng de.Xiāngxìn nǐ zìjǐ,suǒyǒu de hǎo chéngji qíshí dōu láiyuán yú zìxìn.
其实      超越   自己 的 感觉      是  最      爽        的。相信    你 自己,所有 的   好     成绩    其实   都    来源     于 自信 。
Actually, the best feeling is to exceed yourself. Trust yourself, for all your achievements are from... (Learn More)
---From 刘翔 ( Liú Xiáng) Liu Xiang, a famous track athlete in China... (Learn More)  

Vocabulary for Mandarin Learning:
超越 (chāoyuè): v. to exceed
... (More Vocabulary)

 
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speak chinese 36 2 how to speak chinese 35 3 what language do people speak in china chinese 8 4 learn to speak chinese interactive 5 5 are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese 4 6 does david hemmings speak chinese? 4 7 how can i speak mandarin chinese fast 4 8 speak e-z chinese book 4 9 learn to speak mandarin chinese 4 10 i don't speak chinese in chinese are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese? 3 12 what language did chinese speak when they arrived in california? 3 13 leaarn how to speak chinese 3 14 learn to speak chinese free 3 15 how 2 speak chinese 3 16 chinese language track student progress listen speak read write 2 17 five way to speak chinese 2 18 how to speak chinese handbook 2 19 learn how to speak chinese 2 20 learn to speak chinese online

speak chinese 36 2 how to speak chinese 35 3 what language do people speak in china chinese 8 4 learn to speak chinese interactive 5 5 are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese 4 6 does david hemmings speak chinese? 4 7 how can i speak mandarin chinese fast 4 8 speak e-z chinese book 4 9 learn to speak mandarin chinese 4 10 i don't speak chinese in chinese are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese? 3 12 what language did chinese speak when they arrived in california? 3 13 leaarn how to speak chinese 3 14 learn to speak chinese free 3 15 how 2 speak chinese 3 16 chinese language track student progress listen speak read write 2 17 five way to speak chinese 2 18 how to speak chinese handbook 2 19 learn how to speak chinese 2 20 learn to speak chinese online

speak chinese 36 2 how to speak chinese 35 3 what language do people speak in china chinese 8 4 learn to speak chinese interactive 5 5 are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese 4 6 does david hemmings speak chinese? 4 7 how can i speak mandarin chinese fast 4 8 speak e-z chinese book 4 9 learn to speak mandarin chinese 4 10 i don't speak chinese in chinese are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese? 3 12 what language did chinese speak when they arrived in california? 3 13 leaarn how to speak chinese 3 14 learn to speak chinese free 3 15 how 2 speak chinese 3 16 chinese language track student progress listen speak read write 2 17 five way to speak chinese 2 18 how to speak chinese handbook 2 19 learn how to speak chinese 2 20 learn to speak chinese online

speak chinese 36 2 how to speak chinese 35 3 what language do people speak in china chinese 8 4 learn to speak chinese interactive 5 5 are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese 4 6 does david hemmings speak chinese? 4 7 how can i speak mandarin chinese fast 4 8 speak e-z chinese book 4 9 learn to speak mandarin chinese 4 10 i don't speak chinese in chinese are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese? 3 12 what language did chinese speak when they arrived in california? 3 13 leaarn how to speak chinese 3 14 learn to speak chinese free 3 15 how 2 speak chinese 3 16 chinese language track student progress listen speak read write 2 17 five way to speak chinese 2 18 how to speak chinese handbook 2 19 learn how to speak chinese 2 20 learn to speak chinese online

speak chinese 36 2 how to speak chinese 35 3 what language do people speak in china chinese 8 4 learn to speak chinese interactive 5 5 are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese 4 6 does david hemmings speak chinese? 4 7 how can i speak mandarin chinese fast 4 8 speak e-z chinese book 4 9 learn to speak mandarin chinese 4 10 i don't speak chinese in chinese are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese? 3 12 what language did chinese speak when they arrived in california? 3 13 leaarn how to speak chinese 3 14 learn to speak chinese free 3 15 how 2 speak chinese 3 16 chinese language track student progress listen speak read write 2 17 five way to speak chinese 2 18 how to speak chinese handbook 2 19 learn how to speak chinese 2 20 learn to speak chinese online

speak chinese 36 2 how to speak chinese 35 3 what language do people speak in china chinese 8 4 learn to speak chinese interactive 5 5 are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese 4 6 does david hemmings speak chinese? 4 7 how can i speak mandarin chinese fast 4 8 speak e-z chinese book 4 9 learn to speak mandarin chinese 4 10 i don't speak chinese in chinese are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese? 3 12 what language did chinese speak when they arrived in california? 3 13 leaarn how to speak chinese 3 14 learn to speak chinese free 3 15 how 2 speak chinese 3 16 chinese language track student progress listen speak read write 2 17 five way to speak chinese 2 18 how to speak chinese handbook 2 19 learn how to speak chinese 2 20 learn to speak chinese online

speak chinese 36 2 how to speak chinese 35 3 what language do people speak in china chinese 8 4 learn to speak chinese interactive 5 5 are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese 4 6 does david hemmings speak chinese? 4 7 how can i speak mandarin chinese fast 4 8 speak e-z chinese book 4 9 learn to speak mandarin chinese 4 10 i don't speak chinese in chinese are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese? 3 12 what language did chinese speak when they arrived in california? 3 13 leaarn how to speak chinese 3 14 learn to speak chinese free 3 15 how 2 speak chinese 3 16 chinese language track student progress listen speak read write 2 17 five way to speak chinese 2 18 how to speak chinese handbook 2 19 learn how to speak chinese 2 20 learn to speak chinese online

speak chinese 36 2 how to speak chinese 35 3 what language do people speak in china chinese 8 4 learn to speak chinese interactive 5 5 are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese 4 6 does david hemmings speak chinese? 4 7 how can i speak mandarin chinese fast 4 8 speak e-z chinese book 4 9 learn to speak mandarin chinese 4 10 i don't speak chinese in chinese are there any other languages people speak in china besides chinese? 3 12 what language did chinese speak when they arrived in california? 3 13 leaarn how to speak chinese 3 14 learn to speak chinese free 3 15 how 2 speak chinese 3 16 chinese language track student progress listen speak read write 2 17 five way to speak chinese 2 18 how to speak chinese handbook 2 19 learn how to speak chinese 2 20 learn to speak chinese online

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