Chinese people have a name for the first of January, but they don’t actually celebrate it. Their historic lunar calendar starts on a different day. The first of January is called Yuán dàn (元旦), but it has no real significance. The real Chinese New Year starts on the second new moon following the Winter Solstice. So it can occur anytime betwee...

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“Fán sǐ le” means annoying to death. Sentences PinyinChineseEnglishZuótiān wǎnshàng de diànyǐng zěnmeyàng? 昨天晚上的电影怎么样？How was the movie yesterday? Bù hǎo, nǚpéngyǒu ràng wǒ fán sǐ le. 不好，女朋友让我烦死了。Terrible, my girlfriend made me so annoyed. Wèi shénme? 为什么？Why? Yīng wèi tā yīzhí dǎ diành...

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As your Mandarin skills increase, you will inevitably receive compliments from Chinese friends. Chinese people appreciate modesty, so learning how to respond is a good idea. The phrase nálǐ nálǐ? literally means “Where? where?”. It implies that you feel that the praise is unwarranted. It also gives your friend an opportunity to heap mor...

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When will the pandemic end? Maybe when we have a plentiful supply of a reliable vaccine. In the mean time, washing hands, wearing a face mask, and maintaining 6 feet of social distancing, are the most effective strategies at this point. So let’s learn how to encourage others to do just that. Sentence PinyinChineseEnglish你必须经常洗手!Nǐ bìx...

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By now almost everyone on the planet is taking the necessary precautions prevent the spread of the virus. Even with new vaccines it will take a long time to weather this pandemic. But, wearing a face mask in public areas and practicing social distancing will make a big difference. Use the audio recordings below to practice your pronunciation … Pi...

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