When you’re learning Chinese, discovering 流行用语, aka Chinese slang expressions (liú xíng yòng yǔ) is a fun and interesting way to get a deeper understanding of the language and culture. However, before diving in, it’s important to know which phrases are appropriate to use in different situations. In this article, we’ll be exploring some of the most interesting, quirky, and downright wacky slang expressions in Chinese to know in 2023, along with their meanings and how to use them in context. Prepare to spice up your Chinese vocabulary with some seriously meowy slang!

1. Chinese slang: 蒟蒻 (jǔ ruò)

First up in your collection of popular words to know is 蒟蒻, a self-deprecating slang term used to refer to oneself as a noob or a newbie.

You’ll see it often used in online gaming communities and online. If you’re a new player to a game, for instance, you might say:
我是蒟蒻，还请多多关照
Wǒ shì jǔ ruò, hái qǐng duō duō guān zhào
I’m a noob, please take care of me.

Here’s how to use this slang expression in context:
A: 你打得好烂啊，是不是蒟蒻啊？
Nǐ dǎ de hǎo làn a，shì bù shì jǔruò a?
You play so poorly, are you a newbie?

B: 没错，我才刚开始学呢。
Méi cuò，wǒ cái gāng kāi shǐ xué ne
B: Yes, I’m just getting started.

Fun fact: Look up 蒟蒻 and you’ll see pictures of konjac, that calorie-free plant that was a popular noodle substitute a while back.
How did we get to “noob” from there? Konjac in Chinese (蒟蒻 (jǔ ruò) sounds like 巨[jù] 弱[ruò], which means very weak. From there, it’s easy to picture how online, especially, this came to mean “noob”.

2. 酱紫 (jiàng zǐ)

Next up is another great buzzword to know is 酱紫.

Because it sounds very similar to 这样子, it also means “like this” or “in this way”. The difference is that you will often use it playfully or sarcastically.

For example, if someone says “你怎么不去问问他呢? (nǐ zěn me bù qù wèn wèn tā ne?) which means “Why don’t you go ask him?”, you could sarcastically respond with “酱紫啊，太感谢你的好建议了” (jiàng zǐ a, tài gǎn xiè nǐ de hǎo jiàn yì le), which means “Oh, great idea, thanks so much!”

A: 今天要开会，你怎么穿得这么随便？
Jīntiān yào kāihuì，nǐ zěn me chuān dé zhè me suí biàn？
We have a meeting today, why are you dressed so casually?

B: 酱紫不行吗？
Jiàng zǐ bù xíng ma?
What’s wrong with that?

3. Chinese slang expression: 吃瓜 (chī guā)

Meaning “to eat watermelon seeds,” you’ll find 吃瓜 (chī guā) is a meowvelous slang expression to use to describe someone who is watching a situation from the sidelines without directly getting involved. It’s often used to describe people who are gossiping or watching drama unfold without participating in it themselves.

It’s purrfect to talk about bystanders or gawkers. For example, you can say:
他们两个人吵架了，我们都在一旁吃瓜看戏。
Tāmen liǎng gè rén chǎojià le，wǒmen dōu zài yī páng chī guā kàn xì
The two of them were arguing, and we were all standing by watching and waiting to see what would happen

Or
吃瓜群众看热闹。
Chī guā qúnzhòng kàn rènao.
The crowd watches the excitement with interest.

Curious to see 吃瓜 (chī guā) used in context? Here are two dialogues using it:

A: 这个新闻真扯。
Zhège xīnwén zhēn chě.
This news is sensationalized.

B: 别说了，我们只是吃瓜群众。
Bié shuō le, wǒmen zhǐshì chīguā qúnzhòng.
Let’s not say anything, we’re just bystanders watching the drama.

Here’s another way to use this Chinese slang expression:
A: 你听说了吗？ 王老师辞职了。
Nǐ tīngshuō le ma？ Wáng lǎoshī cízhí le.
Have you heard? Teacher Wang resigned.

B: 没有，怎么回事？
Méi yǒu，zěn me huí shì ？
No, what happened?

A: 不知道，我也是刚刚在微博上看到的，咱们吃瓜看热闹吧！
Bù zhīdào，wǒ yě shì gāng gang zài Wēibó shàng kàn dào de，zánmen chīguā kàn rènao ba ！
I don’t know. I just saw it on Weibo. Let’s just watch and see what happens.

4. 搞笑 (gǎo xiào)

搞笑 means “funny” or “humorous” and is often used to describe comedic content. For example, if you watch a funny video on Chinese social media, you might say “这个视频真的太搞笑了” (zhè ge shì pín zhēn de tài gǎo xiào le), which means “This video is really funny.”

A: 这个视频好搞笑啊！
Zhè ge shìpín hǎo  gǎoxiào le
This video is so funny!

B: 我也觉得，笑得我肚子疼。
Wǒ yě jué de xiào de wǒ dùzi téngI think so too, I laughed until my stomach hurt.

Think about who you’re talking to when using this Chinese-language expression: 搞笑 gǎo xiào could be considered somewhat informal and may not be appropriate in certain professional or formal settings.

5. The popular expression: 神犇 (shén bēn)

You use the slang term 神犇 (shén bēn) to describe someone extremely talented or skilled in a particular area. Imagine, if you know someone who is a talented musician, you might say to brag about them to your friends “他真是一个音乐神犇” (tā zhēn shì yī gè yīn yuè shén bēn). That means “He’s a real musical genius.”

Here’s how you can use this slang expression in context:

A: 他真的是个神犇，什么都会。
Tā zhēn de shì gè shénbēn，shénme dōu huì
He’s really a genius, he can do anything.

B: 是啊，我都有点佩服他了。
Shì a， wǒ dōu yǒu diǎn pèi fú tā le。
Yeah, I’m starting to admire him.

Fun fact: 神 means “god”. And because the character 犇 contains three times the character “牛” (cow”), and something “牛” is awesome in Chinese, this expression 神犇 took on the meaning of “十分牛”, that is to say, “extremely good”, to the point of being “god-like”.

6. Celebrate with the buzzword 撒花 (sā huā)

Want to celebrate something? Then, 撒花 (sā huā) is the expression you’ll want to use. It’s similar to saying “hooray” or “yay” in English.

So, for instance, if you’re told your friend won the lottery or another piece of good news, you might respond with 撒花 (sā huā!), which means “Hooray!”

A: 我通过了考试，撒花！
Wǒ tōngguò le kǎoshì，sāhuā！
I passed the exam, celebrate with me!

B: 恭喜恭喜，要好好庆祝一下！
Gōng xǐ gōng xǐ ， yào hǎo hǎo qìng zhù yī xià
Congratulations, we should definitely celebrate!

7. 摸鱼 (mō yú)

摸鱼 (mō yú) is a slang term you use to describe someone who is slacking off or goofing off. You’ll find it particularly handy to describe a situation where someone is not working hard or as diligently as they should be.

For example, if your colleague at work in China is taking a long break and not doing their work, you might say:
他今天一直在摸鱼
Tā jīntiān yīzhí zài mōyú
He’s been slacking off all day.

Here’s how you can use this popular expression in context:
A: 你最近在忙什么呢?
Nǐ zuì jìn zài máng shén me ne?
What have you been busy with lately?

B: 最近上班太累了，经常摸鱼。
Zuì jìn shàng bān tài lèi le, jīng cháng mō yú
I’ve been really tired at work lately, so I’ve been slacking off a lot.

8.双倍奉还 (shuāng bèi fèng huán)

双倍奉还 is an idiom in Chinese that means “to pay back twice as much” or “to retaliate with double the force.” It’s often used to describe situations where someone has been wronged or hurt and is seeking justice or revenge. For example, if someone steals from you, you might say “我一定让他双倍奉还” (wǒ yī dìng ràng tā shuāng bèi fèng huán), which means “I will make him pay back twice as much.”

This expression can also be used in a playful way, such as when someone gives you a gift or does something nice for you. In this case, you might say “谢谢你的礼物，我会双倍奉还的” (xiè xiè nǐ de lǐwù, wǒ huì shuāng bèi fèng huán de), which means “Thank you for your gift, I will repay you doubly.”

Here’s another dialogue showing you how to use this expression:

A: 你欠我的钱，什么时候还？
Nǐ qiàn wǒ de qián，shén me shí hou huán
A: You owe me money, when will you pay me back?

B: 不用急，我会尽快还你，双倍奉还。
Bù yòng jí，wǒ huì jǐn kuài hái nǐ，shuāng bèi fèng huán.
Don’t worry, I’ll repay you as soon as possible, with double the amount.

A cultural note on slang expressions in Chinese

Slang expressions are an important part of the Chinese language and culture. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, using slang is a great way to connect with native speakers, add some personality to your language skills, and maybe even score a few laughs along the way.

Just remember, these phrases can be playful and interesting, as long as you use them appropriately and stay aware of their nuances and connotations. While these phrases can be tons of fun, it’s important to be aware of their connotations and usage contexts so that you can use them with confidence and respect. When in doubt, for instance, exercise discretion, and check what setting you’re in. In professional and formal settings, particularly, it’s advisable to err on the side of caution and use more neutral language.

And once you have that in mind, especially when you’re with friends you trust, purrfect! Give these slang expressions a try in a safe space, with your friends, so they can tell you without being shocked if you screwed up using a word! Go ahead and start using these phrases in your daily life, impress your friends with your cool Chinese slang, and don’t forget to have fun with it!

On that note, there you have it, folks! We hope you’ve enjoyed this wild ride through some of the most popular and fun slang expressions in Chinese to know in 2023.

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese, which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or on your phone with the Android app.

Enjoy!

Sarah &

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

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The post 8 Fun Chinese Slang Expressions to Impress Your Friends in 2023 appeared first on Ninchanese.

Worlds 1 and 2 (HSK 1 and 2) are perfect for beginners just starting their Chinese learning journey.

These worlds introduce a limited number of vocabulary words, focusing on the most essential words and phrases you’ll need to communicate about basic topics. In addition, you’ll learn how to introduce yourself, ask for directions, order food, and more – all of which are essential for getting around and interacting with people in China.

In addition to introducing essential vocabulary, these worlds also provide a solid foundation for the next worlds, helping you get a feel for the structure and grammar of the language. You’ll learn basic sentence structures and how to conjugate verbs in Chinese (you’ll see it is different than other languages), which will set you up for success as you move on to more advanced topics.

Worlds 1 and 2 are great starting points for anyone looking to learn Chinese and get a feel for the language. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to communicate about basic topics and build a strong foundation for your Chinese learning journey.

World 3 (HSK3): An important milestone in your Chinese learning journey

World 3 (HSK3) is an intermediate-level world that builds on the foundation you’ve established in Worlds 1 and 2. In this world, you’ll learn more vocabulary words and encounter more complex grammar structures, which will help you express yourself more accurately and fluently in Chinese. In addition, you’ll learn how to use different times, form complex questions, and use more advanced sentence structures, all of which will help you express yourself more accurately and fluently in Chinese.

By completing World 3, you’ll have a much richer understanding of the Chinese language and be able to read (somewhat) easy Chinese newspaper articles. In addition, you’ll be able to understand more complex sentences and ideas and express your thoughts and opinions more clearly. This is an important milestone in your Chinese learning journey, as it marks the point at which you’re able to engage with more advanced texts and materials in Chinese.

Overall, World 3 is an important step in your Chinese learning journey, as it helps you build a more advanced foundation for the language and prepares you for more advanced topics. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to progress through this world and continue to build your Chinese skills.

World 4 (HSK4): A high level of Chinese proficiency 

World 4 (HSK4) is an intermediate and advanced-level world that builds on the skills you’ve developed in previous worlds. In this world, you’ll be able to discuss a wide range of subjects and confidently use all essential grammar points and structures. In addition, you’ll learn how to express your thoughts and opinions more effectively, ask for and give advice, and use more advanced vocabulary and grammar structures to convey more complex ideas.

By the time you complete World 4, you’ll have a high level of Chinese proficiency and be able to understand most of a Chinese show. You’ll be able to engage in more advanced conversations with Chinese speakers and express yourself fluently and accurately. Chinese people will consider your Chinese excellent if you can complete this world, and you’ll be able to communicate about a wide range of topics with ease.

Overall, World 4 is an essential milestone in your Chinese learning journey, as it marks the point at which you’ve developed a high proficiency in the language. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to progress through this world and continue to build your Chinese skills, eventually reaching fluency.

World 5 (HSK5): Encounter a wide range of topics and situations

World 5 (HSK5) is an advanced-level world that builds on the skills you’ve developed in previous worlds. This world includes more challenging vocabulary and will help you understand everything in a show or difficult newspaper article. You’ll learn to use more advanced grammar structures and idiomatic expressions and encounter a wide range of challenging vocabulary words that will help you express yourself more accurately and fluently in Chinese.

By the time you complete World 5, you’ll have reached a high level of Chinese proficiency and be able to understand most spoken and written Chinese. You’ll be able to engage in advanced conversations with Chinese speakers and understand more complex texts and materials. If you can complete this world, you can consider yourself fluent in Chinese – meow!

Overall, World 5 is an important step in your Chinese learning journey, as it helps you develop a high level of proficiency in the language and prepares you for more advanced topics. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to progress through this world and continue to build your Chinese skills, eventually reaching fluency.

World 6 (HSK6): A great way to further refine your skills and take your Chinese to an even higher level

World 6 (HSK6) is the last world being developed and will focus on high-level vocabulary and idioms, with fewer grammar points but more cultural elements in the dialogues. This world is designed for advanced learners who want to take their Chinese to the next level and become proficient in the more complex and idiomatic language.

In this world, you’ll encounter a wide range of challenging vocabulary words and idiomatic expressions that will help you express yourself more accurately and fluently in Chinese. You’ll also learn more about Chinese culture and customs, which will help you better understand and communicate with Chinese speakers.

While World 6 is more challenging than the previous worlds, it will take your Chinese to an even higher level and help you develop a high level of proficiency in the language. 

Overall, World 6 is an exciting new addition to the Ninchanese curriculum and is an excellent way for advanced learners to take their Chinese to the next level.

The other courses: get specific

But that’s not all – Ninchanese also has unique worlds that cater to specific interests or needs. The Chinese Phrasebook, for example, is an excellent resource for anyone traveling to China, as it covers essential phrases and real-life situations. Here’s the stand-alone app.  And the Chinese Character Universe world is a fun and interactive way to learn Chinese characters.

So whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s something for everyone on Ninchanese. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to learn all the characters, grammar, and tones and have fun doing it. Just remember to stay motivated (as we say in Chinese: 加油!), and don’t be afraid to explore different worlds and see what interests you.

We hope you find this information helpful and encourage you to check out our curriculum at https://ninchanese.com/chinese-curriculum-hsk1-beginner-basic-speaker/ to learn more. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us – we’re here to help you on your Chinese learning journey!

Wishing you all the best, 

Jean-Rémi

 Ninchanese co-founder

The post A Guide to the Chinese Learning Levels Courses on Ninchanese appeared first on Ninchanese.

Early last year, in 2021, the Chinese Testing Center sent the Chinese learning world into a frenzy.

They announced there would be a new HSK 3.0. 9 new HSK levels instead of the 6 existing ones, a full revamp of the content in each level, and a whopping addition of 3,000 words to learn. The new HSK 3.0 promised to bring with it a lot of changes for Chinese learners everywhere.

Related: Read all about the rumors and facts surrounding the new HSK 3.0

A key date in the introduction of the new HSK 3.0 was: March 2022.

What was supposed to happen to the HSK in March 2022?

In March 2022, as we wrote here, testing for the higher levels (HSK 7, HSK 8, and HSK 9) would officially start.

But… April 1st went by, and this was no April fool’s joke: there was nothing new regarding the new HSK 3.0. Higher-level tests had definitely not started. The most advanced HSK level was still HSK 6.

Related: Learn HSK 6 with the complete HSK 6 Course on Ninchanese.

Granted, Covid and the pandemic have put a foil on everyone’s plans and delayed many things. So, quite understandably, March 2022 was a deadline that wasn’t met.

Fast forward to now (November 2022), and the situation is pretty much the same. Almost. Things are slowly changing. Finally!

Update on HSK 3.0 November 2022: Mostly nothing new for HSK 1-6 BUT some news

So far, there has been no news on a possible new release date for HSK 3.0 for levels 1 through 6.

No official testing material, no official lists aside from what was released last year as part of the “Standard” for learning.

So don’t believe all the sites that say they have an update: there’s none. Or, actually, that’s the update. HSK 1 to 6 will remain exactly the same as they are now.

I repeat: no changes to come in the next 2 to 3 years regarding the HSK 1-6. They will remain exactly the same.

What does that mean?

This means the HSK 2.0 is still the most up-to-date system of Chinese proficiency tests. HSK 1 through HSK 6  tests won’t be changing, and HSK 1-6 learning content won’t be modified.

Your test results are still valid. Phew!  Plus, purrfect news: you can prepare for all HSK levels on Ninchanese! From HSK 1 to HSK 6, we’ve got you for all your Chinese learning needs.

That’s the official word: no HSK 3.0 in sight, for now, for levels HSK1 to 6. In 2 to 3 years, there’ll be a “gradual adaptation of the HSK 1-6 levels to meet the new “Standards”. No deadline has been given for that, either. Wait and see, people, wait and see.

Of course, we’ll keep monitoring the situation. So in the meantime, relax. Keep on studying as you have been.

We will be the first to let you know if anything changes on that HSK 3.0 front. In a couple of years.

HOWEVER.

Drumroll please….

Testing begins for HSK 7, HSK 8 and HSK 9

There’s finally news regarding the new advanced HSK 7 to 9 levels.

The very first HSK 7-9 “test” test is said to have taken place! On November 26th, 2022, to be precise.

Yes, test singular, since it’s one single test for all three new levels. Then, based on your results, you’re told which new HSK level you belong to.

Here’s an official description of the HSK 7 to 9 test’s goals (link in Mandarin Chinese), and more info about the test format.

That’s all we know so far.

What else is new HSK? (April 2022 update)

That doesn’t mean, though, that nothing else is new in the HSK World!

What’s new (since the end of 2021) is that you can take your HSK test at home, from the comfort of your own living room. That’s, of course, if you don’t have an HSK testing center nearby. For details and calendar dates of upcoming HSK Tests, read this.

When taking the home version of the HSK, what’s also new is there’s an HSK Speaking test now to take. Not to worry, Ninchanese also prepares you to speak Chinese, so you’re covered.

Lastly, we’re also very proud to announce that you can now prepare for the complete HSK 6 on NInchanese! Wet finished adding the very last HSK 6 content, and it’s all there for you to study!

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post HSK 3.0 November 2022 Update: Did the new HSK 3.0 come out? appeared first on Ninchanese.

Reader apps provide graded Chinese texts and tools to help you decipher a text quickly. Today we’re reviewing Du Chinese, one of the most popular Graded Chinese readers.

What is Du Chinese?

Du Chinese is an online and mobile text reader.

Available on iOS and Android, it helps you read Chinese texts with a few well-done tools.

Du Chinese is excellent for improving your reading skills and understanding Chinese stories. It’s purfect for Chinese learners who want to be able to read Chinese texts and reinforce what they already know.

读 Du means to read in Chinese, so even the name shows you how much it wants to help you read in Chinese.

Content of Du Chinese app

What kind of content does Du Chinese offer? You have lots to choose from! You can browse over 1,900 texts on the app, which is impressive.

There’s plenty of text categorized into New Lessons and Top Stories. There are also a few Series of Novels in Chinese, which are stories in multiple chapters. In addition, you have some categories like Business in China, Everyday Life, Language, and Funny Stories. You can extend each type of category with the see more button.

The Du Chinese team or other Chinese schools like Go East Mandarin, LTL, or Excel Mandarin write these stories, which says a lot about the quality of the content.

Stories, organized by level

Any Chinese learner that’s attempted to read in Chinese knows that it can be hard to find a text that suits them well.

Du Chinese thought of that and made it easy for you.

With their graded system, there’s content available at every level, whether you’re a newbie or an advanced Chinese learner.

Moreover, all their texts, from the single-page stories to the multi-chapter longer ones, are carefully tagged by level, so you always know what you’re diving into.

Some story recommendations to start with Du Chinese

Wondering where to start? There are quite a few recommendations when you open the app and have indicated your reading level, and I recommend trying one that looks interesting.

Here are also a few series that I like to get you going. “Ben’s life in China” is a fantastic series to read, full of helpful content to know at the intermediate level. It’s perfect if you are living in the country. You could consider it a great addition to our course “the Chinese Phrasebook” on Ninchanese.

If you’re a beginner, you can read the “story of a cat” (obviously, considering you’re learning with cats on Ninchanese!). The series is elementary and goes slow, with quite a lot of repetition of accessible characters. It’s maybe even a little too easy, but it’s an excellent start for beginners looking to ease into reading Chinese texts.

You can also try the “funny story” section with a very Chinese humor style. I’ll let you explore that one; I’m sure you’ll find one story amusing.

How do you use Du Chinese?

A pleasant reading experience

If you just want to get reading, it’s pretty straightforward. Select a story, and you are presented with the text to read.

The text itself is well presented, without any fuss. There are three parts to the screen on the mobile app:

• first, a translation tool part, where the translation of a word or sentence is,
• then, the middle, the most prominent part, is the Chinese text you are reading,
• and finally, the last part at the bottom is the menu. You access different customization options from there.

Easy tools to help you understand what you’re reading

Imagine you start reading the text and find a sentence you don’t understand. You can touch it and be presented with its complete translation at the top, above the text.

Or there’s a word you don’t understand. Touch it longer or hover over it; you can see a brief definition. Overall, it’s pretty easy to look up words you don’t know, thanks to a well-done text segmentation.

It’s also nice to have the translation available with your reading, all in one place.

Generally, the translation is good but sometimes a little short. Don’t worry; you can also long press on a word to get more info, which will take you to another page to see more definitions.

The definitions are from a free dictionary called CEDict, which is pretty good. We also used it in Ninchanese as a basis and then improved. So that’s an excellent point for them.

Sometimes, words are missing sentence examples, but you can always go to an external dictionary to see more info on that word.

Listen to the story as you read along, or turn it into a Chinese podcast

When reading, you can also press the play button at the sentence and hear the whole text read to you, with a nice little cursor, karaoke-style, to help you follow along. That makes it simple to follow while the voice reads it.

You can also easily pause the reading whenever you want or go back to a specific part of the text by simply touching the word or sentence you want to hear again.

Want to take a break from reading? You can also listen to the story being read with no text. I can imagine that being handy while on the go, jogging, for instance.

Customization options galore

Once you’re familiar with the app and know how you want your reading experience, you can customize how you want to read the text, to how you like it.

Change the reading speed

By default, the speed is set at 1x, which, in my experience, is actually quite slowed down. But it’s a good starting speed.

You can slow it down even more or go up to 1.5x speed, which sounds more like a normal speaker’s speed. So, at higher levels, that feels like a more natural speed.

Also, from what I have experienced, some texts are faster, so maybe they change the average speed depending on the difficulty of the text.

Show the pinyin (or don’t)

There’s a button directly on the text screen you can toggle on or off to choose whether you want the pinyin shown above the Chinese characters. That’s helpful because sometimes you know what it means but not the pinyin.

Turn off full translations

You can decide whether you want the app to show sentence translations or not. This is nice if you only want to see the translation of a word and not the whole sentence.

Plenty of visual options

If you go further into the submenu, you’ll find the rest of the customization options. Visually, your options are:

• You can choose simplified or traditional characters.
• You can select the font size for Chinese characters and pinyin.
• You can choose different types of fonts, which is helpful to get used to reading Chinese in various fonts, or if you prefer a different font to see the strokes more.
• You can underline the HSK level on each character. It’s cool, but I don’t recommend using it since it makes the text harder to read. But, you do as you like.
• You can customize how you want your character readings. Here, Du Chinese goes further than other reading apps. You can decideif you wisht to show pinyin for every character or only for some problematic words, such as words from higher HSK levels or names.
• Lastly, you can choose the transliteration model: the app can show you pinyin, tone marks only, or the Bopomofo system used in Taiwan instead.

The one thing I would have liked to see is an option to preset the sound speed I wanted. By default, as mentioned, the sound is at 1x, which I found too slow. I have to manually set it back to 1,5x at the beginning of each text. No biggie, but it definitely could be an option.

Simple navigation

Once you start reading a text and returning to the app later, the last story you read will be waiting for you on your homepage. You’ll find a shortcut to continue reading and studying the text, which is pretty nice. You can jump to the text from the homepage, and it is pretty straightforward to return to the lessons.

I would have liked to have more than one story in my home if I had started two or three texts simultaneously. For example, I expected that my favorite story would be there, but it wasn’t. Why can you star a story (presumably to favorite it), if you can’t find it again on the app’s home?

If you want to read something else, you need to use the nav bar and hit the discover button. There you’ll find all the content of Du Chinese.

Different approaches based on your level

All those ways to tailor your reading experience can be a little dizzying at first. But, not to worry, Du Chinese also adapts what it shows you based on the level of the text you’re reading.

Suppose you’re reading a newbie text. The sound is slowed down to make it easy for you when you’re starting. Then, gradually, as you go up in levels, the speed of the sound increases.

At higher levels, you also might not get translations automatically shown to you, and the app will only display pinyin for new or challenging words.

If you like how it’s presented, keep it that way. Or dive into the settings to make your reading time just the way you want it.

Does Du Chinese include flashcards?

Yes, Du Chinese has a built-in flashcard system. Admittedly, it’s a simple flashcard system, but it does the job.

What I like about it is when you’ve added a character to your learning stack, it shows you as an example the sentence where you first encountered that word. Sure, it’s not necessarily the most straightforward sentence that explains the word, but you understand the sentence better after a while. And finally, you can cram your words if you want to practice your Chinese a little more.

Can I learn Chinese with Du Chinese?

To answer this question fast, no, you won’t learn Chinese with Du Chinese. But you’ll improve your Chinese reading and listening skills if you use the option.

You won’t have clear Chinese grammar lessons or train yourself to make sentences or speak Chinese as Ninchanese does. There is no explicit curriculum on this graded reader; you are free to wander.

That’s what is great about it. It’s a great reader and will help significantly train your understanding of Chinese passively. So, in sum, it’s a great app in addition to your favorite learning app Ninchanese.

Is the Du Chinese web app or the mobile app better?

The web app is pretty pleasant; the interface is quite the same as the mobile app. It’s fast and easy to use. It’s easier to navigate between lessons on the web app, but reading a text on your mobile on the go is a plus for this kind of app.

Is Du Chinese free? The premium of the Du Chinese app

Some of the stories on Du Chinese are free so you can try Du Chinese out first.
But you’ll quickly realize that the more exciting stories are premium-only, which is entirely understandable.

Du Chinese uses a subscription-based model. Plans are priced at $15 per month.

On Du Chinese, they have three different types of “lessons.” First are stand-alone articles, there are also courses (articles connected within a single theme), and, lastly, multi-chapter stories, which all add up to thousands of lessons within Du Chinese. In addition, while I don’t have the exact number for you, they release about 5-7 free weekly lessons.

Is Du Chinese worth it? Is Du Chinese good?

Yes. It has a lot of content, and it is easy to use. You can use the web or mobile app, and you’ll improve your Chinese reading.

Du Chinese Discount

We discussed with the Du Chinese team to see if we could get you a nice discount on your subscription.
Peter, the cofounder of Du Chinese, was very kind and shared a great discount code that you can use on the app.

You’ll get a 20% discount with the code: NINCHANESE20.

The post Du Chinese Review of a great graded Reader appeared first on Ninchanese.

So cheer up and let’s keep learning!

1. China might be closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit other Chinese-speaking places.

Yeah, waiting for China to reopen is taking a while. But, hey, there are plenty of Chinese-speaking places in the world. The great news is that some have reopened already!

The meowsome Gardens by the Bay in Singapore are another good reason to learn Chinese – Photo by Isaac Matthew 

Did you know Singapore, for instance, has the Chinese language as one of its official languages? Plus you can travel there again.
Taiwan is slowly reopening too. There’s still a quarantine, true, but it’s being regularly shortened. Here’s to hoping there’ll be none one day soon! With the fact you can now learn in Traditional Chinese on Ninchanese, you have everything you need to get ready to go!

Related: Simplified or Traditional Chinese: which should you learn?

2. China might be far but there are plenty of occasions to speak Chinese around you.

Next to English and Spanish, Chinese is the most spoken language in the world.
So, look around you. You’re bound to find occasions to speak Chinese. To hear Chinese.
Chinatowns. Stores. People.

DC’s Chinatown is one of the many places you can go to practice speaking Chinese – Photo by Richard Tao

Go talk! There are plenty of occasions, everywhere! Just the other day, I chatted a good hour with the salespeople in a Chinese tea shop in Bangkok’s Chinatown.

Finding occasions to speak in Chinese, when you’re learning, is essential. Otherwise, you get rusty! Believe me, from experience, getting a chance to speak in Mandarin, if anything, will act as a great motivation to review what you’ve learned in Chinese so far and practice some more in Chinese!

Did you know, for instance, that Richmond, Canada has a 74% Asian population? It has the highest concentration of Chinese nationals outside of China. Why not schedule a trip there?

And if there are no real occasions where you live, go online. Learn Chinese online. Find people to talk to online. Come chat in Chinese on our Discord chat. Game in Chinese with Chinese speakers. Find yourself an online pen pal. The options are endless, you just have to go looking for them!

Related: What is the Chinese language?

3. It’s good for you from an economic point of view

What’s the downside to knowing an additional language in the job market? None, really.
What’s the downside to knowing the language spoken by one of the biggest economic powers in the world? Even more non-existent. In fact, it’s another meowsome reason to learn Chinese!

China’s brand new skyscrapers – Photo by Road Trip with Raj

From working in China to working with China, to working with Chinese people, for Chinese people, in Chinese, you have plenty of options.
Do you want to do business with China? Have Chinese suppliers?
Do you want to do translations? Interpretation?
In all those fields and many others, knowing Mandarin Chinese, and Business Chinese is a huge plus. So get your learning on!

Related: Explore the Chinese Business course on Ninchanese and get ready to do business in Chinese! 

Liking these reasons to learn Chinese so far? Here’s more!

4. It allows you to see the world from a different perspective

By learning the Chinese language, you’re opening yourself up to a different way of seeing the world, of perceiving it.

See the world differently. Photo by Yiran Ding

Learning Mandarin Chinese helps you have a different world approach. Concepts and ideas are expressed differently in Chinese.

It can be small things, like the fact you don’t “take” medicine, for instance, you “eat” it in Chinese ((You 吃药). And bigger things. For example, the Chinese sentence order is wildly different from, say, the way sentences are shaped in English.
Or the fact that you and me, we might think “I” and point to ourselves. We’re used to thinking solo. A Chinese speaker, when tasked with drawing “I”, the self, might, on the contrary, draw themselves surrounded by others. The concept of “self” is a little different in the Middle Kingdom.

It’s the little details like that that give you insights into how the Chinese people think. Personally, I find that endlessly fascinating. It’s definitely one of the reasons I’ve never stopped learning Chinese.

Plus, if expanding your understanding of cultural differences wasn’t your cup of tea, seeing the world in a different way helps you grow your critical thinking skills. With all the fake news and conspiracy theories swirling around, you (and we all) seriously need that…

5. It’s good for your brain

Learning any language is wonderful for your brain. It develops new areas of your mind and, in particular, strengthens your natural ability to focus and process information.

Learn Chinese and fire up your brain connections! – Photo by Moritz Kindler

Mandarin Chinese, with its beautiful characters and lack of alphabet? It’s like acid for the brain. In a meowsome, wonderful way. It creates in your brain all those new connections. Purrfect to form and strengthen your brain. Go for it.

For instance, a 2003 study found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both temporal lobes of their brains to understand the language.  In contrast, English speakers only use the left temporal lobe. Unlock a whole new temporal lobe!

There are plenty of other reasons for learning Mandarin that are good for your brain:

• It keeps your brain healthy. No neural network degradation for you, good person!
• It helps form good thinking patterns in your brain.
• It develops new areas of your mind and utilizes other parts of your brain.
• Some studies say it even helps with math skills!

What’s not to like?

Related: Why learn Mandarin Chinese, the language of Confucius?

6. Chinese culture and history are still very cool

You can’t visit the huge country that is China at the moment, sure. But China still has an extremely interesting history and culture you can explore from afar and learn more about.

There’s a lot to love in Chinese culture aesthetically. Photo by Sahil Pandita

From a rich culture, which led to some amazing inventions for instance, to epic historical events, there’s a lot to discover. And why not do that in Chinese directly? That’s a great reason to learn Chinese!

Related: 10 amazing inventions you didn’t know were Chinese
All you need to know about Chinese dynasties

If you like the idea of learning more about Chinese history but aren’t into history books or museums, there are many many historical C-dramas, as well as youtubers you can check out! Also, check out Ninchanese where you’ll learn Chinese culture as you learn Chinese!

Related: 8 Vloggers to watch to learn more about Chinese culture

7. Reason to learn Chinese: You gain access to a whole new world of content and culture

There’s a large quantity of high-quality Chinese-language content out there, you just need to know how to find it!

From Music to Games, to Movies, to Art, to books… there are a lot of Chinese-speaking artists to discover.

Related: 30 Chinese celebrities to know about

On TV, Cdramas and Taiwanese dramas have a lot of fans, and rightly so!

Related: 10 popular TV shows to improve your Chinese

Romantic and historical C-dramas get their fair share of fans, and  Chinese Wuxia and XianXia are also two media genres that are very popular.

Related: Platforms to watch Chinese videos.
Films to watch

Music and books

In books, there’s a lot to discover too! From Chinese classics like the JingPing Mei, or… to science fiction novels, China and Chinese-language artists have a lot to offer. Take the time to explore!

If you’re more a fan of video games, lots of great offers there too.

 8. Beautiful language Chinese characters

Mandarin Chinese is an amazing language, and its Chinese characters are endlessly fascinating.

There’s the fact Chinese is the oldest written language in the world, dating back to over 4000 years ago.

There’s the fact there’s no alphabet, and that Chinese characters are usually logical. Most Chinese characters contain components and a phonetic component. There are also many opportunities for art with Chinese characters, especially Chinese calligraphy.

In short, Chinese characters are an excellent reason to learn the Chinese language. At the very least, explore the language!
Chinese characters also enable very intriguing poetry to exist. Ever heard of the poem composed only of the sound “shi”? It has a meaning, of course, and is written using many different characters!

9. [Insert your own reason to learn Chinese]

Here’s a secret. All that matters is that you find pleasure in knowing the language.

Truth be told, you don’t need a specific good reason to keep learning a language. You need yours. All you need is to want to learn it. If the language interests you, you’re golden. No need for a huge, lofty goal. It can be a very small goal. Or even, just the fact you derive pleasure from learning and knowing the language.
So find what motivates you and keep learning! Everyone has their own reason to learn Chinese.
Whatever your reason, we’re here to help you learn Mandarin Chinese! It’s all happening on Ninchanese.

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or on your phone with the Android app.

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post 9 meowsome reasons to still learn Chinese even though China is CLOSED appeared first on Ninchanese.

One of the most famous poems written in Classical Chinese is The “Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den”. It’s renowned for being composed of only one sound. One sound! The sound “shi”.

Is it a poem or a tongue-twister?

On the one hand, this text deserves to be called a poem. It still manages to use different characters and mean something!

On the other hand, as a one-sound poem, with lots of different tones, it also interestingly becomes quite the tongue twister.

When you’re learning Chinese, tongue twisters are always a challenge and a great way to practice your tones, so let’s explore this one!

Facts about the “Shi shi Shi” poem

• Often informally referred to as the “shi shi shi” poem, the poem’s full name in English is: “The Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den“.
• This poem’s name, in Chinese characters, is 施氏食獅史. In Pinyin, that would be “Shī shì shí shī shǐ.”
• This text was composed by the Chinese-American linguist, scholar, and poet Yuen Ren Chao in the 1930s. Mr. Chao also significantly contributed to the modern study of Chinese grammar.
• The sound “shi” is the only sound in the poem. You find it 94 times (in some versions, there are only 92). Only the tones differ. That’s right!
• Mr. Chao wrote this poem as a linguistic demonstration.
• Therefore, the poem shows that writing a one-syllable text that means something is possible.
• That’s because Chinese is a tonal language.  So, the same syllable can have a different tone and correspond to a different character. Pawwsitively fascinating.

A one-sound poem that makes sense… in writing

This short narrative poem is written in Classical Chinese.

What is Classical Chinese? Also called Literary Chinese, or 古文, Classical Chinese is the written form of Old Chinese. It was used for literature and all formal texts, from the 5th century BC to the 2nd century AD, end of the Han Dynasty. It actually continued being used as a literary language, for all formal writings, until the 20th century! 

Since Classical Chinese is a written language, this poem makes a lot of sense in writing.

That’s because different Chinese characters compose it. More importantly, you have no trouble getting its meaning when you read it. That is if you’re somewhat familiar with Classical Chinese, which is a lot more condensed than modern Chinese.

Why did its composer write this poem as a “one sound poem”?

The poet behind this clever text wanted to make a linguistic demonstration. So, to create a fun tongue-twister of a poem with just one sound, he used the fact the Chinese language is full of homophones (i.e., words that sound the same but mean different things). When read in modern Mandarin, every syllable sounds the same: “shi”.

In other words: if you read this poem out loud, orally, it becomes challenging to understand.

In the same vein, if you try to read it in pinyin, you won’t be able to understand it either. That’s why it’s important to learn Chinese characters

Read the whole one-sound poem in Mandarin Chinese

Stone lions – Photo by Michael Myers.

《施氏食狮史》
石室诗士施氏，嗜狮，誓食十狮。

氏时时适市视狮。

十时，适十狮适市。

是时，适施氏适市。

氏视是十狮，恃矢势，使是十狮逝世。

氏拾是十狮尸，适石室。

石室湿，氏使侍拭石室。

石室拭，氏始试食是十狮。

食时，始识是十狮尸，实十石狮尸。

试释是事。

As this poem is written in Classical Chinese, it’s good to know that it was composed using single characters rather than the double characters that are more commonly found in modern Chinese.

Let’s see the poem in pinyin now, just for fun.

Read the one-sound poem in pinyin

« Shī Shì shí shī shǐ »

Shíshì shīshì Shī Shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī.

Shì shíshí shì shì shì shī.

Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì.

Shì shí, shì Shī Shì shì shì.

Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shìshì.

Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shíshì.

Shíshì shī, Shì shǐ shì shì shíshì.

Shíshì shì, Shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī.

Shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī shī, shí shí shí shī shī.

Shì shì shì shì.

That made a lot of sense, right? I told you it was going to be fun!

What does this poem mean?

Okay, now, it’s time to prove that this one-sound poem actually means something! Here’s the translation of the Poem in English.

« The Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den »

In a stone den was a poet called Shi Shi, who was a lion addict and had resolved to eat ten lions.

He often went to the market to look for lions.

At ten o’clock, ten lions had just arrived at the market.

At that time, Shi had just arrived at the market.

He saw those ten lions and, using his trusty arrows, caused the ten lions to die.

He brought the corpses of the ten lions to the stone den.

The stone den was damp. So he asked his servants to wipe it.

After wiping the stone den, he tried to eat those ten lions.

When he ate, he realized that these ten lions were, in fact, ten stone lion corpses.

Try to explain this matter.

See? This poem is full of meaning! The poor poet thought he would eat, only to find stones instead!

Hear it read out loud

Ready to test yourself? Here’s what you can do:
1. Practice your Chinese pronunciation with the many dialogues and speaking stages on Ninchanese
2. Try reading this one-sound poem aloud and see how good your tones are!

Have fun, little dragons!

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese, which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or on your phone with the Android app.

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post “The Lion-Eating Poet”: the meowsome one-sound poem you can only read appeared first on Ninchanese.

What’s Wordle?

First things first, maybe you’re not familiar with Wordle yet, and that’s 100% okay.  If you are, keep scrolling, you’ll learn about Chinese Wordle faster that way.

Wordle is an English-language word game, where you need to guess a word.

Your clues: it’s a 5 letter word. You get 6 tries.

• Each try, you’re shown:
• GREEN: which letters are correct.
• YELLOW: which letters are in the word, but not in the right spot.
• GRAY: which of the letters you entered are NOT in the word you’re trying to find.

Then you get to try again.
If you run out of tries before having guessed the word, that’s it. You’re done.

And if you find the word before that, congrats!

Guessed the word, with one try to go! Woot

What makes Wordle fun and super popular is the fact you only get one word per day.
And everyone gets the same word to guess.
Ah, competition. The drive to do better than your counterparts.  It never gets old.

Anyways! As a Chinese language learner, perhaps you too were wondering: how can I play Wordle but in Chinese? So, we went searching for a Chinese version of Wordle. And we found one here!

Why play Wordle in Chinese?

Why go looking for a Chinese Wordle?  Well, why not?

First of all, It’s great language practice.
Trying to play a game in your target language, i.e. the langue you’re learning, is a wonderful idea. It makes you actually use the language you’re learning, which is an excellent way to strengthen your learning and maximize retention.

Second, it’s fun to try to guess things in Chinese. And to play in Chinese!

How do you play Wordle with Chinese Characters?

Before you start wondering how it would work with the thousands of Chinese characters out there, let’s set something straight. Pinyin is key here.  Just like in English, pinyin offers a set number of letters, which makes the entire game, well, easily playable.

You’re not guessing Chinese Character Strokes. You play Chinese Wordle with pinyin. UPDATE: for a Chinese character based Wordle, scroll down. 

How Wordle in Chinese works

Now that’s out of the way, how does Wordle in Chinese work?

Same basic principles:

• One game per day
• 6 tries
• GREEN for letters you get right (该字母在正确的位置)
• ORANGE for almost right ((该字母不在正确的位置)
• GREY for those that aren’t in what you’re trying to guess. (当前成语的拼音中没有该字母).
• Everyone gets the same (UPDATE: or so we thought. In the Ninchanese Discord Server, we discovered you don’t always get the same. It changes per region, perhaps?)

The rules for Chinese Wordle are the same

Speaking of which, perhaps you’re wondering: What do you guess? Is it a word like in English Wordle? Nope!

Guess the 成语

In Chinese Worlde, you’re trying to guess … 成语 Chengyus!
That’s right, 4 character Chinese idioms and sayings.

In fact, Wordle in Chinese is called 拼音猜成语 – which literally means Pinyin Guess Chengyu. It’s made by Limboy. Thanks for making this fun puzzle game!

So, in 拼音猜成语 (aka Chinese Wordle), you have to guess the pinyin for 4 Chinese characters, which compose the chengyu. The number of letters for each Chinese character ranges from 2 to 5.  It’s no easy feat, but that’s what makes it fun!

Knowing which letters aren’t in the chengyu and which you haven’t tried yet is very helpful

Gaaah, so close!

The goal of the puzzle game is to get it right before you run of tries!  In both cases, whether you win or lose, you get to see the chengyu in Chinese characters at the end.

Success!

What else is cool about this game?

It’s good pinyin practice. You work on how familiar you are with Chinese sounds, think about syllables in Chinese, common word endings, and common words. This game makes you think about the words you know and recall pinyin sounds you’ve heard before. Excellent training.

Fun fact: if you try to enter a sound that doesn’t exist in Chinese, you get told: this sound doesn’t exist in Chinese.

In addition, all the instructions and comments you get are in Chinese, which immerses you nicely in the Mandarin language, without making it daunting. In context, you always know what they’re telling you.

Lastly, by playing this game, you’re guessing and discovering new 成语, chengyus. 成语 are an essential part of speaking Chinese.

The higher you get in your Chinese learning, the more you realize how important knowing Chengyus is. They are what allows you to show off your intelligence and education, and more importantly, you hear them a lot. In Chinese Dramas, in everyday conversations, in books… They’re also an integral part of the HSK 5 and above exams!  So learn 成语!

Starting at the HSK 5 world on Ninchanese, you’ll be learning 成语 in context. You’ll also be learning stories about what 成语 mean and how they came to be. Sign up to start learning now!

Learn the Chengyus you discover for good

Once you’ve discovered a new Chengyu in the puzzle game, don’t just quit there!
You can…
Look it up on Ninchanese in the dictionary.

For instance, this is a chengyu discovered above:

Look up the chengyus in Ninchanese’s free dictionary!

Simplified Chinese: 方兴未艾 Traditional: 方興未艾
Pinyin: fāng xīng wèi ài

Then you can create a special deck of 成语s in the Nincha Decks

That way, you’re having fun and maximizing what you can learn from the game at the same time!

Happy Wordling and Chinese learning!

Come join the Discord and post your 拼音猜成语 results in the  #游戏-games channel! You’ll find other motivated players there!

Looking for a non-pinyin-based Chinese Wordle? We got you. Here are some based on Bopofomo and on Chinese characters!

New find! Wordle with Chinese Characters and more

Looking for a  Chinese character-based Chinese Wordle? The meowsome community on Discord got you and discovered this other Wordle-like game:  汉字Wordle

The basic principle is the same: guess the 成语. The Twist? Guess it using Chinese characters this time! Using an IME, each time you enter characters, you’re told whether:
– the Chinese character you entered is correct, and if it’s in the right place;
– there are correct letters in the pinyin of that Chinese character and if the’yre in the right spot;
– the tones are correct or not.

Needless to say, this is a more hardcore version of Chinese Wordle. It keeps you on your toes. It makes you think about the chengyus you know, the Chinese characters you’re familiar with, the tones… Give it a whirl, too!

Yeah, it’s not going too well…

This Chinese Wordle is available in both simplified and traditional Chinese.

The nice thing is they give hints!

Here are a few more Chinese Character-based Wordles to explore:

https://bryony.dev/chengyu/chengyu.html
https://allanchain.github.io/chinese-wordle/
https://cheeaun.github.io/chengyu-wordle/
http://samuello.io/jndle/

Chinese Wordle with Bopomofo

Bopomofo is used in Taiwan and is a lot more widespread there than pinyin. It comes therefore as no surprise that a Chinese Worlde using Bopofomo was invented!
Play it here: Bopofomo Chinese Wordle

Poems and Chinese Wordle?

That exists too: you can guess the poem line in Chinese with  https://peotik.com.

Have fun exploring! In my case: I think I’ll stick with pinyin Chinese Wordle though!

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet,

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post Chinese Wordle: Play and Learn Chinese (chengyus)! appeared first on Ninchanese.

In this article, we will explore the best practices to do business in China. We will discuss the importance of the culture, the economy, the government, and finally, we will see the importance of the Chinese people and how it can affect the way we do business.

At Ninchanese, we made a special Chinese business course to follow. You will experiment with doing business in China and learn key concepts to work in China in a Chinese environment successfully. You’ll take your post as a project manager. From there, you’ll see every part of conducting business, from meeting customers to delivering goods. It is one of the best ways to learn how to do business in China, as you can see in the curriculum (and one of the cheapest ways too). And if you want to know more about it before starting this course, you can read the description page of the course Doing Business in China.

The Chinese market is enormous, and there are many ways to do business in China, and also disastrous faux-pas. So we’ll brush up on the state-of-the-art of doing business in China that you’ll be happy to apply directly. 

• What is Chinese business etiquette?
• How do I avoid difficulty doing business in China?
• How to get a visa to work in China?
• How to start doing business in China if you’re not in China yet?
• How to get a visa to work in China?
• Do you need a visa to do business in China?
• What are the business advantages of learning Chinese?
• Which language will be the business language of the future?
• Should you approach companies directly or go through an intermediate?
• Free (or not too expensive) ways to approach Chinese companies?
• How to start a conversation with Chinese companies and people?
• When are Chinese companies open?
• How to get dressed for business in China?
• The business card is utterly more important in China than in the West.
• How to use business cards in China during meetings?
• What about bringing a gift to your potential business partner?
• How do Chinese companies conduct meetings in China?
• How to address different people and hierarchies?
• The importance of face
• What does it mean to use your guanxi?
• Are we obliged to go to the restaurant with the Chinese Business Partner?
• Are the Chinese Direct? Are they frank or secretive?
• Should I speak Chinese with Chinese partners?
• What are good manners with Chinese People?
• Should we drink alcohol during business?
• How to avoid drinking too much without losing face?
• Who should pay for the restaurant in China during Business?
• How to continue the conversation after your first meeting?
• How to work with Chinese colleagues?

What is Chinese business etiquette?

The people of China are very different from Western people, I would say boldly. They may look seemingly similar, but they are different, and it’s essential to know the difference and subtilities. They have different views on the world, different cultures (and very ancient), different values, and different ways of doing things. Therefore, it is essential to truly understand the Chinese people and how their business culture can affect the way we do business.

Before going on and doing big things in China, there are a few rules that will lead you to greater success:

1. Learn how to use the local Chinese language to communicate with Chinese professionals. (Tip: Use ninchanese.com)
2. Take some time to learn and respect the traditional culture, faith, customs, and Chinese history.
3. It would be best if you also understood the recent treaties, policies, phenomena, and historical events to familiarize yourself with the latest trends of China.
4. Lastly, try to know all your partners, colleagues, clients, and other persons involved in your field of work.

How do I avoid difficulty doing business in China?

If you want to work in China or with China, it’s natural to learn the Chinese language and the Chinese business language because it’s not the same knowledge. When we made our course based on actual present dialogues, we were surprised to see that much of the terminology used in the course is not in the HSK. So learning the language is essential, but it’s especially crucial to understand the business lingo. And more specifically, you’ll have to know the Chinese vocabulary for your field of work (or market). But, still, having a high-level HSK will also great you with a better visa. This can be interesting in the long term, we’ll see more about the visa system later.

Second, read the rest of the article and master Chinese business etiquette because if you do not master either, your attempt to do business in China will fail very soon.

It’s really about knowledge is power, and the environment in China is very complex. So it would help if you won the trust of people before you can do business in China. And you will win their trust partly by knowing and understanding them.

How to get a visa to work in China?

In the situation where you did find a job in China and need to move there, you’ll need a work visa. Well, It’s an important question, but I’m not a visa specialist, so first I recommend you go to the website of the Chinese Embassy of your country. You’ll need to put together some documents before you can apply for a visa and be able to travel to China for business purposes. And then you usually have to go to the Embassy to process your application; then they will tell you to get it when it’s ready. You’ll be granted a level visa.

You can get a B, A, Z, or R visa depending on your profile. For example,  to get an A-level Visa, you must get 85 points and for example, having the HSK 5 is the one that will give you the most point (5 points). Having the HSK 6 won’t give you more points. There are quite a few things that will give you points, the age, the salary level, and your Mandarin Skills: here’s a Visa level simulation. But while having a high-level visa is good to get a better level visa in the future, you will be totally fine with a B grade visa to work in China. I highly recommend the blog article of Andy Boreham speaking about his experience on Visa.

Do you need a visa to do business in China?

You don’t need a work visa but a China “M” business visa. M business visas are issued for commercial and trade activities. If you need to go to China for less than 3 months to visit clients, or meeting with business partners, and attend trade fairs, then an M business visa is easier to get and what you need. If you have an American nationality, you may be eligible for a 10-year multiple entry visa.

What are the business advantages of learning Chinese? 

The Chinese economy is rapidly developing and is an important global trading partner. The Chinese language has the most significant number of speakers of any language globally, which means that learning Chinese can lead to business opportunities in China. More than 2.3 million Chinese students study English. Still, English speakers have few opportunities to study Chinese, which means that learning Chinese can be a path to future opportunities in business and trade.

Which language will be the business language of the future?

It is not possible to predict this with any certainty. The common language of international business is, at present, English. However, this may be superseded by an Asian language, especially if the influence of the Asian countries continues to grow. The use of English as the language of business has been facilitated by the fact that the countries of the Commonwealth have become important trading partners. However, the same may not be true in the future.

It is possible, even likely, that there will be trading blocks formed in the future, which Asian countries will dominate. If this were to happen, it is most likely that Chinese would become the common language of international business.

How to start doing business in China if you’re not in China yet?

If you are not in China, the most straightforward way to know Chinese companies in your sector is by going to your local commerce chamber. They already have specialists that will help you get connected with Chinese businesses.

Some other private companies, or independent consultants, can also help you get started and get a few meetings. Be sure to define the scope of your activity and what you want to do with them. Be straightforward with the specialist on how you’d like to work with them and your goal in China. 

I have used these services, and it’s a fast method to get contacts and meetings with China-based enterprises. But, beware, I’ll say that it’s better to drive well how the specialist works. China has millions of companies, so explain to them what kind of company you want to see as precisely as possible. It will help them identify businesses looking like the one you would like to see. So don’t rest, and continue working alongside them to get the most result out of your trip. A few calls regularly will help you know how things are going. Your time is precious, and you can see only a limited number of enterprises.

Entering the Chinese market is not that difficult. It won’t be hard to organize your business trip with a trustworthy organization, a good product, and a good knowledge of your general market.

Should you approach companies directly or go through an intermediate?

It’s a legit question, and we can be tempted to do it ourselves as we do in our country, but I recommend you go through an intermediate. Why? Because Chinese companies like to get advice from a trusted partner and often favor word of mouth over cold calls. You will also save time identifying companies, and they can get appointments you only have dreamt possible.

Free (or not too expensive) ways to approach Chinese companies?

One great way to make contact is trade fairs. There are many trade fairs in China, and they are huge, with many companies presenting their products. So you’ll find a lot of companies there. And if you introduce yourself to a company in your field and make a good connection with them, there are great chances that they will help you get to the businesses you want to work with.

The Chambers of Commerce often do events with companies involved. You’ll meet other entrepreneurs, but it can also be challenging to find a relevant partner there.

The most well know Fair in China are Canton Fair, Yiwu Trade Fair, Beijing Auto Show, the Bauma Fair, and the Shanghai Import and Export Commodity Fair.

You can also use a professional app like Maimai to connect directly with people, a bit the same way LinkedIn works but for Chinese professionals.

How to start a conversation with Chinese companies and people? 

They’ll grace you with a smile. That’s typically how a conversation starts in China. And they expect you to be smiling too. You can then handshake but look attentively at your counterpart to check if they are used to handshakes. It’s common to say hi without any touch in China, and that’s ok, don’t take it personally. And you don’t need to bow, but if they do it, well, you can.

When you address Chinese people, it’s common to start with their titles and follow them by their last names. But, compared to the Western way of naming oneself, keep in mind that it’s the opposite in China: so the surname comes first, followed by the first name.

When are Chinese companies open?

It’s a fundamental question but always good to know. Chinese enterprises are often open from Monday to Friday and start working from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. It’s pretty normal to have a 2 hours break at noon, so don’t expect to get someone on the phone during these hours or make a reservation for a meeting.

How to get dressed for business in China?

You’ll generally see your interlocutors dress in “smart” apparel in a business meeting in China. You can expect to see classic black suits with a colorful tie for men and a traditional black dress for women. It’s not always true for ladies; if they have a high-level position in the company, they will dress with expensive clothes. So be sure to match your interlocutor’s grade and dress accordingly.

People can dress more relaxed, fashionably, or eccentrically in an innovative space like computer engineering, start-ups, or creative fields like art. But, even if they dress more casually, they do it with style and keep their look professional. So here again, go with the trend and dress like them.

The business card is utterly more important in China than in the West.

When saying hi, you’ll start to exchange business cards rapidly. A business card is vital in China. Imagine the business card as a person. You need to be careful how you present, take, and store the card. For example, it is not very good to put a business card in your back pocket for obvious reasons. 

Understand that exchanging business cards is a sport in China, so be sure to have enough on you. If you can have a unique business card only for China, do it and get one side with English and the other side with Mandarin Chinese.

As I said, it’s vital to give your card with (humility) manners and style. Be sure to give your card using two hands with the side in Mandarin Chinese facing up. Let your recipient examine it, and do the same when you receive a card. Take it with two hands, look at it, and store it in a card case. Only glancing at a card and setting it down can be interpreted as a lack of interest.

How to use business cards in China during meetings? 

If you did not exchange business cards before, presenting one’s card on the table when the meeting starts is necessary. Then, you push your card along its long axis against another card on the table. You hold it with two hands on both sides of the card. Then you take the other cards and place them next to you, so you don’t forget the names and titles of your interlocutors. 

Sometimes your Chinese interlocutors will give you their WeChat account. But sometimes not, and we will speak about it a bit later.

Ok, you’re doing great. Now, let’s get to the meeting!

What about bringing a gift to your potential business partner?

Before going to the meeting, you may think it’s a good idea to bring a gift. It’s a complicated question. A few years ago, it was a good idea, but recently, China started a war against corruption, so it is not acceptable to bring a present anymore. Even if it’s an excellent cultural habit in China, I recommend going easy with gifts and not making it look like a bribe. So if you go with a present, bring something not expensive. 

If the business relationship is going well and you know your Chinese partner better, I recommend offering a gift later, like if you meet in a restaurant. Your Chinese partner will see it as proof of your relationship going well. And, if you can make a double gift, it’s even better and a good auspicious. 

How do Chinese companies conduct meetings in China?

Don’t fear your meeting with a Chinese company. You’ll be surprised to see how joyful a meeting can start. It’s pretty different than in the West. The first 5 minutes are for small talk! So please don’t be late. This is viewed poorly, as the first minutes are for the critical small talk.

As far as topics go, rest easy. Be it the weather or an anecdote you have to tell, most small talk topics are acceptable. Your host will undoubtedly tell you where to sit and bring you water. You’ll usually find your name on the table, and you’ll be on the opposite side of your interlocutor.

Then after this starter, the meeting goes as we are used to in the West. You can start your presentation, bring your slides, and make a convincing presentation. If you did your presentation right, the Chinese counterpart will tell you how to continue any formality with his assistant. Don’t expect to sign the contract immediately. But if you did well, that’s undoubtedly a perfect moment to exchange your WeChat accounts. Be sure to have one when you arrive in China. That’s how you keep in contact with everyone, even the boss. I think that is a great way to connect with influential people. It’s something we certainly should do more in the West.

Then, when you feel the meeting is ending, you can leave the room. It is expected from you that you leave the room before your mandarin Chinese counterparts.

How to address different people and hierarchies?

The first thing to know then is that you must pay attention to elders and respect hierarchy in every situation. Senior positions enter a room by rank, so take a close look at who enters first and second in the room. Same for you, if you’re the boss, enter first in the space; if you’re not the boss, tell your boss to enter first. 

You must acknowledge the place of older people and seniority and be sure to show regard to them.

The importance of face

It’s a question of respect. It is not so far from the idea of a face. For example, restrain yourself from correcting people if they made an error. Just say that it’s a good point and tell them you see things differently if it’s imperative. But bring up things slowly, and be sure to be considerate of how you say something. Take your time, beat around the bush, and let them discover by themselves what’s wrong. And if they don’t, just bring up that point again later, preferably in a more private manner. I know this can take time, but they like to negotiate this way. Chinese see the whole picture as more important than just a detail. And so if the entire concept is good, but they made a little mistake, just let it go and move on.

What does it mean to use your guanxi?

If you give them face and your relation with your partners go well, you’ll make good 关系 guanxi, a good connection. Making connections is pretty crucial for the Chinese. It is what they call 关系 guanxi. Guanxi is a pretty important concept and can open up many doors. So be sure to respect them, so they will trust you to present some people of their guanxi. But, in a way, it’s the same for us. We like to introduce people to partners when they trust and respect you. It’s the same. Let them have their face, they will do the same for you, and you can all do business.

Everything is going well, and you showed them respect as you should. Great chances that you will receive an invitation to a meal, quite possibly directly via your WeChat.

Are we obliged to go to the restaurant with the Chinese Business Partner?

One thing about being invited. I had many meetings in China, and from my experience, you should not believe people who say you need to ask people to restaurants to do business. No, you can do business with them without having a meal. It depends on the context. For example, if you are there to make a big contract, you may likely stay with your partner for some days, like a joint venture, then, yes, they will invite you to have a meal, and you will invite them too. But, on the other hand, if it’s a quick transaction, then you don’t need to. 

So then, everything went well, and you invited your Chinese partner to the restaurant. How do you behave?

Are the Chinese Direct? Are they frank or secretive?

So you are invited to a great Chinese restaurant. Don’t take any risk here. Go with the kind of outfit you went to the meetings in. The ambiance will likely be friendly, and that’s where you’ll get asked many questions. Chinese people can be pretty direct and can ask questions we can view as rather intimate. Speaking about money, age, for instance, isn’t taboo in China. So do as you feel about answering these questions. But be sure that you explain that you don’t feel right speaking about this subject politely. If you are not shy and are comfortable sharing such information, then don’t hesitate to answer.

Should I speak Chinese with Chinese partners?

Chinese speakers love it when you speak Chinese, and it can be a great impression to make. But, before going on with your Chinese, be sure to know what you are saying. If you say something wrong, it can be counter-effective. But worry not, if you did your lessons on Ninchanese, you’ll be ok. If you’re ok in Chinese, but it’s still so-so, they will say it’s excellent. Do you remember the face? Perfect example. But if your Chinese is quite good, they sure will adore you and see it as an impressive commitment. So, depending on the Chinese level, be sure to speak Chinese on the right occasion.

What is the best app to learn Mandarin for business?

The best app to learn Mandarin for business will vary depending on your exact desired level of Mandarin. If you are planning to go to China or if you are planning to work with Chinese companies, then the best app to learn Mandarin for business is Ninchanese. Ninchanese is the best app to learn Mandarin for business because it is a complete language learning application. In addition to its business course, it provides a wide range of language courses from beginner to advanced levels. Ninchanese offers courses on grammar, conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, and cultural course topics.  It is completely free to signup or to download, use, and learn from Ninchanese.

What are good manners with Chinese People?

The Chinese will often ask you if you have eaten first. Say that you’re good. They are just being polite. It’s the same as when asked, “how are you doing?” in English. But if you are at the restaurant, then, yes, be happy about it.

Should we drink alcohol during business?

The idea is to get to a friendly environment; your Chinese partner will likely ensure that’s the case for you. For example, Chinese people like to toast. And they will start by raising a toast to your new relationship.

It’s a great time, but there are again some little rules to know here. Chinese don’t drink like you, you individualist drinker. In China, you drink when the toast is finished. You drink all your glass. In one shot, all together. You never drink alone. If you want to drink, you need to make a toast to everyone. Do as your elders do. And be very optimistic here.

When toasting, be mindful of what you were served to drink. For example, a few shots of beer (yes, it’s possible) are not the same as a few shots of Baijiu. Baijiu is fine alcohol, but it’s very strong. So, take it easy with making toasts (because you want to drink); your Chinese counterparts will also make their share of toasts.

How to avoid drinking too much without losing face?

With that in mind, make sure you have eaten a little before or during the toast. The last tip, if you don’t like drinking, tell them you’re sick and have a medical reason for not drinking. It will help in to get by. Don’t tell them that you don’t drink. Also, don’t joke by saying “comrade” (if you’re not part of the communist party) or tell a lame joke about that.

When you are going to eat, they will bring you a tremendous quantity of food. It should be more than enough, so don’t feel like you should finish all the dishes laid out in front of you. Quite the opposite, it’s seen as a good sign if you did not eat it all, they will think that you had enough to eat.

There are many rules about eating, and I won’t enumerate them, but you can read more about Chinese cultural habits here.

Who should pay for the restaurant in China during Business?

Lastly, your host will pay for the meal, and giving tips is generally not a thing in China, so don’t bother with that. If you’re the instigator of the meal and it makes sense in your business relation, you pay for everyone. This might require a little insisting, as your host will insist they are the ones that should pay. But, it’s good business etiquette to do your best to pay for everyone at times.

How to continue the conversation after your first meeting? 

In all of China, Chinese companies use Mandarin mandarin Chinese except for Hong Kong and Macau. So they will likely write in Chinese, but they do speak English with an international partner. If you can write the message yourself in Chinese, do, you’ll talk with the person in charge. 

The very next day of your meeting, you can send an email to the person the boss told you. Send them a simple email with a resume of the meeting. Tell them you would like to see them again to discuss the last details of the operation. Then, it could be your turn to invite them to a nice restaurant.

You can also do business with WeChat; it depends on how your Chinese counterpart tells you about that. The best is to follow the vibe. But WeChat is a great way to reconnect with your interlocutor. It could be as easy as sending a nice message during the Chinese new year wishing prosperity in your partnership. In general, it’s good Chinese Business etiquette (as well as good common sense) to try to stay in touch and regularly check in with your Chinese partners. 

How to work with Chinese colleagues?

Like in the West, establish a good personal rapport between your Chinese colleagues and yourself. Then be considerate of their food and work culture. You should adhere to the local customs (like napping time), obey the company’s rules, cultivate work habits, be patient, and remember that names are important. It’s not always easy, but follow our business course and you’ll do fine.

We wish you good luck with your business. Like I said before, be sure to check out our business course on Ninchanese to know how exactly it happens and be sure to speak impressive Chinese. It takes a few hours to complete and will guarantee you considerable business knowledge. Let us know how it goes for you in China. We love to hear stories from you!

The Nincha Team

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The post Business in China: How to do it? appeared first on Ninchanese.

Fact or rumor? There’s going to be a new HSK test.

Fact: Yes, it’s official. The current HSK system is on its way out. The Chinese language test WILL be changing in the future. BUT: it’s not on its way out quite yet. Not will it be out in 2021. 

The International Chinese language test HSK stands for HSK (汉语水平考试 Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì). It’s the official Chinese language proficiency test. It focuses on checking non-native Chinese learners’ ability to use Chinese to communicate in life, study, and work.

However, before you get all worried: We’re talking about something happening in the future. There’s no new HSK test yet. There’s even very little clear (= official) information available yet on how the HSK will change nor when. The official Centre for Language Education and Cooperation (previously called the Hanban) that organizes HSK testing, ChineseTest.cn, has barely just begun releasing information on this matter. So no need to freak out.

Is this making you feel even more confused? Keep reading to understand why everyone is suddenly talking about a new HSK test and new HSK levels coming out!

Fact or rumor? The new HSK is officially going live on July 1st.

Rumor: July 1st, 2021 is an important date, but not quite for the reason you think.

See, on March 31st, the Chinese MOE (Ministry of Education) announced that it would implement a new Standard for Chinese Proficiency and guidelines for foreigners learning Chinese officially on July 1st, 2021. Here’s the announcement in English on Twitter. That’s what’s going live on July 1st, 2021.

On July 1st, the MOE will implement a new standard for Chinese learning as a foreign language.

Huh? What’s that got to do with the HSK? Hold your horses. We’re getting to it.

263 pages to determine Chinese proficiency

Along with the announcement, they released an extensive pdf called “The Standard for Chinese Proficiency in International Chinese Language Education” (国际中文教育中文水平等级标准 in Chinese – guó jì Zhōng wén jiào yù Zhōng wén shuǐ píng děng jí biāo zhǔn).

This pdf details the new proficiency standards for all those learning Chinese as a foreign language in Chinese. You can read the 263-page long pdf in Chinese here.  From here on out, we’ll refer to this document as “the Standard,” alright?

As you can imagine, once it’s officially implemented on the 1st of July 2021, the document will serve as an important basis for measuring Chinese learners’ language proficiency! The new Standard’s goal, after all, is to guide all Chinese (as a foreign language) learning, teaching, testing, and evaluating. Will this include the HSK tests? You bet.

As a result, it’s confirmed a new HSK test, or at the very least, a revised Chinese Proficiency Test will follow. Just not on July 1st.

Fact or rumor? The new HSK tests will start soon.

Rumor. We’ve established the new HSK (some call HSK 3.0) won’t be released on July 1st. We are also sure the new HSK tests won’t be starting any time soon. Why? for starters, the official HSK site has not announced anything yet. A massive change of this sort is not exactly something you spring on people.

Some say the first new HSK exams will start in November 2021, but that’s been proven to have definitely only been a rumor so far! There’s no ETA yet on a possible release of the new – or revised – HSK 3.0 and no indication of how long this will take. Think about it. New tests and textbooks need to be written; students need to be aware of the tests’ new content, and exam centers need to get ready. Surely they’ll give everyone some headstart!

The Official Twitter Account for the HSK says there won’t be any changes to the HSK this year.Will the new HSK tests really start in 2021? Or will it be in 2022? in 2023? Only time will tell, but our guess is not for 2021.
So, on this matter, stay tuned!

April 28th Update: New HSK tests will definitely not be released before March 2022! Plus, as expected, it’s been confirmed levels HSK 1 – 6 won’t be adjusted any time soon. Certainly not this year.
March 2022 is the official release date for the higher HSK levels.
How do we know? There was an academic symposium on April 20th, 2021 in Beijing to discuss the new standards and timelines.

Also: the Official Twitter Account for the HSK tweeted this:

The HSK Official Twitter accounts confirms many things, including the fact testing on the new HSK won’t start until March 2022

Translation: “A lot of candidates saw the formal implementation fo the new Standards on July 1st, 2021 and think that this is the time for HSK to start to adjust. However, the scientific development of hsk7-9 level based on the standard needs a process. At present, it is planned to take the test in December 2021 and officially launch the test in March 2022. Hsk7-9 will adopt the form of “one paper with three levels”, that is, one test paper, and the level will be determined according to the results.”

What are the take-aways, in a nutshell?

• The current HSK 1 – 6 tests will not be adjusted in 2021 at all.
• There’ll a test run of the new Advanced HSK levels ( HSK 7-9)  in December 2021
• Testing for the higher levels (HSK 7-9) will officially start in March 2022. 

Fact or rumor? There’s going to be an increase in the number of levels. There’ll be HSK levels 1-9 now.

Part fact, part rumor.
Fact: This new Standard establishes nine new levels, divided into 3 tiers (Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced).  As you know, the existing HSK tests have 6 levels, with level 1 being the most beginner and HSK 6 the most advanced.

The new system proposed in the Chinese Proficiency guidelines follows a different organization than that of the current HSK:
– it is split into 3 levels (tiers): Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced,
– each level (tier) is again sub-divided into 3 levels, for a total of 9 levels. These 9 levels are sometimes referred to as bands.

Organization of the new 9 levels – will they be used for the HSK?

At each of these levels, learners acquire 300 new characters. That makes, in theory, 2,700 new characters to know in total if you were starting from scratch.  There are also specific vocabulary requirements to know (11092 at the highest level) and grammar points (527 total).

The Standard’s 200+ pdf highlights all the syllables, characters, words, and grammar points required to know. These are detailed by level. If you want to get ahead and consider these the New HSK vocabulary lists in PDF, you definitely can! The complete new HSK vocabulary lists are here. All 263 pages of them!

Fact or rumor? As the official Chinese proficiency test, the new HSK will follow the same level and quantitative requirements as the Standard.

At this stage, still a rumor. Or if you prefer, part fact, part rumor.
A new HSK exam has been expected for a while now. Pretty normal; this new Standard has been in the works for quite some time.

See, the “Standard for Chinese Proficiency in International Chinese Language Education”‘s goal is to offer a better way to evaluate a Chinese learner’s ability to communicate and their Chinese knowledge and skills. They call this the “four-dimensional benchmark.”
In other words, the goal is to be able to pinpoint more accurately a learner’s level.

It’s also what has happened in the past. If you look back, in 2007, the MOE defined new Chinese proficiency standards. These were much like these in 2021. Following that, a new HSK system, with 6 levels – the current Chinese Proficiency Tests (HSK) we all know now – was implemented.
So it’s only logical to expect the same to happen here. In academic minds, the 2007 version of the HSK exam was (already) the new HSK test, called HSK 2.0. Now, 13 years later, we’re moving onto the “new” new HSK exam (2021), which some like to call HSK 3.0.

But does that mean it’ll conform exactly to what is said in the guidelines? It’s too early to tell to what extent its organizers will modify the HSK test.

All The head of the Chinese – International Language Exchange and Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Education has announced that the HSK exam will be optimized and upgraded using the Standard, and its “3 tier, 9 levels” system as reference.

Based on this, there’s a high likelihood that new HSK levels may appear and that these new levels could replace existing HSK levels. However, It’s too early to tell how the HSK tests and levels will change. Nor do we know how closely it’ll follow the Standard. We should know more soon about that, as 2021 continues. So stay tuned

Fact or rumor? There’s going to be a HSK level 7, a level 8, and a level 9.

Mostly fact (and a little bit rumor).
One of the Standard’s biggest differences is introducing higher levels above the existing advanced HSK 6 level, which was previously considered the highest. The intention is to help advanced learners get even further in their learning, to reach a near-native level.

With the new Standard, there’s also a desire to have a system that reflects the European Language classification better: the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR). This may sound barbaric, and perhaps CEFR levels like A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 will speak more to you.

The HSK was split into 6 different levels, modeled in part to correspond to the 6 levels of the CEFR classification. However, academics argued that the higher HSK levels didn’t quite correspond to the C1 and C2 expectations of the CEFR. In comes the new Standard for Chinese language proficiency.

Based on this, it’s pretty safe to expect there’ll be more levels added to the HSK, yes. Will it go up to HSK level 9 though? There’s reason to doubt that, as we’ll see below.

Fact or Rumor. There’s going to be a hardcore HSK 9 level for super fluent Chinese learners.

Curious about this new rumored level HSK 9? We agree: the new advanced tier in the Standard, with levels 7 through 9, is the most mysterious.

What’s also interesting is that in the Standard, levels 7 to 9 are grouped. They have a shared Chinese Character and word requirement. In this advanced tier, learners will be expected to know an additional 1200 characters and a whopping extra 5636 words.

But that doesn’t mean you need to start getting ready for a level 9 of HSK immediately. For all we know, it won’t even exist as such. A single “advanced” HSK exam might exist instead. Then based on your results, you’d be awarded level 7, 8, or 9.

So, based on information available at the moment, we say rumor. A likely rumor, but still a rumor.

April 28th Update: Our hunch was right! It’s been confirmed that a new single “advanced” HSK exam will be introduced, for the new HSK levels 7-9. The format is called “one paper, three tests” – or as we like to put it – one test, three levels. Advanced HSK learners looking to reach HSK levels 7, 8 or 9 will take the same test. Then depending on their results, they’ll know where they place: Hardcore 7, 8 or 9. All quite impressive!

Also, judging from the Standard document, these new levels will be really quite advanced. They seem reserved for those that plan on needing Chinese professionally, such as:

• Chinese translators and interpreters.
• Jobs in International Politics and trade
• Chinese language educators and linguists,
• and more!

The expectations in terms of skills and knowledge associated with these levels seem to indicate that. So not for everyone.

But if you already had an HSK 6 level, and were looking for more content to learn, then that’s good news for you, no?

Fact or rumor? I’m going to have to learn over 10 000 words to pass the test now.

Part fact, part rumor. That number does come from somewhere. Where? You guessed it, the Standard.

The document indicates the number of characters, words, and grammar items Chinese learners will be expected to know at the different levels. To give you an idea, Chinese learners will be expected to know 1110 syllables,  3000 Chinese characters, 11092 Chinese words, and 572 grammar items at the highest level (which is near-native).

That being said, that’s at the highest level.
The requirement for the Elementary level (levels 1 – 3) is much lower, understandably. When you finish the Elementary level, the Standard expects you to know 900 Chinese characters (with which you’ll know how to make 2,245 words). At the end of the Intermediate level (level 4-6), you’ll be expected to know 5,446 words and 1800 characters.
Compare that with the number of words a native Chinese person knows. That’s not too bad, is it?

Fact or rumor? There are a zillion new words in the new HSK

If the new HSK tests follow the Standard, then yes, it does seem the list of words has been changed quite a bit. Some words were moved to higher or lower levels, and others were introduced or removed.  We think that’s a good thing, though, as the HSK lists for the current HSK could be a little… puzzling at times.

If you want to get a headstart and see the vocabulary lists in PDF, you definitely can!
The complete new HSK vocabulary lists are here. All 263 pages of them! For a more usable version – if you’re comfortable with Github -, check out this ongoing project by Mike Lowe (the creator of Pleco, a great Chinese dictionary to have on your phone) and others.
Lastly, at this point, it’s still speculation, but this infographic compares the current HSK content with the lists in the Standard.

Fact or rumor? With all these exam changes, the new HSK is going to become super difficult.

Rumor: That’s definitely not the goal of the new Standard, and there’s no reason the HSK tests to become suddenly super hard!
The new Standard was developed primarily to modernize and reflect the rise of Chinese learning worldwide.

More and more learners are learning Chinese, and thanks to that, there are lots of different types of Chinese learners now, from newbies to learners with a more advanced level. So if anything, with the new Standard, you’re shown there’s even more to learn than you previously thought!

New potential types of HSK exercises

New types of exercises may be introduced in the HSK exams since the Standard details the five language skills it considers a Chinese learner should have in Chinese. These are:

• Chinese listening,
• Speaking,
• Reading (the Standard includes requirements in terms of reading speed at each level),
• Writing (that includes the ability to handwrite some characters – or at least to know how to copy them quickly -),
• And translation. The translation bit is new, so you can expect this to crop up in future HSK exams.

So, if these are translated into the HSK exams, there are certainly new elements you’ll have to prepare for. Will all this make the HSK tests more difficult? We doubt that. They’ll stay hard. It’s a test one needs to study and prepare for, after all, but it won’t become super difficult to the point of being impossible.

Fact or rumor? My “official” HSK level is going to go down?

Uncertain at this point. What may change is your “official” HSK level in the future. At this point, however, this is only a guess and by no means a fact.
The new HSK system could have 9 levels, where the existing one had 6.  If the revised HSK 3.0 follows that 9 level system, then indeed, your “official” level could go down a bit.

Let’s look at an example by comparing the new level 3 and the current HSK level 3.
According to the document, by the time you finish the new level 3, you’re expected to know a total of 2245 words.
In the current HSK, you need to know a total of 600 words, roughly at the HSK level 3.
If the same system is applied to the HSK exam, yes, that would be quite an increase in the number of words to know at level 3. In fact, in the new system (HSK 3), that would correspond to a new HSK level 2. Quite a change! This is only a theory at this point; we’ll know more soon.

If we follow that logic, one’s “official” proficiency might indeed go down a few levels! But that won’t make you any less good at Chinese, nor the HSK tests more difficult. If anything, it’ll just give learners more content to learn and new goals to work towards.

Fact or rumor? We’re going to have to learn more words at every level? Even at the beginner level, level 1 is going to go from 150 words to 500.

Yes and no. If the new HSK levels follow the Standard’s organization, then yes, it’s a fact that there’ll be more words and more content to learn. Requirements in terms of the number of characters to know overall could increase for HSK takers.

The content distribution could also change, with elementary levels gaining more words. The beginner levels are quite short in the current HSK. However, if you follow the new “Standard” levels, it looks like they won’t be as succinct in the new system. They won’t become tough overnight either, don’t worry!

The learning curve will be more balanced. For instance, you had to know only about 150 words at the current levels HSK 1 & HSK 2. This number then jumped to 2000+ for HSK level 6! In the new system, an equal number of characters is learned at every level. You’ll be required to learn 300 new Chinese characters per level.  The number of Chinese words to know also increases gradually at each level.

So yes, Level 1 might have a steeper threshold from before. The Standard lists the requirements for Level 1 at 300 Chinese Characters and 500 new words. Perhaps this will mean that the new HSK 1 will be a combination of the “old”  HSK 1 + HSK 2. It might take more time to prepare, but that’s all.

Fact or rumor? I might as well cancel my plan to take the HSK 3 test in 2 months.

Rumor. On the contrary, go for it! Whatever level you were going to take, don’t hold off.
It’s too early to tell when and how the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation (previously called the Hanban) will implement new HSK tests. We guess that it’s unlikely it’s any time soon!

Changing the test to turn it into the HSK 3.0 is going to take a while. Several months, and possibly years. First of all, they are still offering test dates for the existing HSK until 2022, if not later. Besides, universities and other structures that require passing a certain level of HSK to enter or apply have not changed their requirements yet. So, all in all, there’s no rush.

So: If you were planning on taking the current HSK test, go for it. You can still follow the existing HSK syllabus and prepare for your test. If that changes, we’ll be sure to let you know. UPDATE: It’s been confirmed nothing will change before, at the earliest, March 2022. So go for it!

Be sure to check out the course content on Ninchanese! There’s everything you need to prepare to take the HSK test on the app:
– content to prepare HSK level 1
– a course to prepare HSK level 2
– Preparation material for HSK Level 3 preparation material
– Content preparation for HSK Level 4 content preparation
– Material for HSK Level 5, in two parts
– Learning content for HSK Level 6, in two parts (part 2 ongoing)
– And detailed Grammar Lessons for each level.

When the new HSK 3.0 comes out, you can decide if you want to take it as well! And who knows, by that time, you might be ready to try a higher level!

What does that mean for Ninchanese? Will you be updating your Chinese learning content?

Ninchanese uses its own in-house curriculum for all your Chinese learning needs. Its 6 main Story worlds are roughly based on HSK levels. This allows you to prepare for the existing HSK tests, and additionally, the HSK levels provide a good conversational basis. However, the 6 main story worlds include many other words more useful to know in daily life. There are also many other worlds on Ninchanese full of themed content to learn, such as the Chinese food world or the Chinese Component course. Add to that the massive Chinese Character Universe, and there’s already plenty to do! You can currently learn over 15,000 words and characters on Ninchanese,

We will, of course, carefully keep checking what the new Standard is all about when it comes to the HSK. Whatever new additional content there is to learn, we will be happy to bring it to you! Our goal is always to bring you useful and relevant content in Mandarin Chinese, and that won’t change!

So there you have it. Everything we know, so far. In conclusion, there’s no need to panic! Yet, maybe, and we’re pretty sure, ever.
In the coming months and probably weeks, we’ll know more. This page will be regularly updated with the latest information to come out on the new HSK (HSK 3.0). So come back to this post regularly to learn more about the new HSK exam (2021 edition)!

The post New HSK Levels 2021: No need to panic! What to expect (April 28th Update) appeared first on Ninchanese.

As you progress in your exploration of Chinese cooking, you’ll certainly want to tempt your stomach with new Chinese dishes and tastes. What better way to learn more about this topic than in Chinese, the language you’re learning? Chinese Food is a perfect topic to explore deeper in Chinese: the knowledge you’re learning will prove directly useful to you.  (We’re not responsible for the extra pounds you may put on scarfing down new Chinese dishes:)

Read on to learn more about Chinese cooking, from its 8 key styles to the spices you definitely want to stock your pantry with! Once you’re done reading, guess what? You can learn all this yummy new lingo, little by little, in our new course on Ninchanese: Chinese Food. It’s right here!

When you can’t go out and have to cook at home, it’s always fun to add some exotic dishes. And let’s imagine you want to do some tasty Chinese home-cooking? What if you wish to experiment with a variety of Chinese ingredients and want to talk about them? And what happens if you need to buy spices, herbs, or other things to spice up your meal but don’t know how to express yourself? That’s what this article is about.

Or imagine another situation. You are standing in a Chinese supermarket (or just a market) and want to buy some specific ingredients. Wouldn’t it be quite a struggle when you don’t know the right words to describe these ingredients in Chinese? It could be anything from just not being a fan of a specific ingredient to being allergic to a spice.

The 4 Tastes and 8 big Kitchens

Let’s first start with a quick overview of the common big 8 Chinese culinary traditions in Chinese. If you’ve started exploring Chinese food and cooking, and by this, we mean real Chinese cuisine, not the stuff they try to pass on as Chinese food in Chinese “buffets”, you’ll quickly notice that there are different types of cooking in China. 

Chinese cooking is divided into 8 big Kitchens, or schools, which were each named after the region they were developed in (e.g. 山东菜 – Shāndōng cài – Shandong cuisine). These styles were defined by the provinces in China and what each area could provide in terms of food. These schools also relate to each region’s history and economics. All these factors came together over time and refined the taste of the people and what they prefer for Chinese food. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you cannot get other food or only get this specific taste.  

If you are into Chinese food, you may think the best are the Chinese street food, right? So in this article, we’ve made, we ranked the best Chinese street food.

Chinese cooking is also all about the Four Tastes: Salty, Sour, Sweet, and Spicy. As you’ll see, the 8 big Kitchens of cooking in China all revolve around these Four tastes.  Also, Chinese dishes tend to be named very indescriptive, so sometimes, it‘s not quite clear what the ingredients are (e.g.  蚂蚁上树 – mǎ​yǐ​shàng​shù – Ants climbing a tree ). Like so:

Map of the 8 Chinese kitchen

This actually is the most common definition of the kitchens (and I would say more traditional). Of course, these 8 styles don’t cover all of China, so you may also find different maps which cover the whole of China and do a more detailed subdivision, possibly putting what I’m pointing out as the Southern kitchen, somewhere else. All that matters is that your stomach knows there are 8 different cooking styles in China to look forward to, and understands the differences between them!

The manifold ways of preparing Chinese food

The Chinese have a lot of different ways of preparing Chinese food and it’s good to know these techniques. True, when talking about preparing Chinese food, the most common thing to say it, whether in Chinese or in English, to make food rather than cook food ( 作饭 – ). So, why would you want to learn the words for them? The answer is simple, and it’ll make your tummy happy: a lot of Chinese dish names indicate the way the dish was prepared. So by learning how to say some of the most common cooking techniques, you’ll know a little more about what to expect when ordering Chinese food. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for a nice steamed bun (包子), or some 烤鸭 (kǎo yā – roast duck)!

As we saw, these are 8 major Cooking Styles (Kitchens) in China. So, depending on the region you’re in, you might see specific techniques all around you and others only quite rarely.  Out of experience, I can say that I see 红烧 (Braised in Soy sauce), 炒 (Chǎo – stir fry), and 炸 (Zhà) very frequently. It could also be that I’m not quite yet used to recognizing the other cooking-techniques immediately.  

Bonus-tip: Look for the fire component under ( 灬 ) or left ( 火 ) of a character to understand that it may is related to a cooking-technique. If you are not yet familiar with radicals and components, it’s an excellent opportunity to start with the Radical Component World in the Ninchanese App.

You see, it can be quite helpful when looking at a Chinese menu (it’s common that they don’t include pictures) to know these cooking techniques and to use them to decrypt dishes’ names!

Spice up your meal

Alright, so let’s continue with the essentials of a meal: spices, herbs, oils, and sauces. Without these, a meal can be pretty bland, and personally, I prefer a good combination of spices and intense flavors but it can still be a struggle to name something else than just salt and pepper (maybe chili) without taking a look in the dictionary first.

The average joe just recognizes something because of experience, so in a supermarket, it mostly went like this. “I know this because I used it before or because I know it from my hometown, but I don’t know how to call it in Chinese.” And the version for the more adventurous people: That looks interesting; I’ll just buy and try it, without knowing what it exactly is or how it’s called. (Assumed not looking in the dictionary first).

Spices 香辛料 (Xiāngxīnliào)

Herbs 香草 (Xiāngcǎo)

Sauces & Oils 调料 和 油 (Tiáoliào hé yóu)

The attentive reader would have figured out some basic structures here: If it’s a powder, just add a 粉 (fěn), for an oil a 油 (yóu) or if it’s a thick (soybean) sauce a 酱 (jiàng). Also, the word to add for grains is 粒 ( lì ) (and it’s also the classifier for those tiny grain/pill/pea-sized things). Still, in the case of the peppers, it’s not necessary to mention it, since that is the base form of them and don’t confuse it with seeds. These are called 籽 ( zǐ ).

It’s quite a big list, but no worries, just learn the things you want to know and use in your daily life. In my kitchen, I usually have the basic Soy Sauce, Rice vinegar, and 5-6 different spices from the list above, which is quite enough to make things more interesting. Adding a bit of this and that can even raise instant noodles to a king’s meal in case you are down for a quick snack and too lazy to heat up the kitchen.  As you can see in this picture below

My personal experience

I once wanted to buy some ingredients to bake bread, but I neither learned the words in my regular Chinese classes nor learned them before somewhere else. What I wanted to buy was the pretty basic bread-ingredients: flour (面粉 – Miànfěn ), yeast (酵母 – jiàomǔ) and some olive-oil (橄榄油 – gǎnlǎn yóu). So I went to an employee in the supermarket and asked where I can find the oil since I couldn’t find it in the oil-section of the supermarket. The reaction was very typical: Confused look (due to perhaps, wrong pronunciation), then leading me to the shelf with the imported foreign noodle-sauces. After involving 2 more employees in that whole situation, they finally figured out what I wanted after I showed it to them in the dictionary. They eventually lead me the way to the shelf with the olive-oil (which is not that common and therefore quite pricey). Finding the yeast and flour was thank god not very complicated, only getting the right type of flour was. But that’s a topic for a future article about Chinese food. Stay tuned for that.

Final Words

There are loads more topics to cover in the Chinese food corner, especially about other regional cuisines in China, but you know have the basics covered and I’ve shared with you what you need to get around and know what to expect when you are going out for a meal or traveling China for a culinary adventure.

As a home-cook, what we’ve seen today should already enhance your ability to have a bit more knowledge when it comes to speaking about making Chinese food. Especially about improving the taste and not getting lost in the wide variety of ingredients. Of course, there are a lot more spices and herbs you can learn, but the focus in this article is more on the basics and what you actually can buy in a common (super-)market in China. If you really love Chinese food and want to make your own, then I can’t stress enough to our Chinese Food course on Ninchanese.

Image-Sources: 

Spices: Pixabay Monicore, all other pictures and tables were taken or created by myself (Product images in tables: Baidu, background images in 做饭的办法-banner: Baidu) 

The post Chinese food: Learn to Cook and Spice your Chinese meal with complete vocabulary lists! appeared first on Ninchanese.