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!

Sign up now

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

From 漫画, màn huà, inspired by the classic ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ to the modern-day ‘The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (one of my personal favorites), there’s something for everyone. So whether you’re a long-time fan or just getting started, here are the top 10 Chinese manhuas of all time!

Before we dive in: Discover a Manhua and Donghua course

You’ll find these names in the Manhua course on Ninchanese too. There is a lot of specific lingo to know when going into the Manhua genre. It can sometimes be difficult to understand what’s going on, so we selected the essential Chinese vocabulary to know to understand Manhuas and Donhuas and made it available for everyone.

Top 10 Chinese Manhuas

All of these manhuas are not really beginner friendly. They require an intermediate to advanced level of Chinese. But I’ve found one less difficult! Head to the 11th bonus to discover which one it is!

1. 天官赐福 – Tiān guān cì fú – Heaven Official’s Blessing

You can read the manhua on Manga Bilibili

800 years ago, Xie Lian was a noble Crown Prince who ascended and became a god with tens of thousands of worshippers. However, he was demoted again and again and fell to rock bottom. Finally, 800 years later, Xie Lian ascended again, taking a mysterious young man home – the Ghost King Hua Cheng.

2. 原来你在这里 – Yuánlái nǐ zài zhèlǐ – Here U Are

You can read the manhua on Dongmanmanhua

Yang Yu meets Huan Li, a new student with a daunting presence. Despite Huan Li’sLi’s cold attitude towards him, Yang Yu believes their encounter will change his perspective on life and maybe even love.

3. 魔道祖师 – Módào zǔshī – The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

You can read the manhua on Kuaikan manhua

Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch, is summoned in a madman’s body and finds himself in Mo Village. There, he meets Lan Wangji. They investigate the mystery of a dismembered arm leaking demonic energy linked to Wei Wuxian’sWuxian’s past. Along the way, they face friends and enemies from Wei Wuxian’sWuxian’s past.

4. 長歌行 – Chánggē xíng – Song of the Long March

You can read the manhua on manhwatop

Song of the Long March follows the story of Princess Yongning, who survives a coup d’état that kills her family and then takes on the identity of Li Chang Ge. She moves to the Shou province and uses her wits to gain the trust of the Shou emperor, quickly climbing the military ranks as a brilliant strategist. The story follows her journey, full of countless adventures, friendships, and enemies.

5. SQ从你的名字开始 – SQ : cóng nǐ de míngzì kāishǐ – SQ: Begin W/Your Name!

You can read the manhua on QQ Manhua

Sun Jing has a crush on Qiu Tong, a cute girl she sees at the bus station. Finally, Sun Jing musters up the courage to introduce herself, and they become friends. Sun Jing is determined to make Qiu Tong smile and hopes her genuine kindness will eventually win her over.

6. 南号尚风 – Nán hào shàng fēng – Nanhao Shangfeng

You can read the manhua on QQ Manhua

Nanhao and Shangfeng are two high school boys who have been best friends since childhood. They experience the highs and lows of teenage life together as they navigate the ups and downs of their friendship and the world around them.

7. 19天 – 19 tiān – 19 Days

You can read the manhua on QQ Manhua

Five high school boys (Jianyi, Zhan Zhengxi, Fa Xiao, He Tian, and Mo Guan Shan) grow up together. They formed a solid friendship and go through many funny and life-changing experiences.

8. 封神紀 I & II & III – Fēng shén jì I & II & III – Gods and Monsters: Feng Shen Ji I & II & III

You can read the manhua on 98 comic

The gods sent a messenger to Zhao Ge, but the Shang dynasty emperor Zi Zhou refused to bow his head and declared his independence. In response, Wu Jifa of a neighboring land leads a crusade against the Shang. Zhao joins the fight, but a god intervenes and confronts him directly.

9. 独领风骚 – Dú lǐng fēngsāo – The one

You can read the manhua on 18p

Lele is born into the fashion industry but hates it due to the tragic loss of her parents. She is reluctantly drawn into modeling by her mother’s sister but finds inspiration in American model Angus Lanson. When Lele meets Angus and his twin brother Eros, she embarks on a journey to become a top model in New York City and perhaps find love.

10. 火凤燎原 – Huǒ fèng liáoyuán – The Ravages of Time

You can read the manhua on Manhua gui

Ravages of Time is an adaptation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, focusing on the fortunes of Liu Bei, Cao Cao, the Sun family, and the Sima family. The Sima family is a successful and wealthy merchant family, led by the young Sima Yi, who has a knack for finding profitable business ventures. However, they also have a sinister side, commanding the Handicapped Warriors, a group of mercenary assassins who are reputed to be infallible.

11. 罗小黑战记 – Luō xiǎo hēi zhàn jì – The legend of Hei

You can read the manhua on Manga Bilibili

Luo Xiaohei, a cat spirit, is separated from the other spirits when humans deforest his home. He meets Wuxian, a human, and goes on a journey to learn to control his abilities and form his own opinion on whether to side with the spirits or humans.

And if you want to see the Donghua (the animated version), you can head here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNHcgyx2Cdw&list=PLK-ys7c4EcnrR4UiA9n1hRox8b0EJ88gx&index=2&ab_channel=JuneJacobs)

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!

Jean-Rémi

&

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 Top 10 Manhua of all time to read in Chinese 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.

七夕快乐! Qī xī jié kuài lè! Happy Chinese Valentine’s!

Today is the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, and that’s a special day in China! It’s the Chinese’s Valentine’s Day! 七夕 (qī xī) is a day that’s been celebrated possibly since the Han Dynasty.

QiXi is also the double seven festival.

Also called the Double Seven festival (ah, that love for double numbers), 七夕 is a day reserved for love in the Middle Kingdom, making it the most romantic festival in China. First, celebrations and gifts are exchanged. Then, that day remains to be a day of love and friendships. So the perfect way to spend the 7th day of the 7th month — especially for couples in love is to spend time together are enjoy gifts.

What is the origin of the Qixi festival?

The origin of the Qixi Festival is a touching love story between Zhinü (织女), the weaver girl, a fairy from heaven, and Niulang (牛郎), the cowherd from Earth. As you can imagine, they fell in love but were not allowed to love each other freely. They couldn’t live without each other. Therefore, they decided to stay separated, though each was waiting for the other to be reborn and have a second chance at love. However, they loved each other so much that they were unwilling to let go. So they decided to live a happy ever after in the same place.

Qi Xi, the myth the legends

The legend said that the Goddess Mother Earth was extremely angry at them as they were not getting married. In preparation for their reunion, a two-day festival was to be held. The goddess Mother Earth explicitly forbade the first day for the two lovers to attend. The second was the actual wedding. The problem was that once they tried to get married, they would be together forever, but only if they were together during the festival’s first day. Their separation was obliviated from their minds, but the Goddess Mother Earth ensured that the festival’s first day would be painful if they were to attend. The goddess placed heavy curses on them to ensure they did not go.

Chinese legends explain the milky way.

Wikipedia says this about Qixi: thus, they were banished to opposite sides of the heavenly river (symbolizing the Milky Way). Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for a single day.

Love is a compromise.

So, as a compromise, they were allowed to meet once a year, on the 7th of the 7th lunar month… And thus, the 七夕 festival was born to commemorate their meeting (七 means 7 and 夕 dusk) and strong feelings of love.

Very cute, right? Have a wonderful Double Seven Festival!

The post Qixi festival: the Chinese Valentine’s day 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.

Wondering what to do for 除夕 New Year’s Eve to help welcome in the Year of the Tiger? Sure, there’s useful stuff, like cleaning to start the new year fresh. Luckily, there are plenty of fun things you can also easily do from home to put yourself in the Lunar New Year spirit! Check out this selection of the best Douyin Activities to celebrate 虎年 (hǔ nián)! (That’s the year of the tiger in Mandarin Chinese).

新年快乐! Happy Chinese New Year from the Nincha Team

Special Year of the Tiger Activities

2022 is going to be the year of the Tiger. More specifically, the water tiger.  To celebrate, there’s a special themed course on Ninchanese!

Learn all about the Year of the Tiger in a special themed course on Ninchanese

The Year of the Tiger will hold no mystery for you once you’ve completed this mini-course!

The Chinese New Year course is full of essential words and sentences to learn in Chinese. You’ll also find meowsome dialogues to teach you the fun customs around Chinese New Year celebrations. Purrfect to learn all about the Year of the Tiger in Chinese! From a Tiger Zodiac Sign’s personality, to what it means to be a Tiger in 2022, you’ll be learning a lot and enjoying yourself at the same time!

Plus: Enjoy 30% all Ninchanese Premium plans with the code TIGERCNY! 
Just enter it at checkout and this meowsome offer is yours!

These special treats are only here for the next two weeks until the Lunar New Year ends, so don’t miss out!

Since we’re ushering in the year of the Tiger 2022, making tiger decorations is also a must! Besides, tigers are soo cute, so why fight it?

Make little tigers out of clementines

These little tigers made out of clementines are just purrfect and cheap to make:

Put together bouncy tigers

Out of clementines at home? Try making these bouncy tigers instead!

Make paper cutouts

Chinese paper cutting is a delicate art. In Chinese, paper cutouts are called 剪纸 (jiǎn zhǐ). You’ll also run into them called 窗花 (chuāng huā)
It’s very traditional for Chinese New Year for families to make paper cutouts together. With these fairly simple Douyin videos you can make your own too!

Make a purrfect tiger cut-out (虎年窗花)

This is what the Nincha Team made following this tutorial. It really is pretty easy to follow!

 

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Not directly related to the Tiger zodiac sign, it’s always a good idea to give your household double happiness with this Douyin tutorial.

More Chinese New Year 2022 activities

In addition to these super cute manual activities to welcome in the Year of the Tiger and make the Tiger Zodiac Sign right at home, there’s a lot more meowsome stuff you can do! The goal? To make the coming Year of the Tiger auspicious and a prosperous year.

Put together 红包 – red envelopes

Elders traditionally give 红包 to the younger members of the family. Inside, you’ll usually find money, but as you can see in these videos, candy is an excellent little treat too!

Don’t want traditional-looking 红包? How about candy-shaped ones, then?

If you prefer presenting your treats that way, here’s an excellent Douyin tutorial to make some yourself!

Make dumplings

First, follow our guide for a successful dumpling party! Then, watch these videos for easy folding techniques.

Or do they make it look easy? We’ll be trying these techniques tonight so fingers crossed!

Make coin shaped dumplings for prosperity

Or fold them the traditional 饺子 way!

Sing the New Year song

新年好
新年好呀…

Fair warning: Set to a tune you’ll no doubt recognize (Oh My Darling Clementine), the Chinese New Year song is a song that can easily stay stuck in your head.
Learn the lyrics here and then learn how to sing it with this cute Douyin tutorial.

Dress up

Another good way to prepare yourself for the Year of the Tiger is to put on new clothes, red items of clothing particularly, and dress up nicely. That activity is always lovely to do! So don new clothes and even meowsome hairpieces, like this one below:

Throw fireworks

Fireworks are a big must to celebrate the Chinese New Year. If you’re out of fireworks or noisy things are banned in your area, try this dish featured a lot of 抖音 instead.

Draw lots of Chinese New Year-related decorations

Lanterns, coins, coin-shaped things (for luck), golden elements (for more chance), fish … there are plenty of auspicious shapes to choose from!

Here’s a 抖音 hack to easily draw Chinese New Year themed knickknacks:

Who knew numbers could be so helpful?

It’s meant for kids, but we won’t tell if you don’t!

Hang up a lot of 福 upside down

You can place them on cards…

You can place them on your windows, on your walls…

Well, maybe not literally on your walls.

Just make sure you have a lot of upside-down 福 (fú) to bring yourself good luck in the coming year.

This concludes our round-up of 抖音 videos and Tiktok tutorials to celebrate the Year of the Tiger 2022! Have fun with these arts and crafts and have a prosperous year of the Tiger!

Speaking of fun stuff, here’s another cool thing for you: a Lunar New Year themed course!

A unique Chinese New Year world on Ninchanese

Come do the Chinese New Year course! It’s a free themed mini-world that’s only available during one special period of the year, and that’s during the Chinese Spring Festival!

A hot new course specially for the Chinese New Year

36 Stages full of essential words and sentences to learn in Chinese. To go with it, meowsome dialogues to teach you all about the pawwsitively fun customs that go hand in hand with the Chinese New Year celebrations. Purrfect to learn all about the Spring Festival and the Year of the Tiger in Chinese. From what to do on New Year’s eve to the Lantern Festival, you’ll be learning a lot and will love doing that!

This special world is only here for the next two weeks until the Lunar New Year ends, so don’t miss out!

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, for Chinese learning in your pocket and on the go, download the Ninchanese app from the Google Play Store.

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

P.S: Do you have the Chinese New Year song stuck in your head now too? Purrfect to put you in the Year of The Tiger spirit!

The post Best Douyin Activities to Celebrate the Year of the Tiger 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.

Image source: CGTN

What is Xiaonian?

Xiaonian is often called the prologue of the Spring Festival because it kicks off preparations for the upcoming Chinese New Year. It’s also a special day for the Kitchen God, ZaoShen (Chinese: 灶君; pinyin: Zào Jun; literally “stove master).
That’s because today, on 小年 xiǎo nián, the Kitchen God is going to return to “Heaven”. (That’s if you’re in the North of China. For the South of China, that’ll happen tomorrow).

The Kitchen God, Zao Shen. Source: Project Gutenberg

There, he’ll make his report to the other gods that stayed in Heaven, and especially to the Jade Emperor – he’s considered the King of the Taoists deities (Chinese: 玉皇; pinyin: Yù Huáng. Also called 玉帝 Yù Dì).

With the Chinese New Year special course on Ninchanese, start preparing for the Spring Festival too! 

What is The Kitchen God reporting?

The Kitchen God has one specific mission: to report on what happened in each household over the past year. He’ll particularly weigh how good or bad the family was. That way, the Jade Emperor can decide accordingly to reward or punish each household. So if you were good, good fortunes await you in the coming new year of the Tiger, and if you were terrible… well, you won’t be so lucky.

The Sweetest event: Nian Gao cakes and more

Good thing, though: the Kitchen God can easily be bribed… or at least tempted because he’s very partial to sweets. Just rub something sweet on his lips, like a bit of sugar, honey, or the traditional 年糕 (nián gāo) cake. The goal? To make sure he sweet-talks the Jade Emperor! He should also be grateful because he’ll be getting a great homemade scrub at the same time.

Curious to know what a 年糕 is? Watch this!

In addition to sweets, the Kitchen God is often also offered food, in case he gets hungry on the way up. Usually, his heaven-ascending horse is also given water and grass to make the journey. So be considerate and treat them. You want them to put in a good word for you!

The other good news? You get to eat candy too on Xiaonian! Especially the chewy, sticky, sesame kind. Like this maybe. 

The second item of good news: As the Kitchen God is a family’s moral compass, once he’s gone, you’re free of any moral surveillance. Technically. So why not? Go party, drink, and enjoy yourself. Act quick, the kitchen God will be back soon.
Just make sure to stuff your face with candy too, because if your mouth is full of candy, you won’t be able to bad-mouth others! Think of it as the Kitchen God’s parting gift!

And that’s how 小年 is a lesson on the importance of sweets!

Clean your house for the Lunar New Year

The bot so good news? Once the Kitchen God is sent off (usually by burning a paper version of him), cleaning season is officially in full swing.

Spring Cleaning, Spring Festival style. Source: CGTN

The goal is to get your house squeaky clean and to turn Obsessive-Compulsive when it comes to dust, as there can’t be any left at all when the Chinese New Year swings around! This year, there’s a particular focus on making your house fully anti-virus too.

Otherwise, you risk starting the new lunar year on the wrong paw. This is soon, since, on February 1st, we’ll all be ringing in the Year of the Tiger! That’s a little over a week from now.

So, are you planning on bribing the Kitchen God and on cleaning your house to prepare for the New Year? Or are you planning on skipping all this and Just celebrating the fun stuff?? Let us know!

Speaking of fun stuff, here’s something cool for you: a Lunar New Year themed course!

A unique Chinese New Year world on Ninchanese!

Discover the Chinese New Year course. It’s a themed mini-world that’s only available during one special period of the year, and that’s during the Chinese Spring Festival!

36 Stages full of essential words and sentences to learn in Chinese, and meowsome dialogues to teach you all about the pawwsitively fun customs that go hand in hand with the Chinese New Year celebrations. Purrfect to learn all about the Spring Festival and the Year of the Tiger in Chinese. From what to do on New Year’s eve to the Lantern Festival, you’ll be learning a lot and will love doing that!

This special world is only here for the next two weeks until the Lunar New Year ends, so don’t miss out!

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! From HSK-based courses to a Chinese Business course, you have your pick of Chinese to learn!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or, for Chinese learning in your pocket and on the go, download the Ninchanese app from the Google Play Store.

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 Xiaonian: Kick-off Chinese New Year with sweets 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.