Idioms – in any language – are probably one of the most challenging things to master when learning a foreign language. These short sentences – full of secret meaning – ship a cultural heritage. Some of them can be very confusing unless you delve deep into their roots and make an effort to understand the way of thinking behind them. They often do not make sense when you listen to them at first, but usually, describe a situation that anyone could be in. And sometimes it’s hard to translate them into another language.

At the same time, those phrases often offer great insight into the culture. So, I’ve always found idioms one of the most fascinating aspects of a language to explore.

What’s more? Human brains sometimes work the same way even miles and miles apart. Somehow, even in vastly different languages – like English and Chinese – some distinctive idioms use the same imagery (or very close) to convey the same ideas.

How amazing is that? Let’s take a look at some of those! Maybe then, Chinese idioms will look slightly less scary – or even better – you could use these Chinese Chengyus when you speak Chinese and sound as smart as Yocha, our old Chinese teacher.

一见钟情 – “love at first sight.”

This idiom’s meaning is super close to the English meaning. Let’s take a look at the different characters:

 一见: at first sight

 钟情: deeply in love

Easy to use, easy to remember. Did you see that lovely pair of shoes? Wow, it was really  一见钟情.

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空中楼阁 – “castle in the air” – build castles in the air

 空中: in the air

 楼阁: Pavillon in the air

That’s pretty close to the English meaning. Hey, castles did not exist in China, so how could the translation be precisely “castle”, right? 

I would love to speak Chinese, and my dream is not a 空中楼阁 😉

A happy Chinese idiom 如鱼得水 – “like fish in the water.”

This chengyu’s meaning in Chinese is similar to the idiom in English, and you can use it in almost the same kind of situations: where you feel at ease with someone, or are performing very well, showing you are made for that environment or that environment is made for you. It’s quite a positive idiom! 

 如鱼: like fish

 得水: get in the water

我在这种地方如鱼得水 – I feel like a fish in the water in this place.

The very expressive 一箭双雕 – “kill two eagles (birds) with one arrow” – is the equivalent of “killing two birds with one stone”. 

(No image here it would have been not cute :p)

 一箭: one arrow

 双雕: double eagle

一箭双雕 is a chengyu very close in meaning to our saying “killing two birds with one stone”. It’s a fascinating chengyu, made even more so by the fact there also exists a very similar idiom: 一举两得. The stories connected to those two idioms, however, are a little different. 

Efficient Chinese idiom: 一举两得 – “achieve two goals with one action.” 

 一举: one action

 两得: two gains

Both share the same meaning, so when should you use one over the other?
You’ll use 一箭双雕 “Kill two eagles (birds) with one stone” when you want to showcase your skills.
The other one 一举两得 is about wit and knowing when to strike to spend minimal effort. Like if you go on sightseeing and you can eat there too, then you double the benefit in one action.

A contrasted Chinese idiom: 夜以继日 – “day and night.”

 The meaning is translucid. There’s no mistake here; you’ve been working day and night to get it clear.

 夜以: from night

 继日: to day

A Chinese saying: 水滴石穿 – “drop by drop water wears away the stone.”

 水滴: drop water

 石穿: pierce through

“My Chinese only got better after I started practicing it every day, so I guess it’s true that constant dropping wears away a stone.” Easy to get the meaning and use it. Let’s give it a try!

Chinese chengyu: 对牛弹琴 – “play zither in front of a cow” – equivalent meaning: to cast pearls before swine.

Just because this one super fun! We could not resist adding that one too.

So here are the 5 best Chinese idioms and chengyus + 2 more bonus that resonate the same in English. I’ve selected them since they are fun and easy to use. It’s a great way to see that even if countries are far away from each other, we can still share parts of culture and a similar understanding of the world. How about you, do you have an idiom that comes to mind, that you’ve learned or used lately? 

This article is brought to you by Julia Knoblauch, physics student by day, avid Chinese learner on Ninchanese by night.

Want to write on the Ninchanese blog? Want to give your insight into an aspect of the Chinese culture or the language? Contact us on https://ninchanese.com/chat/

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只是开玩笑

kāi wán xiào

Just kidding

This is the perfect sentence to know when you make a joke in China. Why is that?

Why you need to know how to say “Just kidding”when you make a joke in China

We, western people, often use a kind of sarcastic humor or make jokes based on exaggeration. Imagine the situation when a Chinese friend makes you strange-looking chicken claws to eat (which don’t turn out to be sometimes you like) You may sarcastically say “wow, that was delicious, I could eat that at every dinner! I’ll take another plate!… ” but they will run to grab you another plate.

That’s the kind of joke that most of the time they won’t get, and will take it seriously instead. That’s where a good 只是 开玩笑! can be placed.

Chinese people are usually accustomed to a different kind of humor. Chinese humor can be pretty hard to get for us because it’s often based on linguistics, tones and wordplay. Also, they can look a lot more serious than Westerners when making jokes. See, they really like cold/black humor (冷笑话 – lěng xiào huà) said without any expression on their face. You could view Chinese humor as a more “serious” flavor of humor.

Another thing the Chinese are not entirely accustomed to doing is to make fun of themselves, whereas we often make self-deprecating comments, or don’t mind looking silly for the sake of a good laugh. The focus on ‘face’ and fear of being ridiculed can exclude them from an entire genre of humor.

So let your Chinese friends know you are joking by saying 只是 开玩笑!

If you must make a bad, crappy, ridiculously mean joke, just make sure you are close enough to your audience so that they won’t feel offended. Alright? And remember: 只是开玩笑 is your best friend when you make a joke in China and it falls flat!

So, remember: 只是开玩笑 is your best friend when you make a joke in China and it falls flat!

Source: Quora

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厲害了，我的哥!

Lì hài le, wǒ de gē!

You rock, brother!

How the slang expression “厲害了，我的哥!” appeared

The expression 厲害了，我的哥! Lì hài le wǒ de gē has gotten pretty popular online and especially in the gaming circle in China. It became popular when a military student was caught by his military training instructor playing the popular game King’s Glory on his phone. The funny story starts here. The instructor happened to also be a fan of this game and played along with the student. As they became stronger together, they started to win. The high school students could not believe what was happening and started commenting the gaming skill of the instructor. Tada! ” 厲害了我的哥” popped out and became a wide-spread expression in China. I love this story of this newborn expression!

How to use “You rock” in Chinese

Use this slang expression in Mandarin to express astonishment or amazement. You can use it in a lot of situations. You can also use it with everybody: just replace the last word 哥, “brother” with what you need to address people!

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Literally: the time comes, fortune turns.

Let’s break this Chinese quote down:

• 时 shí means time
• 来 lái means to come
• 运 yùn means luck, as in “祝你好运！I wish you good luck!”
• 转 zhuǎn means to turn

In other words:

时来运转 is a very inspiring Chinese quote

Sometimes you feel the world is against you and you just can’t get a break. Uncool things keep happening to you day after day and you should want to hide in your bed until it all stops.

Looks like the Chinese know better. They know that no matter what life throws at you, you’ve got to keep being a trooper. Don’t give up. Just stay strong and keep forging ahead. The wheel of life keeps turning, and one day your fortune will change. You will get your lucky break. Just give it time.

Isn’t that a good way to look at things? Don’t you think it’ll help you go forward when things get rough? Keep trucking ahead, and your luck will change.

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Western girls love to be tanned, Asian girls prefer white skin. We all know that Chinese girls have specific ideals of female beauty, but do foreigners share these ideals? Let’s explore the beauty standards in China and in the West and see to what extent they’re different.

Let’s compare how foreign girls and Chinese girls view and explore each criteria, starting with the eyes!

#1 Chinese beauty standards: Big eyes

Today, the Chinese think that girls with 大眼睛 dà yǎnjīng big eyes are the most beautiful, even more so if their eyes have a 双眼皮 shuāng yǎnpí double-fold eyelid. These modern Chinese beauty standards reveal a certain fascination with the West, with more and more Chinese girls resorting to cosmetic surgery to create those double-fold eyelids.
But do foreigners see the same features in Chinese girls? On the contrary, most foreigners seem to prefer Chinese girls with slanted, narrow eyes and eyebrows, In China, 细长眼睛 xì cháng yǎnjing slim eyes with 单眼皮 dān yǎn pí single-fold eyelids are seen as not beautiful at all, so it seems that when it comes to eye-shapes, Western and Chinese beauty standards don’t see eye to eye.

吕燕 Lǚ yàn

This girl on the left, 吕燕 Lǚ yàn, is a 模特 mótè top model, who’s extremely famous in China. She’s often considered the most beautiful and popular Chinese model by foreigners. 吕燕 Lǚ yàn. Lots of westerners view her as a super beauty, maybe because of her typical 东方古典美 dōngfāng gǔdiǎn mě oriental looks. She looks exotic, and exotism often appeals, as it’s new and different.

However, the Chinese tend to think that she is kind of “ugly” and “strange”, especially because of her long and narrow eyes , her big lips and very large face. Her face is quite singular and unique and as such she doesn’t quite fit with the traditional Chinese beauty standards.

In the eyes of the Chinese society, the girl on the right in the picture is prettier, as her big eyes, are definitely the number one thing every Chinese girl wants.

Can you guess what the second criteria in the Chinese beauty standard is? White skin, of course. Let’s try to understand why.

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#2 Chinese Beauty Standards: White Skin

Some Chinese beauty standards are inspired by Western looks, but others definitely remain typically Oriental. 皮肤白皙 pífūbáixī white skin is one of them and is a must have in China. You’ll never see a girl buying spray tan in China, or voluntarily tanning herself in the sun unless she’s spent quite a lot of time in the West. On the contrary, Chinese girls try to protect their skin from the sun as much as possible! If you’ve been to China, you undoubtedly must have noticed how they wisely use umbrellas, jackets and sunscreen to shield their skin from the sun.

Having a white skin is an old Chinese beauty standard that stems from Ancient Chinese traditions. In ancient China, only the rich people had a white skin because they did not have to work in the fields like the peasants did. Their creamy, unblemished, white skin was proof they were of a different class. That’s why Chinese girls still nowadays want a white and smooth skin just like jade: to not be taken for a poor peasant. There’s even a Chinese expression praising white skin:

一白遮三丑 yībáizhēsānchǒu a white complexion is powerful enough to hide seven faults.

From this expression, it’s no hard to see that the Chinese traditional beauty standard equates beauty with white and smooth skin.

The Chinese girls’ obsession for white skin is such that the make-up industry sells in China products that are different from the Western world, where tanning is an obsession. In China, you’ll easily find face a moisturizer or with whitener agents in it and tons of beauty products that whiten your skin. In fact, finding one without may be harder to find.

Unlike Chinese girls, Western girls think that being tanned is a beauty standard. Being tanned used to mean you couldn’t afford to go on vacation and spend time in the sun, because you were rich. Nowadays, Western girls often feel prettier tanned, and some feel it makes them look slimmer. A very white skin is often considered sign of poor health, something that might surprise the Chinese the first time they come to a Western country.

孙俪 Sūnlì

孙俪 Sūnlì, on the left, is a Chinese actress. She’s considered as the Queen of television by the Chinese. This beautiful woman is barely known by the foreigners, but I’m pretty sure all Westerns would agree on her beauty. As you can see, 孙俪 Sūnlì is the perfect representation of the white skin beauty standard, unlike the young lady on the right of the picture. Sūnlì’s skin is as white as the snow and Chinese girls fancy her so much for that.

The white skin ideal can certainly be the weirdest Chinese beauty standard for westerners as they prefer being tanned than as pale as white jade. Let’s move on the next beauty ideal every Chinese girl wants to have: the right face shape according to the Chinese beauty standards.

#3 Chinese beauty standards: Face shape

In Chinese, interestingly enough, there are lots of words to describe the 脸型 liǎnxín shape of a face, a lot more than the traditional square, oval, round and triangle face shapes in the West. If anything, that’s an indication of how seriously the Chinese take face shapes. Two specific shapes are at the top of beauty ideals:

• 瓜子脸 guāzǐliǎn melon seed face
• 鹅蛋脸 é’dànliǎn goose egg face

What a yummy description for face shapes! If they don’t seem very clear for you, just imagine a face that has the same shape as a melon seed or a goose egg.

See? The face must have a very thin chin and jawline, shaped like a V.

Not everyone is born with a melon seed face or a goose egg face and nowadays, many girls even go through cosmetic surgery to change the shape of their face. The worst face shape a Chinese girl can have according to Chinese beauty standards, is a 国字脸 guózìliǎn square face. A square face is considered very manly.
Generally, Chinese girls want to have an oval face instead of a prominent jawline, as its viewed as more feminine, delicate and cute
As for westerners, their ideal face shape is kind of different. Even if the oval-shaped face is very popular, according to a survey, the most attractive face for a girl is…. the square face! You didn’t see that coming, am I wrong? The square face is sometimes considered the most attractive since the wide jawline enhances the look and the smile. So square faces and oval faces, here’s your moment of glory!

Let’s look at Gong Li, obviously she is a “goose egg face”.

巩俐 Gǒnglì

I bet you guys know this beautiful Chinese woman on the left, 巩俐 Gong Li, the famous Chinese actress which was also awarded the “World’s most beautiful Oriental woman” title. She’s had a great impact as a Chinese actress in the movie industry. Gong Li is also the first Chinese actress to win an award in the Venice Film Festival as well as the first Chinese ambassador of the French cosmetics brand L’Oreal.
Talk about a trailblazer!. As you can see, she has a goose egg face, she represents the Chinese ideals of female beauty and lots of westerners think she’s pretty as well.

Now that you know everything about the face standards in China, let’s move to the body types! Can you guess what the most wanted body shape in China and all over the world is?

#4 Chinese beauty standards: slim body

Being |zh zh=”苗条” py=”miáotiáo” en=”slim”] or 瘦 shòu thin is something that most of the Chinese girls want. Girls will, actually, be judged pretty or not according to their weight and figure as it is part of Chinese beauty standards.

As the Chinese say:

以瘦为美 yǐ shòu wéi měi to regard slender figures as beauty

Lots of girls barely eat things in order to lose weight and be in shape. The online fads of comparing your waist to a A4 sheet of paper, or of seeing if you were able to wrap your hands around your waist attest to how being slim can be an obsession in China. It’s incredible!
In the Western world, we also tend to like people that are slim. But curvy women are also part of the standards, depending on where the curves are. Bosoms and behinds have to be plump, but the waist must be very thin. The ideal body for some westerners, unfortunately, remains Barbie’s, the famous doll, despite its unrealistic proportions.

范冰冰 Fàn Bīngbīng

I’m not exaggerating when I say that 范冰冰 Fan Bingbing is the most popular Chinese actress now. She’s a real fashion icon in China. Both westerners and Chinese agree on her beauty. Her body shape is very slim and her features are very delicate and thin. Fan Bingbing is very famous in the cinema industry as she acted in many popular movies such as the blockbuster X-men: Days of Future Past (2014).

Final words

As you see, Chinese beauty standards are very different from Western ideals of female beauty, to the point of sometimes even being complete opposites. As ties continue to grow between China and the West, it’ll be interesting to see how these beauty standards evolve. One thing’s for sure, by exploring every criteria that is required of you to fit the Chinese beauty standard, I can tell that these beauty standards probably put a lot of pressure on girls.

The truth is that no matter what you look like, how close or far you have to beauty standards, you just need to remember that you’re perfect the way you are. Everyone has their own little flaws. Besides, what you see as a physical “flaw”, might be appealing to others. I mean, that’s what make us all different, special and unique. So embrace how you look and be proud of who you are.

What do you think about it? Do you agree with all these beauty ideals? Do you agree more with the Western or the Chinese beauty standards? Let us know!

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There are many situations in which you want to add something to what you already have. For instance, when ordering food or buying things. Here are 5 expressions to learn so you can always say “I’ll have a…with that” in Chinese. Remember these Chinese grammar rules and speak like a native!

#1 和 – hé – And: to order easily in Chinese

One of the most useful Chinese expressions to say “I’ll have a… with that!” is definitely 和 hé and. You can use this one for almost everything, for example:

我要一杯茶和一块蛋糕。 wǒ yào yībēi chá hé yīkuài dàngāo. I want a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

See? This Chinese word can be used almost for everything and every situation. But if you want to sound more like a native in Mandarin, take a look at these other Chinese expressions than 和 to say “I’ll have a… with that”.

#2 还有 – hái yǒu- In addition

You’ve probably heard of 还有 hái yǒu in addition, which is one of the most common Chinese expressions, for sure! But be careful with 还有 hái yǒu. You can only use this expression when you want to add at least two things to what you already have.
Therefore, if all you want is rice with some chicken, you can just use 和. What if you’re thirsty? To add a glass of fruit juice to what you’ve just ordered, this is what you must say:

我要米饭和鸡肉，还有一杯果汁。 wǒ yào mǐfàn hé jīròu, hái yǒu yībēi guǒzhī. I want rice with chicken as well as a glass of fruit juice.

Using 还有 is really practical when it comes to asking for two or more things to add.

Basic Chinese expressions like 和 and 还有 are easy to use on daily basis, but still, they’re very common. Want to go from laowai to native speaker? Let’s jump to the third expression to learn how to literally say “plus”.

#3 加 – jiā – To add

The Chinese character 加 jiā to add is a convenient little bugger to know. It literally means “plus” and kind looks like a plus sign, doesn’t it?
The real mnemonic for it are the meaning components it is made of:

+

if you have the strength to open your mouth to ask, then you’ll have more “plus”… No?
It’s important to note that in Chinese grammar, the character 加 is always used as a verb, as “to add”.

Imagine you’re in a coffeeshop and you want a little sugar with your coffee, you can say:

咖啡加糖。 kāfēi jiātáng. Coffee with sugar.

Easy, right? Basically 加 works for most things you’d want to add IN something.
So want an extra egg in your noodles? 加 it !

我要一碗面条，加个鸡蛋！ wǒ yào yī wǎn miàntiáo, jiā gè jīdàn! I want an extra egg in my noodles!

Now that you’ve mastered the 加 thing, let’s go deeper! Sometimes you’ll come across other Chinese expressions like that can be added to 加 to emphasize the “plus” concept.

#4 再 – zài – Another / Some more

You’ll often meet 再 zài another next to 加 to say “I’ll have a…with that” in Chinese. 再 is always used before a verb such as 加. It also indicates the repetition: “some more”, “another”.

服务员，再加一个鸡蛋！ fúwùyuán, zài jiā yīgè jīdàn! Waiter, another egg, please!

Mandarin is such an accurate language, there’s a specific expression for every situation in which you want to add something. The last expression we’re going to introduce you is to only add things that match with what you’ve picked in a first place.

#5 配 – pèi – To match

The last but not least of the essential Chinese expressions like 和 to say “I’ll have a…with that” is 配 pèi to match. You may be wondering why you should use 配 to add something, aren’t you? Well, it’s simple!
This Chinese character is really useful when it comes to add something that matches what you already have.
What matches french fries the best ? Ketchup of course! So if you want to order fries and ketchup you can say:

我要一个中包薯条配番茄酱。 wǒ yào yīgè zhōng bāo shǔ tiáo pèi fānqié jiàng. I want a medium fry with ketchup.

Bonus: Hold the!

And if you wanted to explicitly say you wanted a coffee without sugar (not always an easy feat in China, as you’re in already-sweet-instant-coffee land), you could say:

咖啡不加糖 kāfēi bù jiātáng. I want coffee without sugar.

or even more simply you could say:

不要。 bùyào. I don’t want some.

Final words:

Chinese expressions to say “I’ll have a…with that” are definitely one of the most useful ones to know. By using these expressions to order in Chinese, all the doors will be open to you! I mean, what’s best than being able to ask everything you desire?
To be sure you’ll remember these expressions in Chinese forever, here’s a recap:

#1 和 hé and (the most basic Chinese word to add something)
#2 还有 hái yǒu in addition (for two or more things to add)
#3 加 jiā to add (only as a verb, to add something)
#4 再 zài another (before a verb, to repeat the action)
#5 配 pèi to match (to add things that match your order)

Do you know other expressions to order all you want in Chinese or funny stories about things that happened to you when ordering in Chinese? Let us know in the comments.

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See more: Want to have a Chinese nickname or name of your own too? Check out how easy it is to create yourself one with our step by step guide.

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#1 Avril Lavigne – 酵母 – Yeast

Avril Lavigne is probably one of the most famous Western singers in China. She has many fans there and gives several shows a year in the country. As Chinese people really love her, they gave her the nickname 酵母 jiàomǔ meaning yeast. I agree, it may seem weird, but actually, in Chinese, the word 酵母 jiàomǔ yeast and 教母 jiàomǔ godmother are pronounced the same way. So Avril Lavigne is more considered as a godmother than as yeast!

#2 Adam Levine – 骚当 – Flirty Adam

The famous American lead singer of the band Maroon 5 is seen as frivolous in China! Did you that? So much so that the Chinese people gave Adam Levigne the nickname 骚当 sāo dāng which can be translated as Flirty Adam as 骚 sāo means flirt. Wondering why? Come on, haven’t you heard his heart-melting voice? Add that to the fact he often appears shirtless on stage, and you now know why Chinese people think he’s sexy, frivolous, and deserves the nickname 骚当!

#3 Calvin Harris – 高富帅 – Mr. Perfect

Calvin Harris’ cool Chinese nickname is 高富帅 gāofù shuài which means literally:

高 gāo tall 富 fù rich 帅 shuài handsome

For the Chinese, Calvin Harris possesses all the good qualities, and that’s why they’ve nicknamed him Mr. Perfect.

In Chinese, 高富帅 is a common expression to talk about a man who seems perfect because he’s rich, handsome, and tall.

#4 J-Lo – 箩霸 – Lord of Butt

Say what? You heard it, Jennifer Lopez’s funny Chinese nickname is 箩霸 luō bà Lord of Butt. This strange and not very PC nickname comes from her last name, which is 洛佩兹 luòpèizī in Chinese. As you know, J-Lo is also very famous for her behind, so this nickname fits Mrs. Lopez perfectly, especially since her last album came out with the Booty song, don’t you think?

#5 Justin Timberlake – 贾老板 – Boss Jia

Justin Timberlake’s cool Chinese nickname is 贾老板 jiǎ lǎobǎn Boss Jia. If you think it’s only because he’s a legendary singer (alright, I’ll admit, I’m a huge fangirl), you’re mistaken. Justin Timberlake invested a lot of money into various companies in the clothing industry, record labels, others, and the Chinese view quite positively his industrious views. 贾 jiǎ also sounds like his name Justin (a little), making 贾老板 the ideal nickname for M. Timberlake. Now you know why the Chinese call him Boss Jia!

#6 Katy Perry – 水果姐 – Fruit Sister

Katy Perry’s Chinese nickname is 水果姐 shuǐguǒ jiě meaning Fruit sister. If you’re at all familiar with her music videos and style, it’s easy to guess why they call her that way. Cute fruits and food always adorn her clothes, especially in her video clips. In one of Katy Perry’s shows in 2011, she appeared wearing a fancy dress fashioned after a fruit salad, which remains memorable to this day and may be the reason behind Katy Perry’s imaginative Chinese nickname.

#7 Kim Kardashian – 金大妈 Aunty Gold

The TV reality star Kim Kardashian has become quickly famous around the world. In China, she has actually two different funny Chinese nicknames, the first one being 金大妈 jīn dàmā Aunty Gold. People think that she likes money above all and earns easy money thanks to the TV reality show she belongs to, and it’s hard to dispute their claim.

Her second nickname is even funnier: 侃大山 kǎndàshān, which sounds just like her last name Kardashian but with a clever play on words/ characters. 侃 kǎn also stands for Kanye West, who is Kim’s husband, and 大山 dàshān means big mountains… Put the three together, let your imagination roam wild, and you should definitely be able to understand why Chinese people call her that way.

The play on the words is even cleverer when you discover that in Chinese, the expression 侃大山 kǎndàshān means to talk about unimportant things. Yup, you heard it.

#8 Kristen Stewart – 面瘫女 – Stone cold face

The actress from the Twilight series is well known in China for not smiling often. Chinese people think a face is just as cold as a stone, and since hers doesn’t appear to move much, the Chinese gave her the nickname 面瘫女 miàntān nǚ stone cold face. Rock-solid?

#9 Lady Gaga – 康敏苏 – Coming soon

Lady Gaga’s Chinese nickname doesn’t mean anything in particular in Mandarin: 康敏苏 kāngmǐn sū sounds just like in the English expression “coming soon.” This nickname comes from the fact that her albums are always said to be coming soon; they’re expected but never actually released. Harsh!

#11 Mariah Carey – 牛姐 – Cow Sister

At first, you may think poor Mariah got stuck with a mean nickname, but not at all! They’re paying her a compliment! The Chinese call Mariah Carey 牛姐 niú jiě cow sister because in China, when you want to praise someone, you can say:

你好牛！ nǐ hǎo niú! You are awesome!

Being considered as 牛 is actually a compliment. So literally, her Chinese nickname indicates that Mariah Carey is an awesome sister!

Bonus: Do you know Ariana Grande? As she’s considered as the new and young version of Mariah Carey, Chinese people started to call her 小牛牛 xiǎo niúniú little cow, cute isn’t it?

#12 Angela Merkel – 默克尔 – Silent Granny

The Chancellor of Germany is also very popular worldwide, and like other famous persons, she inherited a funny Chinese name, which can be considered a nickname. Silent Granny. Her Mandarin name is 默克尔 Mò kè ěr Merkel, here 默 comes from 默默 mòmò meaning not speaking, silent.

#13 Barack Obama – 奥巴马 – The Mysterious Wishing Horse

President Obama does not really have a crazy Chinese nickname, but the literary meaning of his Chinese name is pretty funny: 奥巴马 Ào bā mǎ means mysterious wishing horse. Chinese have chosen that funny name for Obama because it sounds close to Obama, first of all, but also because they thought he was very mysterious. They don’t horse around, do they?

#14 Nicki Minaj – 麻辣鸡 – Spicy Chicken

Nicki Minaj’s nickname is definitely the funniest, in my opinion! The Chinese call her 麻辣鸡 málàjī, which actually means Spicy Chicken! If you read 麻辣鸡 out loud, you’ll notice it sounds like Nicki Minaj. That’s the reason why Chinese people gave her that nickname. Spicy Chicken all makes sense when you take a look at her hot dance moves in her video clips and her sexy appearance.

Bonus funny Chinese nicknames:

• Leonardo Dicaprio – Pikachu

Leonardo Dicaprio was not going to be spared the Chinese nickname treatment, of course. In Taiwan, he is well known as… Pikachu! Nothing to do with the Chinese translation of his English name or any such explanation. No, he got the Pikachu nickname after a TV reporter misspelled his name and called Leonardo Pikachu. The misspelling went viral on the internet, and Taiwanese started to call him Pikachu! That’s actually cute.
Leo Dicaprio also has another nickname in mainland China which is 小李子 xiǎo lǐzǐ little plum. 李 lǐ stands for his name Leo; as for the whole thing, it’s a cute nickname people like to give in China.

And because I could not resist, here are two NSFW Chinese nicknames of well-known pop stars:

• Miley Cyrus – 舌婊 – Tongue Bitch

Miley Cyrus is very famous for her sexy appearances and one of her specific moves: sticking her tongue out! No wonder her Chinese nickname is 舌婊 shé biǎo tongue bitch then?

• Justin Bieber – 丁日 – Dick

Ouch! Justin Bieber’s nickname is certainly the worst we’ve come across in this collection of funny Chinese nicknames! Justin Bieber’s official Chinese nickname is 丁日 dīng rì. It does not mean anything. In particular, Chinese people chose to call him because the Chinese characters 丁日 look a little like his initials: J.B, can you see? So why is it translated as a dick? The word 丁丁 dīngdīng means dick, so some people decided to call him that way.

Final words about funny Chinese nicknames:

As you can see from the list, Chinese people are very good at giving funny names to Westerners. Sometimes cruel, sometimes overdoing it, the nicknames remain spot-on most of the time, don’t you think? We hope this post made you laugh as much it made us laugh writing it (especially Angela Merkel’s nickname). Let us know in the comments if you know other hilarious Chinese nicknames given to Westerners. You can also show us your Chinese name/nickname; we’ll be glad to see them!

Your turn now! Can you match the stars with their Chinese nicknames?
Take this quiz to see!

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We know that when learning a language, you can have ups and downs in your motivation and your desire to learn. It happens to everyone. What you need in those cases to keep going is a good dose of motivation! So, to help you give your best and reach your dream of speaking a new language, like Chinese, we’ve collected wise and funny proverbs to inspire you. Some of these will motivate you to go forward, some of these will cheer you up when you need that, and all of them will inspire you to keep learning till you’ve reached your goal. 加油! Jiāyóu!Fighting!

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

 – Connor, Ninchanese User

Try Ninchanese, an award-winning method to learn Chinese today:

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#1 Chinese Proverbs

学而时习之，不亦说乎？ xué ér shí xí zhī, bú yì yuè hū? Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?

This old Chinese proverb helps you keep in mind that learning must be pleasant. Make sure you learn and practice because you want to and not because you feel forced to.
This is where the gamified experience in Ninchanese can help you. Having fun while learning makes it more efficient. You need to find the method that fits you and stick to it. And persevering you’ll find learning really enjoyable.

#2 Chinese Proverbs

授人以鱼不如授人以渔 Shòu rén yǐ yú, bùrú shòu rén yǐ yú Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

This funny Chinese proverb is well known in the western world. Did you know about it?
For those who don’t, this proverb represents the importance of learning the method to get things and not just waiting for things to be given to you. If you give something to someone, they’ll use it but they’ll never know how to get another one. But if you teach someone how to do things themselves, they’ll be able to reproduce the miracle on their own in the future. That’s the beauty of actively learning to do something, vs. passively observing someone doing something.

At Ninchanese, despite the fact our cats aren’t big fish eaters, we’ve taken this proverb at heart. Let’s pretend you’re the man and Chinese is the fish. In addition to giving you content to learn yourself, Ninchanese also teaches you little by the little the tools and the advice you need to understand Chinese better. By doing that, we’re teaching you how to fish everyday. For instance, don’t miss our Monday Meet the Component session on Ninchanese Facebook page to learn how to decipher components and Chinese characters.

This saying goes hand in hand with anotherfamous Chinese proverb from Confucius:

吾听吾忘，吾见吾记，吾做吾悟 wú tīng wú wàng, wú jiàn wú jì, wú zuò wú wù I hear I forget. I see I remember. I do I understand.

By doing things actively, you’ll understand them better than by learning passively.

#3 Chinese Proverbs

学然后知不足 xué ránhòu zhī bùzú to learn is to know one’s ignorance

This old Chinese proverb is a concrete and very useful one to remember. If you’re able to point out the things you don’t know yet, you’ll learn better. For instance, if you have difficulties differentiating 有 yǒu to have and 看 kàn to look, knowing you’re getting the two confused is the first step towards learning. Now that you’ve admitted that, you know you must work harder on getting those two characters straight, and train your brain to spot the difference between these two evil characters.

In fact, admitting one’s weaknesses is a good start to improving in something.
Only by acknowledging what you do not know, can you begin to fill your lack of knowledge by learning new things. That also makes you want to learn more things to satisfy your thirst for knowledge. Isn’t that a great outlook to have on things?

#4 Chinese Proverbs

一事不知，君子知耻 Yī shì bù zhī, jūnzǐ zhī chǐ A man of honor will feel ashamed by a single question to which he does not know the answer

This famous Chinese proverb is really important for learners. It tells us of a frame of mind we should all adopt when learning: You should never feel ashamed or afraid of asking a question about something you don’t understand. Being proud and not admitting you don’t get it won’t help you when learning a language. Asking about something you don’t understand isn’t admitting you’re weak. Quite on the contrary, it means you have a very strong spirit and shows you want to improve by learning what you do no understand.

Have questions about Chinese? Follow this proverb and don’t be afraid to come ask Sijing, the newest member in the Nincha Team, in our brand new chat.

#5 Chinese Proverbs

玉不琢不成器，人不教难成才 Yù bù zhuó bù chéng qì, rén bù jiào nán chéng cái A jade stone is useless before it is processed; a man is good-for-nothing until he is educated

Education is the key to a good start in life. In every direction you’ll take in life, education will help you be a better you. Education is the key to reaching your goals and that’s why it’s important to find the learning method that suits you best. . The more you know, the stronger you’ll to face life’s difficulties and challenges.

#6 Chinese Proverbs

不入虎穴，焉得虎子 Bù rù hǔ xué yān dé hǔ zǐ If you don't go into the tiger's cave, how will you get the cub?

Sometimes you must take some risks in life to progress and evolve. If you don’t get a little adventurous and accept to take on challenges, you’ll always stay where you are and never get what you want. As we say: no pain, no gain. If you don’t dare to go into the cat’s den, you’ll never get the kitten and its unbearable cuteness. Wait. That’s not the right proverb.
Only things you know well are going happen in your comfort zone and to quote Jessica Hagy, if you want the magic to happen, you have to expose yourself.
Isn’t this proverb a good motto to live by everyday to motivate yourself and learn to seize opportunities, by taking a little risk from time to time?

#7 Chinese Proverbs

一年之际在于春，一生之际在于勤 Yī nián zhī jì zài yú chūn, yī shēng zhī jì zài yú qín. A year's harvest counts on spring; a man's success counts on his diligence.

Assiduity is very important when learning a language, because a large part of successfully learning a language has to do with your memory and being able to remember what you learned previously. For instance, the Chinese language is full of characters that must be remembered. This is why you need to practice regularly and that’s why you need to do your reviews frequently on Ninchanese. Because your reviews were calculated by our learning algorithm to make your learning more efficient, and help you remember better and longer.
So remember, if you want to learn a language effectively, you need to be constant in your learning sessions. I think that’s a great piece of advice to give you.

Final words

The Nincha Team hopes these 7 wise and funny Chinese proverbs have inspired you and given you all the keys to stay motivated in your Chinese learning adventure.

Learning a language is not always easy, we agree, but it is so rewarding when you manage to. So, take your time, and one step at a time, we know you’ll succeed in catching the Chinese fish in your net (see #2 Chinese proverb ). Remember, it does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
Whenever you feel down, do your best to think positively and read these awesome Chinese proverbs to keep your head up. They’ll be sure to be useful to push you to continue your Chinese learning quest. In case you need an even bigger motivation boost, check out Ninchanese to learn all sorts new things in Chinese and discover how addictive learning Chinese can be.

Be sure to let us know if it worked for you as much as it worked for Lupishu, the little dragon.

And for more motivational quotes, don’t miss our Saturday #Quoturday on Ninchanese Facebook page. Filling your spirit with positive thoughts will definitely change your outlook on life.

The post Chinese Proverbs: How to Use Them to Learn a Language appeared first on Ninchanese.

As you know, being polite and thankful towards people will always bring you good things, especially if you make the effort to say them in their native language. Try these expressions to see!

谢谢 is one of the first words to learn in Chinese to say thank you. But did you know there are many more expressions to say thank you in Chinese? Let’s start with the basic ways to say thank you in Chinese and introduce 3 more ways to thank you in Chinese to you.

#1 Thank you in Chinese: 谢谢 – Thank you

Let’s start from the beginning. 谢谢 xiè xie thank you is the most used word to thank someone in Chinese.

As you can see, 谢谢 is a double syllable word. It can seem a bit hard to pronounce. To help you through your Chinese learning adventure, here’s a Nincha tip to say it like a native: think of a sound between /s/ and /sh/. You got it? Great, that’s how you should pronounce the “x” in 谢谢 (xiè xie) .
Try to say xiè xie now. Pay attention to the fact there’s a the neutral tone on the second syllable and your thank you in Chinese will be perfect.
You can also learn the word 谢谢 in Ninchanese if you have a look in the world 1.

When receiving food, gifts or anything else you’re feeling thankful for, you can definitely say 谢谢. Here’s an example:

我买了巧克力给你 Wǒ mǎile qiǎokèlì gěi nǐ I bought chocolate for you

谢谢 xiè xie thank you

It’s good to know that the Chinese don’t use 谢谢 as much as some other cultures do. That’s why you might not always hear them saying thanks. Don’t think it’s because they’re being impolite, it’s a cultural thing.
In China, people can feel uncomfortable when saying thank you because it puts distance between the speaker and the recipient, and that’s not something they want to do, especially if they’re close. Chinese people just don’t want to put distance between each other. Shortening social distance is their way of being polite .

Bonus uses of 谢谢:

If you’re texting or messaging someone and want to thank them, you can also use

duōxiè thanks a lot.

多谢 is mostly used in writing. But nowadays, people sometimes use it when speaking as well.

When meeting someone for the first time, talking to someone higher-ranked or older than you then you certainly want to be more formal when thanking them.

You can use 谢谢你 xiè xie nǐ thank you to be a little more formal but when talking someone hierarchically higher than you, it’s better to say 谢谢您 xiè xienín as 您 is the formal form of 你.

When someone offers you an awesome gift you can tell them:

谢谢你的礼物! Xièxie nǐ de lǐwù! Thank you for your gift!

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

 – Connor, Ninchanese User

Try Ninchanese, an award-winning method to learn Chinese today:

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#2 Thank you in Chinese: 非常感谢你 – Thank you very much

Sometimes in life you’re truly grateful. ”感谢” ”gǎnxiè” ”to is a great verb to use for those times. It emphasizes on the emotions, the feeling you’re going through.
When someone has been very nice with you and you feel like you owe them something then you can express your feelings of gratitude by saying:

非常感谢你 fēi cháng gǎn xiè nǐ thank you very much.

Be careful, though, this sentence is formal, so don’t use it when receiving a present or food, for instance. Save for times when you’re feeling extremely grateful.

Here’s when you can use this expression, for example. Imagine a situation in which you have to take the train and are very late – I can feel your pain – and someone you don’t even know helps you get to the train station by calling and paying a taxi for you to make sure you make your train. This is what you must tell them:

非常感谢你的帮助 Fēicháng gǎnxiè nǐ de bāngzhù Thank you very much for your help

You’ll see a big smile on their face!

#3 Thank you in Chinese: 感激 – To be grateful

Another word used to say thank you in Chinese is 感激 gǎnjī to be grateful. It expresses a deeper gratitude than 谢谢 and 感谢. You use 感激 when you are grateful. If someone has helped you when you were at the end of your rope, for instance, you can tell them:

当我消沉的时候，你鼓励了我。对此我十分感激。 Dāng wǒ xiāochén de shíhòu, nǐ gǔlìle wǒ. Duì cǐ wǒ shífēn gǎnjī. I really appreciate that you helped lift my spirits when I was feeling low.

#4 Thank you in Chinese: 哪里哪里 – You’re too kind

The expression 哪里哪里 nǎlǐ nǎlǐ you’re too kind is something you can also use to say thank you in Chinese, but only when you are praised by the others. When Chinese people are being paid compliments, they tend to prefer to show humility and modesty.
So, they avoid saying thank you which might be seen as too direct and which would make them seem too confident. Therefore, instead of using 谢谢 to acknowledge the compliment, the Chinese would rather say 哪里哪里 to deflect the compliment (while secretly enjoying the praise).

For example:

If someone says:

你很漂亮 Nǐ hěn piàoliang You’re beautiful

A native would answer:

哪里哪里 nǎlǐ nǎlǐ you’re too kind

Now that you know how to thank people, when to thank someone and how to show your gratitude in every situation, you can easily immerse yourself in the Chinese society. +1 for your basic Chinese survival skills! But what if someone says thank you in Chinese to you? What can you answer them?

Bonus: 3 ways to say “You’re welcome”

– 不客气 bù kèqì you’re welcome is, as you can guess, the most used expression. It fits nearly every situation.

– 不用谢 bú yòng xiè don’t mention it. You can easily replace 不客气 with this expression. For instance, if you give someone something and they answer 谢谢, you can reply: 不用谢. You can even say ”不用客气” ”bú

– 小事一桩 xiǎo shì yī zhuāng it’s nothing. Watch out for this one, however, as it tends to be more informal. So you can use it with friends, family but certainly not your boss 😉

As you see, there are many ways to show you’re thankful in Chinese. Saying thank you is not only about showing you’re polite, it’ also about fitting in society. Once you master the four expressions you just learned here, you’ll be able of showing your gratitude and know how to say thank you in Chinese. These expressions will be very useful to you on a daily basis, we’re sure!

The next step for you is to use it and see what you get in return. Lots of smiles I guess. 🙂

For more daily useful Chinese expressions, you can check out our posts about saying yes in Chinese and saying sorry in Chinese as well as this awesome guide to 20 survival phrases.

The Nincha Team

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The post How to say thank you in Chinese: 4 Ways to Show Your Gratitude appeared first on Ninchanese.

In Chinese culture, it’s important to know that relationships are based on trust, honor and friendship, or 关系 (guān xì). As such, heartfelt interactions between people are essential, no matter what type of relationship you’re building. Knowing the proper expressions to say in each occasion, from greetings to blessings, is therefore the first step to fitting in in Chinese society.

#1 Chinese expressions to use when eating and drinking

Eating is an important topic for the Chinese and don’t we say a full stomach is the way to a man’s love “. As you may very well know, Chinese speakers often greet each other to the tunes of 你吃饭了没有？ Nǐ chīfànle méiyǒu? Have you eating yet? as no serious – or unserious – business can be carried out on an empty stomach. Therefore, it is quite natural that our first order of business is sentences to say before, during and after a meal.

How to say Enjoy your meal (bon appétit!) in Chinese

Picture yourself having a meal with Chinese-speaking friends or relatives, or friends’ relatives. In addition to minding your table manners as your parents taught you and as the Chinese expect you to, how do you wish your meal partakers a enjoyable meal? There are 3 ways to express “Enjoy your meal!” before you start eating

吃好喝好! Chī hǎo hē hǎo! Enjoy your meal! / (Bon appétit!)

Literally, this sentence means eat well and drink well.  No wonder then, that it is used to say “Bon appétit” in Chinese. Just keep in mind this is a quite casual sentence to be used in your daily life only.

For more formal events, this sentence is your best choice:

请慢用 Qǐng màn yòng Eat slowly

Eating slowly, or in general, acting slowly, is something you’ll often hear Chinese speakers recommend you to do.

Why do Chinese people like to say “eat slowly”? Maybe it’s because eating slowly is good for digestion? Or because scientists have shown that fast-eating increases obesity risks and makes food less tasty?  Chinese people used to say:

”The more you eat, the less flavor; the less you eat, the more flavor.”

And indeed when food was scarce, you had better savor every bite slowly because you knew you didn’t have enough to fill your stomach. In any case, 请慢用 is now used as a way to be nice, to encourage everyone to take their time in a fast-paced society where family meals shared together are becoming rarer and rarer.

You may notice here the use of 请 Qǐng, that indicates this phrase is somewhat formal and best used with the elders or people you don’t know well.

慢慢吃 Màn màn chī Take your time and enjoy your meal

This sentence also means “eat slowly” and is just the informal way of saying 请慢用 ~ No further explanation needed for this one. Use it when you want to tell the others to take their time and enjoy their meal!

What else do you need to know when eating? How to make and respond to a toast, of course! The Chinese are well known for their love of toast-making and drinking to the healths of others, both via group toasts and individual ones. Newlyweds, for instance, are expected to go clink glasses individually with every guest of honor at their wedding. This is no easy task as you’ll soon understand, by reading below.

How do you say Cheers in Chinese?

First, how to say Cheers in Chinese? It’s easy: 干杯 gānbēi!

干杯! Gānbēi! Cheers! / Bottoms-up!

Just make sure you accompany your words with action: 干杯 gānbēi literally means dry glass so you really are expected to drink the whole thing. The Chinese say 干杯 and really drink it up, no matter what their drink is, whether it’s a Coke or a strong alcohol, in order to show their passion. Ready to do the same?

One more thing to know: 干杯 has to be taken seriously!

In China, hierarchy matters. So, to show your respect to the one who wants to 干杯 with you, if they are older or higher-ranked than you, you must clink your glass lower than theirs; as this video shows:

China 3_Lower your glass as a sign of respect. from 43 Films on Vimeo.

Then you can drink. Of course, your glass must be empty when you set it back down on the table. Thankfully, glasses are usually small! Being a good drinker or having coping strategies still helps with proper toasting in China.

 #2 How to give your blessings and wish good wishes in Chinese

Once you’ve extended your in eating and when drinking, showing your good wishes for people and celebrating their happy life events is up.

How to congratulate someone in Chinese

恭喜发财 Gōngxǐfācái May you be prosperous!

This phrase is a very Chinese way to send someone your congratulations and well-wishing. You can say that to someone at the table after saying 干杯 or use it during the new year or in other situations where congratulating people is in order.

How to say “Bless you” in Chinese to wish happiness

祝福你 Zhùfúnǐ Bless you!

To bless someone, you can also say: 祝福你！Literally, this means “wish happiness onto you,” This one can be used for a number of occasions.

However, unlike in English speaking countries, this way of saying “Bless you”  祝福你！is not to be used when someone sneezes.

How to say “Bless you” in Chinese when someone sneezes

In China, here’s what you say when you want to bless someone who sneezes:

老天爷保佑你！ Lǎotiānyé bǎoyòu nǐ Bless you!

老天爷 means Heavens, and literally is the Venerable GrandPa from the Sky. In Chinese, 天, the sky, the heaven, is a key concept used a lot more than the name of God. However, you can also say 上帝 / 神 保佑 你！Shàng dì / shén bǎoyòu nǐ to say God bless You!

A powerful way to say “good wishes” to someone in Mandarin

If the blessings and good wishes you’ve learned so far here don’t seem powerful enough, try this one! 心想事成！May all your wishes come true! Whether it is during a family reunion, a meal with your friends or during all kinds of festivals, saying this phrase works well at all times!

Great, you now know basic ways to extend to all your good wishes. The sentences coming up next are simple, everyday greetings and blessings you’d be sorry not to know and will help you fit right in China.

#3 Everyday life Chinese expressions and blessings

How to say good luck in Chinese

祝你好运 Zhù nǐ hǎo yùn Good luck!

How do you wish someone good luck in Chinese? Simple. To say good luck in Chinese, say: 祝你好运！It’s easy, take the 祝 zhù wish we saw before, add who you’re wishing good luck to and complete your sentence with 好运 hǎoyùn good luck. If someone is going to attend an exam, you can say add a 加油 jiāyóu fighting for extra good measure.

How to say happy birthday in Chinese

生日快乐! Shēng rì kuài lè Happy birthday!

A classic in every language, knowing how to wish your friends a happy birthday in Chinese is a must.
It’s simple enough, as long as you keep in mind the Chinese say “birthday happy” – 生日快乐 shēng rì kuài lè！Happy birthday! If you are going to a birthday party with your Chinese friends, you’ll be glad to know how to wish the birthday girl or boy a happy birthday. If you’re feeling brave, you can even sing along with them the happy birthday song! You’ll see: it’s the same birthday tune you know; and the lyrics are also the same, just in Chinese. Easy peasy.

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