Photo by Natalie Ng

Ready to learn how to say different cuts of meat in Chinese? So you can easily order yummy slices of meat for your next 火锅 huǒ guō hot pot? Or finally, know what kind of meat is in Chinese dumplings? Then Chinese Meat recipes will hold no secret for you!

First, let’s see how to say meat in Chinese as well as Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Lamb, Duck, Veal, and Beef in Chinese.

And no, don’t even ask, we won’t be talking about cat meat in Chinese or any other kind of strange meat (it seems like people look up rat meat in Chinese? The horror). Dog Meat is sometimes eaten in winter because it’s super caloric meat to eat, but we’ve never come across any other type, so enough with the rumors! Alright? Here we go.

Types of Meat in Chinese

Photo by Usman Yousaf

Good to know: In China, you’ll often come across dish names that simply say 肉 ròu Meat. In most restaurants (the obvious exception being Halal Uyghur restaurants ), 肉 will by default be pork. That’s because, traditionally, pork is the most consumed meat (or at least was in the past).
If you’re not sure whether it’s going to be pork or not or are trying to avoid eating pork, better check with your waiter/waitress first!

You’ll also often just see 鸡 jī chicken, 鸭 yā duck, 羊 yáng lamb, mutton, 牛 niú Beef on their own, without the 肉 thrown in, on a menu. So you might not see duck meat in Chinese, but you’ll definitely see 鸭 and a favorite, 烤鸭 yā Roast Duck!

Cuts of Meat in Chinese

Chinese Meat Skewers Photo by Chuan

Love meat skewers? You’re going to love these other street food dishes, then, we bet!

Chicken wings in Chinese and more chicken parts

Chicken Wings are a very loved Chinese food – Photo by George Zheng.

Curious to know how to say scallion in Chinese or cilantro? Check out these Chinese food lists then!
More of a hands-on learner? Then learn directly how to say meat, scallion, and more in Chinese: the Chinese Food World on Ninchanese will teach you and much more!

Just a few of the many things you can learn in the Chinese food course on Ninchanese

Now, let’s get back to our Chinese words for meats.

Parts of Pork in Chinese and Pig Meat-based Products

Pork Meat is often used in Chinese Dumplings – Photo by Alex Hu

Want to learn how to read and say all these meats in Simplified and Traditional Chinese? The Chinese Meats Vocabulary Stage in the Chinese Food World is waiting for you!

The Chinese Cooking World is made for foodies learning Chinese!

Want also to know how to order these meats and other dishes from a restaurant? The Chinese Food World is what you need. Check it out here! 

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The Chinese language can have very meaningful country names like 美国 (the US) which means “beautiful country” or 法国 (France) which means “Lawful country”. That sounds cool, right? But why is America called beautiful country in Chinese? And by that logic, what’s the name of your country?

How foreign countries get their name in the Chinese language

Country names in Chinese are formed usually in three ways:

• Element of description of the country + 国 (which means country).
  Usually it’s a characteristic of the country that’s chosen, along with, if possible, a character that is phonetically close to the country’s name.
  美国 (which is the name in Chinese for the US, with 美 resembling the “mer” in America)， 德国 (Germany’s country name in Chinese)，法国 (France in Chinese) and 英国 (Great Britain’s name in Chinese) are all formed that way.
• Phonetically:
  The other way of naming foreign countries in Chinese is by transliterating the name into Chinese, purely based on sound. As such, a lot of country names in Chinese are based on the phonetic pronunciation of countries. They try to be as close as possible to the name of the country originally, but that’s not always possible.
  Some are pretty easy to guess, however! Can you guess which countries are 澳大利亚 and 古巴?
  Meaning-wise, most country names in Chinese won’t have a literal meaning that makes a lot of sense, but sound-wise, they’ll be close!
• Literal names:
  Lastly, a few foreign names got quite literal names. South Africa is “南非” with 南 for the South, and 非 from 非洲which means Africa in Chinese. Iceland is another great example. Its name is literally the “Ice island” 冰岛. Cool, no?

All the world’s country names in Chinese

Here’s the list of Chinese names of countries, organized alphabetically, with their name in Mandarin Chinese, English name, and pinyin pronunciation. Just pick out your country from the list of country names in Chinese below, read this article on how to talk about your nationality and you’ll be good to go!

The post Country Names in Chinese Mandarin appeared first on Ninchanese.

There are many types of convenient modes of transport in the urban areas of China. These include Bicycles, Taxies, Metros, and Public buses. From the cheapest to the most expensive, all within your budget and what’s convenient for you. 

Before 1948, China’s transportation system wasn’t as exceedingly profound as it is now. However, because of the booming economy and other factors, China has revolutionized transportation. Let’s talk about all the different forms of transportation.

Bus: convenient, cheap and eco-friendly transportation.

In the large cities, there are many buses, and the system works exceedingly well.  Even if you don’t speak a word of Chinese, you can manage to take the bus, but please make sure to take a map with you! Don’t be afraid to verify a destination with a Chinese traveler, it helps to be sure where to go. 

What’s interesting with the bus? It’s cheap! Local buses only cost around 1-3 RMB (1-3 远); you could say it’s very 太便宜 (tai4 pian2 yi). 

Electric buses and Trolleybus systems

The Chinese government has made a collective effort to promote electric vehicles. There are approximately 400,000 electric buses in operation, 99% of them are in China!

There are a few tips on taking this mode of transport I should mention.

1. Work hours. Buses run from 6 a.m to 11 p.m. However, some may run even earlier.
2. Rush Hour. From 7 a.m to 9 a.m; 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

You should also be aware that most of everything at the bus station and on buses, is usually written in Chinese. That may have changed recently, so don’t quote me on that. However, I know that in the cities that see a lot of foreign workers: Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, they usually have a translation. 

The bus stops at all stops, except when nobody is waiting. That being said, please make sure to warn the driver of the desired stop. 

See some useful Chinese sentences to take the bus in China.

Please pay attention to your belongings, although pickpocketing is slowly decreasing, there is nothing wrong with being aware of your surroundings. 

Metro: Fast and easy to use transportation

Ahhh, at last, the Metro. Perhaps my most favorite type of transportation! This mode of transit is ideal for big cities. In larger cities like Shanghai or Beijing, metro systems are in operation and very well done. They are clean, secure and easy to use. In some other big cities in China, it may still be under construction, or even in the planning stage. It certainly is unchallenged in its ability to transport large amounts of people, at quite a high rotation too! As for the cost, it’s around 2-12 RMB, not so bad, right?

Fun Fact! The Shanghai Metro, opening in 1995, is actually the longest metro system in the world! 

Always good to know the metro in Chinese:

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

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I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

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Bicycles: the favorite transportation of Chinese

This mode of transport is favored by the Chinese, at least in the small and average cities. Bicycle paths follow main avenues, and in most cities and places of interest, bicycle renting is offered at stores or at the hotel. 

Usually, it’s necessary to leave one’s passport or a photocopy or even a pledge with the dealers. Make sure that you both agree on the price and the duration of the rent, once again, haggling comes in nicely here. 

In recent years, the government provides bicycle services in many cities to encourage low-carbon traveling. You can find these services at specific places on the streets, making it extremely convenient for people to receive one. However, please make sure your cell phone has the function of Alipay or Wechat Payment. This makes it a lot more comfortable to rent a public bicycle without applying for a permanent card for renting.

Some Chinese sentences for renting a bike:

Taxi: the most convenient transportation in China

Another cheap option of transport, the taxi, proves to be convenient. In the big cities, taxis do have a meter and are everywhere! However, in towns, ask your hotel for the current price of a ride. Sometimes, they will see you’re a tourist and negotiate a price with you. Generally, it’s better to use the meter.

What’s fun is, if you’re going to go on a long trip by taxi, you’ll likely get to negotiate an all-inclusive price; this would be a great way to practice your haggling skills! But be careful, Chinese are really good with negotiation, take your time and be sure to agree on a price.

Speaking of price, in general, taxis cost 7-13 RMB. A 15-minute taxi ride in Beijing costs only 16 RMB. Ten years ago, you’ll have to wave a taxi. You can also do that, but during rush hour, every Chinese use an app called 嘀嘀打车 (di2 di2 da3 che1), an app dedicated to getting you a ride (it’s the Chinese version of Uber or Lyft)! So you won’t find any taxi! But do as Romans do, use 滴滴打车. There is an English version, so there is no need to be intimidated.

Taxis are everywhere at any time, just be sure to hail them over, to call their phone or use the app. Please be aware that the drivers in China speak only Chinese, few speak English. It is necessary to have the destination address written in Chinese characters if you’re not sure how to say it in Chinese. Also! If you’re lost, then it’s a really good idea to call your hotel, or even call your Chinese friend, to make sure the driver knows where to go. 

Some drivers may be a bit crazy in regards to your driving standard, so that being said, please don’t be surprised. 

Learn these Chinese sentences to take the taxi:

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are multiple ways to get around China, and many are just at a tap of your fingers. My last piece of advice for you travelers is: Don’t forget to have fun! I know that it can be intimidating, especially when you’re in a country that doesn’t speak your language. Just relax and enjoy your stay in a world that is much different from yours. See you in China!

If you go to China, the Chinese phrasebook will be handy, download the app from the Playstore.

Wanna relive the Silk Road? Then make sure to look out for my next article on some outstanding train travel lines! See you. 

您好我叫欧阳梵，十分高兴见到您！我是德裔美国人，现在在美国上学。我期待在Ninchanese宇宙和您相遇！

Hello, my name is 欧阳梵. I am really happy to see you here! I am a German-American student living here in the U.S. I hope to see you around in the Ninchanese universe! 

The post Public Transportation in China, your traveling guide with useful Chinese sentences appeared first on Ninchanese.

Pairi Daiza is a really cool place to go to if you live near Belgium. Why is this place so cool? There are many reasons this place has been voted “Best theme park” in the Benelux, but our top reason to love this place is that they have a really beautiful area that represents China. It really looks like China, so if you miss the Middle Kingdom or have never been to China, Pairi Daiza is the place to go. Every little aspect of the China area is from China, they even brought back some rocks from China! Like they say: “Everything is authentic: the temples, pavilions, the paths of gemstones, the scholarly garden, stones, jade, the bronze…” Sound cool, isn’t?

That’s not all, they also put animals from China in that area: pandas (they even had a little baby panda birth last year), red pandas, birds, alligators and more in what they call the largest “Chinese garden” outside of China.

Really, if you’re itching to go (back) to China, go there. You’ll see nice Chinese roofs, typical Chinese-style windows and walls, a big Chinese style restaurant, a beautiful tea house that entirely comes from Shanghai (I like to imagine one day, a rich Belgium guy went to China and said “I want this in Belgium” and so they took it apart and brought every little part to there).

Really, being there is a little like being in China and that feels good sometimes. Ok, let’s stop speaking and let’s see the pictures!

Nincha visiting Pairi Daiza

Do you recognize what Nincha is sitting on? That’s an old turtle! What? Master Turtle looks like that?! Yes. The turtle in traditional China can be found in a lot of stories, from the black Turtle warrior to the turtle that holds the worlds. The turtle always represents forces and knowledge. They are often protector of entrances. If you’ve never been to China, I guarantee that when you do, you’ll see turtles (and Chinese lions / dragons) everywhere.

That’s the Tea Palace that was imported from Shanghai. It’s a very nice place to be and I always stop there to take an ice cream. I know, I should be having a cup of tea or something but the ice cream there is really good. I don’t feel guilty :p.

In China, in almost every park, you’ll find something like this walkway. They’re of varying length and are often (more or less) hand-decorated and adorned by paintings. It feels good to walk in a walkway, like that, in the shade. There are convenient places where you can sit and admire the view of the park. In China, it’s not rare to run into groups playing music, or dancing, or playing games under those walkways, when the sun gets to be too much. Also, these walkways can be a good way to exercise. Some of these in China are kilometers-long but worth the walk!

That’s all for the little tour of  the Chinese part of Pairi Daizai. Nincha had fun, and we hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Pictures by Mat and text by Jean-Rémi, two meowsome members of:

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我喜欢坐火车旅行

Wǒ xǐhuan zuò huǒchē lǚxíng

I love taking the train to travel

Let’s break down the words:

• 我 – Wǒ – I, me, my. Here: I
• 喜欢 – xǐhuan –  to like, to be fond of.
• 坐  – zuò – to sit; to take
• 火车 –  huǒchē –  train
• 旅行 – lǚxíng – to travel, journey, trip. Here: to travel.
  • Here’s a tip to find 旅行 with your IME (input method editor, what allows you to type in Chinese): instead of the ü, type a v! That’s the norm in Chinese as most keyboards don’t have an easy way to type such things (with the exception of languages like French or German, that have diacritical marks like ¨ or accents).

Did you know?  To say “to take the train”, the Chinese say 坐火车, which literally means “to sit (in) the train”. That actually makes a lot of sense. When you take a train, you’re sitting on the train, not driving it, so why not be specific and say that instead of just “take”? Make sure you remember. In a similar fashion, you can say  坐公共汽车 to take the bus or  坐飞机, to take a plane.

Stay tuned for more of Nincha’s adventures and travels!

Related: Nincha discovers mooncakes!

The Nincha Team

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