cute Archives - Ninchanese https://ninchanese.com/blog/tag/cute/ Learn Chinese with an adorable and effective method Mon, 01 Aug 2016 11:13:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://ninchanese.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/cropped-funandgamified-2-32x32.png cute Archives - Ninchanese https://ninchanese.com/blog/tag/cute/ 32 32 5 Chinese words you didn’t expect to see a cat in! https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/05/15/5-chinese-words-you-didnt-expect-to-see-a-cat-in/ https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/05/15/5-chinese-words-you-didnt-expect-to-see-a-cat-in/#comments Fri, 15 May 2015 16:33:15 +0000 http://ninchanese.com/?p=3131 Do you guys remember what we brought you two weeks ago: 6 purrfect cat quotes in Chinese? We hope you guys had a lot of fun with these cat sayings! We sure did. And since at Ninchanese, we’re super cat-lovers, we just couldn’t wait to continue our special “cat show” and tell you more funny expressions with”cat”

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]]> Do you guys remember what we brought you two weeks ago: 6 purrfect cat quotes in Chinese? We hope you guys had a lot of fun with these cat sayings! We sure did. And since at Ninchanese, we’re super cat-lovers, we just couldn’t wait to continue our special “cat show” and tell you more funny expressions with”cat” in Chinese.  So today, let’s enjoy 5 Chinese words you didn’t expect to see a cat in! Ready?  Meow~

In Chinese, there are cats in a bunch of words!

Cat surprise #1: pandas!

熊猫

xióng māo

panda

literally: a cat like bear

Did you know pandas were just huge cats posing as pandas? Technically, pandas are a kind of bear. But since they sort of look like cats and behave like cats , the Chinese call pandas 熊猫, literally a cat like bear.

In Chinese, pandas are bear cats

And yup, if you want to say you have panda eyes because your makeup ran:

For example you can say:

我有熊猫眼。
wǒ yǒu xióng māo yǎn.

I have panda eyes.

Cat surprise #2: Hide-and-Seek

躲猫猫

duǒ māo māo

to play hide and seek

literally: to hide the cat

 

Hide and seek in Chinese has very much to do with cats

 

Why did the Chinese call the game “hide-and-seek” 躲猫猫  duǒ māo māo, which literally means “to hide the cat”?Why choose to hide the cat rather than to hide a rabbit, or a dog? It’s simple to understand if you have a cat in your home. Cats like to play hide-and-seek. If you run in front of a cat, scare it or touch it lightly, it will run away and hide from you. But later on, it’ ll come to find you. Just like playing hide-and-seek right? So that’s why this game is called 躲猫猫 duǒ māo māo in China. 躲猫猫 is mostly used when you talk about playing hide and seek with kids. The formal way to say hide-and-seek is 捉迷藏 zhuō mí cáng, but it’s not as fun.

For example you can say:

小孩子最喜欢玩躲猫猫了。
xiǎo hái zi zuì xǐ huan wán duǒ māo māo le.
The kids like to play hide-and-seek.

Cat surprise #3: Elvis Presley

猫王

māowáng

Elvis Presley’s name in Chinese

literally: the King of Cats

In Chinese, Elvis Presly is called King of the Cats

Bet you didn’t see that one coming! Elvis Presley’s Chinese name is 猫王 māowáng, literally the King of Cats. As far as names goes, that one rules! Elvis Presley basically earned this nickname because he dances like a cat and evokes a cat to some and he has lots of fans in China.

For example you can say:

猫王在中国很受欢迎。

māo wáng zài zhōng guó hěn shòu huān yíng.

Elvis Presley is very popular in China.

Here’s an article where you’ll find another Elvis Presley cat and more cats impersonnating famous people.

Cat surprise #4: Totoro

龙猫

lóng māo

Totoro

literally: Dragon Cat

You all know that lovable grey ball of fur with a huge grin in Miyazaki Hayao’s animated film “My Neighbor Totoro” as Totoro, but can you guess what the Chinese call him?

In Chinese, Totoro is called dragon cat. Or is it Chinchilla?

 

龙猫 lóng māo.

Yup, Totoro’s name in Chinese is Dragon Cat. We get the cat part, with the fur and the whiskers and what not, but the dragon part? Or is his name supposed to be Chinchilla, which are also called 龙猫 in Chinese? He does kind of look like a giant Chinchilla… If you have a clue why Totoro is named like that in China, we want to know!

For example you can say:

我最喜欢的动物是龙猫。
wǒ zuì xǐ huan de dòng wu shì lóng māo.
My most favorite animal is Totoro.

Cat surprise #5: Owls

猫头鹰

māotóuyīng

Owl

 literally: an eagle with a cat head

Let’s see one last funny word with cat in it: 猫头鹰 māotóuyīng, which is the word Owl in Chinese. 猫头鹰 litterally means “an eagle with a cat head”

Wondering why Chinese people call an owl 猫头鹰, an eagle with a cat head? Just check out these crafty pictures and we’re sure you’ll figure it out.

Are owls really eagles with cat heads? That's what the Chinese say

It’s an owl? It’s a cat? It’s a meowl!

Half cat, half owl, gotta love these Meowls! They look so surprisingly natural; maybe the Chinese are onto something here? Check out Weibo user Zhumaokele for more Meowl pictures and awesome photo ops involving cats and strange oufits.

For example you can say:

猫头鹰吃老鼠。
māo tóu yīng chī lǎo shǔ.
Owls eat rats.

What do you think of these 5 Chinese words? It’s surprising to find cats in them, right?  Cats play an important role in Chinese “animal culture”. The Chinese not only like to use cat in a metaphorical way to express human feelings but they’ve also liked to create many words with the character for cat in it. Funny, isn’t it?

Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments!

Yanjie and 

The Nincha Team

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]]> https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/05/15/5-chinese-words-you-didnt-expect-to-see-a-cat-in/feed/ 3 Cat sayings: 6 purrfect quotes in Chinese https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/04/22/cat-sayings-in-chinese/ https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/04/22/cat-sayings-in-chinese/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:45:35 +0000 http://ninchanese.com/?p=3004 Chinese people often like to use animal analogies when talking. This is called “animal culture”: some animals are given a certain symbolism and used in a metaphorical way to express human feelings. So, in many Chinese idioms or slang words, you’re likely to find animal metaphors used.. In Chinese, particularly, there are a lot of expressions and

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]]> Chinese people often like to use animal analogies when talking. This is called “animal culture”: some animals are given a certain symbolism and used in a metaphorical way to express human feelings. So, in many Chinese idioms or slang words, you’re likely to find animal metaphors used.. In Chinese, particularly, there are a lot of expressions and sayings where cats are involved. As you know, at Ninchanese, we’re big 喵星人 (miāo xīngrén – cat lovers), so today we’re showing you 6 catastic cat quotes in Chinese. Meow!

Cat sayings in Chinese to use with your cat-loving friends

Two cat expressions you’re puuuurfectly familiar with

You’ve probably heard of the first two expressions before. They also exist in English and are used the same way as in English. All you need to do is learn how to say them in Chinese and you’ll be good to go.

Cat saying #1: Curiosity and cats don’t match

好奇心杀死猫

hào qí xīn shā sǐ māo.

Curiosity killed the cat.

Julián Cantarelli's curious kitten

一只好奇的小猫。A curious cat – Photo by Juliàn Cantarelli

You all probably know “Curiosity killed the cat”:  this cat quote is used to warn of dangerous situations. Here at Ninchanese, we try very hard not to think about what happened to the first cat who was too curious and from whom this quote derives…and choose to focus on a more positive note: Wikipedia notes “A less frequently-seen rejoinder to “curiosity killed the cat” is “but satisfaction brought it back””and we kind of like that idea!”

For example you can say:

别做这个，好奇心害死猫！
bié zuò zhè ge, hào qí xīn shā sǐ māo!
Don’t do it, curiosity killed the cat!

Cat saying #2: Cats live multiple lives

猫有九条命

māo yǒu jiǔ tiáo mìng.

A cat has nine lives!

Cat meme with a cute cat saying you can't be calm with only one life let

The Chinese, as do many cultures, believe that a cat has multiple lives. They also opt for 9 lives, just like we do in English (and in a number of other places). Lucky cats!  In Chinese, this expression is used to symbolize someone who has a stronger vitality than others.

For example you can say:

For exemple :
别担心他，猫还有九条命呢。
bié dān xīn tā, māo haí yǒu jiǔ tiáo mìng ne!
Don’t worry about him, even the cat has nine lives! 


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Four cat sayings you’ll be pawzzled with

The following cat expressions and sayings are unique to Chinese, as far as we know. Cats are given interesting roles in Chinese sayings, we’ll tell you that!

Cat saying #3:  Cats as women

猫性女子

māo xìng nǚ zǐ

A woman with the character of a cat

Photo credit: Fanny Latour-Lambert

Photo credit: Fanny Latour-Lambert

Chinese people often like to compare cats and women. Here’s why.

A cat can be very gentle, but it also has a strong sense of self-esteem. For example, if a baby kitten does something wrong, you need to comfort it, not scold it. For, if you hit it, it will remember that (and blame you) forever.

In Chinese, some woman are considered as cats: we/they have varied personalities and are seen as gentle, elegant but also sly, elusive creatures with a high level of self-esteem. That could also describe a cat, don’t you think? The Chinese like to liken the two anyways.

This is why one can say:

她是典型的猫性女子。

tā shì diǎn xíng de māo xìng nǚ zǐ

She is a typical cat-like women.

Here, 女子 is a formal, literary word. Despite that, the Chinese often use this sentence to describe some women. Believe it or not, this expression is fairly neutral. 

Cat saying #4: Cats as men and fish as women

猫改不了偷腥

māo gǎi bù liǎo tōu xīng.

A cat cannot stop stealing fish.

Cat sniffing a fish

Photo credit: Serena (Flickr)

Eating fish is most likely inscribed in a cat’s DNA: it’s pretty sure that all the cats in this world like the smell of fish. Well, expect for Nincha, who doesn’t like fish. But that’s another story. So, for most cats, fish are a fatal attraction, and they can’t resist the sight of fresh fish.

The Chinese tend to think some men are the same, and won’t ever be satisfied with one girl, be she his girlfriend or his wife. This cat quote is therefore used to refer to those men who are married or have a girl friend, but are still ready and open to seducing others.

So, the next time you see a man act like this, you can say this:

这个男人猫改不了偷腥。

Zhè gè nán rén māo gǎi bù liǎo tōu xīng.

This man is trying to seduce other girls again. 

Cat saying # 5: of cats and rats

不论白猫黑猫,抓到老鼠就是好猫

bù guǎn hēi māo bái māo
 bái māo hēi māo, zhuā dào lǎo shǔ de jiù shì hǎo māo.

No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat, a cat that can catch rats is a good cat.

Escher-like black and white cats

This is a very popular saying in China because it is linked to a special era: the 70s and to Deng Xiaoping, who frequently used this proverb to emphasize the importance of participating to bring about social change.

The idea behind this saying is: the truth can only be tested in practice, we should try before jumping to any conclusions.

For exemple, one would say:

尽管做，不论白猫黑猫,抓到老鼠就是好猫!

Jǐnguǎn zuò, bùlùn bái māo hēi māo, zhuā dào lǎoshǔ jiùshì hǎo māo

Just do it, practice makes perfect!

Cat proverb #6: of cats and rats (2)

猫哭老鼠

māokūlǎoshǔ

A cat is crying for a rat.

A cat crying for a rat in Chinese means crying crocodile tears

Cats and rats don’t match? Source – Kantsuu.com

Everyone knows that cats eat rats so how can a cat be sad for a rat? Impossible, right? Especially considering the lousy trick the rats pulled on cats in the zodiac race to fame…So this Chinese cat proverb means the same as “crocodile tears” in English. It is used to describe fake compassion or sympathy.

Here's how you can use it:

别被他骗了，他这是猫哭老鼠假慈悲。

Bié beì tā piàn le, tā zhè shì māo kū lǎo shǔ jiǎ cí beī.

Don’t be duped by him, he is pretending to be sad like a cat cries for a rat.

So there you have, 6 Chinese expressions that are about cats! It’s funny how different cultures share some of the same cat sayings and beliefs about cats, don’t you think? Use these Chinese cat quotes in your daily life to impress your cat loving friends and remember: enjoy the fun the cats bring you!

 

Yanjie and 

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

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]]> https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/04/22/cat-sayings-in-chinese/feed/ 4 Chinese software tribulations: Funny uninstall pictures https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/01/07/chinese-software-funny-uninstall/ Wed, 07 Jan 2015 12:02:42 +0000 http://ninchanese.com/?p=2679 I just had to share these funny de-install pictures with you: they are too cute! They come from a Chinese software called 搜狗高速浏览器 (Sōugǒu gāosù liúlǎn qì, Sogou’s high speed browser). The other day, I had to uninstall Sogou’s browser, which unfortunately came with my favorite pinyin input editor (remind me to tell you guys about

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]]> I just had to share these funny de-install pictures with you: they are too cute! They come from a Chinese software called 搜狗高速浏览器 (Sōugǒu gāosù liúlǎn qì, Sogou’s high speed browser).

The other day, I had to uninstall Sogou’s browser, which unfortunately came with my favorite pinyin input editor (remind me to tell you guys about it one day), despite me not wanting it. The de-install messages were so adorable, I took a few screenshots to show you!

Meet 小搜 (Xiao Sou), the Chinese software’s cute avatar

The first screen you get when you want to uninstall the browser is this one:

Sogou's emotional attempt to keep you from uninstalling their browser

Sogou’s emotional attempt to keep you from uninstalling their browser.

It says:

我是小搜，我们不能做朋友了吗？

wǒ shì xiǎo sōu, wǒmen bùnéng zuò péngyǒule ma?

I’m Xiao Sou, can’t we be friends?

And gives you two options to respond:

  • 算了吧

Suànle ba

Forget it!

or

  • 再给个机会

zài gěi gè jīhuì

I’ll give you another chance.

So, do you believe in second chances or not?

If you hover over the 算了吧 button, you then get this picture of Xiao sou bawling.

Funny_uninstall_3

Oh no he’s crying! Does that pull at your heartstrings?

He’s saying (amidst his tears, and boy is it tough to understand a person speaking Chinese when crying):

对不起，感谢您这么多天的陪伴！

duìbùqǐ, gǎnxiè nín zhème duō tiān de péibàn！

Sorry (to hear that?), and thanks for “accompanying me”!

On the other hand, if you pick 再给个机会, you get a smiley boy and a sweet comment:

XiaoSou is really going to love you if you don't uninstall him

XiaoSou is really going to love you if you don’t uninstall him

Notice that little heart he’s sending you? Boy, is he relieved.

Here’s what he’s saying:

谢谢您，我会变的让您更满意！

xièxiè nín, wǒ huì biàn de ràng nín gèng mǎnyì!

Thank you, I will become more satisfying!

Who knew uninstalling a browser was such an emotional affair!  I still uninstalled the browser. How about you? Would you have been swayed by this cute little guy?

Ninchanese combines addictive game mechanics, cute cats and efficient Chinese learning techniques to make learning Chinesea blast! The app is now in beta so sign up now for early access to the beta! Check out our trailer and stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Weibo.

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]]> Happy Valentine’s Day in Chinese! 情人节快乐! https://ninchanese.com/blog/2014/02/14/happy-valentines-day-in-chinese-qingren-jie/ Fri, 14 Feb 2014 14:09:00 +0000 http://ec2-54-193-109-251.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/?p=474 Today’s the 14th of February so 情人节快乐! to you! Valentine’s day in Chinese Valentine’s day in Chinese is called 情人节 (qíngrén jié), literally the festival for those who have feelings, i.e. lovers. Awww. Declare your love in Chinese with a love Nincha As Nincha shows, saying I love you in Chinese is easy: Share this Love Nincha

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]]> Today’s the 14th of February so 情人节快乐! to you!

Valentine’s day in Chinese

Valentine’s day in Chinese is called 情人节 (qíngrén jié), literally the festival for those who have feelings, i.e. lovers. Awww.

Declare your love in Chinese with a love Nincha

As Nincha shows, saying I love you in Chinese is easy:

我爱你! Wǒ ài nǐ! I love you

Share this Love Nincha to show your love! Or use this Nincha Valentine’s card to declare your love in Chinese to someone special!

lovenincha

Ninchanese is a new platform where you’ll have a blast learning Chinese! We’re still working on it for now, so sign up to try the beta for free when we launch! Check out our trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahnj5pLMulo and stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Weibo.

 

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]]> The Ninchanese trailer is here! https://ninchanese.com/blog/2014/02/07/miaow-the-ninchanese-trailer-is-here-calling/ Fri, 07 Feb 2014 19:49:00 +0000 http://ec2-54-193-109-251.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/?p=477 Nincha discover a dragon! And he made his mission to make him speak Chinese. Here we go! Miaow! The Ninchanese trailer is here! Calling all Chinese learners! Are you ready to save the Ninchas, get the pearl back and have a blast learning Chinese? ^_^ Check out the trailer and let us know what you think! And

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]]> Nincha discover a dragon! And he made his mission to make him speak Chinese. Here we go!

Miaow! The Ninchanese trailer is here!

Calling all Chinese learners! Are you ready to save the Ninchas, get the pearl back and have a blast learning Chinese? ^_^

Check out the trailer and let us know what you think!

And make sure to sign up on www.ninchanese.com to be part of the upcoming beta!

We heart you!

The Nincha Team

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]]> Funny Cat Videos: Let Me Push This Button! https://ninchanese.com/blog/2014/02/03/button-cat-videos/ Mon, 03 Feb 2014 11:40:00 +0000 http://ec2-54-193-109-251.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/?p=480 Cats are curious creatures! They like to play with boxes, balls and so many other things. As we love cat videos, here’s one of our favorites! (=^ェ^=) Let me push this button! Definitely one of the cutest and funniest cat videos. I got an eye on you Nincha!

The post Funny Cat Videos: Let Me Push This Button! appeared first on Ninchanese.

]]> Cats are curious creatures! They like to play with boxes, balls and so many other things. As we love cat videos, here’s one of our favorites!

(=^ェ^=) Let me push this button!

Definitely one of the cutest and funniest cat videos. I got an eye on you Nincha!

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]]> New Ninchanese.com and more! https://ninchanese.com/blog/2013/10/22/new-ninchanese/ Tue, 22 Oct 2013 13:37:00 +0000 http://ec2-54-193-109-251.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/?p=511 Hi everyone! Have you noticed the changes in Ninchanese recently? There are quite a few new things going on at Ninchanese we want you to know about about! First items of news: Ninchanese.com has a fresh new look and you can now subscribe to get our blog newsletter! A new look for a new Ninchanese

The post New Ninchanese.com and more! appeared first on Ninchanese.

]]> Hi everyone!

Have you noticed the changes in Ninchanese recently? There are quite a few new things going on at Ninchanese we want you to know about about! First items of news: Ninchanese.com has a fresh new look and you can now subscribe to get our blog newsletter!

A new look for a new Ninchanese

We’re gearing up to start our closed beta and test our approach with Chinese learners. We’re really excited about this and decided it was time to tell you a bit more about what we’re creating! So we’ve updated Ninchanese.com and gave it a fresh new look that’s a lot more us and way cuter!

image

Go check it out here: www.ninchanese.com

The blog also got a facelift this summer and got a lot flatter, so if you haven’t see its new look yet, do go see!

Hope you love these design changes as much as we do!

A newsletter option for the blog!

Also, we’ve added a “Newsletter” button to our blog. You can now easily subscribe to our blog and get our posts directly in your inbox!

Simply click on the grey newsletter button you see on the top right (in the menu) to get started! We won’t spam you, promise.

It’s the ideal way to get your monthly fill of lovingly crafted Nincha content, whether it is tips and hacks to learn Chinese, interesting facts and news about China or cute cat moments!

Enjoy!

The Nincha Team

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Ninchanese is free to use!

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]]> Emotions in Chinese: Express your feelings! https://ninchanese.com/blog/2013/05/29/emotions-in-chinese-learn-how-to-express/ https://ninchanese.com/blog/2013/05/29/emotions-in-chinese-learn-how-to-express/#comments Wed, 29 May 2013 14:41:00 +0000 http://ec2-54-193-109-251.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/?p=572 Learn how to express emotions in Chinese! And seriously, what better way to learn how to say how you’re feeling in Chinese than by looking at pictures of cute animals making very human-like faces? Your emotions in Chinese Learn to talk about your feelings and the emotions of those that are around you.

The post Emotions in Chinese: Express your feelings! appeared first on Ninchanese.

]]> Learn how to express emotions in Chinese! And seriously, what better way to learn how to say how you’re feeling in Chinese than by looking at pictures of cute animals making very human-like faces?

Your emotions in Chinese

All_sorts_of_emotions

Meoow tip Click on the picture to open it full size in a new tab/window. And feel free to print it 🙂 It makes a nice poster.

Learn to talk about your feelings and the emotions of those that are around you.

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

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]]> https://ninchanese.com/blog/2013/05/29/emotions-in-chinese-learn-how-to-express/feed/ 1