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Chinese Number Websites: The Secret Meaning of URLs
In the U.S., you really only have to remember two long numbers, ever: Your phone number and your Social Security number. In China, you're constantly barraged by digits: QQ numbers (QQ is China's most...
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Dialectal Arguments
Whether it’s cockney or hakka, people are proud of their dialects, and so it is that a list of the “Top 10 Most Difficult Chinese Dialects” published on Weibo has caused a bit of a stir. The list...
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The multifaceted character 知
China’s authorities despise outspoken public intellectuals; they tend to get them a bit hot under the collar; whether it’s an economist advocating policy reform, a high-profile lawyer striving to help...
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Taiwanese Mandarin Starter Kit
Taiwanese Mandarin (台灣國語, Táiwān Guóyǔ) is a fascinating mélange of many disparate elements from Hokkien to Haka, Japanese to English, and Standard Mandarin to ancient Austronesian languages. On my...
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Learn Chinese With Classic China Crosstalk
Ever thought comedy could hone your language skills? If not, then think again. One of our editors here at TWOC was once involved in the expat comedy scene: “I’d say half the Chinese people who show up...
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Tianjinhua
Much maligned and often thought of as a bit 土, or “rustic”, compared to its neighbor Beijing, the city of Tianjin is nonetheless one of China’s most important cities. Along with Shanghai, Chongqing,...
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Chinese People Share Embarrassing Stories of Foreigners Who Understand Chinese
Expats may enjoy each day in China as an "adventure" waiting to happen, but have you considered that Chinese have stories of their own about their "adventures" with foreigners? Guangzhou Daily shares...
View ArticleTop 10 Chinese Vocabulary Words for the Ghost Month
10 useful vocabulary words related to the Chinese traditional holiday 鬼月(guĭ yuè), the ghost month, more »Languageghost monthholidaychinese festivals
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Dead and alive: metaphors for (dis)obeying the law
Language Log takes an in depth look at the McDonald's expired meat scandal. "The rules are dead, and people are alive, that's simple," one meat plant worker said. "Dead rules and alive people" is...
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20 Most Awkward Chinese-English Translation Fails
China is developing rapidly; it seems that everyone wants to say: I am proud of it! 10 years ago when a foreigner walks on the street, pedestrians would rush to ask for a photo with him/her, but now f...
View Article15 Useful Chinese Travel Phrases Every Traveler Should Learn
Are you traveling to China? Here are 15 useful Chinese travel phrases you should know! more »Languagetravel phraseschinese languagetravel vocabulary
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American Ebola doctor's first public statement translated into Chinese
Chinese translation of the statement written from an Emory isolation ward by missionary doctor and Ebola patient Kent Brantly. Plus Ebola-related links (Chinese and English). more »Languagelearning...
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On the Character 移
Today, Chinese rural workers seek their fortune in the urban jungle while the nouveau riche try to secure a foreign passport for their children. All migrants, or 移民 (yímín), want to leave their...
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The government call on people to speak standard putonghua
Beijing’s putonghua was made official by the Chinese government in 1955, and it’s often assumed that this is the undisputed language of China. However, a statistic released by the Ministry of Education...
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Politico Cabbies
The Chinese people, particularly men, take pride not in their actual participation in political decisions, but in being able to gossip profusely about politicians—secret connections, unknown anecdotes...
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Male Outcast Taxonomy
In oh-so-many ways China is a man’s world – Confucius made that clear from the very beginning – but, sadly, some of its more macho citizens don’t have a very good reputation and, let’s say, aren’t...
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The "Ghost" in Chinese Language
In light of Halloween, we want to introduce you to some fun vocabulary containing the character 鬼 (guǐ, ”ghost”). The word “ghost” in English mainly refers to the apparition of a dead person, or is...
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Duck! A Story of Broken Hearts and Broken Bowls
“Hao! Excellent!” Ling Menchu’s friends exclaimed when they finished his book. The stories were so good that the readers slapped their palms against the table in excitement. Thus, this book and another...
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Decoding the toughest Chinese characters
Chinese is an ancient language. Rare and variant characters have survived in obscurity for hundreds of years, even as the language evolved around them. Today we’ll take a look at one of the strangest...
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How to choose a Chinese Name
Foreigners using Chinese names is a custom dating back to the Tang Dynasty. We do it for the same reasons some Chinese use English names overseas - they're easier for locals to pronounce and facilitate...
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