Grammatical errors in sentences can take many forms.

When people who are not native Chinese speakers first start learning the Chinese language, they will make mistakes for various reasons. While some may appear to have nothing to do with Mandarin sentence structure, they frequently do.

For many people learning Chinese sentences or phrases, the order of characters is one of the most challenging aspects of Chinese grammar. This article will give some pointers on understanding the structure of Chinese sentence patterns.

Glossary variations

Because grammar rules must be understood, Chinese beginners frequently translate and switch words. However, people often need to pay more attention to the differences between Chinese and their own language’s parts of speech because they need to do so to avoid errors in sentence construction.

For example:

English: I’m going to buy Liyou a book.
Chinese (wrong) : 明天我要买李友一本书。Míngtiān wǒ yào mǎi Lǐyǒu yì běn shū.
Chinese (right) :明天我要给李友买一本书。Míngtiān wǒ yào gěi Lǐyǒu mǎi yì běn shū.

Incorrect wording in Chinese sentences

For example:

English: I don’t like to wear glasses.
Chinese (wrong) : 我不喜欢穿眼镜。Wǒ bù xǐhuān chuān yǎnjìng.
Chinese (right) ：我不喜欢戴眼镜。Wǒ bù xǐhuān dài yǎnjìng.
In English, both 穿 chuān and 戴 dài are translated as “wear.” It is difficult for Chinese beginners to select the appropriate Verb.

Omitting words from Chinese phrases and sentences

For example:

English: It is a bottle.
Chinese (wrong): 这是一瓶子。Zhè shì yì píngzǐ.
Chinese (right):这是一个瓶子。Zhè shì yígè píngzǐ.

The Chinese quantifier is a separate part of speech, and number phrases are often crucial for people learning Chinese as a second language. As a result, sentence fragments are usually inserted incorrectly.

Incorrect word order

For example:

English: Eating more vegetables is good for your health.
Chinese (wrong): 吃多蔬菜是好的对你的健康。Chī duō shūcài shì hǎode duì nǐde jiànkāng.
Chinese (right): 多吃蔬菜对你的健康有好处。Duō chī shūcài duì nǐde jiànkāng yǒu hǎochù.

Incorrect sentence structure

For example:

English: She is smart.
Chinese (wrong)：她是聪明。Tā shì cōngmíng.
Chinese (right)：她很聪明。Tā hěn cōngmíng.

Because Chinese learners have learned “我是XX (wǒ shì XX)” before, they do not consciously apply “是shì” to all places of “is/am/are.”

The fundamental Chinese word order pattern

Chinese is classified as an SVO language. (subject + Verb + object). This is a standard word order found in many languages, including English. That is the fundamental Chinese sentence structure.

For example:

我是中国人。Wǒ shì zhōngguó rén. (I’m Chinese.)
他是经理。Tā shì jīnglǐ. (He is a manager.)
我们学挪威语。Wǒmen xué nuówēi yǔ. (We learn Norwegian.)

As we study more Chinese, we’ll also learn how to construct complex sentences from simple sentence patterns and use them to say more.

For example:

Today Li You and Wang Peng bought new clothes in the mall.
今天（time）李友跟王朋（subject）在商场（location）买了（verb）新（modifier）衣服（object）。
Jīntiān (time) Lǐyǒu gēn Wángpéng (subject)zài shāngchǎng (location) mǎile (verb) xīn (modifier) yīfú (object).

Using words like place and time will help us convey the statement’s meaning more clearly. Even when many sentence components are added, the core structure of a sentence remains constant. SVO: Subject + Verb + Object.

A – The regular patterns of Chinese sentences.

Chinese verbs do not change depending on who is speaking, the number of people talking, the tense, or other factors.

For example:

他去学校。Tā qù xuéxiào. (He goes to school.)
他们去学校。Tāmen qù xuéxiào. (They go to school.)
我们昨天去学校。Wǒmen zuótiān qù xuéxiào.(we went to school yesterday.)
他们明天去学校。Tāmen míngtiān qù xuéxiào.(They are going to school tomorrow.)
The verb “qù 去” is the same whether the person is singular or plural.

B – The Chinese always order from large to small, regardless of the time or place.

For example:

我明年八月去挪威。Wǒ míngnián bāyuè qù nuówēi. (I will go to Norway next August.)
我住在广东省广州市。wǒ zhù zài guǎng dōng shěng guǎng zhōu shì. (I live in Guangdong Province, Guangzhou City.)

C – The attribute comes first, followed by the subject and Object. The adverb precedes the predicate, while the complement follows.

For example:

挪威是一个很美的国家。Nuówēi shì yígè hěnměi de guójiā 。(Norway is a beautiful country.)
他是一个很聪明的学生。Tā shì yígè hěn cōngmíng de xuéshēng. (He is a very clever student.）

D – Time words are used at the beginning of phrases or before and after the subject in Chinese.

For example:

我明年要去中国。Wǒ míngnián yào qù zhōngguó.(I’m going to China next year.)
明年我要去挪威旅游。Míngnián wǒ yào qù nuówēi lǚyóu. (I’m going to travel to Norway next year.)

E – When more than one adverb is present, the sentence is structured as follows: time + location + scope/negation + Verb

For example:

我学习。Wǒ xuéxí. (I do study.)
我昨天学习了。Wǒ zuótiān xuéxí le.(I studied yesterday.)
我昨天在图书馆学习了。Wǒ zuótiān zài túshūguǎn xuéxí le. (I studied in the library yesterday.)
我昨天在图书馆跟同学一起学习了。Wǒ zuótiān zài túshūguǎn gēn tóngxué yìqǐ xuéxí le. (I studied with my classmates in the library yesterday.)

Aside from adverbs, Chinese has an abundance of attributives. They have commonly defined as “scope + quantity + verb phrase + adjective phrase + noun phrase + head.”

As an example:

她是销售。Tā shì xiāoshòu. (She’s a salesperson.）
她是女销售。Tā shì nǚ xiāoshòu. (She is a saleswoman.)
她是电脑女销售。Tā shì diànnǎo nǚ xiāoshòu. (She is a computer saleswoman.)
她是聪明的电脑女销售。Tā shì cōngmíng de diànnǎo nǚ xiāoshòu. (She is a clever computer saleswoman.)
她是有丰富经验的聪明的电脑女销售。Tā shì yǒu fēngfù jīngyàn de cōngmíng de diànnǎo nǚ xiāoshòu. (She is an intelligent computer saleswoman with lots of experience.)
她是一个有12年工作经验的聪明的电脑女销售。Tā shì yígè yǒu 12 nián gōngzuò jīngyàn de cōngmíng de diànnǎo nǚ xiāoshòu. (She is an intelligent computer saleswoman with 12 years of experience.)
她是励诚公司里一个有12年工作经验的聪明的电脑女销售。tā shì lìchéng gōngsī lǐ yígè yǒu 12 nián gōngzuò jīngyàn de cōngmíng de diànnǎo nǚ xiāoshòu. (She is an intelligent computer saleswoman with 12 years of experience at Licheng company.)

F – The time quantity complement follows the Verb.

For example:

我们昨天上了3个小时中文课。Wǒmen zuótiān shàngle 3 gè xiǎoshí zhōngwénkè. (We had a Chinese class for three hours yesterday.)

Do you want to learn more Mandarin Chinese?

If you want to learn Mandarin Chinese, feel free to REGISTER FOR A TRIAL CLASS HERE or send us an email: info@lcchineseschool.com

We offer private lessons and group classes at all levels, HSK 1-6, children, adults, and business. All Mandarin Chinese classes are offered either in classrooms or online.

Because there are many advantages for those who grasp the Mandarin language and because Chinese is the official language of China with more than a billion Chinese speakers, many people are learning Mandarin Chinese.

Many people acquire this language independently, despite knowing how difficult it is to learn. But if you want to learn Chinese well, you need to know the right ways to make it easier and help you learn Mandarin.

Learning Chinese on your own is a vast and challenging task that requires self-discipline, a well-thought-out plan, and the ability to put together good learning programs. People who desire to learn Mandarin Chinese on their own must be careful about how they study, as learning without a strategy wastes time and energy.

Consider studying various cultures and historical periods as well as learning new languages.

Before enjoying the Chinese language, you should also try to understand the many symbols that make Chinese culture unique. This includes being willing to learn about different areas such as Chinese calligraphy, traditional Chinese views that are still essential, the 12 zodiac systems, Feng Shui, modern China, etc. It is impossible to articulate and transmit these cultural components fully in English. However, more than just using English is required. You can only truly comprehend Chinese culture if you can communicate in Chinese.

It would be more enjoyable and beneficial for you to learn the language in more depth. You’ll get further if you study the language’s culture and history as well as the language itself together.

Remember to learn Chinese characters

Even though there are over 30,000 Chinese characters, you must only be familiar with a subset. Don’t be startled by the figure; approximately 3,500 Chinese characters are used daily. When learning Mandarin Chinese as a second language, you can begin learning the most commonly used Chinese characters.

Chinese characters are complex for beginners to learn and remember, but you need to know them if you want to learn Mandarin.

You may already be aware that Chinese is a form of pictograph. You will still run into the homophone issue even if you are proficient with the pinyin method. Many Chinese characters have identical standard pronunciations in the Chinese language. This could lead to clarity and understanding if you can tell a character apart by how they look. Consider the Chinese words “chén m” (which means “be silent”) and “chén m” (which means “be sunk into”), which sound the same but mean very different things.

Do not be terrified by the prospect of speaking Chinese.

You are making progress through practice. In addition to learning about a new culture, studying a new language helps you become more proficient.

The best approach to using language in communication is to speak it. Also, speaking Chinese in real-world situations is the best way to practice and improve your Chinese language skills.

It could be challenging to have a proper conversation with a native Chinese speaker for practice when you are not in China. However, you can still look for a qualified tutor.

Make sure to practice as much as possible in class, and don’t be shy about making mistakes when speaking aloud since they will only help you recall the correct information even better.

You can use the following ways to accelerate your Mandarin Chinese learning:

Make an effort to develop and implement a learning plan in the language learning process that is suited for you.

A language learner must have a set schedule and learning habits for long-term study, especially when learning a new language. Setting aside time every day to study Chinese is an excellent way to keep your language skills up to date. It does not imply that you must constantly learn Chinese grammar.

This method emphasizes that even if you only have a limited amount of time for studying, you should schedule time evenly to practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing Chinese. The most crucial factor in language accumulation is persistence.

Pay great attention to your pronunciation when learning new words.

Chinese is tonal, unlike the majority of European languages. So, because Chinese is a tonal language, a slight change in how it is said could change the result. For instance, many words are spelled the same in pinyin but have different tones.

But if you stick to the correct pronunciation, the Chinese will understand you better. So, as soon as you start learning, ensure your pronunciation is accurate and consistent.

So it would be best if you listened to a native speaker to pronounce the Chinese words and phrases correctly.

Improve your writing skills.

Because the brain produces information after fully processing its input, you can measure how well you know Chinese when you write, the final step in learning a language. First, you need to get more good information, which means you must read a lot of Chinese to improve your vocabulary and language skills.

You’ll also need to train your brain to think critically during the information input process, which will boost your brainpower. You can significantly improve your Chinese skills by writing in the language.

Improve your Mandarin skills: Dive into the world of Mandarin Chinese.

Even if you can’t go to China right now to learn in an immersion setting, you can still learn in an immersion setting by using only online learning materials.

Loads of resources are available to help you increase your Chinese vocabulary and get an immersive learning experience even when you’re not living and studying in China. For example, if you use an online Chinese dictionary, you will learn vocabulary faster.

You may rely on a tonne of excellent materials that you find online. Why not follow and subscribe to our learning channel on social media sites to get short, exciting videos and talk to others who are learning the language simultaneously?

You can also make your own Chinese Mandarin flashcards and vocabulary lists, as this is an effective way to learn Chinese in addition to taking Chinese courses.

Learning between everyday task

You should also pay close attention to how you use your free time to make your studies more effective. Why not learn Chinese between everyday tasks, such as your commute to work, lunch, the hour before bed, or even housework? You can devote your time to regular Mandarin study.

The Chinese New Year, Tomb Sweeping Day, Labour Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid Autumn Festival, and National Holiday are the six national holidays observed in China each year.

It is essential to notice that many holidays, such as Chinese New Year, and Mid-Autumn Festival, are based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Hence, the dates change each year.

Government offices and banks are closed in China on public holidays. However, some employees are frequently present.

Some establishments will remain open during the holidays. Most large malls, tourist sites, public transportation, hotels, and restaurants will stay open or even extend their hours.

During Chinese New Year, most businesses in China, except for hotels and large restaurants, close for up to a week.

National Holidays in China in 2023

Chinese name	English name	Date
yuándàn 元旦	International New Year	31.12.22 – 2.1.23
chūnjié 春节	Chinese New Year	21.1 – 27.1.23
qīngmíng jié 清明节	Tomb Sweeping Day	3.4 – 5.4.23
láodòng jié 劳动节	Labor Day	1.5.23
duānwǔ jié 端午节	Dragon Boat Festival	22.6 – 23.6.23
zhōngqiū jié 中秋节	Mid-Autumn Festival	29.9.23
guóqìng jié 国庆节	Golden Week	1.10 – 7.10.23

OTHER CHINESE CELEBRATIONS & HOLIDAYS IN 2023

Chinese name	English name	Date
yuánxiāo jié 元宵节	Lantern Festival	5.2.23
fùnǚ jié 妇女节	International Women’s Day	8.3.23
qīngnián jié 青年节	Youth Day	4.5.23
értóng jié 儿童节	Children’s Day	1.6.23
qīxì 七夕	Chinese Valentine’s Day	22.8.23
jiàoshī jié 教师节	Teachers’ Day	10.9.23
shuāng shíyī 双十一	Single’s Day	11.11.23
dōngzhì 冬至	Winter Solstice	22.12.23

Contact us if you are interested in studying chinese in china or having an internship in China

We can assist you if you want to do an internship or study in China to experience the Chinese festivals and holidays firsthand. Our internship in China programme can be tailored to your specific needs.

One of the first things you usually remember when learning a new language is how to say “Yes”. In this article we will teach you some of the most common methods to express “Yes” in Chinese. Learning to answer “Yes” in various ways can make you appear more natural and your Chinese flow more naturally.

There is no direct translation of “Yes”

Because the English word “Yes” does not have a literal counterpart in Mandarin, saying “Yes” in Chinese may be difficult. The only way to say “Yes” in Chinese is to consider the context.

There are additional words and phrases that we use in a variety of situations to express “Yes” in Chinese. Depending on the case, “Yes” can also be stated as sure, OK, no problem, etc.

The more ways you know to say “Yes” in Chinese, as in English, the more natural you’ll sound. Here are 16 common ways to say “Yes” in Chinese.

16 CommonWays to Say “Yes” in Chinese

1 shì 是 to be; yes

In Chinese, one method to say yes is to say shì 是. It’s typically used to confirm the truth of something, comparable to how we may respond to a similar inquiry in English with “yes, I am” or “yes, it is.”

Consider the following examples to show how this works:

A: Nǐ shì jīnglǐ ma? 你是经理吗? Are you the manager?

B: Shì. 是。 Yes, I am.

A: Nǐ shì bú shì mìshū. 你是不是秘书? Are you the secretary?

B: Shì. 是。 Yes, I am.

2 shì de 是的 Yes

Shì de 是的 is another variant of shì 是. Shì de 是的 has a more professional and polite tone than shì 是 by itself. An example is when a subordinate wants to react affirmatively to a manager, supervisor, or others in a more senior position.

A: Nǐ shì zuò fēijī lái de ma? 你是坐飞机来的吗？Did you come by plane?

B: Shì de. 是的。Yes, that’s right.

3 duì 对 correct

Saying duì 对 means correct and is another common way to say yes in Chinese. If a query includes duì 对, the response is more likely to be duì 对.

A: Tā shì nǐ de tóngxué, duì ma? 她是你的同学，对吗？She’s your classmate, right?

B: Duì. 对。Yes, that’s right.

Duì 对 is also often used to agree with a statement that someone else has made, as in the following example:

A: Wǒ juédé Lìjiāng hěn měi. 我觉得丽江很美。 I think that Lijiang (in Yunnan) is beautiful.

B: Duì. 对。 Yes, I think so too.

4 zhèng què 正确 Yes, that is correct.

You say that something is zhèng què 正确 when there is only one correct answer possible.

A: Kūnmíng shì Yúnnán de shěnghuì ma? 昆明是云南的省会吗？

Is Kunming the capital of Yunnan?

B: Zhèng què. 正确 Correct.

5 méi cuò 没错 not wrong

The expression méi cuò 没错 is a different way of saying yes in Chinese. It’s similar to duì 对 because it is usually used to agree with someone else’s statement.

In the expression méi cuò 没错, méi 没 means “not” while cuò 错 means “wrong”. You will say méi cuò 没错 if you agree with someone else’s point of view.

A: Húnán cài hěn là. 湖南菜很辣。Hunan food is very spicy.

B: Méicuò. 没错。 Yes, that’s right.

6 hǎo 好 good

Hǎo 好 is an alternative way of saying “yes” in Chinese. The simplest basic definition of hǎo 好 is “good.” But hǎo 好 can also mean “fine” or “OK.”

A: Wǒmen zhōumò qù gòuwù ba. 我们周末去购物吧。Let’s go shopping this weekend.

B: Hǎo. 好。OK, sounds good.

While you can use hǎo 好 by itself, it is also possible to subtly alter the meaning of your response by adding other particles at the end. You can add the particle de 的 and then create hǎo de 好的 OK. When agreeing to a customer’s request, people in the service business frequently utilize the expression hǎo de 好的 OK.

A: Nǐ kěyǐ jìnlái huìyì shì ma? 你可以进来会议室吗？Can you come into the meeting room?

B: Hǎo de. 好的。 Sure, will do.

7 hǎo ya 好呀 OK (in an enthusiastic say)

If you include the particle ya 呀 to hǎo 好, you get hǎo ya 好呀. This usage makes you sound enthusiastic about whatever entertaining idea or activity the person you’re speaking with has recommended.

A: Wǒmen yīqǐ qù zhōngguó lǚxíng ba. 我们一起去中国旅行吧。Let’s travel to China together.

B: Hǎo ya! 好呀！ OK!

8 Hǎo ba 好吧 that is OK (in a reluctant way)

In contrast to hǎo ya 好呀, if you answer someone using hǎo 好 plus the particle ba 吧, which is hǎo ba 好吧, this makes you sound dissatisfied with whatever the person you’re dealing with is presenting.

Hǎo ba 好吧 is a way to accept someone’s offer, but it’s a reluctant acceptance that implies you’d instead not do whatever has been proposed.

A: Nǐ bāng wǒ fùxí yīxià Zhōngwén hǎo ma? 你帮我复习一下中文好吗？Can you help me review Chinese?

B: Hǎo ba. 好吧。 OK.

9 hǎo le 好了 OK

If you include the particle le 了, then you say hǎo le 好了. You can respond to particular queries about whether or not an action is finished with this phrase to express yes, it is finished.

A: Fàn zuò hǎole ma? 饭做好了吗？Is the meal ready?

B: Hǎo le! 好了! Yep, It’s ready!

The phrase hǎo le 好了 can have negative connotations in specific settings. You often see this in use as a response to someone putting you under pressure to complete or accomplish something faster or more efficiently. In this circumstance, it makes you sound irritated.

A: Nǐ hái mò shōushí hǎo ma? 你还没收拾好吗？Have you packed up yet?

B: Hǎole, hǎole, wǒ yǐjīng shōushí hǎole 好了，好了，我已经收拾好了。

Ok, ok, I have already finished packaging up.

10 kěyǐ 可以 can; may. It indicates permission.

The phrase kěyǐ 可以 is yet another method to say “yes” in Chinese. It is frequently used when requesting or providing permission to accomplish something. It translates as “sure, you can.”

Note that if a question involves kěyǐ 可以, the answer likely has a response with kěyǐ 可以 as well.

A: Wǒ kěyǐ dǎ diànhuà ma? 我可以打电话吗？Can I call?

B: Kěyǐ.可以。Sure you can.

11 xíng 行 OK; alright

Xíng 行 means OK. It is used to respond positively when someone makes a request or asks for permission. Its application is comparable to that of kěyǐ 可以.

A: Bāng wǒ dài yī zhī bǐ. 帮我带一支笔。Bring me a pen.

B: Xíng! 行！OK!

12 Ok了 – OK le

They are used as an informal manner of stating that some work has been completed and to respond positively.

A: Wèntí dōu jiějuéle ma? 问题都解决了吗？ Have you resolved the issues?

B: Ok了. — Yes, I have.

13 èn 嗯 yeah

By saying èn 嗯, you respond in an informal way. In casual discussions and on Chinese social media, it’s common for Chinese friends to say “OK.” It sounds similar to the English word “uh-huh.”

A: Nǐ zài shàngbān ma? 你在上班吗？Are you working?

B: Èn. 嗯。 Uh-huh.

14 méi wèntí 没问题 no problem

Méi wèntí 没问题 is a typical Chinese expression that means “no problem”.

A: Nǐ néng gěi wǒ yībēi shuǐ ma? 你能给我一杯水吗？Can you give me a glass of water?

B: Méi wèntí. 没问题。 Sure, no problem.

15 dāngrán 当然 of course

Dāngrán 当然 is a solid affirmative statement that expresses beyond a doubt. You sound very confident in yourself when you respond in this manner.

A: Nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma? 你会说中文吗？Do you speak Chinese?

B: Dāngrán. 当然。Yes, of course.

16 Repeating the verb or the adjective in the question

The Chinese grammatical form that involves repeating the query’s main verb or adjective is an efficient approach for new Chinese learners to communicate effectively.

This type of repetition is most commonly used with verbs. As a result, even if you’re a beginner with a limited Chinese vocabulary, you can employ this method as long as you learn commonly used Chinese verbs such as yào 要 want, yǒu 有 have, and huì 会 be able to.

The following examples demonstrate the use of these essential Chinese verbs:

A: Nǐ yào qù Yúnnán lǚxíng ma? 你要去云南旅行吗？Are you going to travel to Yunnan?

B: Yào! 要！ Yes!

A: Nǐ néng zuò fàn ma? 你能做饭吗？Can you cook?

B: Néng 能 can.

You can also do this with adjectives. In the following example, the adjective hǎokàn 好看 “good looking” occurs both in the question and the answer, yielding a positive response:

A: Nǐ juédé zhè tiáo qúnzi hǎokàn ma? 你觉得这条裙子好看吗？Do you think this skirt looks good?

B: Hǎokàn. 好看。Yes, it looks good.

Say Yes in the correct way, in the right situation

One of the essential things for beginning Chinese language students to learn is how to say Yes. We hope that the explanations and examples provided above will assist you in your quest to react to inquiries like a native Chinese.

Saying yes in appropriate contexts will help you avoid being misinterpreted. Practicing with your Chinese teacher is an excellent approach to obtaining a more in-depth understanding of the language. Once you’ve learned the ability to say Yes in the same way that a native Chinese does, your Chinese will have improved, and your life in China will be much easier!

Do you want to learn more Mandarin Chinese ?

If you want to learn Mandarin Chinese, feel free to REGISTER FOR A TRIAL CLASS HERE or send us an email: info@lcchineseschool.com

We offer private lessons and group classes at all levels, HSK 1-6, children, adults, and business. All Mandarin Chinese classes are offered either in classrooms or online.

The 12-year Chinese Zodiac is important in Chinese astrology, and it allocates a new animal each year. Each Chinese New Year’s zodiac animal advances one year. As a student learning Chinese, knowledge about the basics of the Zodiac is also helpful.

Understanding your Chinese Zodiac sign can be a fun way to learn more about Chinese culture. In fact, Chinese Zodiac beliefs and rituals provide cultural knowledge vital to communicating better when you visit China, as they are still important in China and other Asian countries.

You will also pick up new vocabulary, like the name of all the animal signs, etc. So learning the Chinese language is also an important part of learning about the origins of the Chinese Zodiac. This is also true if you in the future continue learning more about what is behind the Chinese Zodiac system, like Chinese philosophy, five elements, yin and yang etc.

Chinese Zodiac Overview and the Chinese Horoscope

The Chinese Zodiac year is an old technique for determining destiny. This plan is based on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by one of 12 zodiac animals, or shēngxiào 生肖 in Chinese.

The Chinese Zodiac is a tool for determining one’s fate. According to the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, each new year is represented by a zodiacal animal.

Families from China and beyond will celebrate the Spring Festival on February 12, 2023. As they do, they’ll welcome the second 12-year animal as the year of the tù 兔 rabbit starts.

Chinese New Year: the Chinese Zodiac Origin Story

Scholars believe the Chinese Zodiac began in ancient times, believing that it has roots back in Zhànguó Shídài 战国时代 the Warring States era (475 BCE to 221 BCE). The Chinese astrological calendar gained prominence in the Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 202 CE).

Several hypotheses and popular stories explain China’s zodiac animals. Understanding the tradition’s roots can be tricky. One theory says the Chinese Zodiac originated on the Silk Road trade routes. According to this belief, Indian Buddhists brought the zodiac animals to China.

Another theory is related to the Jade Emperor. He invited all the world’s animals, but only 12 came. In honor of these 12 animals, today known as the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, he gave each one a year on the Chinese calendar.

The Chinese Zodiac stories feature the Jade Emperor. Buddhist mythology believes 12 sacred animals guard Buddha’s palace. Jade Emperor conducted a race to decide the winner. The Guards were among the top 12 racers. They’re now Zodiacs.

The Zodiac order for the coming years

The zodiac order for the coming years is as follows:

2022: hǔ 虎 tiger

2023: tù 兔 rabbit

2024: lóng 龙 dragon

2025: shé 蛇 snake

2026: mǎ 马 horse

2027: yáng 羊 sheep

2028: hóu 猴 monkey

2029: jī 鸡 rooster

2030: gǒu 狗 dog

2031: zhū 猪 pig

2032: shǔ 鼠 rat

2033: niú 牛 – ox

When explaining the different Chinese Zodiacs, it is essential to know that they follow the Chinese lunar calendar. So the change from one year to the next according to the lunar calendar is when the Zodiac animal changes.

Emphasis on Birth Year

Western astrology stresses birth dates. In the Chinese system, one’s birth year determines their fate.

The zodiac animal linked with a birth year is thought to impact a person’s personality and significant life events.

For centuries, fortune tellers have used the Chinese Zodiac to forecast people’s futures. These forecasts include romantic partnerships. Many utilize zodiac animals to match personalities. Traditional zodiac believers claim each animal can interact positively with the others.

Chinese people think each of the 12 zodiac animals has positive attributes. Those born in a Chinese zodiac animal’s year share these features.

The Zodiac animals

Here are the Zodiac animals in order, and we explain what is typical for each Zodiac animal and those born in those years.

1 shǔ 鼠 rat

People born in 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, and 2020 are born in the year of the shǔ 鼠 rat.

They’re intelligent, hard-working, and ambitious. These features make it easier for them to get rich.

2 niú 牛 ox

Niú 牛 Ox is the second year of the Chinese Zodiac, and those born in 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, and 2021 belong to the niú 牛 ox.

They work hard, have a strong sense of duty, and earn the boss’s respect rapidly.

3 hǔ 虎 tiger

The third Chinese Zodiac is the hǔ 虎 tiger. Those that are born in the year of the tiger hǔ 虎 are born in 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, or 2022.

They’re independent and confident.

4 tù 兔 rabbit

The fourth Chinese Zodiac is tù 兔 rabbit. Those born in 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, and 2023 are born in the year of the tù 兔 rabbit.

They tend to be peaceful, quiet, and polite. People like to be friends with them.

5 lóng 龙 dragon

People born in 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012 are born in the year of the lóng 龙 dragon. Dragons adore adventure and romance.

6 shé 蛇 snake

Those of you that are born in 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013 were born in the year of the shé 蛇 snake.

Those born in the shé 蛇 snake year may seem cold but have warm souls. They plan and succeed step by step.

7 mǎ 马 horse

People born in 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, and 2014 are born in the year of the mǎ 马 horse.

Horses take charge and refuse to lose.

8 yáng 羊 goat

People born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003 and 2015 are born in the year of the yáng 羊 goat. They’re kind and honest.

9 hóu 猴 monkey

People born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 and 2016 are born in the year of the hóu 猴 monkey.

People born in the year of the hóu 猴 monkey have a powerful spirit. They want to learn and are intelligent. They refuse to stay behind and always hope to improve.

10 jī 鸡 rooster

People born in 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, and 2005 are born in the year of the jī 鸡 rooster.

People born in the year of the jī 鸡 rooster are skilled at reading people’s emotions. They’re pleasant, harmonic, and readily make new acquaintances.

11 gǒu 狗 dog

Those born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, and 2006, 2018 are born in the year of the gǒu 狗 dog.

They’re straightforward and loyal to their pals.

12 zhū 猪 pig

If you are born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, and 2019 you are born in the year of the zhū 猪 pig.

Those born in the year of the zhū 猪 pig tend to be quiet, meticulous, and attentive. They are friendly and warm folks with numerous friends. They always have a good set of buddies to help them.

Chinese Zodiac sentences

How do you use your Zodiac sign? Here are some excellent sentences to utilize when discussing your Zodiac:

A keyword is shǔ 属. It means that you belong to a Zodiac animal. Thus, you are born in the year of……

Here are some phrases and questions using shǔ 属:

Nǐ shǔ shén me shēngxiào

你属什么生肖?

What Zodiac animal are you?

Wǒ shǔ ___。

我属 ___。 –

I was born in the year of the ___.

Wǒ shǔ zhū.

我属猪。

I was born in the year of the pig.

Every year on Valentine’s Day, February 14, and Chinese Valentine’s Day (this year on August 4), we see many love and romance photographs.

But have you heard about Singles’ Day? The holiday is celebrated by a lot of singles in China, or what you in Chinese say as dānshēn gǒu 单身狗. This word denotes “single dogs”.

Every November 11, a memorable Chinese holiday is held. And because the date is 11/11, this date is chosen because it is a festival that celebrates single people.

This article explains how and why China celebrates Singles’ Day.

China’s Singles’ Day and its origin

China’s Singles’ Day has two Chinese names. One is Guānggùn jié 光棍节, the other is shuāng shíyī 双十一 “Double 11”. It is a Chinese holiday for bachelors and a day to celebrate singlehood.

Guānggùn jié 光棍节 translated word for word means “single stick day”, and it has become a single-awareness day among young Chinese people.

The holiday began in the 1990s at Nanjing University. Single students decided to celebrate being single on November 11 since the date bears four “ones,” which stands for four singles or singles life.

Even though Guānggùn jié 光棍节 Singles’ Day isn’t an official holiday, it’s popular in China and other nations. This is a day for singles to treat themselves to gifts, food, and a night out.

The Chinese holiday is popular with businesses and singles. Many people treat themselves, buy something they want, or relax on this day.

How to celebrate Guānggùn jié 光棍节 Singles’ Day

Guānggùn jié 光棍节 Singles’ Day has become commercialized, which is one cause for the enormous sales that take place on this day.

On Guānggùn jié 光棍节 Singles’ Day, singles in China plan parties. Young men first celebrated the festival, but now both men and women celebrate it. And people will attend blind date parties to get dates.

Some universities in China organize events to bring singles together for the holiday. So Guānggùn jié 光棍节 Singles’ Day is meant to celebrate being single. Still, China is a traditional nation, and young Chinese individuals often talk of hoping to find a life companion on this day.

While single individuals have a day to celebrate in China, Singles’ Day isn’t only about being single. It highlights as we will discuss in the next section, China’s increasing worldwide consumer power and influence and its growing economy.

A shopping day in China!

Guānggùn jié 光棍节 Singles’ Day has become a significant shopping day like Black Friday. However, the Chinese version is bigger than Black Friday.

During the 24-hour long shopping event, huge discounts promote sales in stores, restaurants, and elsewhere. Fashion, technology, education, cuisine, and even real estate provide discounts. Online shopping plays an important role in what is happening on Singles’ Day.

In 2009, Alibaba was the first to offer Singles Day discounts. Soon, other shopping sites did the same. Alibaba’s sales on Singles’ Day 2021 were estimated to be 84,5 billion USD, up from 0.01 billion USD in 2009.

It is estimated that Jingdong or JD.com sold for 51,56 USD on Singles Day in 2021, up from 18,78 billion USD during Singles Day in 2017.

So it’s no wonder this Chinese holiday is becoming the biggest shopping day around the globe, including both online and physical stores.

Guānggùn jié 光棍节 Singles’ Day posters and ads in China often use the term shuāng shíyī 双十一, or “shuāng 双 11, “double 11.”

Western brands and companies participate because they realize how vast the Chinese market is. On this day, small and large enterprises in China and other countries provide discounts!

When a person starts to learn Chinese, one of the first things they learn is how to say hello. They always learn that to say “hi” in Chinese, they need to say nĭ hǎo 你好. However, there are many other ways to say Hello in Chinese, and every way has its uniqueness.

In this article, we will teach you how to say Hello in the best way in Chinese, and in what situations the greetings are most common.

1 Nĭ hǎo 你好 Hello!

Nĭ hǎo 你好 is just one of the many ways that Chinese speakers say hello. Most of the time, it’s not even the most frequent! Find out some of the many ways to say “hi” in Chinese by reading on.

Nho is the greeting most commonly taught in beginner Chinese textbooks. Composed of the characters nĭ 你 you and hǎo 好 good, it means “you good.” If you just started learning Chinese, you can’t go wrong with nĭ hǎo 你好 for “hello.” So, don’t worry if that is the only greeting you learn at first.

However, if you pay attention to how Chinese people greet each other, you won’t usually hear them saying nĭ hǎo 你好. This is because nĭ hǎo 你好 is a somewhat formal greeting that can sound stiff to native speakers. Nĭ hǎo 你好 isn’t generally used among friends. Meeting a new person is the most common time for a native Chinese speaker to use this word.

If you bring together two people of about the same age who see each other as equals, they might say, nĭhǎo, nĭhǎo 你好，你好 while shaking each other’s hands. If they already know each other, they are more likely to use a less formal way to say hello.

Nĭ hǎo 你好 is also sometimes used as a written greeting from a boss to an employee under them. Keep in mind, though, that it sounds more formal than many of the other common ways to say hello, as shown below.

2 Nín hǎo 您好 Hello (polite)!

Many people who are just starting to learn Chinese have learned that the proper way to say hello is nín hǎo 您好. If you’re starting to learn Chinese, remember that nín hǎo 您好 respect by pointing out that the only difference between nĭ 你 and nín 您 is that the nín 您 in nín hǎo 您好 has xīn 心 the Chinese character for heart under it.

This detail could be taken as a sign that nín hǎo 您好 is more heartfelt. When you meet someone much older than you, a teacher, a boss, or someone important, this is the best way to say hello. It can also be used to show respect for the first time to someone you don’t know well and use nín hǎo 您好 in written form as a greeting for more formal correspondence.

3 jiǔyǎng 久仰 or jǐu yǎng dà míng 久仰大名 Hello, nice to meet you!

In China, this is a very polite way to say hello. Jiǔyǎng 久仰 means, “I have been waiting a long time to meet you.” Or, “You have impressed me for a long time.”

This is a common way to start a conversation with someone you like or want to be nice to. It’s not a common way for friends to say “hi” or “nice to meet you”, as jiǔyǎng 久仰 is only used the first time you meet someone.

4 Dàjiā hǎo 大家好 Hello everybody!

If you’re looking for a way to say hello to a group, you’ve come to the right place. Dàjiā 大家 means everyone in Chinese, so this greeting literally means “everyone good.” But “hello, everyone” is a better way to translate it. This is a great way to say hello to a group.

You’ll soon see that you can make many Chinese greetings by adding hǎo 好 after characters that stand for the person or people you want to talk to. The same is true of dàjiā hǎo 大家好.

Greetings are often made by putting hǎo 好 after the characters, showing what time of day it is. This is demonstrated by the sentence xiàwǔ hǎo 下午好 Good afternoon.

5 xìng huì 幸会 Nice to meet you!

This is a more casual way that people your age and in the same position as you say things. After meeting someone for the first time and shaking their hand, it is proper to say xìng huì 幸会 Nice to meet you.

This phrase can be used with people of all ages. It wouldn’t be wrong to use xìng huì 幸会 when meeting your friend’s parents or a teacher for the first time.

6 Lǎoshī hǎo 老师好 Hello, teacher!

If you’re learning Chinese, you might want to say to your teacher, lǎoshī hǎo 老师好 which means “teacher good” or “Hello, teacher.”

The pattern of this greeting is similar to nĭ hǎo 你好 and dàjiā hǎo 大家好 above. To make it, first write the letters for the person you want to address, in this case, your teacher or lǎoshī 老师. Then, add hǎo 好.

In many countries, teachers are called by both their titles and last names, just like everyone else. However, in China, teachers are often called lǎoshī 老师. It is also common to greet teachers with lǎoshī hǎo 老师好 even if they’re not their teachers. The Confucian way of life with an emphasis on the importance of learning and education still greatly impacts Chinese society today. Because of this, people hold teachers in high regard, and it is common to call respected people that have a skill in something who don’t work as teachers lǎoshī 老师, for example, a singer, to show respect and that you admire them.

7 Qù nǎ? 去哪? Where are you going?

It is common for Chinese people to say hello by saying Qù nǎ? 去哪? Where are you going? You might say this to a neighbor you know, and it is a way of showing your friendliness.

8 xiàwǔ hǎo下午好. Good afternoon!

Another common way to start a greeting is to say what time of day you’ll be meeting the person you want to greet. If you’re meeting someone in the afternoon, which is xiàwǔ 下午 in Mandarin, then you’d say xiàwǔ hǎo下午好 Good afternoon.

9 wǎnshàng hǎo 晚上好 Good evening!

Following the pattern described above, if you meet someone in the evening, the Chinese word wǎnshàng 晚上 evening can be used as a greeting. You then say wǎnshàng 晚上 evening and add hǎo 好 good at the end. So, your greeting will be wǎnshàng hǎo 晚上好.

You might be tempted to switch the words around and think this is a way to say good evening. However, in Chinese wǎnshàng hǎo 晚上好 means “good evening” and is a greeting, not a way to bid someone goodnight.

If you want to tell someone good night in Chinese, you should say wǎn ān 晚安 Good night. Just like in other languages, in Chinese, there are different greetings for different times of the day.

10 zǎoshàng hǎo 早上好 Good morning!

Use the word for morning to greet someone in the morning, which is zǎoshàng 早上, followed by hǎo 好 good. This produces the standard greeting zǎoshàng hǎo 早上好 good morning.

11 Zǎo 早 Good morning (informal)!

It’s also possible to say zǎo 早, which means good morning. While zǎo 早 and zǎoshàng hǎo 早上好 are both more or less the same, zǎo 早 is slightly less formal.

Zǎo 早 can be used among friends or people you already know. Zǎoshanghǎo 早上好 is more formal and is better for older people, bosses, and people you just met.

12 Wéi 喂 Hello (what to say when you answer the phone)

Wéi 喂 Hello is a greeting that’s only used for answering the phone in China.

If you answer the phone by saying nĭhǎo 你好 Hello, this sounds strange. Instead, most people answer the phone by saying wéi 喂 in a rising second tone as a question, more like “Who is there?”.

If you want to be nicer or think an essential person is on the other end of the line, you can also say nĭ hǎo 你好. It sounds better, though, to say wéi, nĭ hǎo 喂, 你好 than to simply say nĭ hǎo 你好 by itself.

13 Wèi 喂 Hello (answering the phone or as an exclamation to get other people’s attention)

In addition to wéi 喂 with a rising tone (wéi), you can also say wèi 喂 with a falling tone – the fourth tone. Wèi 喂 can sometimes serve as an exclamation used to get other people’s attention, but it is also often used to answer the phone.

It is more common wèi 喂 with the fourth tone on the phone when you know who the other person is or if someone is stressed or in a bad temper. In these situations, it is not like you are really who the other person is. That is why you use the fourth tone and not Wéi 喂 in the second tone.

14 Nĭ chī le ma 你吃了吗 Have you eaten?

Sometimes, people just starting to learn Chinese are taught that Nĭ chī le ma? 你吃了吗? Have you eaten? is a greeting used as an invitation to a meal. However, this is not the case. It’s just something nice to say. So, it’s usually easier to answer even if you haven’t eaten anything: Chī le, nĭ ne? 吃了, 你呢? which means, “I’ve eaten, and you?”

Nĭ chī le ma 你吃了吗 shows how important food is in Chinese culture. However, remember that this greeting is not usually used when people meet for the first time. Most of the time, this question will only come from people you already know.

15 Zuìjìn hǎo ma? 最近好吗? “Have you been good lately?” or “How have you been lately?”

Zuìjìn 最近 means lately. You should only use Zuìjìn hǎo ma? 最近好吗? if you haven’t seen the person in a long time.

16 Hāi 嗨 Hi!

Hāi 嗨 is a casual way for young people in cities to say hello to their friends and other people their age. It is an English word that has been borrowed into Chinese. It is just the Chinese version of the English word “hi.” Hāi 嗨 is a famous greeting online in China and among young Chinese.

17 HĒI 嘿 HEY!

Like hāi 嗨 above, hēi 嘿 is a loanword that comes from English. It sounds like the informal English greeting “hey” and means the same thing.

Like hāi 嗨, hēi 嘿 is a casual way for young people in cities to say hello to friends or other people their age. It can also be written and used on social media sites. You can talk to everyone if you know both the formal and informal ways to say hello in the Chinese language.

18 hā lóu 哈喽 Hello!

Like hāi 嗨 and hēi 嘿, hālóu 哈喽 also comes from the English language. This greeting sounds like the English word “hello”. It’s a casual, kind of playful way to say hello.

Knowing how to say all the colours in Mandarin Chinese is an excellent way of learning the language. This is especially true when it comes to teaching kids. So, if you are a parent or teacher trying to teach your kids Chinese, start early on with the colours.

Chinese language and culture

Chinese language and culture are intertwined. When we talk about colours in Chinese, we can introduce some fun facts to children.

The Chinese believe that red is a lucky colour. Chinese people use the colour red for weddings, birthday parties, and festival decorations.
In old China, the colour of the emperor was yellow. And the Chinese see yellow as a lucky colour.

Do remember that most of the time, Chinese words for colours have the word sè 色 colour at the end. What that means is that hóng 红 red is hóngsè 红色 – red colour. Huáng 黄 – yellow is huángsè 黄色 – yellow color.

Colours are an essential part of learning Chinese for children

When children know the names of colours, they can point to things that are different colours, describe them, and make links between things they see, use, and play with every day. Because of this, learning Chinese colours is an entertaining thing for kids to do.

The basic colours in Chinese

chéngsè 橙色 – orange

fěnhóngsè 粉红色 – pink

hēisè 黑色 – black

hóngsè 红色 – red

huángsè 黄色 – yellow

huīsè 灰色 – grey

lánsè 蓝色 -blue

lǜsè 绿色 – green

zǐsè 紫色 – purple

báisè 白色 – white

A game for children: What colour do you see?

Do you remember all the Chinese words for the colours now? Here is a game that you can play with children. Use different sentences and have fun with colours!

1. Nà shì shénme yánsè? 那是什么颜色? What colour is it?

2. Zhè shì 这是。。。This is ____ (insert colour).

3. Wǒ xǐhuān 我喜欢 I like _____. (insert colour)

4. _____ (thing), “colour + thing”.
For example: lánsè zìxíngchē 蓝色自行车 A blue bicycle.

People say these sentences all the time. You can print them out and give them to the kids to use in everyday life.

Colourful things

xiǎo bái tù 小白兔 a white rabbit
huáng jú 黄菊 yellow chrysanthemum
lánsè zìxíngchē 蓝色自行车 a blue bike
hóng píngguǒ 红苹果 red apples
zǐsè màozi 紫色帽子 a purple hat
lǜ cǎo 绿草 green grass
fěnhóng wǔxié 粉红舞鞋 pink dancing shoes
hēisè hézi 黑色盒子 a black box

Sentences with colours

Wǒ xiǎngyāo mǎi yīshuāng hóngsè xiézi.
我想要买一双红色鞋子。
I want to buy a pair of red shoes.

Tā zuìxǐhuān de yánsè shì lánsè.
他最喜欢的颜色是蓝色。
His favorite color is blue.

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE?

You might ask yourself: How to learn Chinese? Whwat is the best way to learn Chinese? One effective way is to learn Chinese vocabulary that relates to a topic you like.

We have so much great content that we can’t list it all here, but here are some of our most popular articles that we think you’ll like.

Learn taijiquan, taichi – Shaodow boxing!

You might also want to learn about the 14 ways to say thank you in Chinese!

Or how to tell others about your viewpoint in Chinese

Learn more Chinese at the Chinese Summer Camp 2022

We at LC Chinese School are hosting a Summer Camp Program, tailored and designed to the needs of young students. This will help you to learn Mandarin Chinese.

With the LC Chinese School, Summer Camp Program students will study the language for 2 hours a day Monday to Friday, followed by a 1.5-hour Fun Class.

The LC Chinese School Summer Camp Program is open for children from 7 to 17 years of age

The program’s goal is to assist them in learning the language so that they can communicate in Chinese in everyday situations. In the program we emphasize language development through the study of grammar and vocabulary, as well as engaging in fun activities. You can read more about the Summer Camp 2022 here.

Do you want to learn more Mandarin Chinese or know someone who wants to?

If you want to learn Mandarin Chinese, feel free to REGISTER FOR A TRIAL CLASS HERE or send us an email: info@lcchineseschool.com

We offer private lessons and group classes at all levels, HSK 1-6, children, adults, and business. All Mandarin Chinese classes are offered either in classrooms or online.

Do you know anyone who wants to learn Chinese? We will give you 500 US dollars as a bonus as a part of our program “Refer a friend – get $ 500” if your friend or others you introduce to us start taking Chinese classes at our school. Register here if this is interesting for you

Zhōngguó de jiànzhú 中国的建筑 Chinese architecture has a long and exciting history that goes back about 2,500 years to the Zhou era.

People have been making buildings out of wood, earth, stone, and brick since the beginning of Chinese civilization. The buildings were built to be easy to rebuild and to stand up to frequent calamities from dìzhèn 地震 earthquakes, táifēng 台风 typhoons and hóngshuǐ 洪水 floods.

In China, buildings were made to last and be easy to fix. They were also influenced by and supported by social order and religion.

Preference for Lumber Construction Mùcái jiànzhù 木材建筑 Mùcái jiànzhù

China’s culture grew along the Huánghé 黄河 Yellow River and Chángjiāng 长江 Yangtze river. People had to build flexibly because of earthquakes and frequent flooding in the river basins. Wood was used to make most of the buildings.

The dense forests gave people a lot of wood to work with back then. From the Zhou Dynasty until the early modern era, when China started to use Western architecture, most of the characteristics of wooden buildings stayed the same (1045-221 BC).

The main components of traditional lumber construction were:

A stamped earth base.
Load-bearing timber pillars that were not anchored into the foundation.
Brackets that were only slightly rigid.

Because of these design features, the flexibility in the buildings made them withstand earthquakes and hurricanes, and they could quickly be rebuilt if damaged.

Heavy Overhanging Roofs xuánchuí wūdǐng 悬垂屋顶

Old wooden buildings in China have thick roofs made of ceramic tiles with wide overhangs and edges that are just a little bit rounded. It was essential to the builders that wooden buildings had ceilings over the edges.

Since wood rots much more quickly when wet, this protects the building from the weather. Wide eaves also kept the buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

In China, traditional buildings did not go past the walls to support the roofs. The overhangs may go a few metres past the walls. Even though they are heavy, ceramic tiles have been the most popular way to cover a roof since ancient times.

Earth-filled buildings hāng tǔ jiànzhú 夯土建筑

People constructed clay structures, tǔlóu 土楼, in places like the Hakka villages in Fujian, where the clan’s compound was at risk of being attacked.

In these areas, homes were built inside thick walls made of rammed earth, bricks, and sometimes stone. These walls were set up in a circle and had no windows.

Faces south

There was a good reason for the buildings in China to face south. When taller buildings were added to courtyards in the north and shorter walls facing east and west in the south, the most sunlight could warm the building up in the winter. This was possible when the building was tilted sharply toward the south.

This is something that northern China is known for. This is why the main building’s doors and windows faced south and opened onto an interior courtyard that got sunlight.

So, the main building was built to the north of the courtyard and was home to the family’s older members, who needed warmer places to live in the winter. The servants’ and guards’ living quarters were near the main gate, which was always on the south side of the compound.

If an attacker came in this way, they would first have to pass the servants and guards to get to the apartments for children and younger married couples on either side. The most senior members lived in the building with the best security farthest from the gate.

Chinese Architecture: Layouts with symmetry

The main buildings were protected from the weather and outside attackers by gates or more prominent buildings in the middle of the enclosure surrounded by smaller buildings on all sides.

So, the southern and side buildings helped block the wind and kept arrows and other projectiles from getting into the main building in the north.

Chinese Architecure: Fengshui Design Fēngshuǐ shèjì 风水设计

Fēngshuǐ shèjì 风水 Feng shui is like geomancy. The main ideas of this philosophy tell people where and how to build towns and settlements for the best.

It fits with the Taoist idea that everything should be in harmony. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, builders thought that by following these rules, they could control the flow of qi energy. People thought these design goals would improve the health, wealth, and happiness of those who lived there.

Related words

jiànzhù 建筑 architecture
dìzhèn 地震 earthquake
táifēng 台风 typhoon
hóngshu 洪水 flood calamities
mùcái 木材 lumber
wūdǐng 屋顶 roof
hāng tǔ 夯土 rammed earth
cháo nán 朝南 south facing
duìchèn 对称 symmetrical
bùjú 布局 layouts
shèjì 设计 design
fēngshuǐ 风水 Fengshui

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Learn taijiquan, taichi – Shaodow boxing!

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Do you want to learn more Mandarin Chinese or know someone who wants to?

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Gōng Fù 功夫 Kung Fu is a way to get in shape and defend yourself. It is also called Wŭ Shù 武术 Wu Shu. It is similar to Karate in that it uses hand and foot techniques, but Gōng Fù 功夫 is one of the oldest martial arts.

Gōng Fù 功夫 Kung Fu is a phrase that means that you use a lot of energy over a long time to make something perfect. Wŭ Shù 武术 means martial art in Chinese. Outside of China, the word Gōng Fù 功夫 has become so well-known that it is now used to refer to all Chinese martial arts. The term Wŭ Shù 武术 has been and still is used to describe a more modern, performance-based set of movements.

There are many ways to do Gōng Fù 功夫, but the best-known ones come from the Shaolin Temple: Shaolin Gōng Fù 功夫. However, Gōng Fù 功夫 has a long history and was part of Chinese culture long before this first temple was built.

What is the point of Gōng Fù 功夫 Kung Fu?

Many people think that the ultimate goal of Gōng Fù 功夫 Kung Fu, or any other martial art, is to help you protect yourself. But there is much more to Gōng Fù 功夫 than just learning how to fight. It is a true art aiming to improve the body, mind, character, and soul.

Gōng Fù 功夫 is a discipline that teaches you to look inside yourself and learn to control your thoughts, feelings, and bodies. Like many other types of martial arts, Gōng Fù 功夫 teaches balance, which is the key to moving and doing techniques well. We can only understand this idea if we learn to keep our thoughts on one thing, concentrate, and get rid of all other thoughts.

Gōng Fù 功夫 can be learned by anyone who wants to. All you need is a lot of energy and a willingness to work hard and follow the rules. To grow in art, one must have or be willing to develop suitable physical, mental, and moral traits. Not every student will make the same amount of progress.

Each of us comes from a different place and has various physical and mental skills. But each student should do their best; by doing so, they will learn more and move forward.

Gōng Fù 功夫 teaches us about respect, harmony, fairness, and being able to take care of ourselves. It would help if you had these traits to succeed in a world that is getting harder and more chaotic. Gōng Fù 功夫 is a great way to keep our minds and bodies in good shape.

What types of Gōng Fù 功夫 Kung Fu are there?

Gōng Fù 功夫 is a large set of ideas and moves. It teaches both self-defence and how to stay healthy. There is a focus on wài jiā 外家 external Gōng Fù 功夫 that goes hand in hand with internal nèi jiā 内家 internal Gōng Fù 功夫. In wài jiā Gōng Fù 外家功夫 external Kung Fu, you train your physical body. In nèijiā Gōng Fù 内家功夫 internal Kung Fu, you train your spirit, qi, and mind.

In Gōng Fù 功夫, the balance of hardness and softness, as well as both internal and external growth, are crucial.

A lot of people around the world are interested in Gōng Fù 功夫. Not only are there a lot of Chinese and foreign movies and TV shows about Gōng Fù 功夫, but Shaolin, Tai Chi, Wing Chun, and other forms of Chinese Kung Fu are also taught all over the world. Traditional Gōng Fù 功夫 has been kept alive and introduced to new generations all over the world.

Some famous Kung Fu styles:

Tàijí quán 太极拳 Taijiquan, Taiji or Taichi

Tàijí quán 太极拳 Taijiquan also called tai chi, shadow boxing, is an internal Taoist martial art. One story about the history of Tàijí quán 太极拳 says that the Taoist immortal Chang San-Feng created it. He is said to have been inspired by watching a snake fight an aggressive eagle.

Qìgōng 气功 Chinese Qigong, breath exercise

Qìgōng 气功 means breath exercise and is an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine that goes back thousands of years. The main reason was the search for longevity, with the ultimate goal of becoming immortal, a thought that has fascinated Chinese people for hundreds of years.

Shàolín gōngfū 少林功夫 Shaolin Kung Fu

Shàolín gōngfū 少林功夫 Shaolin Kung Fu is well-known both inside and outside of China. Shàolín Tàijí quán 少林太极拳 Shaolin shadowboxing was first used to stay healthy, treat illness, protect famous mountains and ancient temples, defend oneself, and keep enemies away. It has a lot of different patterns, basic forms, and internal and external kung fu.

Related glossary

Gōngfū 功夫 Kung Fu

Qìgōng 气功 Qigong, breath exercise

Wǔshù 武术 martial arts

Shàolínsì 少林寺 Shaolin Temple

Tàijí 太极 Taiji, Taichi

Yǒng chūn 咏春 Wing Chun

Bāguà zhǎng 八卦掌 Baguazhang Kungfu

Zuì quán 醉拳 “Drunk fist”, fighting and defending yourself while pretending to be drunk.Quánshù 拳术 boxing
Gùn shù 棍术 stick technique
Qiāng shù 枪术 stick technique
Dāo shù 刀术 knife technique
Jiàn shù 剑术 fencing

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE?

You might ask yourself: How to learn Chinese? Whwat is the best way to learn Chinese? One effective way is to learn Chinese vocabulary that relates to a topic you like.

We have so much great content that we can’t list it all here, but here are some of our most popular articles that we think you’ll like.

Learn taijiquan, taichi – Shaodow boxing!

You might also want to learn about the 14 ways to say thank you in Chinese!

Or how to tell others about your viewpoint in Chinese

Learn more Chinese at the Chinese Summer Camp 2022

We at LC Chinese School are hosting a Summer Camp Program, tailored and designed to the needs of young students. This will help you to learn Mandarin Chinese.

With the LC Chinese School, Summer Camp Program students will study the language for 2 hours a day Monday to Friday, followed by a 1.5-hour Fun Class.

The LC Chinese School Summer Camp Program is open for children from 7 to 17 years of age

Do you want to learn more Mandarin Chinese or know someone who wants to?

If you want to learn Mandarin Chinese, feel free to REGISTER FOR A TRIAL CLASS HERE or send us an email: info@lcchineseschool.com

We offer private lessons and group classes at all levels, HSK 1-6, children, adults, and business. All Mandarin Chinese classes are offered either in classrooms or online.