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ChinesePod is the longest-running Mandarin Learning tool. With over 4,000 audio and video lessons at six different skill levels there is something to study for everyone. Read our blog for useful tips & tricks, as well as cultural insights that'll enrich your understanding of the Mandarin language.

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China’s Valentine’s Day

China’s Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! 情人节快乐 (qíng rén jié kuài lè)!

To help you get in the mood, check out our YouTube Page and view our Valentine’s Day Playlist.  We’ve added a couple of new videos that haven’t been posted on YouTube before!

February 14th is widely recognized around the world as the day to celebrate love.  Its history can be traced back to Roman times in the 3rd century AD when St. Valentine was executed on this day (a rather tragic story that has turned to a celebration of love).  Today the younger generations in China celebrate the Western Valentine’s Day like most of the world, but the Chinese had their own celebration of love before Cupid started making his rounds.  The Qixi Festival or 七夕 is on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month (August 9th this year). Also known as Double Seventh Festival and the Seventh Night Festival, it can be traced all the way back 2000 years, to the Han Dynasty (BCE 206 – AD 220).

To learn more about the ancient celebration and the Qixi Festival check out this past blog on this special day.

If you and your Significant Other are celebrating the traditional Valentine’s Day, you may give chocolates or flowers, but if you want to add a Chinese flare to your gift, choose a pair of Mandarin Ducks. You don’t have to adopt live ones as pets, find ceramic or carved accent pieces. A decorative pair placed in the home is said to enhance and attract love!

https://chinesepod.com/blog/2017/02/13/what-do-ducks-have-to-do-with-love/#more-6012

This year February 14th falls on the 10th day of the Chinese New Year celebration. Everyone is already celebrating in China, so they will continue their New Year’s Celebration.  Don’t feel slighted if your Chinese Significant Other forgets to give you a Valentine’s Day gift.  There are so many festivals and parties for the New Year, it’s easy to overlook this day. If you want to study lessons about the Chinese New Year, visit our YouTube and see the Chinese New Year playlist.

There’s one more day for lovers to look forward to – May 20th. The Chinese like to match dates or numbers with phrases that have similar pronunciation. 520 in Chinese is “five-two-zero” and sounds like “I love you.  So 520 is pronounced wǔ èr líng has become a special day (May 20) because it sounds like “wǒ ài nǐ “  (I love you). Learn more about this newest holiday for lovers here.  

Also be sure to check out this blog post on “How to Say I Love You” if you need to be prepared to profess your love to your date this week!  

Not a fan of Valentine’s Day? Single? Don’t worry, the Chinese have a Single’s Day for you 11/11. Hang in there, your day will be here in November!

If you liked this blog post. Check out  “Valentine’s Day Video Playlist,”  “What Ducks have to do with Love,”  and “6 Simple Ways Anyone Can Celebrate Chinese New Year.”

 

Popular Chinese Cuisine: Szechwan

Sichuan cuisine, is also known or spelled as Szechwan cuisine, or Szechuan cuisine (/ˈsɛʃwɒn/ or /ˈsɛtʃwɒn/) and it is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from Sichuan Province. We will use the contemporary spelling: Sichuan

If Cantonese style cooking is the most popular in the United States, Sichuan is the most popular in China. As noted it originated from the Southwestern region of China and is known for deep and rich flavors, especially the taste of Sichuan pepper. In other words: Spicy which is rare in China’s other regional cuisines.

But Sichuan cuisine is not only spicy, it tends to be hot.

Sichuan cuisine

Source: www.heatculinary.com

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about the Sichuan philosophy in food is its wide diversity. If you named any number of traditional Sichuan dishes, most of them would be completely different from each other, both in taste and cooking method. There is a saying (whose cleverness unfortunately doesn’t translate all that well to English, although its meaning is felt) ‘One dish with one flavor, with one hundred dishes come hundred flavors.‘

As noted, Sichuan food is most well-known for its hot and spicy flavors, though it may sport sweet and sour flavors too.

And the Sichuan palate recognizes several important flavors which are referred to as  “The Five Fragrances”

These five are:

Fennel

Pepper

Anise Seed,

Cinnamon and clove

Chili and Sichuan pepper. Read here why Sichuan Peppers make your lips go numb.

Seasonings of Sichuan Cuisine

Source: www.confuciuswasafoodie.com/

Separately from the Five Fragrances, Sichuan cuisine simply cannot do without Sichuan pepper, black pepper, chili, broad bean chili paste, shallots, ginger, and garlic.

These are must-have seasonings that bring out the intense flavors the dishes are renowned for. Without them you simply have spicy food. They are like the Trinity in cajun cooking.

Balancing the Five Fragrances with the traditional seasonings (especially the lip numbing Sichuan Pepper) is pretty much the heart and soul of Sichuan Cuisine, and as noted helps produce a prodigious variety of flavors and dishes.

Cooking Methods

Source: www.chinadiscovery.com

Sichuan cuisine favors a fast and furious approach to the actual cooking. It is not a tradition that features much fermentation, chemical methods of cooking like Ceviche, or multistep processes like cheese making or the like.  Instead, Sichuan chef’s prefer fast cooking methods like stir-frying, steaming, braising, baking.

The most common is fast-frying.

Finally, the Sichuan chef is often measured against their preparations of the most famous traditional Sichuan dishes.

Here is a great list of some of the fiery traditional fare.

 

Source: www.chinasichuanfood.com

  1. ‘Pockmarked Granny’ Bean Curd (Mapo Tofu)

Mapo (/maa-por/) tofu is bean curd served in a chili-and-bean-based sauce — usually a thin, oily, and bright red suspension — and often topped with minced meat; It is often seasoned with water chestnuts, onions, other vegetables, or wood ear fungus.

The taste of mapo tofu is charitably described as ‘numbing,’  Its super hot by tradition, fresh, tender and soft, aromatic and flaky.

Mapo tofu is not exclusive to Sichuan but this dish is. It is also one of the most exported dishes of the Chinese diaspora.

Source: kirbiecravings.com/kung-pao-chicken/

  1. Spicy Diced Chicken (Kung Pao Chicken)

Kung Pao Chicken is  actually its Cantonese name, and read as Gongbao Jiding (宫保鸡丁 /gong-baow jee-ding/ ‘Palace-Protected Chicken Cubes’) in Mandarin. But it is Sichuan in origin.

The dish is prepared by frying diced chicken and dry red pepper with golden peanuts. Spicy diced chicken is more popular among Westerners than its counterpart mapo tofu.

Like Cajun or Thai spice afficianados, the Sichuan chefs brag that it is the more popular of the two because it is usually less spicy, or not at all, when served abroad and outside Sichuan province—because Fiery, lip numbing spice and all.

Source: www.thedrinksbusiness.com

  1. Fuqi Fei Pian (‘Husband and Wife Lung Slices’)

Fuqi Fei Pian, the brainchild of Guo Zhaohua, is made of thinly sliced beef (or bovine lung or tongue) seasoned with chili oil.

Like the name suggests, there is a story behind this famous Sichuan dish—one far less grisly than it would suggest.

Zhaohua and his wife sold their vinegar-ized beef slices for a living from a street cart. As their beef slices were aromatic and delicious, They became one of the most popular food items in the city. In honor of the couple, patrons coined the name — Husband and Wife Lung Slices.

Source: www.thefooddictator.com

  1. Sichuan Hot Pot

Sichuan hotpot, like most of the cuisine in this humid and populous province, is numbingly spicy. The broth is flavored with chili peppers and other strong-tasting herbs and spices.

The main ingredients include hot pepper, Chinese crystal sugar, and wine. Slices of kidney, chicken breast, beef tripe, goose intestines, spring onion, soy bean sprouts, mushrooms, duck, and sea cucumber are the usual meats used in the dish.

Source: rasamalaysia.com

  1. Dandan Mian (Dandan Noodles)

Dandan noodles is yet another quintessential Sichuan dish that has received international attention and hence may come in different versions.

Unlike the usually watered down ones outside Sichuan, dandan noodles in Sichuan province embody a combustion of flavors — savoury, nutty, spicy, and smoky. The noodles are drenched in chili oil with vegetables, Sichuan pepper, and minced pork served on top.

  1. Ganbian Sijidou (Dry Stir Fried Green Beans)

There has been a misconception about this dish being oily and heavy. However, when done right in Sichuan province, the stir-fried green beans are supposed to be light and crunchy. Also known as snap beans or string beans, the beans are prepared with the cooking technique “dry-frying” where lesser oil is needed and a longer frying time required. This dehydrates the beans, creating a crispy outer layer.

The beans are subsequently tossed sufficiently in chili-flavored oil, Sichuan pepper, scallions, garlic, and ginger.

Sichuan Cuisine is fairly easy to understand and recognize. Strong flavors, generally very fiery. Part of the dining experience is the aromas (or the five fragrances) and the use of a pepper that literally makes your lips and mouth go numb.

In our next installment we will be discussing what is seen as the most refined and artistic of the Great Cuisines of China. Jiangsu Cuisine

Chinese: 苏菜 Sūcài

  • Fresh, moderately salty and sweet, precise cooking techniques, favoring seafood, soups and artistic, colorful presentation

Jiangsu Province and China’s biggest city, Shanghai, have a very refined gourmet cuisine that is often served at government banquets.

What is China’s Golden Week

What is China’s Golden Week

Many countries have a day or days set aside every year to celebrate workers. In china three days of paid holiday are given, and the surrounding weekends are re-arranged so that workers in Chinese companies always have seven continuous days of holiday. These national holidays were first started by the government for the PRC’s National Day in 1999 and are primarily intended to help expand the domestic tourism market and improve the national standard of living, as well as allowing people to make long-distance family visits. The Golden Weeks are consequently periods of greatly heightened travel activity.  –Source wikipedia

Golden Week is the 2nd largest holiday after the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated in either January or February which is set around Chinese New year. The date moves each year depending on the lunar cycle. National Day, which is part of Golden Week begins October 1st and ends on October 7th. During this time warehouse, office, and factory workers are given vacation at the same time so that the office and factory can close down completely. These weeks make headlines due to the large crowds of people that accompany them.

Source: www.tripsavvy.com

Last year, 6 million Chinese tourists traveled abroad hitting the rails, roads and airports during Golden Week and spent 13 billion US dollars. With this in mind, you’ll probably want to consider a few things if you’re considering taking a trip to China during this time. -Source tripsavvy.com

Shopping During Golden Week

There’s a saying around here: “Everything in China is negotiable.” Shopping, buying, and selling, they’re all games. The seller plays and the buyer plays. Most of the time it is an amiable game, though sometimes tempers flare. But have no fear, in the tourist-trade, everyone’s out to make a deal and you just have to learn the rules. -Source https://www.tripsavvy.com

Nothing opens the door for you like a Ni hao ma?, (How are you?) or a Duo shao qian?(How much?). Don’t worry, you will not be plunged headfirst into a Chinese conversation. Nothing is bought or sold without the ubiquitous large-format calculator coming out so that everyone can easily view just exactly what digits are being discussed.

Source: www.straitstimes.com/

Once you have found a suitable venue, such as an open air market, be sure to take a good look around before you get engaged in any negotiating. Doing this will enable you to get a clearer picture of how things work. Pay attention to prices, and do some mental price comparisons as you walk around.

Before you approach a vendor, it’s sensible to make sure that you are carrying some small denomination currency and you have a good idea of how much cash you have on you. If the vendor catches sight of a high denomination note, you can expect the price to rise accordingly.

Once you have had a look around and sorted out your money, you should try to mentally come up with a rough figure for how much you are prepared to spend. You may have to be a little bit flexible, but it’s best to go in with a clear idea in your head so you can be assertive and get the negotiating off to a strong start. -Source https://www.wikihow.com

Getting ready for the weekend

Source: www.travelchinaguide.com

Making weekend plans, arranging transportation, or making restaurant reservations?

It would be best to Book your flight/ train tickets and hotel rooms in advance. There may be more discounts for flights tickets if one books earlier. For trains in China, the tickets are available 60 days prior to departure. The thing is the train tickets may be booked up in a matter of minutes once available, so it is best to be prepared. Hotel rooms in hot travel destinations are also in demand. In case there is no place to stay; one should book them in advance as well. If one happens to book rooms upon arrival, try looking at some business hotels.

Now that you have read this blog be sure to check out some of our other blog posts, such as ‘Learn Mandarin Chinese: 5 Reasons Why’ and ‘5 Great Wall Hikes For Every Beijing Tourist’

 

 

Back to School

Back to School

ChinesePod is a creative platform for Teachers to enhance their students’ Chinese language learning experience. ChinesePod uses real life conversations and scenarios to engage the students, keeping them interested and involved in the Mandarin language.

ChinesePod offers an abundance of material with over 4,000 lessons available. When used in combination with your curriculum, ChinesePod can be a valuable part of your students’ activities, listening practice and further cultural insight. ChinesePod provides exercises, printable worksheets, pronunciation, an audible dictionary, grammar explanations and downloadable material, so your students can study easily anywhere.

 

        Source: https://www.wikihow.com/

ChinesePod offers the introduction to Pinyin system for writing standard Mandarin Chinese using the Roman alphabet. Pinyin was developed by the People’s Republic of China in 1958, and implemented in 1979. It is used exclusively in mainland China to this day. Over the years pinyin has become widely accepted by the international community, replacing older systems of Romanization such as the Wade-Giles system.

It is important to remember that although pinyin uses the same letters as European languages, the sounds those letters represent are the sounds of Mandarin Chinese. Thus some letters may not make the sounds you expect. It is important that you pay close attention to how each letter of pinyin is pronounced, as you cannot read pinyin as if it were English. Download our Pinyin Chart at  iOS or Android.

With 80,000 total characters (and the majority of words needing at least 2), you might enlist some help along the way, the Mandarin Chinese dictionary might come in handy. This database using English or Chinese words helps you with the pronunciation and spelling. Also within the dictionary there are links to anywhere within the ChinesePod platform that these words are being used so that you can practice and review during a lesson. This can also help you with the HSK testing.

Chinesepod Say it Right series is a original instructional video course on how to master Chinese pronunciation. This feature is a great way for you to gain the confidence and skill to speak like a native. Every lesson works as a three steps process, first watch the video, then practice speaking with the review drills, and finally test your knowledge with their lesson worksheets. With there sixteen video lessons and seven hours content you will never be bored. ChinesePod provides the most extensive Chinese pronunciation instruction available. You won’t find any course like the Say It Right series… on or offline. They also cover the most difficult part of learning pronunciation. Xu Laoshi, is Chinesepod pronunciation expert, he gives you insight on how to master pinyin,tones, and difficult sounds in the Say It Right series. By the end of the course you will have the necessary tools to speak like a native. Chinesepod will give you extra boost of confidence that you can say anything in Mandarin without second guessing.

Whether you are a newbie or an advanced learner of the Chinese language. Chinesepod offers  structured 3,175 lessons and levels to help you master the chinese language. Below you will find lessons to help you navigate:

 

  • Newbie – The newbie lessons focus on pronunciation and basic words/phrases which are mostly in English. Perfect for the beginner
  • Elementary – The elementary lessons focus on building a vocabulary base and introduces simple grammar structures
  • Pre-Intermediate – Weighted portion in English, focus on simple exchange of information regarding routine matters
  • Intermediate – A mix between Chinese and English, this level focuses on complex grammar structures
  • Upper-Intermediate – Primarily Chinese with some English, this level focuses on advanced grammar patterns
  • Advance – Entirely Chinese, with a focus on formal vocabulary
  • Media – This area is for advanced students, Media lessons that are unfiltered to help in real contexts, that are taken from the original sources.

You might be surprised at how easy and useful Chinese playlists can be for the non – native speaker. There are many great free playlists here at Chinesepod ranging from audio and video shows from different academic levels. As a user, you will get to try all of their features including the full show, lesson dialogue, audio reviews, PDF lesson notes, annotated dialogue, vocabulary, expansion, grammar, and exercises. Be sure to check out some of our most popular videos such as counting from one to ten, the four tones of ma, and even getting to know a new coworker.

Learning another language is fun and rewarding! It allows you to not only speak with more people but become at nonverbal communication. With Chinesepod you have the ease of learning on the go with resources at your fingertips.

Now that you have read this blog be sure to check out some of our other blog posts, such as ‘How to Pass the HSK 6’ and ‘Study Tips’

 

Study Tips

It’s never too late – or too early for that matter – to learn a new language. Like any new skill, mastering a foreign language takes time and practice. Don’t let a busy life deter you. Try a few of these fun study tips to help keep you motivated while you learn to speak Mandarin Chinese.

 

Save the Date

Learning a foreign language is a commitment. Decide when you’ll schedule study times, just like you did when you were in school. You did study, right? If not, this is an excellent time to develop good study habits. Schedule study sessions on a calendar, your laptop, or a cell phone. Writing them down makes it more likely that you’ll honor the commitment.

Set an Alarm

Start your day with language learning. You don’t even have to get out of bed. If you have a smartphone that lets you use custom alarm ringtones, this is the perfect way to wake-up. Create some voice memos with the new Mandarin words you’re learning. Use the memos as your alarm ringtones. Can you think of anything better than waking up to Mandarin Chinese? Be careful – you might find yourself hitting “snooze” several times.

Be a Night Owl

Are you an insomniac? Take advantage of those sleepless hours to practice your language skills. A 2016 study found that practicing foreign-language vocabulary at night, just before dozing off may help you better retain what you’ve learned. The key to this is to make it a regular bedtime activity. Repeated practice and sleep has a positive effect on long-term retention. Combine your night owl tendencies with early morning vocabulary practice and you’ll be talking like a native in no time.

Make Flash Cards

Flash cards are an economical yet practical study tool. Toss your flashcards in your backpack or laptop bag. Wow, friends and co-workers with your new skills. Ask people to test you – just like you used to do in grade school when you were studying for a spelling test. Put a few flashcards in places where you’re sure to see them. The bathroom mirror. Your pillow. The steering wheel. A sneaky way to study, indeed.

Take a Break

Bet you didn’t know that 75% of smartphone owners admit to using them in the bathroom. Now that puts a whole new twist on those 15-minute breaks your employer is required to give you. Fifteen minutes is plenty of time to study a few Mandarin grammar structures. When you think about it, instead of boring your co-workers with the usual one-sided conversations heard in break rooms and employee bathrooms, download a Mandarin app and practice vocabulary. Can you think of a better way to maximize break time?

While learning Mandarin, or any other language isn’t easy, using lack of time as an excuse not to start just doesn’t work. Try a few of these tips and see if you don’t find time in your day to study. Good luck! 祝你成功

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