Which Chinese language should one translate to?

Alexander Zeller July 11, 2017

China is a huge country of 1.4 billion people so it’s inevitable that over centuries various different languages and dialects have evolved. It also shouldn’t be forgotten that people of Chinese origin live in all corners of the Earth. Which language you choose to translate into for the Chinese market will depend on who the translation is for. If you are targeting Chinese people living in Australia or Britain it wouldn’t be feasible to translate your documents into a Chinese language as invariably Chinese people living in these two countries will be able to speak English, depending on how long they have been living in the country.

5 Exotic Animals You Need to Meet in Taiwan

Eng Chan July 4, 2017

Taiwan has become world-famous for its delicious mouth-watering night market snacks (xiǎochī | 小吃), cheap shopping, and friendly well-mannered locals. But visitors to the island usually end up discovering one other excellent word to describe Taiwan: CUTE. Taiwanese people love cute things. And what could be cuter than furry, cuddly animals, both of the stuffed and real variety? In Chinesepod’s lesson on rare and exotic animals (xīyǒu dòngwù | 稀有动物), we learn how to discuss in Mandarin our favorite furry friends, from extinct dinosaurs (kǒnglóng |恐龙) to fierce bears (熊). But you may be wondering, what exotic animals can you actually find in Taiwan? During my recent trip to Taiwan, I encountered a few animals, albeit some real and some fictional, which really stood out during my visit. Below I will introduce 5 “exotic animals” of Taiwan that you need to meet.

Pet ownership: Controversy and the ‘new normal’

Giulia Mazzola June 13, 2017

Animals are all over the internet in many different forms such as cute photos, memes, news stories and so on. We love these furry hair balls SO much that we even invite them into our homes to live with us! Pets are universally loved, and even though the headlines are filled with the Chinese economy’s “new normal” (新常态, xīnchángtài), their pet industry is still growing rapidly. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China: China is the third largest dog owning population, and the pet care industry is expected to grow more than 50% by 2019.

Celebrating The Dragon Boat Festival in China

Kim Bui June 8, 2017

Over 2000 years ago, The Dragon Boat Festival, also named 端午节 (duān wǔ jié) officially became a traditional holiday in China. It commemorates the ancient Chinese poet, Qu Yuan (340-278 BC). The holiday originated in Southern China and slowly became more and more popular in provinces such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian. The festival starts on the 5th day of the 5th Lunar month and three of the most commonly practiced activities are eating Zongzi (粽子), drinking wine and racing dragon boats.

Colorful Language: meanings of colors in Chinese

Giulia Mazzola May 31, 2017

Language learning is always an exercise in cultural understanding. Recently, as I was listening to various Qing Wen episodes, I began to get a better sense of the importance of the concept of colors and their various representations in Chinese!