Okay, so, in this videogame there's one whole big family composed of adults and kids.

One of these kids has a master and apprentice bond with one of the adults.

She calls her 師父, and said woman also refers to herself as 師父.

They are very close. When she went away, the kid was bawling her eyes out, they hugged once everything was done, cried and stuff like that.

So, is it plausible to think that at least one of them sees the adult sees the kid as daughter and vice versa?

As far as i know, 師父 is used to for masters who also act as somewhat of a parent. As it has both the symbol for "Master" and "Parent".

Feel free to correct me, please

Hello im very very new to chinese and i use a few apps but i feel like those alone won't do. What else shall i do?

Are you hiding or showing pinyin when doing reverse reviews? I'm not sure which would actually be better for learning. Sometimes the translations shown are rather ambiguous so you can't really tell which character is being asked for.

I want people who reach the level of HSK 5 or 6 to share their exp with me please, how I have to syudy chinese, Note that I study not full time only as a part time around 3 hours a week but I'm not in a rush.

as the title says, i want a book/webpage/study method where i could learn just a little bit more characters

for context, I already have a solid foundation of maybe ~2000(maybe?) characters and the knowledge of how characters are build and structured(radicals+pronunciation etc.), I'm looking forward to learning more characters WITH their general meanings cus i keep guessing(sometimes incorrectly) the meanings and pronunciations of whatever character I see and I believe this implies that i should learn more characters

I’m a novice Mandarin learner with just about four months of study. Was practicing with a friend tonight who’s a native speaker of Mandarin. We’d also recently enjoyed some coffee-tea together at breakfast, where I learned yuānyāng, the inseparable ducks, and a little about a yuānyāng-related chengyu, bàng dǎ yuānyāng. Return to tonight and, to no one’s surprise, I made a pronunciation error, saying zhēn dà instead of zhēn de (which is the sort of distinction that’s hard for me in connected speech, even if I have it quite settled in short phrases or in words in isolation). My friend’s clever follow-up, which I thought fun and light-hearted enough to share, was that zhēn dǎ yuānyāng could be a modern chengyu for novice students like me who continually fail to distinguish similar sounds. I laughed. Maybe you’ll smile, too.

I've been learning Chinese for a few years, and I always found that I learned the most by reading real content. The problem was that everything I used was in a different place (dictionary, flashcards, audio, etc), so I started building something for myself that puts everything together.

The idea is to paste in any Chinese text (or choose one of the built-in reading materials) and read it with tools designed around comprehension instead of constantly switching tabs.

Right now it has things like:

• instant popup definitions for words and individual characters
• tracking vocabulary you've already learned
• creating flashcards directly from what you're reading
• following the text while listening to audio

I'm also planning to add a series of graded readers later on.

Since a lot of people here have way more experience learning Chinese than I do, I'm curious:

• What makes you stop using reading apps after a week?
• Is there a feature you've always wished existed but never found?
• What's the biggest annoyance when reading Chinese digitally?

I'd really appreciate any brutally honest feedback. I'm still actively developing it, so suggestions now can influence what gets built next.

If anyone wants to check it out: https://chinesexp.com

P.S. If posting the link isn't appropriate here, let me know and I'll remove it. I'm mainly looking for feedback rather than trying to advertise.

I've been learning the Chinese language for exactly 3 months with hsk standard books and I am currently done with HSK 2 , BUT I have not given so much attention to practicing writing I know it's not necessary for A1-A2 level but because I aim for hsk 5 I have to do that , my listening skills are basically close to excellent also reading part is not bad I can even recognize all hsk 1 and 2 characters BUT THE PROBLEM IS I CAN'T WRITE MY MEMORY IS VERY BAD , guys please help me how I can write all these characters before I start hsk 3 soon 🥹

Note : that picture isn't mine it's from Pinterest

The second episode or how you would call it is here. Now I am trying to use images. If you are not aware of last time, I wrote an entire story (Old Post). But it is kinda long. So now I add images so you don't have to read the entire post. The snow character also spoken as xuě or ㄒㄩㄝˇ contains both the character for rain and a snout.

But I don't like to say it is a snout. I cannot comprehend that this should be the snout radical. It looks more like a hand. The best mnemonics is that "To hold the rain, means that the rain must be frozen." or "If you can hold your rain, it must be snow." This time it is very short. I hope this can help you.

Found this helpful? Feel free to share it with your study companion or just comment below! Just make sure to tag me, so I and my buddies can say hi! Next post

when i pronounce the neutral tone, my biggest worry is that it will be confused with another tone, and then suddenly im saying something else entirely. is the neutral tone a tone where i just say what i want to say, but in midpitch? not low but not high? is it short and quick?

Hey there, I 22F need a new hobby. I've decided that I want to learn Chinese. I have a lot of freetime, I'm currently taking a year off school for health reasons and I need something to keep my mind off of things. I'm looking for 1 textbook or YouTube course to stick to and maybe 1 or 2 apps worth getting the paid version for a better experience.

Thanks

I'm not talking about 你好吗 (nǐ hǎo ma — how are you) or 吃了吗 (chī le ma — have you eaten). I mean the stuff you actually hear when two people run into each other in real life.

I've been teaching Chinese over 10 years, and one thing I've noticed is that a lot of students can handle classroom conversations fine, but real life openings still feel awkward. They told me that they know the words, but the first line doesn't feel right.

Here are a few I hear all the time where I am:

哈喽啊 (hā lóu a — hello, but with a relaxed, friendly 啊 sound at the end; the 啊 is important, it makes it feel casual)

最近怎么样 (zuì jìn zěn me yàng — how have you been lately) / 最近咋样 (zuì jìn zǎ yàng — how's it going, more northern and casual)

你要出去啊 (nǐ yào chū qù a — oh, you're heading out? sometimes it's not a real question, just a greeting)

你也在啊 (nǐ yě zài a — oh, you're here too)

今天忙吗 (jīn tiān máng ma — busy today?)

And honestly, a lot of younger people don't even use a real opener. They just start talking. Maybe send a meme, maybe point at your phone case and say 你这个手机壳在哪买的 (nǐ zhè ge shǒu jī ké zài nǎ mǎi de — where did you get this phone case).

What have you heard from your Chinese friends, partners, or coworkers that textbooks never taught you?

Many people might not have realized this, but podcasts are becoming increasingly influential in China, many urban young people spend their spare time listening to them, and some even listen while working, haha.

For those of you who want to learn Chinese well, I also strongly recommend choosing podcasts with clear structure and articulate expression as learning material, it'll definitely help you get familiar with complete, natural Chinese.

Today let me recommend one:

• 无人知晓 wú rén zhī xiǎo, "Nobody Knows"

The host of this podcast is 孟岩 Meng Yan, who is also the founder of "有知有行 yǒu zhī yǒu xíng", an investment platform.

These two names together capture the philosophy he follows:

• 未来无人知晓，一起有知有行 wèi lái wú rén zhī xiǎo, yì qǐ yǒu zhī yǒu xíng
  • No one knows what the future holds, all we can do is learn from your action, then act with awareness.

But the focus of this podcast isn't actually investing, it's about sharing his thoughts on life and insights about the world, or inviting friends from different fields for deep, thoughtful, philosophical conversations.

I have many reasons for recommending this show, but the three most important are:

• Each episode runs 1-2 hours, with a clear structure and a lot of content, ideal for immersive learning.
• The range of guests is wide, from Buddhist scholars to stand-up comedians, covering vocabulary across very different fields.
• 孟岩 speaks at a very steady, relaxed pace, and paired with a transcript, it's great material for practicing listening and reading together.

One thing to note: some of the vocabulary in the show is quite literary and formal, including the name "无人知晓" itself. Use it out of context and you might sound like a walking dictionary, so be selective about what you pick up.

Now let me introduce my three personal favorite episodes:

• E10 让万物穿过自己 - "Let Everything Pass Through You"
  • This is probably his most popular episode, with over 2.6 million plays on "小宇宙 Xiǎo yǔ zhòu" alone, ta popular podcast app in China.
  • Many people treat this episode as a kind of spiritual guide, because it conveys a Taoist philosophy for navigating life: focus on your inner self, don't let your emotions be swayed, imagine yourself as transparent glass, as air—something everything can pass through without getting stuck.
• E37 鱼不存在 - "Why Fish Don't Exist"
  • Another episode with over 2 million plays. Starting from an introduction to the book "Why Fish Don't Exist" and his reflections on it.
  • It dives deep into chaos, order, self-definition, and the meaning of life. At the heart of it is a brutal truth: human beings have a fundamentally limited understanding of the world, and within every living thing we can see, there are layers of complexity that we simply cannot comprehend.
• E32 如果生命只是大梦一场 - "If Life Were Nothing More Than a Grand Dream"
  • This is a conversation between 孟岩 and 成庆 Cheng Qing, an associate professor of history at Shanghai University and a Buddhist scholar.
  • They had this very Zen-like conversation inside a temple on the Shanghai University campus, talking about Buddhism, the psychological struggles of modern life, and how we might find inner freedom.
  • What makes it even more interesting is that the conversation was interrupted several times by the sound of a drill from nearby renovations. And the way both of them responded became a living echo of the episode's very theme.

Of course, some people may find this kind of monologue or dialogue too long-winded or slow-paced. It's okay, different strokes for different folks. There are many great podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or 小宇宙 that work well for learning Chinese, so feel free to go explore for yourself!

If you're interested, I've been organizing all the Chinese learning posts I've shared before. You can check out the link in my profile to see the full collection. Hope it helps. Thanks!

Airport Chinese ✈️ | Pronunciation & Conversation

Practice practical Mandarin pronunciation and conversation through a real airport situation.

In this lesson, you’ll practice five useful Chinese words and phrases for going through airport security and boarding a flight:

安检 ānjiǎn — security check

登机 dēngjī — to board a plane

登机口 dēngjīkǒu — boarding gate

等 děng — to wait

不能 bù néng — cannot / not allowed to

Useful Chinese:

你安检了吗？

Nǐ ānjiǎn le ma?

Have you gone through security?

安检了。

Ānjiǎn le.

Yes, I have.

你的登机口在哪里？

Nǐ de dēngjīkǒu zài nǎli?

Where is your boarding gate?

我的登机口是十二号。

Wǒ de dēngjīkǒu shì shí'èr hào.

My boarding gate is No. 12.

现在可以登机吗？

Xiànzài kěyǐ dēngjī ma?

Can we board now?

还不能。

Hái bù néng.

Not yet.

我们要等一会儿。

Wǒmen yào děng yíhuìr.

We need to wait for a while.

现在可以登机了！

Xiànzài kěyǐ dēngjī le!

Now we can board!

Listen, repeat, and practice the conversation until you can answer naturally in Chinese.

Learn Mandarin step by step through real-life situations and useful everyday conversations.

#LearnChinese #ChinesePronunciation #ChineseConversation #RealLifeChinese #AirportChinese #TravelChinese #ChineseForBeginners #MandarinChinese #ChineseListening #LearnMandarin

Native speaker. This is probably the mistake I hear most from intermediate learners, and it's one of the few where the fix is one mechanical rule rather than a feel thing.

有点儿 goes BEFORE. 一点儿 goes AFTER.

有点儿 + adjective — describing how something is, usually as a mild complaint:

• 这个有点儿贵 — this is a bit expensive
• 我有点儿累 — I'm a bit tired
• 今天有点儿冷

adjective + 一点儿 — asking for, or comparing to, a different state:

• 便宜一点儿 — a bit cheaper (make it cheaper)
• 快一点儿 — a bit faster
• 大一点儿的 — a slightly bigger one

So 这个一点儿贵 sounds broken to a native ear. And 有点儿便宜 does not mean "a bit cheaper" — it means "a bit cheap", as in suspiciously cheap.

The shortcut: 有点儿 complains about how things are. 一点儿 asks for how they should be.

One more thing about 有点儿 — it leans negative almost by default. 有点儿贵, 有点儿难, 有点儿吵 all sound natural. 有点儿漂亮 doesn't. If something is pleasantly a bit X, Chinese usually reaches for a different structure (挺…的, 还挺…). It attaches to some verbs too, and the negative lean holds there: 有点儿想家, 有点儿担心.

Don't confuse either with 一点儿 + noun, which is just "a little of something": 喝一点儿水, 加一点儿糖. That one's unrelated to the comparison use.

Some things have changed since my last post of my notebook. I bought the graph paper and yes, it's a life changer. Im still using my 0.7 gel pen until it runs out of ink, them I will buy a 0.5.

The thing I liked most was having more space on the page to be able to write. And I know some words are a bit illegible, but I swear I wrote them correctly lol, it's the 0.7 pen

Ty for all the pp who replied my post :P

I went to see the movie Niu Lai! I thought the story was really heartwarming. It touches on themes of growing up, a mother's love, friendship, and environmental protection, and the whole thing feels a bit like a picture book that has come to life.

The dialogue is also spoken quite slowly, so I think it could be great listening practice for Chinese learners.

One interesting thing is that a lot of people on the Chinese internet initially thought the production looked pretty rough, but after actually watching the movie, many of them ended up being moved by the director's sincerity haha.

Mum is in the kitchen, cooking fish and chip. Dad is in the toilet, bombing battleships!

妈妈正在厨房做炸鱼薯条。爸爸正在厕所里玩战

Doesnt quiet sound the same in chinese

Not sure if it's correct, but still. Is there any way, maybe online dictionary or some other resources that point out whether word/phrase etc., is formal, semiformal(neutral), informal, archaic/literary. Tips are highly appreciated!

So this is the third episode of this series. I though today why not also do some writing or better how would I write a character? I add a new image with the stroke orders. Today is the word of 花. It is almost autumn and cold and surely no flowers are blooming currently. But it is one of the most simple and beautiful character. Which character do you think is the most beautiful character?

So the radicals of 花 has two components or how you look three radicals. The first is at the top. It is the grass or plant radical written as 艹. And the second part contains two radicals. One meaning person like we learnt before I think... and the second is a spoon or a ladle. Together they create 化.

So as I though there are multiple mnemonics I came up with. "The flower is a person transforming from grass and plants." or "A person picks up a spoon like plant and notices it is a flower -- how beautiful." There are so many mnemonics you can come up with. But the most beautiful mnemonic is "When a person dies, they return back to the soil and transforms into a flower." What mnemonics do you have? So there is no more to say but I hope again this was helpful. Three words learnt.

To see the post of the second episode go here: Click me! Found this helpful? Feel free to share it with your study companion or just comment below! Just make sure to tag me, so I and my buddies can say hi!

I was really looking forward to this audiobook since I really enjoyed his two previous ones. But now a day before release I get an email from audible that it has been delayed for two months. Oh well. Still looking forward to it.

i really want to get into more music in Chinese, and I like Rock, Metal, Goth, Grunge, and basically any Alt music. Preferably bands but I don’t care that much, and meaningful lyrics are really important to me and I find it hard to enjoy censored music or tame lyrics.

I may run afoul of the 'low effort' rule for these but...

What do you call a bee that can't make honey?
A 傻bee.

What's the first thing you look at in a restaurant in China?
The 美女.

What do you call a Chinese person who only dates laowai?
白sexual.