Chinese Learning Tips

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How to improve Chinese writing skills?

Whether you're learning Chinese as a second language or striving to enhance your proficiency in writing, there are several strategies that can help...

Chinese Learning Tips for Beginners

If you're a beginner taking your first steps in Chinese learning, these tips will guide you along the path to fluency and confidence.

10 Tips on How to Memorize Chinese Words

Unlock the secrets of mastering Chinese word memorization with our expert tips. From effective mnemonic techniques to immersive learning strategies.

How to Improve Chinese Pronunciation?

Chinese pronounciation is challenging, but with the right strategies, anyone can improve their Chinese pronunciation significantly.

Mandarin learning tips

7 Hacks for Learning Mandarin as a Beginner

If you feel intimidated by the Chinese language, that fear is most likely fueled by the fact that Chinese is only different.

Language Learning

Learning Chinese through Music

Music is a valuable tool for improving conversational language skills for foreign language learners.

Chinese Tongue Twisters For Beginners

What are Chinese tongue twisters? Check out our post and challenge your skills. These verbal exercises will help you with your Chinese pronunciation.

How to Prepare for HSK 3 Exam?

When studying Mandarin, the first step required to go from beginner to intermediate level is to pass HSK level 3. This certificate can be required...

learning Chinese

Chinese Pronunciation Cheat Sheet For Beginners

How do you pronounce X and Zh in Chinese? An English teacher made this guide to help non-native Chinese speakers learn to pronounce Chinese phonetics.

What Are Chinese Homophones?

Homophones are fairly common in Chinese, forming an important part of the subtext of everyday communication, and significantly influencing cultural...

How To Use Chengyu (成语) Properly

Chengyu are Chinese idioms, usually consisting of four characters. They usually have a very specific meaning, making it difficult to translate them...

Chinese Animals With Very Literal Names

Unlike English ones, Chinese animal names cannot be created by fitting sounds together. Instead, they generally directly describe characteristics of...

What is Putonghua?

What is putonghua, and is it different from Mandarin? Learn more about this form of Chinese and the history behind it.

6 Terms Of Endearment In Chinese

Interested in how to flirt in Chinese, or how to sweet-talk your bae in Mandarin? We've got a list of terms of endearment in Chinese.

What Are Mandarin Tone Pairs?

Everyone knows Chinese is a tonal language, but how these tones interact with one another is one way to help you speak Chinese with no accent.

Mandarin learning tips

How To Introduce Yourself In Chinese

Whether it's casual or for business, knowing how to do self introduction in Chinese is a must! Here are tips on how make a great first impression in...

How to Choose a Chinese Name

How to choose an authentic Chinese name that also incorporates something about your personal or cultural identity, and why you shouldn't use an auto...

What is the HSK (And Should You Take it)?

The HSK Chinese Proficiency Test is the standardized test of Chinese language ability for professionals and university students, like a TOEFL for...

Is Chinese the World's Hardest Language?

Chinese often gets a bad rap for being extremely difficult. However, we may be looking at the wrong criteria in judging which languages are most...

What Is A "Chinese Dialect?"

Is Mandarin a Chinese dialect or a Chinese language? How did Cantonese evolve away from Mandarin? Explore the linguistic differences in varieties of...

How to Type in Chinese

Learning how to type in Chinese using a computer or mobile device. These tips will help you to apply what you've learned to start writing in PinYin...

"What Are You Doing" in Chinese: Week 9

Learn to say and answer, "where are you" and "what are you doing" in Chinese. Efrain beginner's guide to learning Mandarin also covers how to use 在...

How To Say Numbers In Chinese

Learning to count numbers in Mandarin Chinese is simple, because the Chinese number system is very straightforward.

"Money" in Chinese: Week 8

Efrain continues his beginner's guide to learning Chinese. This week, he reviews their new free TutorMing Classroom app on how to ask how much money...

The VERY Complicated Chinese Family Tree

The Chinese family tree is notoriously intricate. Learn how to say different kinship terms in Chinese, such as "mother," "aunt" and "cousin."

Can Chinese Be Written In An Alphabet?

Can Chinese characters be replaced by Roman letters? Is it possible for Chinese to be written in an alphabet? Our expert linguist breaks it down.

"Flirting" Romantic Chinese: Week 7

Efrain studies some Mandarin phrases to learn how to flirt in China. This week, he reviews TutorMing's free webinar on how to flirt in Chinese.

English Idioms That Also Exist in Chinese

These classic English idioms, such as "kill two birds with one stone" have a Chinese counterpart! Learn these Chinese sayings to sound mofre fluent.

"Food" in Chinese: Week 6

Efrain's guide to learning Chinese. Follow along in his sixth week learning with TutorMing in order to learn how to say your favorite foods in...

"Where Are You From" in Chinese: Week 5

Follow Efrain's guide to learning Chinese. In his fifth week reviewing TutorMing, he learns Chinese grammar based on the question, "Where are you...

A Simple Explanation Of Chinese Characters

Ever wonder how Chinese characters work? Instead of being based on an alphabet, they are components of meanings that come together to form phrases.

"Directions" in Chinese: Week 4

Continuing our beginner's guide of learning Mandarin with TutorMing, Efrain learns compass directions like north, south, east, west and geography in...

ChengYu: 举案齐眉 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "举案齐眉" means in English and how to use it in a sentence. It has to do with mutual respect in marriage.

ChengYu: 朝三暮四 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "朝三暮四" means in English and how to use it in a sentence. It has to do with monkeys, chestnuts, and being indecisive.

"Feelings" in Chinese: Week 2

Follow Efrain's journey learning Chinese. In week two, he learns how to say emotions in Chinese, such as "mad," "sad," and "scared," in everyday life.

ChengYu: 知难而退 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "知难而退" means in English and how to use it in a sentence. It has to do to with knowing when to retreat.

"Travel" Chinese: Week 1

Follow Efrain's journey as he takes his first week's lesson, using useful travel vocabulary in Chinese. He learns phrases like how to say "where to"...

How To Use: Classifers In Chinese

Classifiers (also known as counters) are used in Chinese to help quantify and count nouns. Learn more about how to use this essential Chinese grammar

Idioms

ChengYu: 自食其果 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "自食其果" means and how to use it in a sentence! Zi Shi Qi Guo when translated means "karma" or "you reap what you sow."

ChengYu: 三生有幸 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "三生有幸" means and how to use it in a sentence! San Sheng You Xing when literally translated means blessing in three...

ChengYu: 自相矛盾 Meaning

"There once was a salesman who sold spears and shields..." Check out what the Chinese idiom "自相矛盾" means and how to use it in a sentence! It has to...

How To Use: Chinese Punctuation

Chinese punctuation is similar to that of Western languages, but there are still differences: for example, the Chinese "period" is a circle instead...

What Is ChengYu?

ChengYu are idioms that typically consist of four Chinese characters and originate from Chinese history and fables The beauty of ChengYu lies in its...

Formal Written Chinese Numbers

Did you know that there are two ways to write every Chinese number? Instead of the more simple "一, 二,三..." for writing "1,2,3" the capitalization of...

ChengYu: 东施效颦 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "东施效颦" means and how to use it in a sentence. It has to do to with blindly following others.

ChengYu: 井底之蛙 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "井底之蛙" means and how to use it in a sentence. It‘s a fable called "the frog in the well."

ChengYu: 十面埋伏 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "十面埋伏" means and how to use it in a sentence. It was also the title of a popular Chinese film by Zhang YiMou, "House...

How To Use: 坐 vs. 座 In Chinese

Learn the differences between the two "zuo" characters in Chinese! "坐" and "座" are frequently mixed up, but with our Chinese grammar tips, you'll...

Top 5 Chinese Dictionary Apps

We review the best Chinese-English Dictionary Apps so you don't have to! Find out which apps are the best to supplement your Chinese learning!

How To Use: 的, 地, And 得 In Chinese

The "De" particles in Chinese are some of the hardest characters in Chinese grammar to grasp. Not only are they homophones, but they are also all...

Mandarin learning tips

What Is Pinyin?

What is Pinyin? Pinyin is a way of writing Chinese. It's spelling is based on the Mandarin pronunciation. Learn more about Pinyin here.

ChengYu: 二分明月 Meaning

Check out what the Chinese idiom "二分明月" means and how to use it in a sentence. Loosely translated, it means "two parts of a bright moons" It is used...

ChengYu: 闭月羞花 MEANING

Two beautiful Chinese women, DiaoChan and Yang GuiFei, caused a lot of political problems when they were involved with powerful men! Read more about...

7 MandoPop Songs To Help You Learn Chinese

Did you know that you can improve your Chinese speaking skills by singing? Sing along to these 7 MandoPop songs, from artists like Wang LeeHom and...

How to Learn Chinese: 5 Key Steps

How do you learn Chinese? From learning Pinyin, to learning how to write Chinese, see how the experts at TutorMing think you should get started.

How To Use: 做 vs. 作 in Chinese

Here are two more Chinese homophones that even native speakers mix up, "做" and "作!" One of them means "to make" and the other refers to abstract...

How To Use: 在 vs. 再 In Chinese

Learn the differences between the two "zai" characters in Chinese! "在" and "再" are frequently mixed up, but with our Chinese grammar tips, you'll...

Announcing The Pinyin App Launch - Free!

Try the best free pinyin app to help you master pinyin and Chinese pronunciation! This free pinyin table app is available for both iOS and Android....

How To Order Food in Chinese

TutorMing will teach you how to order food at a Chinese restaurant in Mandarin. Impress the staff and your friends with your fluency in Chinese!

7 Basic Rules To Chinese Stroke Order

Stroke order is surprisingly important when it comes to writing Chinese characters. These are the basic rules for stroke order, which will help you...

How To Say "No" in Chinese

Do you know how to say "no" in Chinese? Well, there is no direct answer. TutorMing will teach you how to use negation markers in Chinese like "不" and...

The "in" vs "ing" sound in Chinese

Aside from the four tones in Mandarin Chinese, you also have to be concerned with mixing up "in" and "ing" sounds. Even native speakers struggle to...

ChengYu: 沉鱼落雁 Meaning

The Chinese idiom: "沉鱼落雁" literally means "fish sinking and birds falling." It is used to describe beautiful women, specifically two of the four...

ChengYu: 一事无成 Meaning

The meaning of the Chinese idiom, "一事无成" is used to describe failures. For example, someone who has been at the same job for years and has no...

Mandarin learning tips

How Long Does It REALLY Take To Learn Chinese?

Mandarin Chinese is not an easy language to learn. The experts at TutorMing lay out exactly how long you can expect it take for you to become fluent...

ChengYu: 一字千金 Meaning

The meaning of the Chinese idiom, "一字千金" means "one word is worth a thousand in gold!" It's used to describe well written poems or composition.

ChengYu: 一丘之貉 Meaning

The meaning of the Chinese idiom, "一丘之貉" is literally "raccoons of the same hill." This chengyu has a similar meaning to "birds of a feather flock...

ChengYu: 一木难支 Meaning

Check out the meaning of the Chinese idiom, "一木难支!" We take a look at the origins behind this chengyu, along with how to use it in a sentence!

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