It will only take [est_time] to read this post! WHAT IS THE YCT? The YCT or Youth Chinese Test is similar to the HSK exam but is specifically designed for children under the age of 16 whose first language is not Chinese. The Chinese name for the YCT is 中小学生汉语考试 (zhōng xiǎo xué shēng hàn… Read More
Whilst 不 (bù) can be said to be the closest translation to saying no in Chinese, it tends not to be used by itself. An important rule to follow when saying no in Chinese is to add 没 (méi) or 不 (bù) in front of a verb or verb clause. When the verb is 有 (yǒu)… Read More
Did you know there are 218 Chinese radicals? Although that sounds like a lot, many of them have a very specific meaning and can be extremely useful when learning to read (and write) Chinese characters. Often, a radical will ‘connect’ all the characters with that same radical, which helps you to remember them. For example,… Read More
It will only take [est_time] to read this post! So, you’re wondering whether to study Chinese or not? Probably one of the biggest questions you have is, ‘how many Chinese characters do I have to learn?’ Problem is, there are lots of numbers flying about on the old interweb, such as: 50,000 (whaaaaat?) 91251. According… Read More
When I first started to learn Mandarin, I really couldn’t get my head around the idea that there wasn’t really a word for yes in Chinese. The ones that I initially picked up and used were 是的 (shì de) and 对 (duì), but there are quite a few more that you can use in order… Read More
This is the second half of our article on how to handwrite Chinese characters addressing some more complex strokes. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to take a look at the first part of our post: How to Handwrite Chinese Characters with Finesse. 钩画的写法 (gōu huà de xiě fǎ) How to write the ‘Gou’ Stroke… Read More