“Exploding Red”- Three Auspicious Uses of 红
In China, red is king. Used to describe everything from money and politics to modern internet memes and ancient artistic imagery, red is the undisputable national color of the Middle Kingdom. Today,...
View ArticleHey Zuckerberg: Learn these Chinese Idioms!
We all know Mark Zuckerberg is learning Chinese. Next time he is in China, we have some new idioms for him to practice. Whether it was overhyped, poorly executed, or even unnecessary, the consensus is...
View ArticlePizza in Beijing? Gotta Find the “Original Juice!”
Looking to find an authentic slice of NY style pizza in Beijing? How about some spicy Sichuan hot pot in London? When travelling internationally, there will always be foods, styles, art, and cultural...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Nancy Zhang
In our eighth installment of our Lessons in Learning Chinese series, we’re happy to feature Nancy Zhang. In her own words- I am a rising senior at Vassar College pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in...
View ArticleAttention Bachelors- Describing Chinese Beauty
Good news for our single male readers- Chinese has dozens of fantastically descriptive terms and idioms describing feminine beauty. Next time you eligible bachelors out there spot a beautiful Chinese...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Hamish Young
Next up in our Lessons in Learning Chinese series is Hamish Young. As an experienced Chinese translator, we thank him for sharing his unique insights with us! In his own words- I was tricked into...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Benjamin Dickman
In the 10th (!) post of our Lessons in Learning Chinese series, we are thrilled to speak with Benjamin Dickman. In his own words: I’m originally from Brookline, Mass., and currently living in New York...
View ArticleChengyus for NBA Champion Lebron James
Lebron James and the Miami Heat won the NBA Championship. We’re guessing Lebron currently has other priorities outside of studying Chinese. We don’t! Let’s look today at three chengyu’s which are...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Olle Linge
Next up in our Lessons in Learning Chinese series is Olle Linge. He is behind one of our absolute favorite blogs on learning Chinese, and we are thrilled to feature him! In his own words… I’ve been...
View ArticleHappy Nuts and Dumb Eggs: Foods with Personality
Do you ascribe a certain personality to any of the foods you eat? The way food-related terms appear in common vocabulary is another wonderful demonstration of the rich imagery ever present in Chinese....
View ArticleGoing with the Flow: Bandwagoners in Chinese
Are you a trendsetter, or a bandwagoner? Do you march to the beat of your own drum, or follow the herd? Whether it be sports allegiances, fashion choices, music tastes or other cultural trends, there...
View ArticleHot on Weibo: 7 Flimsiest Breakup Reasons
When summer-loving has run its course and it’s time to part ways, you’ll always remember the final words. If you have ever been dumped with the standard “it’s not you, it’s me”, take solace that it...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Natasha Lutes
There are countless fascinating Chinese language learners out there, and we are honored to feature interviews with many of them here. Next up in our series is Natasha Lutes. In her own words, I’m 25,...
View ArticleNew Series: No Nonsense Newbie Tips!
With over 100 blog posts under our belt, we’ve decided to switch gears a bit. This past year, we’ve had a blast bringing you essential chengyus, advanced slang, hot on Weibo, Chinese learner...
View ArticleNo Nonsense Newbie Tips: 知道 vs 认识
For the first in our series No Nonsense Newbie Tips, let’s tackle the particularly thorny issue of 知道 (zhīdào) versus 认识 (rènshi). Both approximately hover around the English “to know”, but there are...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Dan Jones
Next up in ourLessons in Learning Chinese series is experienced learner Dan Jones. Be sure to check out his blog here, where he posts lots of great photographs from China. In his own words: I’m from...
View ArticleHot on Weibo: The Anatomy of a “Winning” Character
What are five qualities a winner must possess? How could you represent them all in one character? A fascinating image circulated on Weibo this week. It is a great example of the profound and logical...
View Article3 Chengyus for New iPad Launch in China
Despite a glut of counterfeit products, Apple has been finding stunning success in China. Today, Apple looks to build on this success with the launch of the “New iPad” in China. Whether you are an...
View ArticleNo Nonsense Newbie Tips:想 vs. 觉得
In the next installment of our No Nonsense Newbie Tips, lets examine another important distinction long giving Chinese learners grief. Like “I know“, “I think” is one of the very first phrases learned...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Sarah Heintze
Next up in our Lessons in Learning Chinese series is Sarah Heintze. In her own words, My name is Sarah, although my friends call me Selly. You’re very welcome to use my Chinese nickname 小南瓜 (very...
View ArticleHot on Weibo: Top 7 Olympic Champion Tweets (part 1)
You are going to great lengths and exerting tremendous effort to learn Chinese. Why not learn from champions? The London Olympics are just a few days in, and China is already racking up an impressive...
View ArticleNo Nonsense Newbie Tips: 会 vs. 能
After tackling 知道 vs 认识 and 觉得 vs 想, lets continue with a distinction a few readers have written inquiring about: 会 vs. 能. Like “to know” and “to think” before it, “can” or “able” is an English word …
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Matt Johnson
In the 15th post in our Lessons in Learning Chinese series, today we feature Matt Johnson. Matt has had a few exciting years in China, and is now in Beijing working as a tech-journalist. He brings his …
View ArticleHey Ladies! “Handsome” Chinese Chengyus
To our female readers who felt snubbed by our post on Chinese Female Beauty, don’t fret! 与众不同 (yǔ zhòng bù tóng- stand out from the crowd) and say goodbye to the tired 帅哥 (shuài gē) next time you find …
View ArticleNo Nonsense Newbie Tips: What the Heck is up with 了?
The mother of all Newbie conundrums: 了 This is one of the simplest of all Chinese particles, one which you probably encountered in Chapter 1 of your textbook. However, after the initial “new word glow”...
View ArticleUnderstanding, Honesty, and Waste: Abstract Meanings of 白
We’ve looked before at the very auspicious meanings of 红 (red) in Chinese. Today, let’s examine 白 (bái- white), and explore some of its wide range of meanings. In an excellent paper from 2008, Janet...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Allan Ngo
Next in our series is Allan Ngo! Allan has been a good friend of FluentU over the months, and we are happy to have the chance to feature him today. A bit about Allan: Allan Ngo helps busy people like …
View ArticleFluentU Launching Public Beta September 3rd!
Over the past year, we have worked hard bringing you some of the web’s best Chinese learning content on our blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Yes, you may already be familiar with our essential chengyus,...
View ArticleHot on Weibo: Being Single on Chinese Valentine’s Day (七夕)
七夕节 (qī xī jié), commonly known as Chinese Valentine’s Day or Magpie Festival, is an ancient traditional holiday falling on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is a...
View ArticleNo Nonsense Newbie Tips: Question Particles 吗, 吧, 呢
One of the pure joys and enduring charms of spoken Chinese is the prevalence of “exclamatory particles”. These are one syllable, neutral tone words which slip off your tongue at the end of a sentence...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Kevin Lewis
Today we are proud to feature Kevin Lewis. As Principal of Mandarin World in Shanghai, we are thrilled to get his tips and advice for learning Chinese. In his own words, I am originally from Adelaide...
View ArticleFluentU Launching Public Beta in 3 Days!
Since announcing our planned beta launch less than two short weeks ago, we have welcomed hundreds of new users, uploaded dozens of new videos, and been featured on some of our favorite Chinese learning...
View ArticleTop Chengyus to Describe FluentU Launch!
If you are currently reading this, no doubt you have already signed up for FluentU beta (and if not, then stop reading and go!) After months of humbly blogging away while quietly designing and building...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Matt Owen
Today we feature an old friend of ours here at FluentU. Matt Owen came to China on a whim in 2006, and ended up studying Chinese at Tsinghua University for 3 semesters. I can personally say I’ve...
View ArticleHot on Weibo: “My Mom is Always Saying…”
Whether it be sage advice, nagging reminders, pesky intrusions, or reassuring comfort, mothers around the world offer steady streams of profound lessons and petty quibs. Weibo users spent the last few...
View ArticleUncovering 黑: Three Abstract Meanings
In a post from last month, we explored several of the abstract meanings of the character 白, or white. Today, we’ll look at 白‘s spiritual opposite: 黑, and its breadth of abstract meanings. As...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Greg Bell
Today we feature Greg Bell. Originally from New Jersey, he went to college in Michigan, then proceeded half way around the world to Taiwan, where he is now studying for his Master’s degree in...
View ArticleNo Nonsense Newbie Tips: Four 喜欢 Alternatives
In this installment of No Nonsense Newbie Tips, we want to help our readers escape the 喜欢 (xǐ huan) rut. Found in chapter 1 of all beginner textbooks, 喜欢 is an easy catch all for anything and...
View ArticleAt a Loss for Words: Top 6 “Aargghh” Words
Perplexing language mistakes. Bewildering cultural chasms. Head scratching conundrums. Learning Chinese, it can often feel as if you are simply jumping from mortifying moment to puzzling predicament....
View ArticleNo Nonsense Newbie Tips: 6 非常 Alternatives
Another classic newbie rut. Like “喜欢“， ”非常” (fēi cháng) is a word beginners learn to embrace early. It is an extremely useful adverb meaning “very” or “extremely”, and can be used in a wide variety of …
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Joyce Cai
For the first time in this Lessons in Learning Chinese series, we will be featuring not a learner of the Chinese language, but a teacher! Today we talk to Joyce Cai, a Marketing Assistant at Open...
View ArticleTop 10 Tweets of September
Another month of bringing you Twitter’s best daily Chinese word and phrases tweets! All you have to do is follow us on Twitter (@FluentU), then sit back and watch the daily words, phrases, chengyus,...
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Phil Beckwith
This week on our Lessons in Learning Chinese series we are happy to feature Phil Beckwith. Without further adieu, “My name is Philip Beckwith. My hobby used to be music, performing it and listening to...
View ArticleNo Nonsense Newbie Tips: Alternatives to “一点”
Continuing our No Nonsense Newbie Tips series, today we look at alternatives to 一点 (yī diǎn). 一点 is a great little word meaning “a little bit” or “somewhat“, and is very flexible in usage. It can …
View ArticleLessons in Learning Chinese: Yangyang Cheng
Today we are thrilled to talk with Chinese teacher Yangyang Cheng, founder of Yoyo Chinese, and host of one of the most popular Chinese teaching Youtube channels (with over 4 million views!) Before...
View ArticleFluentU Now Features Traditional Characters!
Since launching public beta last month, we have welcomed thousands of new users eager for a new way to learn Chinese through authentic online video. Many of you have been forthcoming in feature...
View ArticleThe Many Varieties of “上班族”
The joys of the “上班族” life (shàng bān zú: office workers) – surrounding yourself with people from different backgrounds, all working together towards a common goal for everybody’s mutual benefit. Or...
View ArticleIntroducing FluentU!
Since our public beta launch last month, we are excited and humbled to have welcomed thousands of new users to FluentFlix. It has been thrilling watching the feedback and support continue to roll in,...
View ArticleChina’s Most “Ambitious” Chengyus
As a reader of this blog, we already know you are an ambitious type. As profiled in a certain learner interview from the spring, as a student of the Chinese language, you “recognize and respect the...
View ArticleTop 10 Tweets of October
In addition to the big news we announced in August (support for traditional characters, rebranding as FluentU), we kept the pedal to the metal with our language tweets. Those of you following us on...
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