Kwadwo

CHINESE PHRASES

Do you want to know my all-time secret tips for learning Chinese?

Talk to locals. Ask questions. Be brave enough to fail. No one is going to laugh at you, sometimes your tones might be off and your ego might deflate slightly, but generally, you’ll encounter upbeat locals who are delighted to help you with your Chinese.

Know a word but not a phrase? Deconstruct it to the simplest form and ask them how they’d say it, like a local. Write it down, or better yet, get them to write it down in pinyin and Chinese characters, and revise later. Repeat the same actions and phrases to memories them, and flashcards. Oh yeah, add them to your flashcard deck to sneak in new useful vocab.

[Read more…] about Can You Put These Bananas In A Bag?

QUICKFIRE PHRASES

Is daily China life frustrating, because ting bu dong?

I totally understand you. But listen to me, you’ve got this!

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Elementary Chinese teaches you the everyday language you need, to communicate what you want. That might be how to order food in a restaurant, how to study for the HSK exams, how to talk to your Cab Driver, or how to get over that fear of talking to delivery drivers on the phone.

Whatever you need, there is a video for you to improve your vocab or enhance your tones.

[Read more…] about Quickfire Phrases: Tell The Cashier You Don’t Need A Receipt

BOOK REVIEW

Today we look inside the Mandarin Chinese Picture Dictionary from Tuttle.

Tuttle is the premier publisher of Chinese language learning books. They have over 15 different books for Chinese language learning. Here are a few that I’ve reviewed:

Chinese Flashcards
Reading and Writing Chinese
Mandarin Chinese for Beginners
Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Vol. 1
Making Out in Chinese
The First 100 Chinese Characters

[Read more…] about Mandarin Chinese Picture Dictionary Review

BOOK REVIEW

It’s no secret that at Elementary Chinese, I don’t like grammar. I focus on the everyday Chinese you need to communicate what you want.

But, if you are a very studious individual or you’re learning for the HSK exams this grammar book is solid.

[Read more…] about Chinese Grammar Wiki Book Review

CHINESE VOCAB

If you live in China you’ll undoubtedly have visited a Chinese hospital, drank some crazy Chinese medicine, had communication barriers with the Doctors and Nurses and found yourself with a prescription of a billion different medicines and instructions.

Being sick in a foreign country can be super overwhelming, especially when you’re far away from family members and loved ones. Who’s gonna make your soup, bring you blankets and love you unconditionally when you’re all bunged up?

Side note: this video was filmed in September 2019. I am healthy and my heart goes out to those quarantined in China, and globally at this time.

Basic vocabulary when at the hospital

In this video, I visit the hospital and break down some of the basic phrases you need to know to communicate effectively with your Doctor or Nurse.

Also, when I first arrived in China I was super surprised to be visiting a hospital for something as simple as a cold. Clinics and Doctors Surgeries are not so common, for most illnesses you go straight to the hospital and they’ll

I’ve known expats who have taken Chinese colleagues or friends with them to the hospital to help with translation. It really helps when you’re in distress to be with someone you trust has your best interests at heart and can speak the language fluently. However, don’t get sucked into this trap of asking someone to speak for you. Actively seek out new words and situations that expand your Chinese vocab.

Finally, always check with your insurance before visiting a hospital. Most insurances work with a number of approved hospitals, so make sure you’re covered before getting treatment and ending up with a huge bill that the insurance won’t cover.

Now, for those phrases:

I have a cold.
我感冒了
wǒ gǎn mào le

Fever
发烧
fā shāo

Headache
头疼
tóu téng

Dizziness
头晕
tóu yūn

Nausea ????
恶心
é xīn

Vomit
呕吐
óu tù

Diarrhea
拉肚子
lā dù zi

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Do you want to master Chinese tones?

If you want to be confident that your tones sound good when you speak Mandarin, and you want strategies to effectively learn Chinese on your own, then I’m here to help you! ????????

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A quick and important disclosure:
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. I recommend them because they are helpful and useful.

CHINESE VOCAB

Today I’m in a supermarket and we’ll go through from start to finish what to say when paying for items at a cash register.

One of my most useful tips is to go to 7/11 or Family Mart and just listen to how the cashier greets other people in the queue. Listen to how they respond. Listen to how they ask for food items and how the cashier asks for money or methods of payment. Listen to the conversation about scanning QR codes, and using AliPay or WeChat. Write it all down in a note in your phone.

Go back to work and ask your colleagues to decipher your notes. Maybe you missed something and they can help you fill in the blanks. The next day go to the supermarket and listen all over again. Go early, during rush hour when everyone is getting their breakfast just before work. That way there will be more people in the queue and you can listen to the dialogue over and over again.

[Read more…] about Everyday Cash Register Chinese Practice!