#chinese vocab list

[chinesekoreanandmore]

Vocabulary List #58

夕 [xī] - evening

名 [míng] - name

千 [qiān] - a thousand

舌 [shé] - tongue

不 [bù] - no; not

的 [de] - belonging to

大 [dà] - big

又 [yòu] - again

粥 [zhōu] - congee

茶 [chá] - tea

橙子 [chéngzi] - orange (the fruit)

子 [zi] - child; noun suffix

了 [le] - completed action marker

错了 [cuòle] - wrong

对了 [duìle] - correct; oh, by the way...

土 [tŭ] - earth; dust

[linghxr]

20 fun Chinese figurative language expressions

A collection of fun figurative expressions I've learned/come across.

【1】 劈腿 pǐtuǐ Literal: to do the splits Figurative: two-timing (in romantic relationships)

【2】 穿小鞋 chuānxiǎoxié Literal: wear tight shoes Figurative: to make life difficult for sbdy

【3】 鸡肋（雞肋）jīlèi Literal: chicken ribs Figurative: smth of little value that one is reluctant to give up

【4】 绊脚石（絆腳石）bànjiǎoshí Literal: stone that trips one's foot Figurative: stumbling block / obstacle / smth that gets in your way

【5】 摸鱼（摸魚）mōyú Literal: to catch fish Figurative: to loaf on the job / slack off

【6】 踢皮球 tīpíqiú Literal: to kick a ball around Figurative: to mutually shirk responsibility / to pass the buck

【7】 乌鸦嘴（烏鴉嘴）wūyāzuǐ Literal: crow's beak Figurative: person who makes an inauspicious remark (jinxes it)

【8】 露馅（露餡）lòuxiàn Literal: spill filling Figurative: to expose (a secret) / to spill the beans / to let the cat out of the bag

【9】 缩头乌龟（縮頭烏龜）suōtóuwūguī Literal: a turtle that pulls its head in Figurative: coward

【10】 掉链子（掉鏈子）diàoliànzi Literal: to have one's bicycle chain come off Figurative: to let sb down; to drop the ball; to screw up

【11】 放鸽子（放鴿子）fànggēzi Literal: release doves Figurative: to stand sb up / to bail on sb

【12】 唱反调（唱反調）chàngfǎndiào Literal: sing in the opposite key Figurative: to express a different view / to take a different position

【13】 尘埃落定（塵埃落定）chén'āiluòdìng Literal: the dust has settled Figurative: to get sorted out / to be finalized

【14】 抱大腿 bàodàtuǐ Literal: hug the thigh Figurative: to cling to sb influential or famous

【15】 出轨（出軌）chūguǐ Literal: to be derailed; to go off the rails Figurative: to overstep the bounds / to have an extramarital affair

【16】 塌房 tāfáng Literal: house collapse Figurative: to have one's reputation tank due to a scandal

【17】 同温层（同溫層）tóngwēncéng Literal: stratosphere Figurative: echo chamber, bubble

【18】 敲门砖（敲門磚）qiāoménzhuān Literal: a brick picked up to knock on the door and then discarded Figurative: stepping-stone to success

【19】 眼中钉（眼中釘）yǎnzhōngdīng Literal: a nail in one's eye Figurative: smth or sbdy you detest / a thorn in one's side

【20】 小辫子（小辮子）xiǎobiànzi Literal: pigtail Figurative: a shortcoming or wrongdoing that can be seized upon by others

[fangcaodi]

Mysterious Lotus Casebook 《莲花楼》 vocab list

Part 1/4, episodes 1-10

神医（神醫）shényī - highly skilled doctor; miracle-working doctor

信得过（信得過）xìndeguò - trustworthy / reliable

两清（兩清）liǎngqīng - to square accounts (between borrower and lender or between buyer and seller)

金箔 jīnbó - gold leaf

登仙 dēngxiān - to become immortal

蝉蜕（蟬蛻）chántuì - to free oneself / to extricate oneself from

私生子 sīshēngzǐ - illegitimate child (male) / bastard / love child

剑客（劍客）jiànkè - swordsman

内力（內力）nèilì - internal energy or power

小厮（小廝）xiǎosī - underage male servant

镖头（鏢頭）biāotóu - head escort

护卫（護衛）hùwèi - bodyguard (for officials in ancient times)

金针（金針）jīnzhēn - needle used in embroidery or sewing / acupuncture needle

二小姐（二小姐）èrxiǎojiě - second daughter of a family

客栈（客棧）kèzhàn - tavern / guest house / inn / hotel

讨公道（討公道）tǎo gōngdào - seek fair treatment or justice

尊上 zūnshàng - master / elder

撞见（撞見）zhuàngjiàn - to meet by accident

徒儿（徒兒）tú'ér - disciple

武林 wǔlín - martial arts circles

吃席 chīxí - to attend a banquet (funeral, wedding etc)

邪术（邪術）xiéshù - sorcery

且慢 qiěmàn - wait a moment / do not go too soon

垂泪（垂淚）chuílèi - shed tears

暗器 ànqì - concealed weapon

自大狂 zìdàkuáng - megalomania / egomania / delusions of grandeur

和尚 héshang - Buddhist monk

老衲（老衲）lǎonà - I; me (used by an old Buddhist monk to refer to himself)

招摇（招��）zhāoyáo - to act ostentatiously / to brag / to show off

调包（調包）diàobāo - to steal sb's valuable item and substitute a similar-looking but worthless item

撕破脸（撕破臉）sīpòliǎn - to have an acrimonious falling-out / to shed all pretense of cordiality / to tear into each other

见笑（見笑）jiànxiào - to mock / to be ridiculed / to incur ridicule through one's poor performance (humble)

实不相瞒（實不相瞞）shíbùxiāngmán - truth to tell / to be quite honest...

遗骨（遺骨）yígǔ - human remains

计较（計較）jìjiào - to bicker / to argue

尸首（屍首）shīshou - corpse / carcass / dead body

石榴裙（石榴裙）shíliúqún - pomegranate-red skirt/dress

犬子 quǎnzǐ - my son (humble)

[lingpaopao]

. ݁₊ ⊹ 🍭🍨 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘝𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘺 🍧🍰 . ݁˖

// Candy // Cotton candy ~ 棉花糖 (miánhuātáng) Note: 'marshmallow' has the same name as cotton candy in Chinese Gummy ~ 软糖 (ruǎntáng) Lollipop ~ 棒棒糖 (bàngbàngtáng) Fudge ~ 乳脂软糖 (rǔzhī ruǎntáng) Caramel ~ 焦糖 (jiāotáng) Jellybean ~ 果冻豆 (guǒdòng dòu) Toffee ~ 太妃糖 (tàifēi táng) Liquorice ~ 甘草 (gāncǎo) // Baked Sweets // Cupcake ~ 杯子蛋糕 (bēizi dàngāo) Brownie ~ 布朗尼 (bùlǎngní) Sponge cake ~ 海绵蛋糕 (hǎimián dàngāo) Lava cake ~ 熔岩蛋糕 (Róngyán dàngāo) Black forest cake ~ 黑森林蛋糕 (hēisēnlín dàngāo) Cheesecake ~ 乳酪蛋糕 (rǔlào dàngāo) Tiramisu ~ 提拉米苏 (tílāmǐsū) Scone ~ 司康 (sīkāng) Macaron ~ 马卡龙 (mǎkǎlóng) Waffle ~ 华夫饼 (huáfū bǐng) Tart ~ 塔 (tǎ) Crepe ~ 可丽饼 (kělì bǐng) Pie ~ 派 (pài) Chocolate chip cookie ~ 巧克力碎片饼干 (qiǎokèlì suìpiàn bǐnggān) Donut ~ 甜甜圈 (tiántiánquān) Brulee ~ 烤布蕾 (kǎo bùlěi) Creampie ~ 奶油派 (nǎiyóu pài) Cinnamon bun ~ 肉桂卷 (ròuguì juǎn) Gingerbread ~ 姜饼 (jiāngbǐng) Red velvet cake ~ 红色天鹅绒蛋糕 (hóngsè tiān'é'rónghuá dàngāo) // Frozen Desserts // Sherbet ~ 雪葩 (xuěpā) Gelato ~ 吉拉朵 (jílāduǒ) Sundae ~ 圣代 (shèngdài) Shaved ice ~ 刨冰 (bàobīng) Ice cream ~ 冰激凌 (bīngjīlíng) Note: another common name is 冰淇淋 (bīngqílín). Popsicle ~ 冰棍儿 (bīnggùn'er) // Misc. // Custard ~ 奶黄 (nǎihuáng) Puff ~ 泡芙 (pàofú) Popcorn ~ 爆米花 (bàomǐhuā) Milkshake ~ 奶昔 (nǎixī) Jello ~ 果冻 (guǒdòng) Oreo ~ 奥利奥 (àolì'ào) // Common Asian Desserts // Mochi ~ 麻糬 (máshǔ) Tanghulu ~ 糖葫芦 (tánghúlu) Black sesame soup ~ 黑芝麻糊 (hēi zhīma hú) Swallow's nest ~ 燕窝 (yànwō) Sago pudding ~ 西米布丁 (xīmǐ bùdīng) Snow fungus soup ~ 雪耳糖水 (xuě'ěr tángshuǐ) Osmanthus Jelly ~ 桂花糕 (guìhuā gāo) Grass jelly ~ 仙草 (xiāncǎo) // Example Text // https://www.sohu.com/a/443013219_120949919

口味最“奇怪”的4种糖果 -> the four candies with the strangest flavours.

1、星空棒棒糖 -> planet lollipops

星空棒棒糖有名的高颜值糖果，大部分的女生都有买过，或是男生情人节买来送女朋友都有了解过。-> Planet lollipops are popular for their appearance, lots of women have already purchased them before, or men who, on Valentine's day gifted it to their girlfriends, have understood. 它的味道你尝过后就会觉得“这是什么沙雕玩意儿，我吃了塑料吗？”，有这种感觉并不奇怪，星空棒棒糖大部分都是甜苦甜苦的味道，有些还带着塑料的气味，吃完就怀疑人生，估计这个糖果也就只能当做摆设。-> After tasting its flavour, you will think: "what is this sand sculpture-like thing, am I eating plastic?" Having this kind of feeling isn't exactly strange, planetary lollipop largely have a bittersweet flavour, some lollipops even have a plastic odour, after eating it, you'll question your life, seems like this kind of candy is only used for decoration.

2、榴莲糖 -> durian candy

...打开包装就是浓浓的榴莲味，吃到嘴里就感觉是三里往外都是这个榴莲味 -> upon opening the package are the dense/strong durian smells, eating them makes you feel that the durian smell is everywhere within a 3 mile radius.

3、姜汁糖 -> ginger candy

姜汁糖里面就是有大量的姜味，吃的第一口还是上面糖味，含一会后姜味就显露出来了，你会有一种姜辣的感觉，一直猛吸气想要减少这个辣味，没想到后面越吃越辣，让人有点受不了，吃到一半就吐了，这种一般都是家里的老人才会买，老人很喜欢这种甜辣的感觉，甚至吃起来还想喝一两口小酒。-> Within ginger candy is a considerable amount of ginger flavour, after eating the first bite, the first taste is sweet, after sucking on it for a bit, the ginger flavour will come out and you get have a spicy ginger feeling. Keep inhaling sharply, wanting to reduce this spiciness, not knowing that more and more spiciness will follow, intolerable, spat it out halfway through, this kind of candy will typically be bought by a family's older individuals, elders really like this kind of spicy-sweet feel, to the point of also wanting to drink a couple gulps of liquor.

世界上最好吃的十种甜点，吃过六种，算我服！-> 10 of the world's most delicious desserts, eaten 6 types, count me in!

1、布朗尼蛋糕--美国 -> Brownie--America

布朗尼蛋糕属于重油蛋糕的一种，但它和一般重油蛋糕的区别在于通常较薄且较结实，不像普通蛋糕那样松松的, 而且一定是巧克力口味 -> Brownies are considered a type of pound cakes, but they are different from regular pound cakes in that they are usually on the thinner and sturdier side, unlike the regular cakes which are fluffier, and brownies need a chocolate flavour.

2、提拉米苏--意大利 -> Tiramisu--Italy

提拉米苏是一种带咖啡酒味儿的意大利甜点 -> tiramisu is a type of coffee-flavour containing Italian dessert.

10、乳酪蛋糕--阿拉伯 -> Cheesecake--Arabic

这类蛋糕介于蛋糕和甜点之间，因而越来越受人关注 -> this type of cake is a cross between cakes and desserts, and because of this, more and more people have given it attention.

[libai-yyds]

STRANGER THINGS IN CHINESE -VOCAB LIST

so... i was bored and wanted to find some vocab list about stranger things in chinese but i couldn't find any... so I finally decided to go look for it myself on diverse chinese speaking websites who were talking about the show. I also used pleco for some more generic words usefull to speak about the show.

I hope some other people will also fit on my venn diagram of hyperfixation and find this list useful ^^

怪奇物語（guài qí wù yǔ）stranger things

颠倒世界（diān dǎo shì jiè）the upside down

夺心魔 （duó xīn mó）the mind flayer

魔狗 (mó gǒu) demodog

魔王 (mó wáng) demogorgon

魔蝙蝠 (mó biān fú) demobat

藤蔓 (téng wàn) the vines

怪兽 (guài shòu) the monster

维克那 (wéi kè nà) vecna

集体意识 (jí tǐ yì shí) the hive mind

火俱乐部 ( huǒ jù lè bù) the hellfire club

龙与地下城 (lóng yǔ dì xià chéng) dungeons and dragons

���球棒 (bàng qiú bàng) baseball bat

圣诞灯 (shèng dàn dēng) christmas lights

纹身 (wén shēn) tattoo

失踪 (shī zōng) disappearance

杀 (shā) to kill

心灵感应 (xīn líng gǎn yīng) telekinesis

读心术 (dú xīn shù) telepathy

打电话 (dǎ diàn huà) to make a phone call

摩尔斯电码 (mó ěr sī diàn mǎ) morse code

对讲机 (duì jiǎng jī) walkie-talkie

俄国间谍 (é guó jiān dié) russian spy

实验品 (shí yàn pǐn) human experiment

星庭商场 (xīng tíng shāng cháng) starcourt mall

霍金斯实验室 ( huò jīn sī shí yàn shì) hawkins lab

门 (mén) the gate

[5-cz]

Word of Honor Vocab - Episode 2

after much too long, here we go

若 (ruò) - as if; like

美若天仙

诚意 (chéng'yì) - good faith/sincerity

表明诚意

变数 (biàn'shù) - variable

此事变数很大

步法 (bù'fǎ) - footwork

你的步法很厉害

偏偏 (piān'piān) - lightly/airily; unrestrained

蝴蝶在花丛中偏偏飞舞 翩翩少年

仙 (xiān) - celestial being; immortal

凡人和神仙

眼疾 (yǎn'ji2) - eye trouble/ eye disease

我爷爷有眼疾所以它不看清楚

飘飘 (piāo'piāo) - to float about/to flutter

红旗飘飘

流风 (liú'fēng) - customs handed down from past generations

流风余韵

仿佛 (fáng'fú) - seemingly/as if

这事她仿佛已经知道了

轻 (qīng) - light (weight)

工作很轻

所谓 (suǒ'wèi) - what is called/what is known as; so-called

所谓团结，并非一团和气 他所谓的朋友都��弃了他

壶 (hú) - kettle/pot

壶里是开水

独酌 (dú'zhuó) - to drink alone

如果你很难过，你应该��独酌

尾随 (wěi'suí) - to tag along after

尾随其后

究竟 (jīu'jìng) - outcome/what actually happened

大家都想知道个究竟

妨 (fáng) - hinder/hamper; harm

你试一试也无妨 会妨大事

明示 (míng'shì) - to explicitly instruct

我明示你得做你的功课但是你还没做完了！

傻 (shǎ) - stupid/muddleheaded

吓傻了

剑 (jiàn) - sword

剑柄 拔剑

[meichenxi]

Vocab from first ep of 大明王朝1566：

(aka my new salt tax and budget heavy politics imperial drama!)

1. 同舟共济 - tong2 zhou1 gong4 ji4- to cross a river in the same boat / to pull together in times of trouble - 天大之事，咱们可得同舟共济

2. 议事 – yi4 shi4 – to discuss official business - 议事的时辰快到了

3. 户部 – hu4 bu4 - the Ministry of Revenue, 六部之一。 finally gonna actually learn them after years of them floating around vaguely in my NiF-brain，一共包括：

吏部 Li4 bu4 – Ministry of Personnel

户部 – hu4 bu4 – Ministry of Revenue

礼部 – Li3 bu4 – Ministry of Rites

兵部 – bing1 bu4 – Ministry of War

刑部 – xing2 bu4 – Ministry of Justine

工部 – gong1 bu4 – Ministry of Works

4. 拟 – ni3 - to draw up, devise, draft - 拟定 (to draw up)，拟议 (proposal），拟作 （imitative work done in the style of a certain author，拟声 (onomatopoeia)

5. 仰赖 – yang3lai4 – to rely on (literary) - 仰赖皇上如天之德

6. 凑巧 – cou4 qiao3 – luckily, as chance would have it -凑巧 , 去年腊月又没下雪，有些人就借着这些诽谤朝廷

7. 腊月 – la4 yue4 – one of the many (many. Ye gods there are Many) names for the last month of the lunar calendar / 岁末十二月的别称

8. 祈 – qi2 – to pray for

9. 祥瑞 – xiang2 rui4 – a good omen - 虽然降了祥瑞，可是皇上他的心情也不准好到哪去

10. 亏空 – kui1kong1 – deficit (budget)-亏空上的事，能过去我们就尽量过去

11. 开支 – kai1zhi1 (expenditure) - 内阁把去年的各项开支按各部和两京一十三省的实际用度报上来

12. 宗 – zong1 – here, a measure word for sums of money - 今年有哪几宗大的开支，各部提出来，户部综算一下

14. 实心 – shi1 xin1 – sincere, honest -和大家实心用事

15. 用事 – yong4 shi4 – (literary) to act, to be in power

16. 斋戒 – zhai1 jie4 – to abstain for meat and wine when offering sacrifices to the gods/ancestors -皇上就一个人在这里斋戒敬天

Individual difficult/unfamiliar characters：

1) 济 – ji4 – to aid, assist, cross a river

2) 议 – yi4 – 议论 (comment/remark)，议会 （parliament），议题 (subject under discussion)，议事日程 (agenda, order of the day)

3) 吏 – li4 – government official, petty clerk – NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH 史 shi3 – history/annals

4) 拟 – ni3 - to draw up, device, draft

5) 仰 – yang3 – to rely on > 仰头 (raise one’s head)，仰面 (to face upward)，仰天 (to look up to heaven)

6) 赖 – lai4 – to rely, depend / to blame someone wrongly – 赖以 (to depend on)

7) 凑 – cou4 – to gather together, take advantage of a chance situation, move closer – 凑近 (to get closer)，凑足 (to scrape together enough people, money etc)

8) 祈 – qi2 – to pray for – 祈福 (to pray for good fortune)，祈年 (to pray for a good harvest)，祈雨 (to pray for rain)

9)斋 – zhai1 – a vegetarian diet for religious purposes, to adopt said diet / to give alms to a monk – 斋月(Ramadan), 斋堂 (dining hall in a Buddhist temple), 斋期 （days/period of fasting)

----

as ever, any corrections or pointing out of typos welcome!

[malaidarling]

22.4.24 //

here’s a random list of words i learned today through reading 月宫里的嫦娥 with a tutor — will perhaps make a better post about it later.

渐渐地 - jiàn jiàn de - gradually, little by little

偷偷地 - tōu tōu de - stealthily, secretly

趁 - chèn - take advantage of

后悔 -hòu huǐ - to regret

呆 - dāi - stay

望 - wàng - stare, gaze into the distance

轻 - qīng - light (as opposed to heavy)

[baejax-the-great]

Greek is a beautiful language

[ruhua-langblr]

Language Apps Suck, Now What?: A Guide to Actually Becoming "Fluent"

The much requested sequel to my DL post that was promised almost a year ago.

I'm going to address all of the techniques that have helped me in my language learning journeys. Since 95% of these came from the fact that in a past language learning mistake, they are titled as my mistakes (and how I would/did things differently going forward). For those that read to the bottom there is a "best universal resources" list.

Disclaimers:

"Fluency" is hard to define and everyone has their own goals. So for the purpose of this post, "fluency" will be defined as "your personal mastery target of the language".

If you just want to pick up a bit of a language to not sound like a total foreigner on vacation or just exchange a few words in a friend's native language, feel free to ignore what doesn't apply, but maybe something here could help make it a little easier.

This is based on my own personal experience and (some) research.

Mistake 1: Asymmetrical Studying

Assuming you don't just want to do a single activity in a language, or are learning a language like ASL, a language requires 4 parts to be studied: Speaking, Listening, Writing, Reading. While these have overlap, you can't learn speaking from reading, or even learn speaking from just listening. One of my first Chinese teachers told me how he would listen to the textbook dialogues while he was biking to classes and it helped him. I took this information, thought "Yeah that's an idea, but sounds boring" and now regret not taking his advice nearly every day.

I think a lot of us find methods we enjoy to study (mine was reading) and assume that if we just do that method more ™ it will eventually help us in other areas (sometimes it does, but that's only sometimes). Find a method that works for you for each area of study, even better find more than one method since we use these skills in a variety of manners! I can understand a TV program pretty well since I have a lot of context clues and body language to fill in any gaps of understanding, but taking a phone call is much harder—the audio is rougher, there's no body language to read, and since most Chinese programs have hard coded subtitles, no subtitles to fall back on either. If I were to compare the number of hours I spent reading in Chinese to (actively) training my listening? Probably a ratio of 100 to 1. When I started to learn Korean, the first thing I did was find a variety of listening resources for my level.

Fix: Find a variety of study methods that challenge all aspects of the language in different ways.

A variety of methods will help you develop a more well-rounded level of mastery, and probably help you keep from getting bored. Which is important because...

Mistake 2: Inconsistent Studying

If there is one positive to a language app, it is the pressure it puts on keeping a streak. Making studying a part of your everyday routine is the best thing you can do. I benefited a lot from taking a college language course since I had a dedicated time to study and practice Chinese 5 days out of the week (and homework usually filled the other two). Memorization is a huge part of language learning, and stopping and starting is terrible for memorization. When I was in elementary school, we had Spanish maybe a couple times a month. Looking back, it seems like it was the first class to be cut if we needed to catch up on a more important course. Needless to say, I can't even speak Spanish at an elementary level.

However, I'm sure many people reading this don't have the time to do ultra-immersion 4-hour study sessions every day either. Find what days during the week you have time to focus on learning new vocab and grammar, and use the rest of the week to review. This can be done on your commute to school/work, while you do the dishes, or as a part of your morning/evening routine. Making this as realistic as possible will help you actually succeed in making this a habit. (Check this out for how to set realistic study goals)

Fix: Study regularly (ideally daily) by setting realistic goals. Avoid "binge" studying since remembering requires consistent repetition to be most effective.

Mistake 3: Resource Choice

This is really composed of two mistakes, but I have a good example that will cover them both.

First, finding resources that are at or slightly above your level is the most important thing. Easy resources will not challenge you enough and difficult resources will overwhelm you. The ideal is n+1, with n as what you know plus 1 new thing.

Second, getting distracted by fancy, new technology. Newer isn't always better, and there are often advantages that are lost when we've made technological developments. I often found myself wanting to try out new browser extensions or organizational methods and honestly I would've benefitted from just using that time to study. (Also, you're probably reading this because of my DL post so I don't think it has to be said that AI resources suck.)

A good example of this was my time using Clozemaster. I had actually recommended it when I first started using it since I thought the foundation was really solid. However, after long term use, I found that it just wasn't a good fit. The sentences were often too simple or too long and strange for memorization at higher levels or were too difficult at lower levels. I think that taking my textbook's example sentences from dialogues into something like Anki would've been a far better use of my time (and money) as they were already designed to be at that n+1 level.

Fix: "Vet" your resources—make sure they will actually help you. If something is working for you, then keep using it! You don't always have to upgrade to the newest tool/method.

Mistake 3.5: Classrooms and Textbooks

A .5 since it's not my mistake, but an addendum of caution. I think there is a significant part of the language learning community that views textbooks and classroom learning as the worst possible resource. They are "boring", "outdated", and "ineffective" (ironically one of the most interesting modern language learning methods, ALG, is only done in a classroom setting). Classrooms and textbooks bring back memories of being surrounded by mostly uninterested classmates, minimal priority, and a focus on grades rather than personal achievement (imagine the difference between a class of middle schoolers who were forced to choose a foreign language vs. adult learners who self-selected!) People have used these exact methods, or even "cruder" methods, to successfully learn a language. It all comes down to what works best for you. I specifically recommend textbooks for learning grammar and the plentiful number of dialogues and written passages that can function great as graded readers and listening resources. (Also the distinction made between "a youtube lesson on a grammatical principle" which is totally cool, and "a passage in a grammar textbook" is more one of tone and audio/written than efficacy).

Classrooms can be really great for speaking practice since they can be a lot less intimidating speaking to someone who is also learning while receiving corrections. Speech can be awkward to train on your own (not impossible if you're good at just talking aloud to yourself!), and classrooms can work nicely for this. Homework and class schedules also have built in accountability!

Fix: Explore resources available to you and try to think holistically about your approach. CI+Traditional Methods is my go to "Learning Cocktail"

Mistake 4: Yes, Immersion, But...

I realized this relatively quickly while learning Chinese, but immersion at a level much higher than your current level will do very little for you. What is sometimes left out of those "Just watch anime to learn Japanese" discussions is that you first need to have a chance at understanding what is being said. Choosing materials that are much higher than your level will not teach you the language. It doesn't matter how many times someone at HSK 1 hears “他是甘露之惠，我并无此水可还”, they will not get very far. Actual deduction and learning comes from having enough familiar components to be able to make deductions—something different than guessing. An HSK 1 learner, never having heard the word 老虎 will be able to understand "tiger" if someone says “这是我的老虎” while standing next to a tiger. This is not to say you can never try something more difficult—things should be challenging—but if you can't make heads or tails of what's being said, then it's time to find something a bit easier. If mistake 2 is about the type of method, this is about the level. If you wouldn't give a kindergartener The Great Gatsby to learn how to read, why would you watch Full Metal Alchemist to start learning a language?

Side note: Interesting video here on the Comprehensible Input hypothesis and how it relates to neurodivergence.

Fix: Immerse yourself in appropriate content for your level. It's called comprehensible input for a reason.

Mistake 5: On Translation

I work as a translator, so do you really think I'm going to say translation is all bad? Of course not. It's a separate skill that can be added on to the basic skills, but is really only required if you are A. someone who is an intermediary between two languages (say you have to translate for a spouse or family member) or B. It is your job/hobby. In the context of sitting down and learning, it can be harmful. I think my brain often goes to translation too often because that's how I used to learn. Trying to unlearn that is difficult because, well, what do people even mean when they say "don't translate"? They mean when someone says "thank you", you should not go to your primary language and translate "you're welcome" from that. You should train yourself to go to your target language first when you hear the word for "thank you". A very literally translated "thank you" in Chinese "谢谢你" can come off as cold and sarcastic. I don't tell my friends that, I say "谢啦～". Direct translation can take away the difference in culture, grammar, and politeness in a language. If there is a reason you sound awkward while writing and speaking, it's probably because you're imposing your primary language on your target language.

Fix: Try as hard as you can to not work from your primary language into the target language, but to work from the structures, set phrases, and grammar within the target language that you know first.

Mistake 6: The Secret Language Learners Don't Want You To Know...

...is that there is no one easy method. You are not going to learn French while you sleep, or master Korean by doing this one easy trick. Learning a language requires work and dedication, the people that succeed are those that push through the boredom of repetition and failure. The "I learned X in 1 year/month/week/day!" crowd is hiding large asterisks, be it their actual level, the assistance and free time available to them, "well actually I had already studied this for 4 years", or just straight-up lying. Our own journeys in our native tongue were not easy, they required years and years of constant immersion and instruction. While we are now older and wiser people that can make quick connections, we are also burdened with things like "jobs", "house work", "school work", and the digital black hole that is "social media" that take up our time and energy. Everything above is to help make this journey a little bit easier, quicker, and painless, but it will never be magic.

I find that language learning has a lot in common with the fitness community. People will talk about the workout that changed their life and how no other one will do the same—and it really can be the truth that it changed their life and that they feel it is the ultimate way. The real workout that will change your life is the one you're most consistent with, that you enjoy the most. Language learning is just trying to find the brain exercise that you can be the most consistent with.

Fix: Save your energy looking for shortcuts, and do the work, fail, and come back for more. If someone tells you that you can become fluent in a ridiculously short amount of time, they are selling you a fantasy (and likely a product). You get out what you put in.

For those that made it to the end, here are some of my "universal resources":

Refold Method: I don't agree with their actual method 100%, but they've collected a lot of great resources for learning languages. I've found their Chinese and Korean discords to also be really helpful and provided even more resources than what's given in their starter guides.

Language Reactor: Very useful, and have recently added podcasts as a material! The free version is honestly all you need.

Anki: If I do not mention it, the people with 4+ year streaks with a 5K word deck will not let me forget it. It can be used on desktop or on your phone as an app. If you need a replacement for a language learning app, this is one of them. Justin Sung has a lot of great info on how to best utilize Anki (as does Refold). It's not my favorite, but it could be yours!

LingQ: "But I thought you said language apps are bad!" In isolation, yes. Sorry for the clickbait. This one is pretty good, and more interested in immersing you in the language than selling a subscription to allow you to freeze your streak so the number goes up.

Grammar Textbooks: For self-taught learning, these are going to be the best resource since it's focused on the hardest part of the language, and only that. If you're tired of seeing group work activities, look for a textbook that is just on grammar (Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar is my rec for Chinese, and A Guide to Japanese Grammar by Tae Kim is the most common/enthusiastic rec I've heard for Japanese).

Shadowing: Simply repeat what you hear. Matt vs Japan talks about his setup here for optimized shadowing (which you can probably build for a lot cheaper now), but it can also just be you watching a video and pausing to repeat after each sentence or near simultaneously if you're able.

Youtube: Be it "Short Story for Beginners", "How to use X", "250 Essential Phrases", or a GRWM in your target language, Youtube is the best. Sometimes you have to dig to find what works for you, but I imagine there is something for everyone at every level. (Pro tip: People upload textbook audio dialogues often, you don't even have to buy the textbook to be able to learn from it!)

A Friend: Be it a fellow learner, or someone who has already mastered the language, it is easier when you have someone, not only to speak to, but to remind you why you're doing this. I write far more in Chinese because I have friends I can text in Chinese.

Pen and Paper: Study after study, writing on paper continues to be the best method for memorization. Typing or using a pen and tablet still can't compare to traditional methods.

The Replies (Probably): Lots of people were happy to give alternatives for specific languages in the replies of my DL post. The community here is pretty active, so if this post blows up at least 20% of what the last one did, you might be able to find some great stuff in the replies and reblogs.

I wish you all the best~

[polyglot-thought]

​[Mandarin→English] @sleeptheory July 11th 2020 Post — Vocabulary

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

夏日 xià rì Summer sun/day/time

消暑 xiāo shǔ To spend a summer holiday; (esp of Chinese medicine) to relieve summer heat

安靜｜安静 ān jìng quiet, silent; calm, peaceful

入睡 rù shuì to fall asleep

使用 shǐ yòng to use; employ; apply; make use of

眠 mián to sleep; hibernate

失眠 shī mián insomnia; sleeplessness

助眠 zhù mián sleep aid

白噪音 bái zào yīn white noise

舒緩｜舒缓 shū huǎn to ease (tension); to relax; to cause sth to relax; to alleviate; relaxed; easy and unhurried; leisurely; soothing

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Please correct me if I made a mistake

夏日的消暑，安靜的入睡。快來使用好眠App。

[linghxr]

Facial feature terms in Chinese

Since I started reading in Chinese, I've been bombarded by numerous different terms for describing faces. Here's a list—non-exhaustive as it's only ones I've read and recalled. I left off really simple ones like 眼睛 and 嘴巴. Many of these are more literary that you wouldn't use in conversation.

Eyes

眼眸 yǎnmóu - eyes

眼帘（眼簾）yǎnlián - eyes / eyesight

双眸（雙眸）shuāngmóu - one's pair of eyes

双眼（雙眼）shuāngyǎn - the two eyes

眼球 yǎnqiú - eyeball / attention

眼珠子 yǎnzhūzi - eyeball / the apple of one's eye (i.e. favorite person)

眼皮 yǎnpí - eyelid

眼睑（眼瞼）yǎnjiǎn - eyelid

睫毛 jiémáo - eyelashes

眸子 móuzi - pupil

瞳仁 tóngrén - pupil

瞳孔 tóngkǒng - pupil

瞳眸 tóngmóu - pupil / one's eyes

眼眶 yǎnkuàng - eye socket / rim of the eye

目眦 mùzì - eye socket

眼尾 yǎnwěi - outer corner of the eye

眼角 yǎnjiǎo - outer or inner corner of the eye

凤眼（鳳眼）fèngyǎn - phoenix eyes (eyes with raised outer corners)

杏眼 xìngyǎn - large, round eyes

Mouth

嘴唇 zuǐchún - lip

双唇（雙唇）shuāngchún - both lips

上唇 shàngchún - upper lip

下唇 xiàchún - lower lip

嘴角 zuǐjiǎo - corner of the mouth

口角 kǒujiǎo - corner of the mouth

法令纹（法令紋）fǎlìngwén - nasolabial fold / smile lines / laugh lines

Nose

鼻翼 bíyì - the wings of the nose / the skin and cartilage that forms the nostrils

鼻梁 bíliáng - bridge of the nose

鼻孔 bíkǒng - nostril

鼻尖 bíjiān - tip of the nose

Brow

前额（前額）qián'é - forehead

额头（額頭）étóu - forehead

眉宇 méiyǔ - forehead / features

脑门（腦門）nǎomén - forehead

额角（額角）éjiǎo - forehead / temples

眉毛 méimao - eyebrow

眉头（眉頭）méitóu - brows

双眉（雙眉）shuāngméi - both eyebrows

眉心 méixīn - (the space) between the eyebrows

眉间（眉間）méijiān - flat area of forehead between the eyebrows / glabella

Temple

太阳穴（太陽穴）tàiyángxué - temple

发鬓（髮鬢）fàbìn - temples / hair on the temples

两鬓（兩鬢）liǎngbìn - both temples

鬓角（鬢角）bìnjiǎo - sideburns / temples / hair on the temples

Cheeks

脸颊（臉頰）liǎnjiá - cheek

腮帮子（腮幫子）sāibāngzi - cheek

颧骨（顴骨）quángǔ - cheek bone

酒窝（酒窩）jiǔwō - dimple

梨涡（梨渦）líwō - dimples (of a woman)

Ears

耳畔 ěrpàn - ears

耳垂 ěrchuí - earlobe

耳根 ěrgēn - base of the ear / ear

耳洞 ěrdòng - ear piercing hole

Definitions are adapted from MDBG.

[fangcaodi]

To The Wonder 《我的阿勒泰》 vocab list

牧场（牧場）mùchǎng - pasture / grazing land / ranch

游牧（遊牧）yóumù - nomadic / to move about in search of pasture / to rove around as a nomad

粪（糞）fèn - excrement; dung; droppings -> 牛粪、羊粪、马粪

牧民 mùmín - herdsman

赛马（賽馬）sàimǎ - horse race / horse racing

马场（馬場）mǎchǎng - horse farm/ranch

放牧 fàngmù - to graze (livestock) / to herd (livestock)

草皮 cǎopí - turf / sward / sod

挂账（掛賬）guàzhàng - charge to someone’s tab or account

要账（要賬）yàozhàng - to demand repayment / to collect debt

小卖部（小賣部）xiǎomàibù - small shop / kiosk

要钱（要錢）yàoqián - to charge / to demand payment

抵债（抵債）dǐzhài - to repay a debt in kind or by labor

戈壁 Gēbì - Gobi (desert)

小道 xiǎodào - trail

县城（縣城）xiànchéng - county seat; county town

高反 gāofǎn - altitude sickness / abbr. for 高原反應｜高原反应

木耳 mùěr - wood ear; jelly ear (edible fungus) / CL: 朵

虫草（蟲草）chóngcǎo - caterpillar fungus

撇下 piēxia - to cast away

心上人 xīnshàngrén - sweetheart / one's beloved

走火 zǒuhuǒ - to go off accidentally / to catch fire

改嫁 gǎijià - to remarry (of a woman)

巫术（巫術）wūshù - witchcraft

��数（算數）suànshù - to count numbers / to keep to one's word / to hold (i.e. to remain valid) / to count (i.e. to be important)

冥冥之中 míngmíngzhīzhōng - in the unseen world of spirits / mysteriously and inexorably

前不着村，后不着店（前不著村，後不著店）qiánbùzháocūn, hòubùzháodiàn - lit. no village ahead and no inn behind (idiom) / fig. to be stranded in the middle of nowhere

老马识途（老馬識途）lǎomǎshítú - an old horse knows the way (idiom); an experienced worker knows what to do / an old hand knows the ropes

互通有无（互通有無）hùtōngyǒuwú - (idiom) mutual exchange of assistance; to benefit from each other's strengths and make up each other's shortfalls; to reciprocate with material assistance; to scratch each other's back

吃软饭（吃軟飯）chīruǎnfàn - to live off a woman

[lingpaopao]

⊹˚ 💒 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘝𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘺 🍾 ₊˚

结婚典礼 ~ wedding ceremony (jiéhūn diǎnlǐ) 婚宴 ~ wedding reception (hūnyàn) 结婚登记处 ~ marriage registry (jiéhūn dēngjì chù) 立下婚誓 ~ say wedding vows (lìxià hūnshì) 举行婚礼 ~ hold a wedding (jǔxíng hūnlǐ) 结婚纪念日 ~ (wedding) anniversary (jiéhūn jìniànrì) 新娘 ~ bride (xīnniáng) 新郎 ~ groom (xīnláng) 主婚人 ~ marriage commissioner (zhǔhūn rén) 牧师 ~ priest (mùshī) 伴郎 ~ groomsman (bànláng) 伴娘 ~ bridesmaid (bànniáng) 蜜月 ~ honeymoon (mìyuè) 婚纱 ~ wedding veil (hūnshā) 结婚证 ~ marriage certificate (jiéhūn zhèng) 登记结婚 ~ marriage registration (dēngjì jiéhūn) 来宾 ~ wedding guest (láibīn) 再婚 ~ to remarry (zàihūn) 结婚执照 ~ marriage license (jiéhūn zhízhào) 结婚礼服 ~ wedding dress (jiéhūn lǐfú) 祭坛 ~ altar (jìtán) 单身女派对 ~ bachelorette party (dānshēn nǚ pàiduì) 告别单身派对 ~ bachelor party (gàobié dānshēn pàiduì) 婚戒 ~ wedding band (hūnjiè) 订婚 ~ engagement (dìnghūn) 他娶了她 ~ he married her (tā qǔle tā) 她嫁给了他 ~ she married him (tā jiàgěi le tā) Note: ^^ they are not interchangeable... 订婚戒指 ~ engagement ring (dìnghūn jièzhǐ) 未婚妻 ~ fiancée (wèihūnqī) 未婚夫 ~ fiancé (wèihūnfū) 证人 ~ witness (zhèngrén) 花束 ~ bouquet (huāshù) 西装 ~ suit (xīzhuāng) 婚礼策划师 ~ wedding planner (hūnlǐ cèhuà shī) 私奔 ~ elope (sībēn)

[bonbonmacaron]

I started reading this serialized fantasy novel in Chinese called Twig 枝丫. It’s about trees growing in people and controlling them 😱 Very spooky and intriguing. It’s written by a student and specifically for intermediate learners. The Substack has vocab lists for each chapter and audio, which is amazing! The best part is that a new chapter comes out every Friday. I’m only on chapter 10 so far, so I’m not caught up yet. If you also want to read it, you can just look up the Twig 枝丫 Substack. I pasted the chapters into Pleco to look up words.

I’ve also been watching this show called Women in Taipei 台北女子圖鑑 and it’s really good. I feel like I can understand about 80% of it. Apparently it’s an adaptation of a Japanese show, so I might also watch it in Japanese. Oh wait I just looked it up, it’s an adaption of Tokyo Girl, which was the first show I watched in Japanese 😅

[taomubiji]

@d-genie I'll reply here so I can link the resources. I separated the resources by topic to make things easier. Hope this helps!

General Learning

HelloChinese: arguably the best app for learning Chinese. It covers grammar, pronunciation, vocab, and writing characters. It's free up to HSK2 and I used it all the time when I first learned Chinese.

Duolingo: similar to HelloChinese but it lacks a lot. I still use it because it's free and I can practice sentence structure.

Dictionaries

PurpleCulture: a website with a ton of learning tools. I use the dictionary here because it says which HSK level the word is, breaks down the character into different radicals, and also gives a way to memorize the character.

Baidu: I use Baidu's translation app when there's more than one word in a sentence I don't understand. I paste the whole sentence there, and it provides a list of words and their meanings. You can also highlight a word you don't know, and its meaning will pop up.

Pleco: an app dictionary. It's good but I'm usually on my computer and it's easier to look up words there. So, I only use Pleco as a backup.

Grammar and Reading Comprehension

AllSetLearning: website that breaks down grammar points and provides sample sentences. I use this one a lot!

Du Chinese: a graded reader app/website that guides users through short stories. It's a great tool but I find it boring and often struggle to finish the stories.

Weibo: once you become more advanced and if you can set up an account, weibo's a great way to build up character recognition and reading comprehension.

Miscellaneous

Youku TV Shows: A lot of their TV shows on youtube have both the Chinese and English embedded into the video (like above). It's a great way to improve listening comprehension as well as character recognition. When I became too busy to study, watching Chinese TV shows helped me retain a lot.

WriterChinese: an app that focuses on writing Chinese. It's free up to a certain level. This is one of the few things I spent money on because you pay a one time fee and it unlocks a lot.

Daomubiji.org: a website that has most of the online versions of dmbj novels. I've read some of the novels for practice.