January 2012
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This Year at ninhao!
ninhao started making tumblr posts way back in May, and while it’s been only seven months we’ve had a lot of fun making posts to share with everyone. So, to round off 2011 we’re going to take a look back at some of the more memorable posts we’ve done.
May 12th: one of our first tumblr posts tells us about the beautiful scenery as captured on the 20 RMB note, Guilin - 1...
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December 2011
138 posts
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Daily Tidbit: New Year's Day
元旦 (Yuán dàn) New Year’s Day
January 1st in Chinese is called “元旦” (Yuán dàn). “元(Yuán)” means “beginning,” and “旦”(dàn) refers to “dawn at daybreak” (if you look closer at this Chinese character you will find the sun rising above the horizon) and also refers to “daytime”. The combination of “Yuan” and...
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Learn How to Say "Happy New Year" in Chinese! →
It’s almost that time to say goodbye to 2011 and welcome in 2012! As you wish your friends and family a “Happy New Year”, do you know how to greet them in Chinese? If you don’t, come on over and check out our easy to learn page in which we teach you several holiday greetings in Chinese! With several examples with audio accompaniment, you’ll find a way to ring in 2012...
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This Week at ninhao!
As we ring in the New Year, let wring out this last week of 2011. This is “This Week at ninhao!”
migrants pose with pictures of their long-separated family members
“No, not like beer goggles”; our mini-lesson tells you how distance can improve beauty
“Ice to see you”; the Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang kicks off
a woman wearing red and...
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Daily Tidbit: The Laba Festival
腊八节 (là bā jié)The Laba Festival
Laba Festival腊八节 (là bā jié) is celebrated on the eighth day of the last lunar month and refers to the traditional start of celebrations for the Chinese New Year. “腊”(là) in Chinese means the 12th lunar month and “八”(bā) means eight. This year it falls on January 1st. People always eat Laba rice porridge on the Laba Festival. Laba rice...
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Daily Tidbit: Scarf
围巾 (wéi jīn) Scarf
Beijing is very dry and windy in winter, so many people will wear their scarf 围巾 (wéi jīn) while walking in the city. For women, the scarf will help them look more beautiful and for men, it will help them look more gentle. However, some people don’t like to wear scarves. Do you like to wear scarves? What kind of scarves do you like to wear? Tell us!
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Daily Tidbit: Ice Lantern
冰灯 (bīng dēng) Ice Lantern
If one were to bring up the terms “City of Ice” or “ice lanterns” 冰灯 (bīng dēng), then most people will think of Harbin, the premier city of the Heilongjiang province. Its winters last six months in which sub zero temperatures are commonplace; its rivers freezes rock solid and its parklands are transformed into snowscapes. All the same, you...
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China's Most Famous Watercooler
Chen Longbiao is a man who solves problems. When Chen saw that many of his classmates would get up to check the water cooler to see if the hot water dispenser is ready, he decided there must be a better way than getting up and using your legs. So, Chen used 200RMB ($32) and 15 hours of work to devise a way to hook up a camera that would monitor the hot water light up to a micro blog...
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Daily Tidbit: Asking for Directions
问路 (wèn lù) Asking For Directions
In Beijing when you ask for directions 问路 (wèn lù), people will always direct you with instructions to go east 东 (dōng), south 南(nán), west 西(xī) or north 北(běi); these are not the left 左(zuǒ) and right 右(yòu) directions that are commonly used in Western culture. This may because Beijing is a city with long, straight boulevards and has avenues that are...
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Daily Tidbit: Dustbin
垃圾箱 (lā jī xiāng) Dustbin
Can you image famous people congratulating you for throwing your rubbish 垃圾(lā jī) away responsibly? It’s real. These dustbins垃圾箱 (lā jī xiāng) have been installed in central London and Liverpool in this October. What kind of phrases do they say? The talking dustbins say things like “Yes! Do that again!”, “Howzat!” and some even sing songs...
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Have a "Merry Christmas" Chinese-Style →
Merry Christmas! I hope Santa brought you what you’ve been wishing for all year, but have you learned how to say “Merry Christmas” in Chinese?
Over here on ninhao we have a page with 10 holiday greetings in Chinese that you can learn with our voice recordings and pinyin markings all made for your ease of use! And, it’s all free! So give it a try and share a little...
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Use Chinese to Wish Someone a "Merry Christmas!" →
As today is Christmas Eve, then tomorrow must be Christmas! The stockings are all hung by the chimney with care, but have you learned how to say “Merry Christmas!” in Chinese?
Over here on ninhao we have a page with 10 holiday greetings in Chinese that you can learn with our voice recordings and pinyin markings all made for your ease of use! And, it’s all free! So give it a...
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Mini-Lesson: With Distance Comes Beauty
Did you know? The common English expression “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” has a Chinese equivalent in the phrase “距离产生美” (Jùlí chǎnshēng měi). In the case of the Chinese phrase, the elapsed time that makes Western sentiments grow is replaced by distance. This can be seen when looking at this phrase in its individual components:
距离 (Jùlí) means...
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This Week at ninhao!
Ho ho ho! Tis the reason to be jaw-y, as in to speak a new language like Chinese! This is “This Week at ninhao!”
an enormous snow sculpture in Harbin is big, so big in fact that it should have save points as you climb up this colossus in the wake of its shadow
tattooed fish in Hainan get the tribal treatment, is also asking mom and dad for a belly button piercing come next...
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Say "Merry Christmas!" in Chinese →
Christmas is only days away, and if you’ve been looking for another way to express your holiday cheer then why not learn to say “Merry Christmas!” in Chinese?
Over here on ninhao we have a page with 10 holiday greetings in Chinese that you can learn with our voice recordings and pinyin markings all made for your ease of use! And, it’s all free! So give it a try and share...
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Daily Tidbit: Christmas Day
圣诞节 (Shèng dàn jié) Christmas Day
圣诞节 (Shèng dàn jié) or Christmas Day will coming soon. It is a culturally significant celebration for most of the Western world. Do the Chinese celebrate Christmas in China? Well, though Christmas Day is not a public holiday, Christmas celebrations are becoming more and more popular in China. Particularly in urban areas, you’ll find Christmas trees, lights,...
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Daily Tidbit: Snowing
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下雪 (xià xuě) Snowing
It has snowed下雪 (xià xuě) twice in Beijing! The air is wet and fresh, kids are busy building snowmen, and the trees are all covered with snow — what a beautiful scene! Do you like snow 雪 (xuě)? Is it snowing where you’re from? Tell us!
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Learn How to Say "Merry Christmas" in Chinese! →
Ho ho ho! Or, as it may be in Chinese, 呵呵呵 (Hēhēhē)！Do you know how to say “Merry Christmas” in Chinese? Head over here to find a list of ten holiday greetings and blessings in Chinese that has full explanations, pinyin and tones as well as a voice recording to help you learn! And it’s all free! So learn to say “Merry Christmas” in Chinese with the help of ninhao,...
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Daily Tidbit: Sugar Coated-Haws
糖葫芦(táng hú lu) Sugar-Coated Haws
Sugar-coated Haws糖葫芦(táng hú lu), also called 冰糖葫芦(bīng táng hú lu) in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese snack and is most commonly seen in Beijing. It is made by first putting cleaned raw haws(山楂 shānzhā) onto a skewer, dipping it into syrup stewed by crystal sugar and water, and then finally taking it out to dry. The bright, lovely haws on the skewer look like...