One of the more difficult aspects of learning Chinese is becoming familiar with the tones. Total, there are four tones in Mandarin (using the syllable “ma” to demonstrate the tones):

• high level – first tone (mā)
• rising – second tone (má)
• falling rising – third tone (mǎ)
• falling – fourth tone (mà)
• There is also a neutral tone (ma)

The tones are used to determine the meaning of a Mandarin word. So mǎ (horse) is very different from mā (mother). Various sentences using the syllables mā, má, mǎ, mà, and ma are often used to illustrate the importance of tones to foreign learners. Look at this sentence for example: Chinese: 妈妈骑马马慢妈妈骂马; pinyin: māma qí mǎ, mǎ màn, māma mà mǎ. This literally translates to: "Mother is riding a horse, the horse is slow, mother scolds the horse".

Another example can be found in this ancient Chinese poem:
Chinese: 施氏食狮史; pinyin: Shī Shì shí shī shǐ. The poem translates to: “The Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den”. The original poem consists of 92 characters, all with the sound “shi” (in 4 different tones).

At first many foreigners find it hard to distinguish between the tones, leading to many well-known Chinese jokes that poke fun at the mispronunciation of Chinese words. A well known one includes the mix-up between “nǎlǐ” meaning “where” and the out-dated word “nàli ” (the word “nali” consisting of different tones). However, a while back, the word “nàli” was used as a common and modest response to flattery. So, the joke goes, a foreigner is talking to a Chinese person. The Chinese person tells the foreigner that they speak Chinese very well. The foreigner responds to the Chinese person with “nǎlǐ nǎlǐ”. In this joke, they are poking fun at the foreigner who meaning to say “nàli nàli ”, a respectful response to flattery, utters the words meaning “where, where”. Chinese humor is an interesting thing to say the least. If you say this phrase in China, you will either get laughs or puzzled looks. If you're a risk taker, try using the phrase “nàli nàli” sometime! See what reaction you get and hopefully you pronounce it better than the foreigner central to this joke.

It goes without saying that tones are essential when learning Chinese. The Chinese language is made up of tones, that is what makes the language so interesting and unique to learn and speak. Push yourself to pursue your personal goals and expectations for your Chinese learning.
Ask yourself “what is important to me?” Decide what your goals are and figure out what are the next steps to take to make that a reality. If that means taking up a Chinese course or enrolling yourself in Chinese cooking classes or Taiqi, then DO it. Make your China experience what you want it to be.

Take that leap with the Hutong School! We offer a variety of programs to help you get exactly what you deserve from your China experience, from flexible Chinese courses to fit your hectic schedule, an Internship Program that entails Chinese courses to an Intensive Chinese language program. Take control of your Chinese learning with Hutong School NOW!

Learn Chinese in China

The weather in Hamburg is really changeable during the summer. Sometimes there is a combination of rain, sun, wind, and cloud throughout a single day. The rain can come without warning and then one second later the sun will be shining again. However, in China everywhere is the same temperature throughout the summer, with sporadic thunderstorms at dusk in cities such as Beijing.

At the moment many of my friends in Beijing are complaining about the high temperatures (38℃ or 39℃) and day-long heat waves. All they want to do is to hide in a room with air conditioning and watch TV or surf the Internet. They simply cannot bear the hot weather anymore, saying that ‘the clouds are on a fire’ (火云如烧) or that ‘people are sweating like it is raining’ (挥汗如雨). Both are Chinese idioms about hot weather.

Aside from these idioms about certain weather conditions, there are also many Chinese proverbs to forecast weather. Most of them come from the agriculture and farming community because the farmers need to adjust their farming methods according to the weather. Listed here are eight Chinese proverbs, which combine animal responses and the weather forecast. They have no direct English equivalents so I have included a literal translation for each.

• 泥鳅叫，雨来到；泥鳅静，天气晴。
The rain comes when the loaches are loud; the sun shines when the loaches are quiet.

•青蛙叫，大雨到。
Heavy rain is on the way with loud calls from the frogs.

•鸡进笼晚照阴雨。
Rains are ahead, when the chickens go to their cages late.

•蚂蚁搬家早晚要下。
It is going to rain when the ants are moving.

•蜜蜂归巢迟，来日好天气。
It is going to be sunny the next day when the bees come back late.

•鱼儿出水跳，风雨就来到。
Wind and Rain are expected when the fish jump out of water.

•蜻蜓飞得低，出门要带笠。
Bring an umbrella when the dragonflies fly low.

•黑蜻蜓乱，天气要旱。
There comes the drought when the black dragonflies are in a chaos.

Try this quiz if you have more interest in Chinese proverbs related to weather. With the knowledge above, it is now much easier.

汉堡夏天的天气真是变幻莫测，有时一天中既有雨，又有风，还有太阳，前一秒还是阳光普照，后一秒就可能是倾盆大雨，而且大雨来的一点征兆都没有。但是在中国，几乎所有的城市夏天都很热，当然在一些城市，傍晚时分的雷阵雨也不时带来丝丝水意，排解一天的闷热。

我很多在北京的朋友都抱怨难耐的酷暑和整日的热浪，他们已经无法忍受接连数日38或39度的高温，只想躲进空调房看电视或者上网。几天前收到国内朋友的邮件描述北京的烈日是如火烧云般的，我突然觉得汉语成语的表达是如此丰富，形容天气炎热，可以说热，也可以说挥汗如雨，汗流浃背，骄阳似火等；形容天气寒冷，可以说冷，也可以说冰天雪地，滴水成冰，天寒地冻等等。

除了成语，中文中还有很多谚语可以用来预测天气，尤其是在农业生产方面，比如下面列出的8个用动物反应来预测天气的谚语。

泥鳅叫，雨来到；泥鳅静，天气晴。

青蛙叫，大雨到。

鸡进笼晚照阴雨。

蚂蚁搬家早晚要下。

蜜蜂归巢迟，来日好天气。

鱼儿出水跳，风雨就来到。

蜻蜓飞得低，出门要带笠。

黑蜻蜓乱，天气要旱。

如果你对这些谚语很感兴趣，可以尝试下面的测试，熟悉了上面8句话，相信这个测试对你来说一定很简单吧。

和来自英国的同事聊天，无意中说了一句: love me, love my dog.不用解释，没想到同事睁大眼睛问我什么意思，他是主修语言类专业的地道英国人，一时间轮到我无言以对，这个句子在中国可是作为如何翻译成语的例子被不断使用的，现在英语母语者却不明白，以后大约可以做为Chinglish 的典范吧。

后来我在网上找了很多中国人很熟悉的“成语翻译”问我的英国同事，结果大部分他都不理解，个别情况甚至不认识其中的单词。中文的成语是长期使用，锤炼而成有固定意思的语言现象，而且多为四个字，很多时候只看字面意思中国人自己也难以理解，所以如果单纯按照字面翻译，很多时候不仅不能传达确切的含义，甚至让人更加困惑，阻碍交流。
但是英语中也有很多固定用法和中文的成语表达相同意思，比如to kill two birds with one stone就是“一石二鸟”的意思；a friend in need is a friend indeed可以恰当地翻译成“患难之交”，三天打鱼，两天晒网也可以在英语里找到如work by fits and starts或two steps forward, one step backward等合理地表达。获取这些固定表达最好的办法是在日常中积累，只要留心，就会发现不少中文成语都能在英语中找到对应的表达。

更多的情况，可能需要对中文成语进行解释，即意译所要表达的内容，虽然这样可能失去中文成语的意境，修辞或者幽默感，但是成语毕竟带有强烈的中国文化色彩，首要的还是让外国人理解我们要传达的意思。比如“不管三七二十一”可以译为regardless of the consequences .或者也可以先翻译出中文成语的表面含义再进行必要的解释，如“巧妇难为无米之炊”翻成even the cleverest housewife cannot cook rice without rice后可以简单解释为without the right materials, no matter how good man is, he may not be able to accomplish the task. 因为外国人很少吃米，单纯的翻译虽然保留了中文原味却可能无法让西方人理解，加上这样的解释就一目了然了。

Chatting with a colleague from Great Britain, I used the expression love me, love my dog unintentionally. I didn’t realize that I needed to explain what it meant until he asked me open-eyed. Suddenly I was speechless, because in China it is the most commonly-used example as how to translate Chinese idioms into English. Since native speakers cannot understand, I suppose it could now be ironically regarded as the most classic Chinglish translation.

Then I searched the Internet regarding Chinese idiom translation, only to find that my British colleague cannot comprehend most of their meanings and sometimes even cannot recognize the words. A Chinese idiom is a language phenomenon of a long- used fixed expression, usually with four characters. Very often it is difficult for Chinese people themselves to interpret their own idioms, as they only understand the literal meanings and not the deeper meaning behind them. Therefore, if the idiom is taken in accordance with a simple literal translation, it will not only fail to convey its exact meaning, but will also hamper communications and make people more confused.

In English there are also many idioms that express the same meaning as the Chinese ones. For instance, “to kill two birds with one stone” is the same as “一石二鸟”；”a friend in need is a friend indeed “can be properly translated as “患难之交”; “Work by fits and starts” or “two steps forward, one step backward” can also be considered as a reasonable expression for “三天打鱼，两天晒网“in English. The best approach to these fixed expressions is to accumulate them in your daily lives, and as long as you read them carefully, a lot of Chinese idioms have a corresponding English counterpart.

It is often more intelligent to explain Chinese proverbs. That is, to paraphrase the content of these expressions, even if they may lose their artistic conception and sense of humor. After all, the primary task is to let others understand the conveyed meaning. For example, “不管三七二十一” is best expressed as “regardless of the consequences”. Or we can provide a necessary explanation after the literal translation. “巧妇难为无米之炊” could be interpreted as “even the cleverest housewife cannot cook rice without rice”, followed by a simple but thoughtful explanation such as “without the right materials, no matter how good man is, he may not be able to accomplish the task”. Because people in the Western world eat rice less often, a literal translation retaining the original sentiment and a simple description makes everything much more plain and clear.

Below is our list of the Top 10 Programs for Study Abroad in Chinese. To read the article introducing our study abroad feature click here. If you want to know more about how & why this list came to be, click here.

1.	China Scholarship Council: (University)
		The China Scholarship Council (CSC) is a non-profit institution affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. It offers a series of scholarships set up by the Chinese government to sponsor international students who wish to study or conduct research in Chinese institutions of higher education. Info: Chinese knowledge required, All nationalities eligible http://en.csc.edu.cn/
2.	Lotus Educ. Foundation: (High School & University)
		The Lotus Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization based in San Jose, California, with an office in Beijing. They offer quality Mandarin Immersion Programs for students & afford them the opportunity to live with a host family. Programs also include cultural excursions and extracurricular activities. Info: No Chinese required prior to departure, Extensive student support in China http://www.lotuseducation.org/
3.	AFS: (High School)
		AFS is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities.  Students live with a host family, attend a local school and become involved in community. Info: All nationalities welcome, Extensive student support http://www.afs.org
3.	IES: (University)
		IES offers a Beijing Language Intensive Program which is designed for students who have already begun studying Chinese. The program provides the opportunity to rapidly expand one’s knowledge of written and spoken Chinese. Info: Chinese knowledge required, Scholarships available http://www.iesabroad.org
5.	Center for Study Abroad: (University)
		Center For Study Abroad (CSA) has been providing affordable, high quality, and fully accredited study abroad programs overseas since 1990. They offer programs in three major Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Info: No Chinese knowledge required, Flexible duration of program http://www.centerforstudyabroad.com/china.html
6.	AIFS: (University)
		AIFS was founded in 1964. Every year nearly 5000 U.S. undergraduates choose to study with AIFS at one of their 24 international campus locations.  Several programs to study in China are available including those in Beijing, Shanghai and Naijing. Info: Extensive student support in-country, No previous Chinese required http://www.aifsabroad.com/china/
7.	SUNY - Brockport: (University)
		The College at Brockport offers a Three Cities Program, which is designed to provide participants with a perspective of China through experiencing three distinct Chinese cities and three separate Universities. Brockport also offers semester programs in Shanghai and Beijing. Info: No previous Chinese language required, Only 3rd or 4th year students are eligible. http://www.brockportabroad.com/china/china.html
7.	World Link Education: (University)
		World Link Education (WLE) provides high quality China Study Abroad programs hosted by Universities in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Kunming, Qingdao, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Dalian, Nanjing, Guilin, Guangzhou & Tibet. All programs combine core classes with after-class tutorial, interaction with native speakers & electives. Info: Programs tailored to all proficiency levels, Multiple housing options http://www.worldlinkedu.com/
9.	Intrax: (High School)
		Intrax Study Abroad is a premier organization dedicated to international education and cultural exchange with operations in over 80 countries worldwide.  The Summer Chinese program for High School students is located in Kunming, with many excursions to other parts of the country. Info: High degree of external cultural programming, Extensive student support http://www.intraxstudyabroad.com/
10.	CIEE: (University)
		For U.S. high school and university students, CIEE administers approximately 104 study abroad programs in over 35 host countries.  In China, CIEE administers several language, culture, business, and topical studies programs in Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai. Info: US students eligible, No Chinese proficiency necessary www.ciee.org

Find the Top Study Abroad Program Button here to add it to your website!

不要把姓和名弄混

与西方国家的规则不同，中国人把“姓”放在“名”的前面。有人说这是因为在中国家庭永远比个人重要——中国人在以这种方式表达对祖先的尊敬——也许吧。无论如何，如果有人名叫杨何，你应该称呼他为“杨先生”而不是“何先生”（除非你碰到的人恰好叫“杨洋”）。

一般来讲，中国人不会像西方人那样只称呼对方的名。例如，如果你称呼一个叫“张伟”的人为“伟”，他会感到非常别扭。不过，如果对方的名字包含两个字，而且和你关系不错，你可以只称呼他的名。例如，你可以管“温家宝”叫“家宝”。

直接从盘子里夹菜

西方人习惯于把食物先分到自己的盘子里再开始用餐。在中国，人们则用筷子直接从桌子上的盘子里夹菜。在中国的饭桌上，你不会看到像在西方国家那样的每个人一个大盘子。所以某种程度上，把食物先分到自己的盘子里是不大可能的——而且如果你尝试那样做，你会看起来有点失礼。

出于卫生的原因，饭桌上一般会有“公用筷子”——在主人给客人夹菜的时候这尤其有用。如果你没有找到公用筷子，你尽可以找主人或服务员要一双。或者，你还可以采用以下技巧：把筷子倒过来，用你没使用过的筷子那一头来给客人夹菜。

敬酒的时候要尤其小心

在中国喝酒的规矩很多，也很复杂，甚至很多中国人自己都搞不清楚。安全的做法是不要自己一个人喝酒——要给人敬酒。而且在碰杯时，要尤其注意，你应该尽可能地让你杯子的上沿低于对方的杯子上沿——以此来显示你的谦卑。如果你拿自己的杯子底儿去碰一位长者的杯子，哼哼，你的麻烦可大了……

有一点你要牢记：其实对于大多数外国人来说，他们根本没什么机会来显摆他们对中国酒文化的理解。因为那些在中国的饭桌上最经常喝的酒，例如茅台、五粮液、老白干等，一般都能在1秒钟内把老外放倒……

等主人告诉你该坐在哪

尽管在中国的饭桌上“按地位排座次”的规矩没有日本那么多，但还是有相当的规矩被保留了下来。一般而言，正对着门口的位子应该是主人的位子，而主人右手边的位子应该是“第一贵宾”的位置。当然，在不同环境下规矩也会变化，例如有时还要考虑是否是窗边的座位、靠里面的座位、风景好的座位等。所以安全的做法是等主人告诉你该坐在哪时再就坐——千万不要一进屋就一屁股坐在一把椅子上。

最后：其实不用拘泥这些

你可能觉得上面提到的这些规矩太麻烦了。放轻松，其实如果你是一个外国人的话，你其实怎么做都没关系——中国人了解情况。当然，如果你能把上面的规矩都遵守的非常好，中国人会觉得你是一个很“地道”的外国佬。

人们试图通过这个故事表明：美国人的贷款消费方式更加先进，能提前让人享受到舒适的生活；而中国人大多习惯于存款消费，辛苦一生，却无福享受自己的奋斗成果。

然而不妨再来听听故事的续集：

美国老太太去了天堂以后，她的子女说："刚 给母亲办完了丧事，我们又要去贷款买房了。"中国老太太去了天堂以后，她的子女说："母亲真好，辛苦一辈子，给我们留下了一套新房，我们也要努力攒钱，给 孩子买房。"美国的子女住上了贷款买的新房，中国的子女住上了母亲刚买下但没有来得及享用的新房。

所以从中美两国的消费习惯上，可以折射出与此相关的家庭伦理和社会价值观的差异。美国老太太的孩子贷款住上了自己的房子，享受了人生；中国老太太的孩子也有新房子住，也能享受人生，只是她住的是她的母亲留下的新房子。

看来这就是为什么，美国人在用餐前要祷告："感谢主，赐我衣，赐我食。"中国人则在用餐前，在祖先灵位前点上一炷香，烧几张纸钱，供上热腾腾的饭食，然后再自己用餐。对中国人来说，祖先通过自己的努力为子孙赐福，是实实在在比上帝还要值得尊敬的。

再考虑到最近美国的次贷危机，今天的中国人也许仍然愿意选择通过奋斗为子女留下一套房子，而不是让自己的下半生都活在"欠债还钱"的阴影里。

However, we cannot guarantee that the information is absolutely correct, because sizes of clothing vary between manufacturers and even between different designs by the same manufacturer. So the charts below are for approximate reference only.

Men’s

Dress Shirts

Knitwear

Dresses and Jackets

US	China
34	加小码
36	小码
38	中码
40	中码
42	大码
44	大码
46	加大码
48	加大码

Pants

US	China
29	27码
30-31	28码
32-33	29码
34-35	30码
36-37	31码
38-39	32码
40-41	34码
42-43	36码

Shoes

US	China
6	39
6.5	39.5
7	40
8	41.5
8.5	42
9	42.5
9.5	43.5
10	44
10.5	44.5
11	45
11.5	46
12	46.5

Women’s

Tops

Bottoms

Shoes

„Lernen beim Singen“ ist eine effektive Lernmethode, dadurch man nicht nur die Musik genießt, sondern auch seinen Wortschatz erweitert, seine Aussprache übt und die chinesische Kultur näher kennenlernt.

„Tonghua“ von Guangliang ist ein wahnsinnlich beliebtes Lied und wurde sogar gesummt von Leuten, die kein Chinesisch sprechen. Damit die Fans dieses Lieds den Songtext verstehen können, ist der unterstehende Text von mir entstanden. Lass uns das schöne traurige Lied zusammen genießen!