Since moving into a new community that has a little playground, we have been taking our toddler there daily to blow off some steam. While this has been a wonderful opportunity for her to make friends and start learning Chinese, it has also been a valuable learning experience for us as parents as Chinese playground expectations and politics can be more intense than actual politics. Between figuring out cultural norms and navigating unspoken etiquette while also tiptoeing around possible passive-aggressive parenting, I am here for you.

Essentials: a LOT of snacks (for sharing), mosquito spray, a water bottle, toys you don’t mind losing to the playground abyss, a bike/scooter … oh … and a wicked sense of humor!

1. Share or be judged eternally

Being a collectivist culture, Chinese people tend to see the playground as one of those big glass-top-turning dinner tables (转盘餐桌 – zhuànpán cānzhuō) everything is placed upon and then passed around. If your child clings to their toy for dear life, you might be getting some funky looks. This is not simply a sense of politeness but a much more deeply rooted practice that encourages communal harmony and collective enjoyment. It is also important to note that they don’t enforce this aggressively, but rather paint it as natural and joyful. Here are some phrases you can choose from and learn in order to join in on the harmony:

我们一起玩吧！– Wǒmen yīqǐ wán ba!
(Let’s play together! / Let’s all play!)

一起玩吧！– Yīqǐ wán ba!
(Play together! Shorter version of the previous one; very common)

分享玩具。– Fēnxiǎng wánjù.
(Share the toys. Direct instruction for sharing, simple and clear)

大家一起玩。– Dàjiā yīqǐ wán.
(Everyone plays together.)

轮流玩。– Lúnliú wán.
(Take turns playing.)

可以一起玩吗？– Kěyǐ yīqǐ wán ma?
(Can we play together? / Can I play too?)

给朋友玩一下。– Gěi péngyǒu wán yīxià.
(Give it to the friend to play with for a little while. Encouraging a child to share with another specific child)

交换玩。– Jiāohuàn wán.
(Let’s swap and play. / Trade toys to play.)

好朋友，一起玩。– Hǎo péngyǒu, yīqǐ wán.
(Good friends play together.)

Pro tip: Take some decoy, inexpensive toys that your child has lost interest in and offer them to other kids in advance if you know your toddler still struggles a bit with sharing. Be prepared that those toys might not come back home with you, and brush it off as a tribute to the playground gods. Often, Chinese parents will encourage their kids to give your child their toy as a gift, but most of the time it’s just cultural politeness. If you’re going to let your kid accept the gift, it is polite to give something to the other kid in return. People especially tend to be extra giving to foreign children as a way of showcasing Chinese hospitality. Sometimes, we are ambushed with kids handing our daughter toys and snacks all at the same time, to the point where she doesn’t know what to take or leave.

2. The Snack-Exchange

Aside from the necessary water bottle that forever hugs the side of ayi or grandma’s hip, Chinese families always enter the battlefield equipped with ample snacks. We used to never bring snacks ourselves, considering we were a few steps away from home and usually came right after meal times, but snack-bringing became a practice we quickly learned to adopt! If your little one is like ours and will gladly accept anything edible handed to her, then best be sure you will be expected to offer snacks in return to the friendly giver. There are however, some unwritten rules you need to abide by and consider:

1. Don’t bring outlandish snacks like kale chips or quinoa puffs, and don’t bring anything too unhealthy, like chocolate. Stick to local crowd-pleasers like fruits – but single-serving stuff like grapes or bananas. Germ-sensitive parents are cautious about their kid taking food prepared in other people’s homes, and it puts the parents in awkward positions to make their kid turn it down. Just stick to local crunchy staples like 旺旺仙贝 (Wàngwàng Xiānbèi). Fun fact: Wàngwàng means prosperity, which is quite cute when considering the sharing culture that they embody.
2. People won’t usually consider allergies or choking hazards, so keep a watchful eye, especially when the crowd descends, if your child has any known allergies or is still small enough to possibly choke on a windpipe-sized snack. Be wary of just snatching snacks away preemptively that seem inappropriate, as the snack sharing culture embodies trust and generosity, rather than making the giver “lose face.” Be gentle about your approach and check out some of the useful phrases below. Tip: If you’re really uncomfortable about something your kid took, you can always tell a little fib and say your kid is allergic: 他/她过敏 – Tā guòmǐn (“He/she’s allergic”).
3. Bring a few extra snacks that you can hand out and a little bag for trash, as you are bound to be handed quite a few half-eaten things by your toddler, who has sampled the buffet of generous offerings and only really enjoyed a select few of them. Here are some Taobao links to snacks that have worked well for us and that local kids love.
   

Helpful phrases:

Offering a snack (polite & safe):

吃这个吧，安全的。–  Chī zhège ba, ānquán de.
(Meaning: “Eat this, it’s safe.”)

Refusing politely (general):

谢谢！他现在不饿。– Xièxie! Tā xiànzài bú è.
(Meaning: “Thank you! He/She isn’t hungry right now.” A gentle, common refusal.)

谢谢！我们会在家吃 – Wǒmen huì zàijiā chī.
Meaning: “We’ll eat it at home.”)

Warning of choking hazard (urgent but polite):

小心！这个会卡住喉咙！– Xiǎoxīn! Zhège huì kǎzhù hóulóng!
(Meaning: “Careful! This can get stuck in his/her throat!”)

Warning of allergy (essential & direct):

他/她对这个过敏！不能吃！– Tā duì zhège guòmǐn! Bùnéng chī!
(Meaning: “He/She is allergic to this! Can’t eat it!”)

Encouraging safe sharing (to another child):

给他/她一小块吧。– Gěi tā yī xiǎo kuài ba.
(Meaning: “Give him/her a small piece.” Useful if a child offers your toddler something too big.)

Bonus Phrase (If your child grabs):

先问一下！– Xiān wèn yīxià!
(Meaning: “Ask first!” Simple reminder before taking.)

Physical friendliness

From being able to express that your little one doesn’t like their hair touched to avoiding accidentally offending your Chinese playground pals and all the many “wòshǒus” (handshakes) in between, one can never be too equipped for navigating cross-cultural physical contact differences. Here are some of the physical contact occurrences to avoid and some helpful phrases when trying to set your boundaries without becoming the playground pariah.

Culturally inappropriate:

1. Hugs and kisses: While many cultures consider this inappropriate as well, many of us like to express kindness with hugs, not to mention kids who innocently want to hand out kisses to their new friends. In China, however, this is only done by extremely close family members, and you and your babies are better off sticking to handshakes.
2. Eye contact and touching simultaneously: Wait, what!? Eye contact combined with touch is often considered confrontational in Chinese culture, so if your child likes to examine their new friend’s eye color while clinging to their arm, it might be a good idea to intervene and distract them with a fun high-five (击掌 jīzhǎng) instead.

With our own cultural and personal physical affection preferences, it is important to enforce boundaries without ruining potential friendships. In China, a grandma’s arm grab isn’t a kidnapping attempt, it’s a 热情安检 (rèqíng ānjiǎn) – a “passion security check.” Her mission? To verify your child’s chubby cheeks are 100 percent real. Understandably, this might upset your toddler. Along with fending off the unwanted hair touchers, these phrases can help you be polite about your own no-nos.

Useful phrases:

Gentle refusal:
抱歉，但她不喜欢别人碰她的头发？– Bàoqiàn, dàn tā bù xǐhuān biérén pèng tā de tóufǎ.
“Sorry, but she doesn’t like people touching her hair.”

Politely declining hair touching:

请不要摸头发，谢谢！– Qǐng búyào mō tóufa, xièxie!
“Please don’t touch her hair. Thank you!”

Explaining cultural differences:

孩子不太习惯这样接触，谢谢理解！– Háizi bú tài xíguàn zhèyàng jiēchù, xièxie lǐjiě!
“The child isn’t very used to this kind of contact—thanks for understanding!”

If a child is grabbed/hugged:

她喜欢自己玩。– Tā xǐhuan zìjǐ wán.
“She likes to play on her own.”

Granny grabs:

谢谢您喜欢他！他有点害羞 – Xièxie nín xǐhuan tā! Tā yǒudiǎn hàixiū.
“Thanks for liking him! He’s a bit shy.”

Raising little ones in Beijing paints life in vivid, unexpected colors and slowly attunes us to rhythms of a culture not quite our own. It’s in the whirl of playground chaos, the grace of redirected touches, and the shared crunch of 旺旺仙贝 that we learn to hold boundaries gently, receive generosity openly and remix belonging in the in-between. And while it can feel messy, discovering your own blend of “fitting in” versus remaining authentic? That’s the quiet art of expat life: the freedom to parent differently, yet deeply.

Images: Janita Shahsavari

Whether you want to or not, living in China means you and your kid are going to have to pick up some measure of Chinese.

Even as a Chinese speaker, I still struggle with helping my child learn the language, especially since my own fluency is a bit of an embarrassment, as my uncle loves to point out at every Chinese New Year reunion dinner. But I’m not giving up without a fight. So I found ways that I could boost my child’s Chinese language skills using readily available resources.

Free introductory online Chinese classes

Culture Yard is a familiar name to most expats in Beijing, but you may not know that they offer free introductory Chinese classes!

Try out online Chinese learning, get to know their teachers, meet fellow students, and learn some useful Chinese for daily use, all from the comfort of your own home – and for free! Topics change weekly and include an introduction to Chinese characters and pronunciation; daily Chinese for life in China, such as taking a taxi and ordering food; Chinese culture classes; business Chinese; HSK classes, and much more. To join their Free Classes group, message “Free Classes” on WeChat (@ cultureyardoffice).

Watch Chinese language cartoons and films

With China’s foray into the international film industry making waves, there are plenty of films that are either made in Chinese or have Chinese audio available. Pixar’s recent animated film Turning Red which features a 13-year-old female protagonist whose onset of puberty unlocks her genetic ability to turn into a giant red panda is a great example, and another would be Dreamworks’ Abominable (2019). My son and I have watched both these films in English first, then Chinese, so that we know the plot and characters to better understand the films when we re-watch them in Chinese.

Another method would be to turn on the Chinese language for familiar cartoons that your kids might enjoy repeatedly. such as PJ Masks, Paw Patrol, or any other series on streaming platforms that support dual languages like Netflix. Since they already know these cartoons so well, it may be time to turn the language setting to Chinese (with English subtitles)! This is a 2-in-1 as it exposes the kid to hearing more Chinese while affording them the opportunity to practice reading the English subtitles. The fact that they’ve already watched the series before also means they’ll have a sense of what is happening and won’t be totally lost.

Download free Chinese learning apps on the iPad

Yes, I’m thrisfy, so I sourced free digital apps for my kid to work on his handwriting, build up vocabulary, and listen to stories.

Below are just a few apps suitable for beginners. LinguPinguin is particularly useful because it has different app versions that support different native languages. For example, you could have German to Chinese, or Spanish to Chinese. If your kid is old enough to navigate it, Duolingo is great for learning practically any language on Earth!

Bilingual books

Many Beijing expat educator has taken it upon themselves to write children’s books that are in two languages, which usually contain a bit of local culture to boot! While it may be tricky for you to read the Chinese parts, a translation app can help with that.

Otherwise, you might want to buy a cup of tea for your Chinese-speaking friend in exchange for helping you with the reading and pronunciation of the characters. If not, you could also consider cornering your kid’s Chinese teacher after class and ask for help, or just drop her an email with pictures of the book. Here are a few recommendations:

This Read Aloud! series, available on Taobao for less than RMB 100, features a number of familiar English titles such as The Ugly Duckling, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Rabbit and the Turtle, with a simple Chinese translation. As you can see, I’ve annotated my own copy to help me with the characters!

北京是个好地方 běi jīng shì gè hǎo dì fāng What a Place! was written by Lana Sultan, a long-time Beijing expat. I picked up this copy from Roundabout but you can also find it on Taobao.

北京哈巴狗-疫情中的历险记 běi jīng hǎ ba gǒu: yì qíng zhōng de lì xiǎn jì Peking Pugs: A Covid Caper is probably my favorite of the lot, as it even pertains to the recent Covid crisis, albeit in a light-hearted fashion suitable for its intended young audience. This cute read was written by Janice Stewart-Yates and it is through her that you can also purchase copies of the book. Scan the QR code below to do so!

KEEP READING: How Difficult Is It for International Students To Learn Chinese?

Images: Pexels, Vivienne Tseng-Rush

“Dui bu qi wo de zhongwen buhao.” (Sorry, my Chinese is terrible.)

Do you also religiously use this phrase to avoid all potential conversations in Chinese? Is Chinese really so complicated to study? Should I even study Chinese? Will I be ever able to learn Chinese in my lifetime?

Chinese is one of the most challenging languages to master, and tere is a lot of anxiety out there when it comes to learning it, but is it impossible to learn?  How difficult is it for international students to learn Chinese?

As an international student myself, I have been learning the language for the past year, and one thing I can say is that it is not easy but it is exciting!

I decided to interview a few international students,  as well as an experienced Chinese teacher teaching international students in Beijing! Are you excited to see their responses? Without further ado, let’s dive straight away into the interesting responses.

I asked the same questions to everyone:  How long have you been learning Chinese and how difficult do you think is it for international students like you to learn Chinese? What are the difficult and interesting aspects of the language?

Lorenz Hoffmann, age 17, Grade 11, German School of Beijing: I began to learn Chinese two and a half years ago. And it’s a mess! Chinese is a language that is not influenced by the central European culture area. As a German, it’s a completely new system. Learning languages requires a general understanding of the style (grammar) of that language. That makes Chinese even more complicated. Not to mention the hanzi, the characters.

Sunni, age 17, Grade 12, International School of Beijing: It has been around a year and a half since I started learning Chinese. Out of all the languages I learned, I felt like learning Chinese was the hardest (but that might be because I just started learning). But the good thing about Chinese is that the grammar structure is similar to that of English. For me, I find having a conversation in Chinese the hardest because of the different tones and word patterns.

Paul, age 16, Grade 12,  German School of Beijing: I’ve been learning Chinese for a bit more than two years, since we decided to move to Beijing. When we were still in Germany, I learned online. Now I have Chinese in school. Of the languages I’ve learned so far, Chinese grammar is the easiest, while vocabulary, characters, and pronunciation are by far the most difficult. Overall, I’d say Chinese probably takes a lot of effort and is the most difficult, but it’s a lot of fun too, especially when I’m able to understand something in everyday life.

American student, age 17, International School of Beijing: I’ve been learning Mandarin Chinese for five years. As a native English speaker, I think it’s a pretty difficult language to learn, because of all of the different characters to learn. I also struggle a lot with tones, but I find that I can still communicate alright without fully using them (even if I end up sounding like a robot or a broken violin). Despite Chinese’s difficulty, I do appreciate its grammar! Compared to English, its grammar is relatively simple, and definitely a lot more consistent. This made sentences a lot easier to construct when I was a beginner, without having to worry about conjugations, cases, or articles. Then again, as I continued learning Chinese, I found that there were a lot of more subtle grammar rules that are difficult to explain in English. Some examples are the different meanings of “了,” or how Chinese has aspects, but not tense. So, overall, I would say Chinese is pretty difficult to learn, because of the characters, pronunciations, and grammar.

As an experienced Chinese teacher teaching international students, What do you think are the areas where students do well and the areas where they struggle to excel?

A Chinese teacher in an international school: My observation is that for international students living in China, it’s easier to make progress in listening and speaking than in reading and writing, mostly because they are immersed in the target language environment which enables them to better understand the context and communicate more effectively.

Any tips on how international students living in Beijing can overcome the language difficulty and learn Chinese better?

As long as they are willing, there are many opportunities to practice using the language in real life. With the use of apps such as Didi, Weixin, Meituan, Taobao, etc., students can also practice reading in authentic scenarios. Another opportunity is the road signs, shop signs, etc. Overall, the most difficult part is writing, simply because people don’t write much nowadays, and characters are more complicated to write. To improve, the most effective way is to practice. Using resources that show the stroke orders would help. Taking calligraphy lessons is also a way to appreciate and understand the characters.

Overall, the responses were great and optimistic! So, yes, there are some areas where international students generally struggle, but with the right amount of practice and interest, one can learn the language efficiently. To all those who are or who will be learning Chinese, I will say only one thing: “Jiayou 加油!” (“Come on, you can do it!”)

Images: Unsplash

Whether you want to or not, living in China means you and your kid are going to have to pick up some measure of Chinese. Even as a Chinese speaker, I still struggle with helping my child learn the language, especially since my own fluency is a bit of an embarrassment, as my uncle Danny loves to point out during every Chinese New Year reunion dinner. But I’m not giving up without a fight. So I found ways that I could boost my child’s Chinese language skills using readily available resources.

Turn On Chinese Language for Netflix cartoons 
If your child is into PJ Masks, Paw Patrol, or any other series on streaming platforms that support dual languages like Netflix, and has watched the cartoons multiple times, it may be time to turn the language setting to Chinese (with English subtitles)! This is a 2-in-1 as it exposes the kid to hearing more Chinese while affording them the opportunity to practice reading the subtitles. The fact that they’ve already watched the series before also means they’ll have a sense of what is happening and won’t be totally lost.

Download Free Chinese learning apps on the iPad
Yes, I’m cheap so I sourced free digital apps for my kid to work on his handwriting, build up vocabulary, and listen to stories. Below are just a few apps suitable for beginners. LinguPinguin is particularly useful because it has different app versions that support different native languages. For example, you could have German to Chinese, or Spanish to Chinese.

Bilingual Books
Many a Beijing expat educator has taken it upon themselves to write children’s books that are in two languages, which usually contain a bit of local culture to boot! While it may be tricky for you to read the Chinese parts, a translation app can help with that. Otherwise, you might want to buy a cup of tea for your Chinese-speaking friend in exchange for helping you with the reading and pronunciation of the characters. If not, you could also consider cornering your kid’s Chinese teacher after class and ask for help, or just drop her an email with pictures of the book. Here are a few recommendations:

This Read Aloud! series, available on TaoBao for less than RMB 100, features a number of familiar English titles such as The Ugly Duckling, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Rabbit and the Turtle, with a simple Chinese translation. As you can see, I’ve annotated my own copy to help me with the characters!

北京是个好地方 běi jīng shì gè hǎo dì fāng What a Place! was written by Lana Sultan, a long time Beijing expat. I picked up this copy from Roundabout but you can also find it on TaoBao.

北京哈巴狗-疫情中的历险记 běi jīng hǎ ba gǒu: yì qíng zhōng de lì xiǎn jì Peking Pugs: A Covid Caper is probably my favorite of the lot, as it even pertains to the recent Covid crisis, albeit in a light-hearted fashion suitable for its intended young audience. This cute read was written by Janice Stewart-Yates and it is through her that you can also purchase copies of the book. Scan the QR code below to do so!

KEEP READING: Being In China Brings Out The Tiger Parent In Me

Images: Pexels, Vivienne Tseng-Rush

This Halloween, make sure you scare your neighbors with your costumes rather than your failing Chinese. These freaky phrases will have you chatting confidently about the scariest time of year in no time.

Even better, these terms will help you out if you need to stock up on last-minute Halloween costumes on Taobao or Jingdong.

The basics

Halloween 万圣节 wànshèngjié
Happy Halloween 万圣节快乐 wànshèngjié kuàilè
Halloween costume 万圣节服装 wànshèngjié fúzhuāng
Jack o’ lantern 南瓜灯 nánguā dēng
Trick or Treat 不给糖就捣蛋 bù gĕi táng jiù dăodàn
Decorations 装饰 zhuāngshì

Spooky things to do

Haunted house 鬼屋 guĭwū
Ghost stories 鬼故事 guĭgùshì
Horror movies 恐怖电影 kŏngbù diànyĭng
Bobbing for apples 咬苹果游戏 yăo píngguŏ yóuxì

Scary monsters and spooky sprites

Monster 怪物 guàiwù
Witch 女巫 nüwū
Vampire 吸血鬼 xīxuèguĭ
Werewolf 狼人 lángrén
Frankenstein 科学怪人 kēkuéguàirén
Ghost 鬼 guĭ

Mummy 木乃伊 mùnăiyī
Zombie 僵尸 jiāngshī
Skeleton 骷髅 kūlóu
Demon 恶魔 èmó
Devil 魔鬼 móguĭ

Making (creepy) conversation

What are you doing for Halloween? 你打算怎么过万圣节？nĭ dăsuàn zĕnmeguò wànshèngjié?
Are you going to a Halloween party？你去万圣节派对吗？nĭ qù wànshèngjié pàiduì ma?
Do you like scary movies? 你喜欢看恐怖电影吗？nĭ xĭhuān kŏngbù diànyĭng ma?
What’s your favorite scary movie？你最喜欢哪部恐怖电影？nĭ zuì xĭhuān nă bù kŏngbù diànyĭng?
What are you going to dress up as? 你要打扮成什么？nĭ yào dăbàn chéng shénma?
I’m going to dress up as… 我要打扮成… wŏ yào dăbàn chéng… 

Images: Unsplash

It seems like everything is negotiable with Chinese vendors, well except at malls or supermarkets. There are some famous places such as the Pearl Market or Silk Market (which are also known for their counterfeit products) where you can practice your bargaining skills and have fun while immersing yourself in the culture. Even though most of the vendors can speak English very well, it’s still helpful if you know how to bargain (tǎojiàhuánjià, 讨价还价) in Chinese. Here we have five phrases and tips for you to get the best deal anywhere in China.

Can I get a discount?
可以给我打折吗？Kěyǐ gěi wǒ dăzhé ma?

Tip: If they reject your request for a discount, don’t be afraid to just walk away. This will make them more likely to bargain with you if the price for them is still beneficial.

This is too expensive. Can you make it cheaper?
太贵了! 可以便宜一点吗？Tài guì le! Kĕyǐ piányì yìdiăn ma?

Tip: Since the chance of seeing a counterfeit is huge and the vendors usually give you an exaggerated price, your best starting point should be a very low figure, then you can have more space to negotiate in. For example, if their price is RMB 2,000 for a winter jacket, you can start at RMB 200.

I saw this for a cheaper price in the shop over there.
我刚看见这个产品在那边的商店更便宜. Wǒ kànjiàn zhègè chănpǐn zài nàbiān de shāngdiàn gèng piányí.

Tip: Even it’s not true, tell the shop owner that you saw the same item cheaper at a different store. It will make negotiating with the shop owner a little bit easier.

Can you make it ___yuan?
可以算我__ 元吗? Kěyǐ suàn wǒ __yuán ma?

Tip: In the market, after you’ve said it’s too expensive, you will hear a lot of shopkeepers ask you “what is your best price?” Then you can suggest a cheaper, more reasonable price. However, you should try to not pay more than 40 percent of the original price they give you.

I don’t want it. Bye.
我不要. Wǒ bùyào.

Tip: Sometimes the best thing to do is just walk away if they stick to their “best price”. There are more than enough shops to visit and bargain with.

Photo: weibo.com 

Elephant, Yolo, Little Dragon, Lucifer… we’ve all come across strange sounding English names that Chinese people have chosen for themselves.

Clearly, cultural differences are at play here. In English, we (generally) separate proper nouns – names for people and things – and common nouns, the words we use to refer to inanimate objects and animals e.g. book, rabbit, thingamabob. There are some exceptions to this rule, especially when Gwenyth Paltrow or Kanye West comes to town. But generally, we’re pretty strict on what’s a person’s name, and what’s not.

In Chinese, however, these rules of thumb aren’t as strict. Every character carries meaning, and proper and common nouns intermingle merrily. Choosing a Chinese name that sounds good, and which you also like and can pronounce, can be a bit of a minefield, but it can also be lots of fun and a good learning opportunity.

Ready to get started? There are a few different ways you can pick your Chinese name:

Choosing a name that sounds similar to your own

This method – picking characters that sound like a transliteration of own name, or thereabouts – is probably one of the easiest means to settle on a Chinese name, but also one where you must exercise caution lest you want to sound like a misplaced menu item.

Let’s look at a case study, namely the path I took to find my China-side name.

While visiting the police station to register my temporary residence permit for the first time, the woman behind the desk told me she needed my name in Chinese. I panicked. Picking a new name for myself on the spot? Such a life-changing decision surely requires deep thought and hours of research?!

Having done a couple of days of self-study when I first arrived in China, I remembered that the word for Monday, 周一 zhōuyī, had reminded me of my name when I first heard it. And it’s as simple as that; my Chinese name was born.

I was lucky. The character 周 is a very common Chinese second name – so my name works, although it does sound a tad odd. I then found out there were two other words for ‘Monday’ in Chinese, so when spelling out my characters I can simply say “zhōuyī as in Monday” “星期一的周一/礼拜一的周一 xīngqí yī de zhōuyī/lǐbài yī de zhōuyī’” (lit. Monday’s Monday/Monday’s Monday).

Unless you’re a risk-fiend, we probably don’t recommend this on-the-spot method. In which case you could…

Go for the norm

There are many different Western names that already have a pretty widely accepted phonetic Chinese character translation, for example:

• Annie 安妮 ānnī
• Amy 艾美 ài měi
• Ella 艾拉 ài lā
• Lilly 莉莉 lìlì
• Nina 妮娜 nī na
• Alan 阿兰 ālán
• Chris 克里斯 kè lǐsī
• David 大卫 dà wèi
• Harry 哈利 hā lì
• Jack 杰克 jiékè

You can find out if your name has already been standardized by consulting online lists of common names like this one online.

Don’t like the characters? Find the phonetic translation too boring? Don’t actually have an equivalent at all? Don’t worry, you still have options…

Chose a common Chinese name

Some Western names simply don’t have a Chinese that comes close to the original. For instance, my dad, Simon, recently came to China and asked me to give him a Chinese name. However, the phonemes that make up ‘Simon’ don’t have any equivalent counterparts in Chinese. In an act of playfulness, I helped him settle on 秃子 tūzi, meaning ‘baldy.’ He happens to be bald, and in a stroke of luck, doesn’t understand Chinese.

Avoid my dad’s fate by starting with a common Chinese surname, and work from there. Remember, that in a Chinese name the surname (family name) is the first character.

Here are the top 10 Chinese family names (with the first three accounting for over 20 percent of the Chinese population). Take your pick:

• Wáng (王)
• Lǐ (李)
• Zhāng (张)
• Liú (刘)
• Chén (陈)
• Yáng (杨)
• Huáng (黄)
• Zhào (赵)
• Wú (吴)
• Zhōu (周)

Most Chinese names have two or three characters, with the first, as we mentioned before, being the family name, followed by the characters for the given name. We advise choosing a good, solid family name that will not stand out unduly in China, but feel free to get creative with your given name!

Don’t forget that when you add your given name, some character combinations can change the meaning entirely. For example with my name, 周 means ‘thoughtful, careful,’ and – means one. Together, they mean Monday.

Here are some tips as to how to settle on a robust family name.

Pick characters you already like

Do you have a favorite character? Or already have an idea of some characters that you can read and write that would be good for a name? Why not use them to your advantage and work them into your name.

You may like a certain character because it looks pretty, or because of the meaning, but for whatever reason you choose it, make sure that you check with a Chinese native beforehand for any hidden meanings it may have. Also, this may seem obvious but it’s worth saying outright – it’s important that you can read/write your own name. At least in pinyin.

Ask a Chinese teacher or friend

Whilst arguably the least fun method, this is probably the most popular and fool-proof way to pick your Chinese name. If you’re taking Chinese classes, you can ask your Chinese teacher to help or turn to Chinese friends or colleagues. The name they give you could either be based on your English name, something trendy or based upon your character and personality.

Riffing off your surname is a good place to start. Many English names are quite straightforward in meaning, such as Miller, Baker, King etc., but others have origins and meanings that may be more obscure and interesting, such as Higgins (from the Gaelic root Uiginn, ‘seafarer’); and Kennedy (Anglicisation of the Gaelic ceann and eidigh meaning “ugly head”). Not sure about yours? Ask a family member for advice, or research the meaning of your name online before bringing it to your Chinese friend as this will help them to choose an appropriate name that has even more depth of meaning and significance to you.

However you choose it, your Chinese name will stick with you throughout your time in China, so make sure it’s one you’re happy with (and can vaguely read/write), then – and this is important! – make sure to put it on your WeChat profile!

There, your status as a bonafide expat is complete.

Photos: smilingfacechinese.blogspot.com, Giphy

There are times when going to the mall or a grocery store is far better and more convenient than shopping online, especially if we want to buy fresh food or items that we want to see physically first. While our innate liking for shopping might transcend the challenges of the language barrier, it doesn’t hurt to know some of the words that will help you in your supermarket visits in the long run.

Discounts, promos, and prices

Watch out for these…

– 促销活动 cùxiāo huódòng – sales promotion
– 买一送一 mǎi yī sòng yī – “buy one, get one free”
– (amount)+元两件 yuán liǎng jiàn – buy two (items) for RMB (amount)
– 全场 quán chǎng – “entire store”
– (number) + 起 qǐ – = Starting at (number) or from (number) and up
– 半价 bàn jià – “half price”
– 件 jiàn – measure word for clothing, furniture, or items
– 满 mǎn – to reach a certain limit/amount (before you get a discount)

Supermarket sections

– 区 qū – section/area
– 蔬菜区 shūcài qū – vegetable section
– 鱼肉区 yú ròu qū – meat and fish section
– 生鲜冷冻区 shēng xiān lěngdòng qū – fresh and frozen food items section
– 水果 shuǐguǒ – fruits
– 调味料 tiáo wèi liào – spices and condiments
– 烘焙谷物 hōng bèi gǔ wù – baked goods, cereals, grains
– 乳制品 rǔzhì pǐn – dairy
– 零食区 língshí qū – snacks area
– 进口食品 jìnkǒu shí pǐn – imported food items
– 日用品 rì yònɡ pǐn – household items
– 家电区 jiādiàn qū – electronics
– 杂货店 záhuò diàn – grocery store

At the counter…

– 收银台 shōu yín tái – cashier desk
– 刷卡 shuā kǎ – credit card
– 现金 xiàn jīn – cash
– 袋子 dài zi – bag
– 会员卡 huì yuán kǎ – membership card
– 购物车 ɡòu wù chē – shopping cart
– 付钱 fù qián – to pay money

Other useful words

– 价格 jiàgé – price
– 砍价 kǎn jià – to bargain
– 重量 zhòng liàng – “item weight
– (公)克 (gōng) kè – gram
– 斤 jīn – 500 grams
– 公斤 gōng jīn – 1 kilogram
– 生产日期 shēngchǎn rìqí – manufacturing date
– 保质期 bǎozhìqī – shelf life
– 保质期至 bǎozhìqī zhì – expiry date

Take it easy and try to remember the words and phrases that you will need in a certain moment, say you’re going to the fruits and vegetable section. Take photos of the tags or receipts and decipher them using a translator app whenever you get a chance. In that way, it will be easier to associate the new words with the supermarket section you go to.

That’s only one part of shopping! Wait, there’s more! Here ya go:

How to Haggle for the Best Beijing Bargains

Useful Phrases for Clothes Shopping

How to Order From a Chinese Menu
Using Chinese Characters

Get the Chop With These Phrases
to Use at the Hairdresser

Photos: Andy Penafuerte III, Places2Holiday, Pixabay, createcn.com

If there’s one New Year’s resolution that I struggled to keep this 2018, that would be stepping up my Chinese skills. Just like other to-do lists, I procrastinated a lot on my journey this year of learning this difficult language.

It helped that I set a goal, which was to take an HSK exam by the end of the year… but what happened? Wasn’t my resolution to pass the HSK exam this year? My explanation: I realize I wasn’t ready to take it. It’s simply not realistic at the moment — just like most items in many New Year’s resolution lists.

But don’t get me wrong. That unfulfilled resolution has become my motivation to learn the language bit by bit. It’s true that an “ambitious” goal such as learning a language as complex as Chinese can’t be achieved in a short run. But that should not deter you in doing – or even trying – it at all.

If you’re at a loss where to find your driving force, here are some Chinese proverbs (谚语 yànyǔ), with the message “‘加油 (Jiayou)! Add oil!’ and start learning Chinese!” that may help you in the journey.

不怕慢，就怕停 Bùpà màn, jiù pà tíng
“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still”

Ask yourself why you’re not trying to learn it at all. Perhaps many locals are learning English and you don’t see a need to speak Chinese? Or you’re good with just using Google Translate or Pleco, or even bothering a local friend to translate whatever you want? You will always find a thousand reasons not to learn Chinese, but this is a lifelong skill that will benefit you in the long run.

千里之行，始於足下 Qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

Finding that motivation to learn Chinese is already a huge step, but there will be more challenges to come, so ready your oil because you need to jiayou all the way. Roadblocks come in the form of the initial language barrier, differences in grammar and phonology, the thousands of characters that you’ll need to remember, and more. All of these are difficult at first but remember: getting through one kilometer of roadblocks means one kilometer forward on that journey.

读万卷书不如行万里路 Dú wàn juǎnshū bùrú xíng wànlǐ lù
“Reading ten thousand books is not as useful as traveling ten thousand miles”

And a related saying, “An ounce of practice is more worth than a pound of theory.” This year, I’ve undertaken a lot of activities to ramp up my Chinese, including writing several Mandarin Monday articles about joining a 30-day challenge, uncovering Chinese influences on daily expressions, and learning some of the most essential components of Chinese grammar. But nothing beats applying these concepts in daily life. Okay, let’s be honest here. At my level, there are still some concepts that I don’t fully grasp after learning, but they prove to be helpful later, especially whenever I immerse myself among locals despite my awfully broken putonghua. There are times that I recognize a hanzi on a street sign because of the Mandarin Monday articles that I’ve written, making it easier for me to remember or associate that character with something.

Learning Chinese for the first time?
Here are some tips from a Chinese teacher.

师傅领进门，修行在个人  Shī fu lǐng jìnmén, xiū xíng zài gè rén
“Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself”

While writing this article, I had a conversation with a colleague from the Beijinger team about how joining intensive classes had been one of the smartest decisions I took in terms of learning Chinese. I grabbed the opportunity to join the excellent summer classes by Purple Bamboo Chinese School in Xingfucun, but that’s only one part of my journey. I had many options, but I chose what I thought was best: to do them in the morning when my mind is relaxed and free from work stress. That meant I had to make very big adjustments in my work schedule and daily activities, but in the end, it paid off. No, I’m not a Chinese master now. But I definitely saw the progress. Whereas in the first quarter of 2018 my Chinese was non-existent, now I can mumble simple sentences. It gave me hope that I can pass the HSK 2 test, even though I didn’t take it before the end of 2018.

Speaking of classes, take advantage of the seasonal packages that many schools offer. Purple Bamboo has a New Year box wherein you can get free lessons and gifts when you purchase 30- or 64-hour lessons. There are other schools that have ongoing winter promotions for their group classes as well.

失败是成功之母 Shībài shì chénggōng zhī mǔ
“Failure is the mother of success”

And speaking of the HSK test, it is definitely the goal of taking it this year, despite failing to do so, that pushed me hard to take action. A lot of times, we are driven by the rush and want to achieve our goals but forget to enjoy the journey. That feeling of being able to speak to a Didi Dache siji whenever he annoyingly calls you before you ride, or even for short pep talks when he is visibly bored because of the traffic, is a proud achievement. Those times when you slowly decipher those gigantic red posters on the streets, understand the context of Mandarin ballads, or read posts on Chinese social media without always relying on Google Translate are those moments that help me understand the locals better and help me enjoy living in Beijing.

Learning a new language is itself hard to attain, but it’s achievable and far more rewarding. Don’t be afraid to make it as a recurring New Year’s resolution because once you feel the progress, you’ll be surprised at how far you’ve gone through. After all, it’s embarking and enjoying the journey that matters. And with that, I wish you a happy New Year! Jiayou!

These proverbs are not the only ones famous in China.
There are a few more, and some of them are… fake?

Photo: KristopherK via Pexels; Giphy (1, 2)