Fun with Chinese Characters

December 15, 2009

I've been thinking about sharing these interesting books with you:
Fun with Chinese Characters Vol. 1, 2 and 3.
These are the most interesting books for Chinese characters I have ever seen.
Click on the book covers below for detail:



Here are sample pages of each book, click on them for larger images:

There are 10 pages in-depth introduction on the genesis of the characters in Vol 1:



Vol 2 page 65, 馬:


CLICK HERE for Chinese idiom: 老馬識途 Lǎomǎshìtú

Vol 3 page 139, 回:



Vol 1 page 7, 家:


CLICK HERE for Chinese love song, 回家 Huí Jiā

At the end of vol 3, there's index of all 480 characters in the 3 books and their location:



Here's an awesome video about 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals. You will find out why

* the rat is the first place in the 12, 

* the rat is afraid of the cat,

* 豕 is pig.



The character for the sheep 羊 is messed up with the pig 豕 @ 04:36, thanks to Cyrano for pointing that out. CLICK HERE to see etymology of 羊 (remember to scroll down to see all the different forms).

Practice the 12 animals:
CLICK HERE and hit the brushes next to each character to see the stroke orders. Grab a piece of paper and write them down.

I hope you find them fun and help you understand more characters.
Please post comment below to let me know. ^_^

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哇... 我得奖了!! WOW...I Got an Award!!

December 08, 2009

哇... 我得奖了!!
WA ... wǒ dé jiǎng le!!
WOW...I Got an Award!!

What a surprise to me that the #1 Canadian Blog has given me the Inukshuk Blog Award for Edutainment 2009! Please click the image or the link above to check what the award is about. Thanks to all of you who are supporting me and encouraging me. I will keep doing my best to make this blog better and better!

Here's the video about what an Inukshuk is:

Practice the words I shout out in this post: CLICK HERE and hit the brushes next to each character to see the stroke orders. Grab a piece of paper and write them down.

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Chinese Love Song "回家" ( Hui Jia, Return Home) by Shunza

November 26, 2009

Song title: 回家 ( Huí Jiā, Return Home)

To me, it's a sad song about a lady's love left her without saying any reason and how she misses him, loves him, wants to let go but also wants him to come home.
I'm glad that my personality won't get me in this kind of situation...lol.
Just love the singer's voice and how she sings the song.

Singer: 順子 ( Shùn zi, Shunza ) was born in 1973 in Beijing, China.
A famous singer and songwriter. Her concerts are more intimate and cocktail-style which I like.
She released her first album in 1997 in Taiwan.
This song is the first song in her first album. The Chinese lyrics in the video is traditional .




From Foongpc's request, I try to translate the Chinese words into English following the order of the Chinese words. So some will be strange, follow by the sentences which I think are proper. There may be mistakes. Please feel free to correct me, I'll be appreciated!


歌詞 簡體 中文, 拼音 和 英文 翻譯:
Gēcí jiǎntǐ zhōngwén, pīnyīn hé yīngwén fānyì:
Lyrics in simplified characters, pinyin and English translations:
我 还 不 明白
Wǒ hái bù míngbáiI still don't understand
为什么 你 离开 了 我
Wèishíme nǐ líkāi le wǒWhy you left me
没有 你的 电话
Méiyǒu nǐde diànhuà
Without your phone calls
没有 一 封 信
Méiyǒu yī fēng xìnWithout a single letter

我 每天 晚上 在 这里
Wǒ měitiān wǎnshàng zài zhèlǐI every night at right here ( I'm right here every night)

哪里 也 不想 去
Nǎlǐ yě bùxiǎng qùAnywhere even don't want to go ( Even don't want to go anywhere )

可是 我 好 爱 你
Kěshì wǒ hǎo ài nǐBut I very love you ( But I love you so much )

我 觉得 我 会 离不开 你
Wǒ juéde wǒ huì líbùkāi nǐI feel I will be inseparable you ( I feel I will not be able to leave you )

可惜 我 丢 了 你
Kěxī wǒ diū le nǐToo bad I lost you

慢慢, 我的 眼泪 流 下来
Mànmàn, wǒde yǎnlèi liú xiàláiSlowly, my tears flow down

回家, 回家, 我 需要 你
Huíjiā, huíjiā, wǒ xūyào nǐReturn home, return home, I need you
回家, 回家, 马上来我的身边
Huíjiā, huíjiā, mǎshàng lái wǒde shēnbiān
Return home, return home, right away come to my side


别 再 哭
Bié zài kūDon't again cry ( Don't cry again )

就 让 他 走
Jiù ràng tā zǒuJust let him go

再 多 痛苦的 等候
Zài duō tòngkǔde děnghòuAnother more painful waiting

相信 我 也 能 承受
Xiàngxìn wǒ yě néng chéngshòuBelieve I also can bear ( I believe I can also bear )

闭上 眼, 不再 留恋
Bìshàng yǎn, búzài liúliànClose eyes, no more nostalgia

你 却 一遍又一遍
Nǐ què yībiànyòuyībiànYou but over and over ( But you over and over )
出现 在 想 你 的 夜
Chūxiàn zài xiǎng nǐ de yèAppear at miss you of nights ( Appear at the nights that I think about you )

别 说, 不会 有 结果
Bié shuō, búhuì yǒu jiéguǒDon't say, won't have result ( Don't say, there will be no result )

永远 永远 别 说 分手
Yǒngyuǎn yǒngyuǎn bié shuō fènshǒuForever forever don't say to break up ( Never never say to break up )

而 你 又 怎么 能够
Ér nǐ yòu zěnme nénggòuBut you even how could ( But how could you )

就 这样 的 放手, 一 去 不再 回头
Jiù zhèyàng de fàngshǒu, yī qù búzài huítóuJust like this let go ( Just let go like this ) once leave and no longer turn around


BE HERE, JUST BE THERE, MY LOVE AND ONLY LOVE

回家, 回家, 我需要你, 哦~
Huíjiā, huíjiā, wǒ xūyào nǐ, ó ~Return home, return home, I need you, oh~

回家, 马上回家, 我需要你
Huíjiā, mǎshàng huíjiā, wǒ xūyào nǐ
Return home, right away return home, I need you

回家, 回家, 马上来我的身边
Huíjiā, huíjiā, mǎshàng lái wǒde shēnbiānReturn home, return home, right away come to my side
BE HERE, JUST BE THERE, MY LOVE AND ONLY LOVE

回家, 回家, 马上来我的身边
Huíjiā, huíjiā, mǎshàng lái wǒde shēnbiān
Return home, return home, right away come to my side



Fun thing to do:
1. Learn the song, film yourself, upload to YouTube. I'll add your video here.
2. Practice writing. CLICK HERE and hit the brushes next to each character to see the stroke orders. Grab a piece of paper and write them down.


Any questions and comments? => CLICK HERE.

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Chinese Idiom "老馬識途" (Laomashitu, An Old Horse Knows the Way)

November 23, 2009

This Chinese idiom is requested by Bananaz.



Traditional Chinese: 老馬識途, Lǎomǎshìtú or 識途老馬 Shìtúlǎomǎ.
Simplified Chinese: 老马识途, Lǎomǎshítú or 识途老马, Shítúlǎomǎ.

Translation: An old horse knows the way. Today, a person who is very experienced at any given thing may be referred as "the old horse who knows the way".

I've found some videos about the idiom story. I'm using this one from YouTube as it has Chinese subtitle and for practicing purpose. You may find the story is a bit different from what you may already knew. Both versions are used today.







Script in pinyin, simplified characters and translations:

Lǎomǎshítú
老马识途 ( An Old Horse Knows the Way )

Chūnqiū shí, Qí Huán Gōng hé xiàngguó Guǎn Zhòng fá Shānróng guó,
春秋 时, 齐 桓公 和 相国 管仲 伐 山戎 国,
In the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), Duke Huan and the minister Guan Zhong of the state of Qi attacked the state of Shanrong.

Shānróng guówáng dài zhe jiājuàn cáiwù táowáng dào Gūzhú guó qù.山戎 国王 带 著 家眷 财物 逃亡 到 孤竹 国 去。
The king of Shanrong took his family and belongings to flee to the state of Guzhu.

Qí jūn yīlù zhuīshā ér lái,齐 军 一路 追杀 而来,
The Qi army chased and killed all the way and arrived,

Gūzhú guówáng shèjì jiào Huáng Huā yuánshuài xiàng Qí Huán Gōng tóuxiáng:孤竹 国王 设计 叫 黄花 元帅 向 齐 桓公 投降:
The king of Guzhu set a plan up and ordered his marshal Huang Hua to surrender to Duke Huan of Qi:

"Qí jūn yǐjīng zhuī guòlái le, nǐmen jiǎzhuāng tóuxiáng, ránhòu..."
"齐 军 已经 追 过来 了, 你们 假装 投降, 然后..."
"The Qi army has arrived, you pretend to surrender and then..."

"Dàwáng gāojiàn!""大王 高见!"
"Your majesty brilliant idea!"

Huáng Huā yuánshuài zài shān kǒu jié zhù le Qí Huán Gōng:黄花 元帅 在 山 口 截 住 了 齐桓公:
Marshal Huang Hua stopped Duke Huan of Qi at the mountain:

"Jiǔyǎng Qí wáng dàmíng! Wǒ Huáng Huā yuàn wèi Qí wáng xiàoláo, wèi dàjūn dài lù."
"久仰 齐王 大名! 我 黄花 愿 为 齐王 效劳, 为 大军 带路。"
"I've been looking forward to meeting you, your majesty of Qi! I, Huang Hua, am willing to serve Your majesty of Qi and lead the way for the army."

"ā... tài hǎo le! Hā...
"啊...太 好 了! 哈...
"Ah...Very good! Ha...

Huáng Huā yuánshuài, nǐ zài qiánmiàn lǐnglù dào Gūzhú guó shǒudōu qù."黄花 元帅, 你 在 前面 领路 到 孤竹 国 首都 去。
Marshal Huang Hua, go ahead and lead the way to the capital of the state of Guzhu."

"Hǎo ba! Nà wǒmen jiù gǎnkuài shànglù ba!""好吧! 那 我们 就 赶快 上路 吧!"
"All right! Let's hit the road!"

Qí jūn zǒurù le mí gǔ Hànhǎi,齐 军 走入 了 迷谷 瀚海,
The Qi army went into a valley Hanhai,

Nàlǐ shì yīpiàn shāmò, huāngwú rényān, fēng dà tiān lěng.那里 是 一片 沙漠, 荒芜 人烟, 风 大 天 冷。
It was a desert, deserted, windy and cold.

Tiān hēi le, tāmen mí le lù.天 黑 了, 他们 迷 了 路。
The sky went dark, they lost their way.

"Huáng Huā nǎlǐ qù le?""黄花 哪里 去了?"
"Where's Huang Hua?"

"Bú zhīdào wa!""不 知道 哇!"
"Don't know!"

"Nà wǒmen shàngdàng le! Tā yīdìng shì jiānxì!""那 我们 上当 了! 他 一定 是 奸细!"
"Then we are fooled! He must be a spy!"

"Dàjiā bié huāng! Bùfáng ràng jǐ pǐ lǎo mǎ shìzhe dàilù!""大家 别 慌! 不妨 让 几 匹 老 马 试著 带路!"
"Everyone do not panic! Might as well let some old horses to try to lead the way!"

Guǒrán lǎomǎshítú,果然 老马识途,
Sure enough, the old horses knew the way,

Tāmen bǎ qí jūn dài chū le mí gǔ.他们 把 齐 军 带出了迷谷。
They led the Qi army out of the valley.

Chéngyǔ Lǎomǎshítú,成语 老马识途,
The idiom Laomashitu,

Shì yònglái chēngzàn jīngyàn fēngfù, qíngkuàng shúxī, néng qǐ yǐndǎo zuòyòng de rén.
是 用来 称赞 经验 丰富, 情况 熟悉, 能 起 引导 作用 的 人。
Is used to praise a person who is very experienced and can play a guiding role.


Fun thing to do:
1. Gather family or friends and play the roles.
2. Practice writing. CLICK HERE and hit the brushes next to each character to see the stroke orders. Grab a piece of paper and write them down.



I hope you enjoy my first idiom post. Please comment => CLICK HERE.

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Chinese Children Song "娃娃國" (Wawa Guo, Dolldom)

November 14, 2009

Here's another kid's song related to doll again:
Wáwa Guó (Dolldom)
娃娃國 - traditional Chinese
娃娃国 - simplified Chinese
Enjoy the video:






If you can't see the video, click the link below:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTE4NDA1NzI=.html

Lyrics in pinyin, simplified characters and translations:

"Wáwa Guó" (Dolldom)

Wáwa guó, wáwabīng
娃娃国, 娃娃兵 (Dolldom, doll Soldiers)

Jīnfà, lán yǎnjīng
金发, 蓝眼睛 (Blond hair, blue eyes)

Wáwa guówáng, húxū cháng
娃娃国王, 胡须长 (Doll king, long beard)

Qímǎ chū wánggōng
骑马出王宫 (Riding a horse out of the palace)

Wáwabīng zài yǎnxí
娃娃兵在演习 (Doll soldiers are in practice)

Tífáng dírén gōng
提防敌人攻 (To guard against the enemy attack)

Jīguānqiāng dā dā dā
机关枪哒哒哒 (Machine guns da da da)

Yuánzǐ pào hōng hōng hōng
原子炮轰轰轰 (Atomic cannon boom boom boom)

Repeat 2 times.

Related post: Click HERE.

Please comment, I'd love to hear from you. Click HERE.

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