How to Say "NEED" Properly in Chinese

In my Chinese classes, I occasionally found that most my foreigner students are confused about the useage of 必要 (bì yào) and 必需 (bì xū) , it is hard for them to tell the difference and when to use the two words.

Hence I would like to have a discussion in this article about how to say "need" properly in Chinese. Usually, there are four ways Chinese people are used to express "need", namely: 需要 (xū yào),  必要 (bì yào), 必须 (bì xū), 必需 (bì xū)。

需要 (xū yào) is a high frequency Chinese word, which is generally means "to need", to want", to demand"...

天凉了，出门需要加件衣服了。(Tiān liáng le, chū mén xū yào jiā jiàn yī fú le.)  

It is getting cold, and we need put more clothes on to get out.

必要 (bì yào) often appears in the negative sentences. Also it often follow after the negative word "没 (méi)" or "没有 (méi yǒu)", say "没必要 (méi bì yào)" or "没有...必要(méi yǒu...bì yào)" which equaling "it is no need" or "it is not nessary" in English.

你没必要向我道歉。(Nǐ méi bì yào xiàng wǒ dào qiàn.)
It is no need (not necessary) for you to apologize to me. 


必须 (bì xū) is generally used as the adverbial part of a sentence, implying some sort of order tone like "must". Basically you use this when you want to emphasize the degree of "need".

你必须一个人去处理这件事。(Nǐ bì xū yí gè rén qù chú lǐ zhè jiàn shì.)
You must handle it by youself.

必需 (bì xū) is a little bit formal, indicating something is indispensable. It is often connected with "所 (suǒ)" revealing a kind of condition.

空气和水是每个人所必需的。(Kōng qì hé shuǐ shì měi gè rén suǒ bì xū de.)

Air and water are necessary for everybody.

(
It is a great way to remember some example sentences to differ the synonyms, especially when you learn Chinese online. Below are a group of example sentences to help you to easily remember the four usages of "need":

我需要你的帮助。(Wǒxū yào nǐ de bāng zhù.)
I need you help.
(
我没有帮助你的必要。(Wǒ méi yǒu bāng zhù nǐ de bì yào.)
It is no need (not necessary) for me to help you.
(
你必须帮助我。(Nǐ bì xū bāng zhù wǒ.) 
You must help me.

我要成功的话，你的帮助是必需的。(Wǒ yào chéng gōng de huà, nǐ de bāng zhù shì bì xū de.)

Your help is needed if I want to be successful.

Chinese Teachers' Day

Learn Chinese Online - Chinese Teachers' Day

Date  

September 10th in the Chinese solar calendar.

Ways of celebration

Bonuses or presents from the school to teachers. Many students often send Thank You cards to their teachers or former teachers on this day. Some parents send flowers to their kids' teachers to honor them for their special contribution to education.  

Origin

The first Teachers' Day was in 1931, the date was June 6, organized by a group of famous teachers without being officially appoved by the Kuomintang Government. 

In 1939, the Kuomintang Government decided to set the Teachers Day on August 27 - Confucius's birthday, due to the turmoil, it was never carried out throughout the whole country.

In 1951, the New China government decided to set the Teachers' Day on May 1, the same day with Labour Day, neither had this one ever been popular.

Finally, teachers found a day to celebrate their glorious career in 1985, since then, on September 10 every year, teachers all over the country get special attention and gifts for their services to this country.

Being a teacher in China is not simply a job, it is one of the most respected career and soul engineer. 

Useful expressions for Teachers' Day

Lǎo shī,  xīn kǔ le!

老   师, 辛  苦了!
Teacher, you’ve worked hard! 

Jiào shī  jié kuài lè!

教 师 节 快 乐！()

Happy Teachers' Day!

Lǎo shī, xiè xiè nín de qǐ fā.

老 师，谢 谢 您   的启 发。

Thanks for being an inspiring teacher.

Duì jìng ài de lǎo shī xiàn shàng wǒ mén de ài yǔ guān huái.

对   敬  爱的 老  师  献   上     我   们  的 爱 与  关    怀。

Warm thoughts of love and regards to our loving teachers.

Duì nín de xiè yì, wǒ mén wú fǎ yòng yǔ yán lái biǎo dá.

对   您 的  谢意，我 们    无 法  用   语  言 来  表  达。() 

We are more thankful than we can express.

What a great and sweet memory in my student time! I wish to take this oppotunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to all my kind-hearted teachers accompanying me all the way till I am fully grown up.

How to Pronounce Chinese Pinyin Alphabet

Learn Chinese Online - How to pronounce Chinese pinyin

A couple days ago, one of my foreign friends asked me a question on Facebook, and that is: Could you write the Chinese alphabet with English pronunciation for me? I was a little confused at first, for it is nearly impossible to list the pronunciation of Chinese alphabet by English letters or words. As all of us known that the Latin alphabet is widely used all over the world, but they all have their own unique pronunciation in different countries. However, I found out a way to help him learning the Chinese pinyin alphabet.
Below is what the Chinese pinyin alphabet looks like along with the letter's pronunciation in some English words. 

A ei (pronounced like the "a" in "car")
B bi (pronounced as an unaspirated "p")
C xi (pronounced as a aspirated sharp "dz")
D dí (pronounced as an unaspirated "t")
E yi (pronounced as in the French "schwa")
F ài fú (pronounced as in the "f" in "father")
G jí (pronounced as an unaspriated "k")
H ài chi (pronounced as in the "h' of "house")
I ài (pronounced as in "eye")
J jié (pronounced as an unaspirated "ts" as in the "tu" in "picture")
K kai (pronounced as an aspirated "k")
L ài lè (pronounced as in the "l" or "lorry")
M ài ma (pronounced as in the "m" of "mother")
N ài nà (pronounced as in the "n" of "nook")
O ó (pronounced as in the "o" in "long")
P pì (pronounced as an aspirated "p")
Q jí wú (pronounced as an aspirated "ts")
R ài ér (pronounced as the Spanish "r")
S ài si (pronounced as a hard "s", between an "s" and a "z")
T tí (pronounced as an aspirated "t")
U yi wú (pronounced as in the French "u")
V wéi (pronounced with a "w" as there is no "v" in the Chinese alphabet)
W dòu bèi er wéi (pronounced as the "oo" in "boo")
X yi kè si (pronounced as the "s" in "silk")
Y wú ài (pronounced as the French "u")
Z zéi dé (pronounced an unaspirated sharp "dz") 

You can adopt various ways to learn Chinese pinyin alphabets. No matter what method you use, you should bear in mind that practice makes perfect!

How to Say Those Valentine's Day Gifts in Chinese

Chinese have their own Valentine's Day, which occurs on the seven day of the seventh month in Chinese lunar calendar. Hence it is named 七夕节(qīxījié), also known as 女儿节(nǚérjié). There is a famous legend about this day.

Zhi Nv, the seventh daughter of the Goddess of the heaven, is a beautiful fairy who occasionally met Niu Lang and fell in love with him. Zhi Nv lived very happy with Niu Lang and gave birth to two kids for him. However, they broken the rule that an immortal can not marry a mortal. The Goddess could not bear that and ordered her daughter to return to Heaven. Zhi Nv really was unwilling to leave her loved husband and two little kids. Finally, the Goddess took pity on the couple and allowed them to reunite once a year. On the seventh night of the seventh moon, magpies form a bridge with their wings for Zhi Nv to cross to meet her husband. 

What a tragic tale! But nowadays, this day is regarded as romantic and full of happiness. Many boys will send some special gifts to their loved girls. 巧克力(qiǎo kè lì) and 玫瑰花(méi guī huā) are the most common gifts been sent. What's the interesting is that different chocolates symbolize different meanings. For example, the heart-shaped chocolate represents "My heart belongs to you," while black chocolate stands for "Stick together through thick and thin." Also the number of the rose stands for some meaning. It is said that one rose symbolizes "你是我的唯一(nǐ shì wǒ de wéi yī) You are the only one in my mind"; three roses indicates "我爱你(wŏ ài nǐ) I love you"; nine roses stands for "长相守( chǎng xiàng shǒu) last forever"; eleven roses means "最爱(zuì ài) the dearest"; ninety-nine roses represents "天长地久(tiān cháng dì jiǔ) Love you forever" and three hundred sixty and five roses means "天天爱你(tiān tiān ài nǐ)Love you everyday"!

If you have enough money, the gift can be costly. For example, some business men would like to send diamond rings, luxury watches, cars, even house property. But it does not matter how much the gifts cost, only meticulous care and true love matter!

Learn Chinese Online with us and speak out your creative Qixi Jie's gift ideas in Chinese!

Useful Chinese Expressions Ⅳ

Learn Chinese Online - Useful Chinese Expressions

"不是吧(bú shì ba)" is frequently used as the pet phrase of Chinese people, which means "that's not true, is it?" or "really?"
It is often used when you're surprised or find something hard to believe.
真的假的？(zhēn de jiǎ de?) often goes after 不是吧(bú shì ba), almost expressing the same meaning. Chinese people use them together for maximum impact!
Example:
Qiàn qiàn hé tā lǎo bǎn tán liàn ài le.
倩    倩  和 她老  板  谈  恋  爱了。
Qian qian has fall in love with her boss.

Bù shì ba?
不 是 吧？
Really?


伤不起 (shāngbùqǐ) basically means that you feel beaten and hurt and can't take it anymore. Literally, it means that your body has been battered by injuries, and that you can't take any more. 伤 (shāng) is from injury 伤害 (shānghài) or scar 伤痕 (shānghén) while 不起 (bùqǐ) is from 经不起 (jīngbuqǐ - to be unable to bear).
It's a new popular internet slang, but has already being used commonly in Chinese people's daily life, even in some TV programme. 
Example:
Méi fáng méi chē de nán rén shāng bù qǐ  a.
 没  房    没  车  的  男 人    伤    不 起 啊！ 
The man without a house or a car can’t be hurt anymore.

Useful Chinese Expressions Ⅲ

Learn Chinese Online - Useful Chinese Expressions

"萌(méng)" literally means "sprout, germinate, or bud". It is said that 萌(méng) is originally from Janpanese animation, expressing a strong affection for somebody or something. Now, it is widely used on Internet in China, like "卖萌 (mài méng)" meaning "to act cute, to try hard to win over the affection of others through cute actions", especially for young boys or girls.

Examples:

Zhè ge xiǎo hái hǎo méng a.

这 个 小  孩 好 萌  啊()！

The kid is really cute!

Tā xǐ huān zài tā nán péng yǒu miàn qián mài méng.

她 喜 欢 在 她 男  朋 友  面  前  卖  萌()。

She likes to act cute when with her boyfriend.

"包在我身上(bāo zài wǒ shēnshanɡ)" means "just leave it to me. I can absolutely manage it well." This sentence is used to describe that the speaker is very confident in doing something successfully and that the others can totally count on him/her. It can be used alone or after the "thing" needs to be done.

包在我身上。(bāo zài wǒ shēnshanɡ.) I am on it/ Just leave it to me.

Examples:

A:  Nǐ  jīn tiān yí dìng yào bǎ zhè jiàn shì qíng chú  lǐ   hǎo.

   你今 天 一 定 要 把 这 件 事 情  处 理 好。

      You must handle it today.

B:  Méi wèn tí,  bāo zài wǒ shēn shàng.

  没 问 题,包  在 我 身 上。

     No problem, I can manage it.

A:  Wǒ xiǎng má fán  nǐ xiū  gǎi xià lùn wén.

   我 想  麻 烦 你 修 改 下 论 文。

       I hope you could help me to revise my paper.

B:  Fàng xīn,  bào zài  wǒ shēn shàng.

   放  心，包 在 我 身  上。

     You can rest assured, and just leave it to me.

Learn Chinese Characters in a Funny Way

Chinese characters are really awesome, which is unique from the alphabet scripts in most Western countries. With a long history of over 3000 years, Chinese has evolved substantially yet has retained its ancient core, making it one of the longest continuously used writing system in the world. 

Basically, Chinese characters are classified as four categories. the pictographic characters (象形字xiàng xíng zì), the indicative characters (指示字zhǐ shì zì), the associative characters (会意字huì yì zì), and pictophonetic characters (形声字xíng shēng zì). Today, I would like to explain the funny Chinese pictographic characters.

Pictographic characters, as the most ancient characters, outline the rough shape of things with simple lines. we can easily see that pictographic characters are the single components (独体字dú tǐ zì) and they can only represent concrete things, but not things abstract in meaning or a part of a picture.

手(shǒu) , means "hand" in English.

Tā yòng zuǒ shǒu xiě zì hé chī fàn.

他  用      左   手     写 字 和 吃  饭()。

He use his left hand to write and eat. 

足(zú), means"foot" in English. 

Qiān lǐ zhī xíng，shǐ yú zú xià. 

 千   里 之  行，  始 于  足  下。

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

伞(sǎn)，means"umbrella" in English.

Xià yǔ tiān yào jì de suí shí dài sǎn.

下  雨 天   要  记得 随 时  带  伞。

You should always take an umbrella in the rainy days.

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Useful Chinese Expressions Ⅱ

你太有才了(nĭ tài yŏu cái le) first appeared in a sketch performed by some famous Chinese actors Song Dandan, Zhao Benshan and Niu Qun in Chinese Spring Festival Gala Evening in 2007. It has been very popular among Chinese people(especially the young) since then.

才(cái) in this phrase means "talent, ability to do something special." 太(tài) means "too, excessively". And the whole phrase 你太有才了(nĭ tài yŏu cái le) means "you are too talented, you are too competent." It is used to express your praise to somebody. 

Example:

zhè gè fāng àn chéng gōng tōng guò le, nĭ tài yŏu cái le!

这  个 方     案    成        功     通      过  了 你  太  有    才了！

The project is passed, you are too talented!

随便(suí biàn) is a Chinese phrase which is frequently used in our daily life. 

When you go to a store, the owner will immediately ask what you want. If you just want to look around or window shop, then this would be the perfect Chinese-style answer: 

Wǒ suí biàn kàn kan.

我 随  便   看  看。

I just look around casually. 

Well, speaking of the hospitability and politeness of Chinese, you might have heard such from your Chinese friends when you visit them as:

Suí biàn zuò, jiù xiàng zài zì jǐ jiāyí yàng.

随 便  坐，就 像 在自己家一 样。

Sit where you like. Make yourself at home.

(那是)必须的! ((Nà shì) bìxū de!)  is a very popular word used to show confirmation. "必须 (bìxū)" means must; "的 (de)" is a particle. It conveys the same meaning as the English "That's a must!" or "Absolutely". It gained popularity from a catch phrase in Northeast China and was first known in the form of short sketch dialogues. This phrase carries a humorous or lighthearted tone and becomes more and more popular in our daily life.

Example:

   Wǒ xià gè yuè jié hūn, nǐ kě yídìng yào lái o.

A: 我 下  个 月   结  婚，你可 一定 要 来哦。

I will get married next week. You’ve got to come.

    Nà shì bìxū de.

B: （那是） 必须 的。

    Absolutely. 

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Useful Chinese Expressions Ⅰ

Like many other languages, there are also some useful Chinese expressions, which is really helpful to express some meanings in a simple and exact way.

The first one useful expression I want to introduce is 不好意思(bù hǎo yìsi). This expression is generally used to make an apology, which indicates that the speaker is sorry for what has happened or what is going to happen. It can also mean being shy, feeling embarrassed, and polite (equal to "excuse me" in English).

Examples:

A: Bù hǎo yìsi, wǒ chí dào le.

A：不 好  意思，我 迟   到 了。

A: Sorry, I'm late.

B: Méi ɡuānxi.

B：没  关系。

B: It doesn't matter.

A: Bù hǎo yìsi, Wǒ zhōngwén shuō de tài chà le.

A: 不 好  意思，我  中文     说  得 太  差  了。

A: I am sorry, my Chinese is very bad.

B: Méi shì, mànmàn lái.

B: 没  事，  慢慢  来。

B: Take it easy, and be patient.

Bù hǎo yìsi, qǐng ràng yíxià.

不 好  意思，请   让   一下。

Excuse me. 

Another useful expression is 得了吧(Déle ba). This expression is used to negate the other and show one's disagreement, meaning "don't say that; it is not what you think". It indicates the truth is not as the speaker assumed but is a totally different situation.

Examples:

A: lǐ jùn zhēn shì zánmen xuéxiào zuì shuài de nánshēng.

A: 李俊真是咱们学校最帅的男生。

A: Li Jun is really the most handsome boy in our school.

B: Déle ba, Liú jūn, chéng xī, nǎ yí gè bù bǐ tā shuài a?

B: 得了吧，刘君，程曦，哪一个不比他帅啊？

B: Come on. He is not even as handsome as Liu Jun and Cheng Xi.

A: Tīngshuō nǐ yào jié hūn le? Hái yào jiàrù háo mén?

A: 听说你要结婚了？还要嫁入豪门？

A: I heard that you will be married a rich man!

B: Déle ba, wǒ xiànzài dàlíng shèngnǚ le.

B: 得了吧，我现在都大龄剩女了。

B: Give me a break. I'm even becoming a 3S(Single, Seventies,Stuck) lady.

The two phrases above are frequently used in our daily life. Whether you learn Chinese online or take local Chinese courses, it is really useful for you to master them.

Which Style Is Yours?

Learn Chinese Online - What's your style?

The phrase "范儿(fànr)" in Chinese equals "style" in English. Originally, "范儿(fànr)" , a jargon used in Beijing opera, is the traditional Chinese operatic style. When the performers are ready to go on stage, they call it "起范儿 (qǐ fànr)".

Now, this word are widely used in our daily life. You might have seen it in a fashion magazine or heard it everywhere. It is used after adjectives to describe most fashion styles. For example,  "欧美范儿 (Ōu měi fànr) European-American style" , "甜美范儿(Tiánměi fànr) luscious style"...

As "范儿(fànr)" becomes more and more popular, it can be used in many more creative ways. It can describe someone who generally has a very good taste, somone who is attractive, or someone whose style is amazing.

Below are some examples to help you learn this fashion word:


Nǐ jīntiān zhè shēn zhuāngbàn kě zhēn shì míngxīng fànr shízú a.
你 今天    这   身  装扮      可  真   是  明星    范儿 十足  啊。
Your dress has fully shown off your superstar style

Zú qiú cháng shàng de xiǎobèi zhēn shì tài yǒu fànr le.
足 球  场     上   的 小贝     真   是  太  有  范儿了。
Beckham had his own unique style in the football field.

Tā zhēn shì tài yǒu fànr le.
他 真    是 太  有  范儿 了。
He has his own unique style.

Keywords:

. 范儿 (fànr) 
. 欧美范儿 (ōu měi fànr)
. 甜美范儿 (tiánměi fànr)
. 明星范儿 (míngxīng fànr)

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How to Say "Class" in Chinese

Learn Chinese Online - How to say "class of 2012"?

When I first started teaching at a Chinese university I was immediately confused by the way they refer to students. For example, a student might introduce herself as a "2012 jí 级" student. I mistakenly equated that to the English "Class of 2012." But actually it doesn't mean she's graduating in 2012 it means she's starting in 2012.

To make it clear, here are the two shuōfǎ 说法 in Chinese and their (American) English meanings:

2012 jí 级 = Starting college in 2012 as a freshmen. Graduating in either 2015 (for zhuānkē shēng 专科生) or 2016 (for běnkē shēng 本科生)
2012 jiè 届 = "Class of 2012." Starting as a freshman whenever, but graduating in 2012.

By the way, student numbers are usually based on the first system (jí 级) and I'm not sure exactly when they use jiè 届. But the other day two graduated students (native speakers of Chinese) were discussing this difference and I thought I'd share what they told me.
One further complication is that "class" in English really has 3 Chinese translations:

jiè 届 = graduating class (all students in a "year" of college).
bān 班 = the actual class of students that stay together in a classroom for a lesson.
jié 节 = measure word for one teaching "period" or one "class session."

So this sentence would be much clearer in Chinese than in English:

"I taught every class in the class of 2012 two classes."

"我给每个2012届的班上了两节课."
"wǒ gěi měi gè 2012 jiè de bān shàng le liǎng jié kè"

Many times speaking with Chinese colleagues in English about "classes" results in confusion and I find that the most efficient way to clear it up is to just use the Chinese word.

Learn Chinese Online - Taobao Terms

Taobao (淘宝网) is the main place to buy stuff online in China, similar to eBay and Amazon. But shopping on Taobao isn’t quite as simple as asking “How much?” and promptly exchanging money for goods and services. Here are some terms for expats in China to make the purchase a lot smoother.

Basic Taobao vocabulary: 

掌柜(Zhǎng guì) – shopkeeper
Taobao sellers are referred to as zhanggui, meaning “shopkeeper.” The all-purpose laoban (老板, boss) is also used. 

拍(pāi) – bid/buy 

making a purchase is still expressed using the verb pai (拍), “to bid,” Once they have placed their “bid” (pāi xià 拍下), the customer then goes on to pay through an internet banking service. 

亲(qīn) – dear (buyers) 

most Taobao shopkeepers tend to refer to their customers as qin (“dear,” “dearie,” or if you prefer the British slang, “ducky”), whether they’re young or old, male or female.  

宝贝(bǎo bèi) – treasure (any item for sale) 

The tao (淘) in Taobao (淘宝) literally means “to dredge out” or “to pan for” (gold, etc.) , and here it is used figuratively to mean “search for”. The bao (宝) means “treasure” 

It’s customary to talk your intended purchase over with the shopkeeper via Taobao’s online messaging system before any purchases are made. Such dialogues usually go something like this:

Buyer: Are you there, shopkeeper?
Mǎijiā: Zhǎngguì zài ma?
买家： 掌柜在吗？
Seller: I’m here, dearie!
Màijiā: Zàide, qīn ~
卖家：在的，亲~
Buyer: Is this particular “treasure” in stock? (followed by the name or hyperlink of the item in question)
Mǎijiā: Qǐngwèn zhèjiàn bǎobèi yǒu huò ma?
买家：请问这件宝贝有货吗?
Seller: Oh, yes it is, feel free to bid, dearie.
Màijiā: Yǒude ó, qīn pāixià ba.
卖家：有的哦，亲拍下吧。
Buyer: Is shipping included?
Mǎijiā: Bāoyóu ma?
买家：包邮吗？
Seller: Yes it is dearie, remember to leave good feedback after it arrives!
Mài jiā: Bāoyóu de ó qīn, shōudào jìde gěi hǎopíng ó qīn ~
卖家：包邮的哦亲，收到记得给好评哦亲~ 

Learn Chinese online and buy stuff from Taobao!