What is The Pure Brightness Day?

Welcome to our hanbridge Chinese lesson. Here you will know today’s topic. Pure Brightness Day is a tradition in China，beginning approximately during the period of Zhou Dynasty, with a history of over 2,500 years．Its origin，according to legend，is from ancient times when the emperors，generals，and ministers offered sacrifices at tombs and left gifts．Later，this was later eagerly imitated by the commoners．On this day, offerings are made to ancestors and the tombs are swept in much of the same way as the previous generations，becoming a fixed regular custom of the Chinese nationality．To learn Chinese festival in today’s lessons can help you know much Chinese knowledge. Let us go head.

 

Pure Brightness Day(also called Walking amid Greenery Day in other online Chinese lessons)，according to the Gregorian calendar, takes place every year on April 4 to April 6．At this time，radiant spring sun and lush grasslands and forests constitute all opportune time to take a tour of spring( in ancient times called Stroll on the Grass)．Consequently，the ancients correlated the Pure Brightness Walking amid Greenery Day with traditional sporting activities. Another famous yet still long lost ancient tradition of the Pure Brightness Day is Cold Food Day．

Cold Food Day，as the name implies，constitutes refraining from using fire

to cook meals，eating only cold food. The original date is only one or two days difference from the Pure Brightness Day, so eventually the two days merged into one．But as Cold Food Day in the present is referred to as Pure Brightness Day，the custom of eating unheated food still resides

   

Local tradition of Pure Brightness Day are extremely abundant，including tomb sweeping，the planting of willows，hiking in the wilderness，and tree planting. Other various social custom exist, such as flying kites，swinging，cu4 ju1 (ancient Chinese soccer)，polo，and a series of sporting activities. Therefore，this day Chinese learn to  encompass offerings of sacrifice，sorrow and tears for parted relatives while sweeping the tombs，as well as all amusing tone that demonstrates an appreciation for nature，making it an important festival．

Source: 

http://echinesecatcher.blogrip.com/2015/02/26/what-is-the-pure-brightness-day/

No fang1 cun4 No idea in your mind

Before we are going to tell you what Chinese phrase fang1 cun4 means in your process of learning business mandarin. Here is a relevant report for you to better comprehend its origin, usage and significance.

Here, you are available to learn business Chinese online free through an old story. The story derived from the zhu1 ge3 liang3 autography of Shu3 volume in Three Kingdoms. It said: “the military forces’ leader of Jing1 state liu2 bei4, together with zhu1 ge3 liang4 and xu2 shu4, marched southward at a high speed. Zhu1 ge3 liang4 and xu2 shu4 were both vital and necessary chancellors of liu2 bei4. At the time when they all had heard the news that their enemy, the cao2 troops of Wei4 state, would attack them soon. In the end, liu2 bei4’s forces were defeated by cao2’s, the worse case was that xu2 shu4’s mother was captured and jailed by cao2 cao1. The reason is that cao2 cao1 envied liu2 bei4 for owing an excellent intellect xu2 shu4 and threatened his mother. Xu2 shu4 became extremely worried for fear that his mother was probably killed by him. So, he leave liu2 bei4 heading to cao2 cao1’s army camp. As a matter of fact, xu2 shu4 did not want to adhere to cao2 cao1 from his deep heart. Before he left, he said to liu2 bei4: cao1 cao2 caught my mother and I was now worried and fearful. I was afraid I could not battle with us shoulder by shoulder for the whole world. Please allow my departure. Later on, as xu2 shu4 arrived at cao2’s army camp, failing to rescue his mother. On the contrary, his mother suicide for xu2 shu4’s coming. Actually, his mother hated cao2 cao1 and regarded him as common thief. Because of his mother death, xu2 shu4 did not give any a piece of advice for cao2 cao1.”

Let us review xu2 shu4’s remarks to liu2 bei4. “……xu2 shu4 became worried and fearful when he knew his mother’s suffering.” Originally, fang1 cun4 represents a little patch of people’s heart. Here fang1 cun4 exactly described the feeling of worry and fear. Gradually, people became worried and fearful by saying that luan4 le3 fang1 cun4. For another thing, if a person is mindless and has no idea of matters, we can say mei2 you3 fang1 cun4. If you learn business mandarin lesson, you will know how important the phrase Fang1 Cun4 in Chinese business occasions.

In addition, fang1 cun4 should be written as 方寸. Chinese people care about this meaning of the phrase. Such kind of Chinese language phrase and expressions are all accessible to Chinese learners worldwide who want to know more about Chinese language for many reasons. The Chinese leaning platform like hanbridge called 汉桥 in Chinese that is a not bad way to learn business mandarin online lessons.

Source: 

http://familylobby.com/chineseteacher/journalentry.asp?id=457269

Is your girl friend really jiao2 qing in life?

Mr. Tony, a crazy Chinese learner online from Britain, has studied Chinese language and culture in mandarin hanbridge learning online platform for years. Since he had come to China, and lived here for a long time. He had a Chinese girl friend whose English is really poor and does not have much leisure time to learn. There has been a problem that Tony always has difficulty in conversing with her girl friend due to language distinction. Tony just does not understand a daily Chinese phrase jiao2 qing. In today’s article, our Chinese teachers of hanbridge Chinese online learning class will present and share something about the phrase.

Jiao2 qing1 should be written as 矫情. Each word has different major meaning respectively, such as being argumentative, unreasonable, dishonestly, and posturing at some times. The word jiao2 means the pretence and dishonesty. The other word qing2 means the true emotion of oneself. Therefore, the jiao2 qing means idea that someone wants to reach his or her own aim thus to behave innocent, indifferent and even tricky. Chinese Girl friend is always pretended to pose as liar who usually does not like to expose her real feelings or ideas. This kind of situation can be described as jiao2 qing. So, Tony, be smart and do not misunderstand her by accident.

Let us turn your attention to the phrase’s origin in the course of Chinese history in today’s Chinese hanbridge class. During west Han Dynasty, the famous Confucian believer dong3 zhong4 shu1 are old and sad. He always felt so regretful that his political opportunity was a too short time for his intelligence and capability could not be used to the full. He often sighed with a deep breath and wrote an article called fu4, a form of literature in ancient times, which was named 士不遇shi4 bu2 yu4. In this way, he wanted to express his sadness and disappointment. At the end of the article, he wrote a few sentences indicating that dong3 zhong4 zhu1 had always observed principle of justice and fairness, willing to live along to give help to other people.

Those sentences’ meaning went like this: he would like to be himself with honesty and integrity rather than be dishonest for a few benefits. Nowadays, people used the phrase jiao2 qing1, to express someone who is argumentative and spoiled.  

After learned this phrase of jiao2 qing, Mr. Tony felt very surprised and happy. In the first place, his girl friend always played trick on him. What is more, the meaning of jiao2 qing stands for two opposite sides with critics and compliments. Its meaning can change along with speaker’s tone and emotions. Let us take a good purpose of a case for an example, if you consider a girl’s speech to be jiao2 qing in a warm-hearted mind, this demonstrates that this girl is very lovely and smart in personality.

Via this vivid case, we hope that most of you as Chinese learners studying in hanbridge mandarin lesson will master how to use this phrase and when to use it in Chinese daily conversations.

Source: 

http://chinesetool.bloggets.net/is-your-girl-friend-really-jiao2-qing-in-life/

Various celebrations in Pure Brightness Festival

Last time, we have told you what the Pure Brightness Festival is in China. However, this Chinese learning lesson will present you with different celebrations taking palce on that day, which is good for learning Chinese folk customs.

Sweeping the Tomb

Commonly referred to as shang fen，it is a way to offer sacrifices to deceased ancestors．Many people of the Han ethnic group as well as a few minority groups，sweep their family’s tombs on the Pure Brightness Festival．According to old customs，

0n this day before noon，people bring the three lives (chicken，fish，and meat)，wine，tea，rice，and paper scrolls，to the front of their ancestor’s grave．In advance，they arrange the papers above of the grave，using green and red paper cut into tassels. The tassels placed above the grave flutter in the wind，letting it be known to other people that the tomb’s occupant has a later generation．At this time，prepared food，steamed wine，and tea are placed in front of the tombs of close relatives．They also burn

 ritual money and light firecrackers，ultimately kneeling with one’s head to the ground (kowtow) in respect．In some places on Pure Brightness Day，the family will repair the tomb or symbolically add earth to the head of the grave．

Tree planting

Around the time of Pure Brightness Day, the spring’s yang energy is quite prevalent，rain showers the earth，newly planted trees sprout tall and quickly mature in growth. Therefore，since the ancient times．China has practiced the custom of planting trees on this festival．In l979，the National People Congress Standing Committee designated every March 12 as China’s Arbor Day. This encourages every citizens of the country to take an active role in the reforestation of his or her motherland，and has become an extremely significant activity.

   

Flying Kites

During the Pure Brightness Festival，not only do people fly kites during the day，but also at night．During the night，attached to the bottom of the kite or the string are small multi-colored lanterns that glimmer like stars, thus being named divine lanterns. In ancient times, people would let the kite go into sky by cutting the string and allow it to fly to the ends of the earth.  It is said that this removes sickness and calamity while bringing the person good luck.

   

Swinging

Accoring to this online Chinese lesson, swinging refers to grabbing a piece of leather rope with which to sway oil. In ancient times, people tied the rope to a branch on a tree，then on to a wooden peg and colored ribbon，thus making a swing. They differ from modern swings that are made of two ropes attached to a seat Swinging not only promotes health，but call also foster bravery and quite fond of the activity，especially young children．

OK, with many online Chinese lessons, you can learn other Chinese festival, such as spring festival, mid-autumn festival. See you next time!

Source: 

http://chinesehanbridge.jigsy.com/entries/general/various-celebrations-in-pure-brightness-festival

How to learn Chinese effectively?

The solution to find the best learning Chinese way can be a very difficult task for most of foreigners, which is different from their mother language so much. In spite of that, there are still increasing number of people around the world spending much time on Chinese learning. Actually, out of many purposes such as business need, culture interests, and local life in China, foreign people dedicate their time and energy in learning such a complicated language. Likewise the process of learning English for Chinese .learners, today, our Chinese teacher of online language lesson summarized some tips, probably the best way to learn Chinese for your big task that is for doing well in speaking a perfect Chinese.

To begin with, you are required to master the Chinese IPA: Chinese pinyin, altogether 26 alphabets, that rule how Chinese words should be read correctly. For example, there are four tones (Level, Rise, Fall-rise, Fall) in Chinese pinyin, which I use number one to four to substitute. You should pay more attention to how these alphabets combine with each other so that it can generate a various way of pronunciation. Like the word 木 whose pinyin should be mu4. It means the wood in English. In addition, the combinations of alphabets have some regulations like the Ü. The two dots should be eliminated when the letters j, q, x, y, w are placed in front of it. So, Chinese pinyin is the key and foundation to speak Chinese correctly and even perfectly. I also feel that mandarin Chinese for children who should begin to learn Chinese IPA at a very early age, laying a solid foundation for further Chinese study.

And then, Chinese grammar is another changeable element of Chinese language. Chinese people can say ni3 qu4 na3 le? Or Chinese can say qu4 na3 le ni3? Or they can say na3 qu4 le ni3? Or even ni3 na3 qu4 le? These are OK to express, but their meanings vary a lot, which focus on different emphasis on different intonations and intentions. Specifically, “ni3 qu4 na3 le” focuses more on the object “you” rather than “where you go”, while “na3 qu4 le ni3” emphasizes more on the place where you have been rather than who has been there. In this case, I fully advise you to watch some Chinese TV series with daily conversations that occur among Chinese family members. To cram the Chinese grammar rules into your brain as many as possible is not advocated to use. Instead, reading as much as you can is the best way to learning Chinese grammar. After all, more reading will enable you to get expose to real and various Chinese language contexts to a large extent in Chinese daily expressions.  

Last but not least, the internet is worldwide now. To Learn Chinese online can be an excellent idea. Online Chinese learning makes your studying time more flexible. And you can have a one-on-one class where Chinese teachers can vividly express what they want to teach and students can digest today’s knowledge as quickly as possible. Here, I believe that an online Chinese platform called 汉桥 (hanbridge mandarin) is a good choice for your idea to learn Mandarin online. The platform provides you, whether you want to learn Chinese business, language or culture, with different forms and abundant contents. You can go to its official website hanbridgemandarin.com for a view of your favorite aspects.         

Source: 

http://steventwothree.skyrock.com/3244493412-How-to-learn-Chinese-effectively.html

The Chinese special Twenty-Four Solar Terms

The sun starts from the vernal equinox point(at this point，the sun’s rays are perpendicular with the equator，and advances 15 degrees during one solar term，circulating one cycle and returning back to the vernal equinox point．Today in our Chinese learning online lesson, this is called one tropical year，adding up to 360 degrees，exactly24 solar terms．

   

The twenty-four solar term calendar and the Gregorian calendar dates are approximately the same year, the first half of the year occurs around the date of 6 or 21 of every month (summer solstice), and the next half on about 8 and 23．By learning Chinese ancient schedules, the agricultural calendar，you can realize that solar term dates are difficult to ascertain. As the beginning of spring，for example，could begin one year as early as December 15，and the latest date could be January 15．

   

From the name twenty-four solar terms in our online Chinese lessons，one can speculate the division in the solar terms gives sufficient consideration to the seasons，climate，seasonal vegetation，and other changes of natural phenomena．The beginnings of spring，summer，autumn，and winter，as well as the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices reflect the seasons’ change．These are determined by divisions on the ecliptic，astronomical angles，the reflecting and turning point of the sun’s altitude variation；differentiating the four seasons．with astronomical angles，the first four are the starts of seasons，and the later four are the turning points of the sun’s altitude variation．Due to China occupying vast regions，possessing extremely distinct monsoon characteristics, and having various continental factors，those result in great differences in the climate．Consequently，the various regions’ four seasons are different. Minor heat，great heat，limit of heat，minor cold，and major cold are five solar terms reflecting degrees of temperature．Rain，grain rain，minor snow, and major snow are four solar terms indicating rain and snow precipitation, the time periods，and the severity．cold dew, white dew, and descending frost are the three solar terms regarding water vapor condensation and appearance Yet this essentially reflects the process gradual temperature decline when the air temperature drops to a certain degree，water vapor emerges and forms dew.

   

As the temperature continues to decline，the condensation increases as it gets colder and colder．When the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius，water vapor turns to frost full grain and grain in the husk are two solar terms indicating the maturing of domestic crops and harvest time. The terms wakening of insects and clear and bright reflect the occurrence of natural phenomena．In particular，the awakening of insects indicates the first thunderstorm from the heavens stirring. The underground insects from hibernation，indicating the return of spring. That is all for today’s Chinese online lesson as to how to understand Chinese 24 solar terms.

 Source: 

http://chineselanguage.bloggets.net/-chinese-special-twentyfour-solar-terms/

Further culture of Chinese Names

Hey, everyone! Welcome to today’s Chinese lesson online. We are going to present you with the culture of Chinese names.

One or two characters，sometimes three，generally form a Chinese surname．A one-character name is called a single surname，while a two-character name is called a compound surname．Although there is no exact figure about how many surnames there are in China，according to statistics，more than five thousand surnames appear in Chinese historical documents．Today, there are about 200 commonly used surnames in our Chinese lessons online. Zhang1，Wang2，Li3，Zhao4，Liu2，are the most commonly seen single surnames．Zhu1ge3，Ou1 yang2，and Si1 tu2 are examples of compound surnames. Influenced by Confucian teachings that we should respect our ancestors，Chinese pay close regard to surnames．Changing the surname means changing your ancestor, and this of the most humiliation．In modern Chinese novels，particularly in her novels，

In our Chinese online lessons, you will know the Chinese names that have their own tradition and characteristics, quite different from English names．Chinese surnames are placed before the given name the opposite of English names．“姓” xing4 is similar to an English speaker’s family name, passed down from generation to generation．“名” ming2 is the equivalent of an English first name，comprised of one or two characters. A Chinese name often has a specific meaning，expressing a certain aspiration．Some names include the place and time of birth，or natural phenomena，such as capital，morning，and snow.  Some Chinese names reveal hope or some kind of virtue，such as Loyalty，Righteousness，and Belief．Still other names reveal a yearning for health，long life，and happiness，such as Jian4 (health)，Shou4 (long life)，and Fu2 (fortune). Male names and female names are different Male names express prestige and fierceness, as in Hu3 (tiger)，Xiong2 (hero)，and Gang1 (strength)．Female names are expressed by warn]and beautiful characters，such as Feng4 (phoenix)，Yu3 (Jade)，and Juan1 (graceful)．

   

When Chinese give names，they often represent a person’s place in the hierarchy of the family, For example，a name can include a character that represents seniority,  while another character expresses the family name．In some names，a radical indicates family seniority in the clan．By learning online Chinese lesson, you will know that is quite different from that in English．Chinese also avoid as much as possible giving the name of an elder member to a junior member，which has been a taboo since ancient times．

Source: 

http://chinesetool.bloggets.net/further-culture-chinese-names/