A very warm Chinese character An1

It’s time to start the Chinese class for kids online in our “Happy Chinese” language online lessons. I am your Chinese teacher Mr. Li. I am very pleased to introduce today’s key word and I believe that this word is as important as some other Chinese expressions of language such as Xie4 Xie4(thank you), Ni3 Hao3 (hello).

Before we start, I would like to give you a riddle whose answer is related with today’s key word. 家在上头，好在前头(jia1 zai4 shang4 tou, hao3 zai4 qian2 tou). In English, “keeping the upper part of Jia1 (home), and the left part of Hao3 (good).” What is this character? Yes, it is 安(an1) in modern Chinese characters. So what would you think of when it comes to this character?

The historical way to get across this word and to learn Chinese online for kids is very important. Firstly, let us learn its process of evolvement in Chinese history. In Oracle bone scripts, the character of An1 (safety) is a ideograph. The upper part of it stands for a house, and the lower part is a pictogram being another character woman. Actually, a woman does her duty at home, meaning staying calm and peaceful. Of course, in bronze scripts and small seal scripts, that character had deformed.

According to ancient Chinese culture, what is the meaning of being an adult man? Building a house, having a home of his own and marrying a woman are the answer. Therefore, the character An1 actually means a rather stable state. The idea of An1 (safety) is deep-seated in China. On account of this, in China, An1 is either a surname or a name of some place such as Xi’an (Chang2 an1 in ancient times), Tai4 an1 in Shan dong province,

In order to better understand the character An1, let us make some easy phrases of Chinese for children that are related with today’s key word An1. For example, 安全感（An1 quan2 gan3）. It refers to a sense of safety from your deep heart. 请安(qing3 an1). It means paying respects to others. However, qing3 an1 is not a rite exclusive to minorities in Chinese culture. Its ways varied a lot by posing different body language. I believe that each country in the world has its own way to extend greetings to others, sending best wishes to them. 

And how Chinese people pursue an everlasting state of safety? There have been an auspicious item called Ping2 an1 fu2 (amulet). In the past, on one hand, the elders would give the new bone baby a long-life lock or an amulet, praying their offspring lead a long life. On the other hand, before a soldier went to the battle field, his wide would sew an amulet in his husband’s cloth on her own, hoping that they can reunite after the war.

Have you learnt today’s key word An1? This is the end of today’s mandarin class for kids. We want to extend you best wishes to your health and life. 

Source: 

http://chineselanguage.bloggets.net/-very-warm-chinese-character-an1/

Learning a cultural Chinese word Nian2

Hello, everybody! Welcome to this edition of happy online Chinese learning lesson. Today, we will show you an important word for Chinese learners coming from different countries in the world. Can you guess what the word is? Yes, it is 年 which should be read as nian2. So do you know something related with this word? Do you know how to use it in daily conversations? Do you want to learn its history and cultural meaning? Please follow our Chinese learning online lesson of the host jack for more details.

First of all, according to records of Chinese Oracle bone inscriptions, the word nian2 was created at least five thousand years ago. And one of its important meanings is big harvests of grain, soybeans, crops, wheat and so on. But how can you associate the meaning of it with the harvests? The nian2 is a compound ideograph that consists of the He2 (grain) and Ren2 (farmer). So the shape of nian2 looks like a person carrying the grain. Originally, it meant the maturity of crops and harvest.

And then, the word nian2 refers to a unit of time. Chinese people often say yi4 nian2 you4 yi4 nian2 (year by year). Why is that? Because the northern China’s crop ripened once a year and had a grain harvest. For example, a student from Korea uses it very well. He said: last year, l began to lose weight by five kilograms. So the year is also a concept of time which equates to 12 month or 365 days. There are also many time phrases described as different stages of a person’s life, such as you4 nian2 (childhood), qing1 nian2 (adulthood), zhong1 nian2 (middle age).

As a matter of fact, nian2 was a kind of fierce monster always living under the sea in the past. But it came out on land to a village in every New Year’s Eve, hurting local people and swallowing their livestock. So people dared not go out that night. Later on, regardless of persuasion given by local people, an old man remained in the village as the monster showed up in the same place. He set off firecrackers whose red flame and loud sound make the monster tremble and fear, so it ran away in panic. From then on, the method evolved into a annual custom to avoid being hurt on New Year’s Eve. Nowadays, this is the reason why Chinese people would like to wear clothes in red and set off firecrackers at the same time every year.  

Last but not least, the word nian2 also refers to a meaning of a person’s first name and last name. Some Chinese people’s last name is like zhang1 wan4 nian2. Or in Qing dynasty, there was a famous official whose first name is nian2. All in all, the word nian2 is not a unpopular word in Chinese daily conversations. 

Let us review what has gone on today’s Chinese online learning lesson. The meaning of 年nian2 can be explained to several meanings in terms of crop harvest, a unit of time, a person’s name, and the Chinese traditional spring festival. I am sure that you must have learnt this Chinese word in today’s lesson of Chinese learn online. Goodbye.      

Source: 

http://chinesepromoter.kinja.com/learning-a-cultural-chinese-word-nian2-1690436890

  

Let us learn a Chinese word Yang2 in 2015

Hello and welcome to our happy hanbridge mandarin online study center. This is our head teacher liu2 juan1 who is going to share you with the related culture of today key character 羊(yang2) because of an important fact that 2015 is the year of the goat in Chinese lunar calendar. As far as the Chinese old written language concerned, the word does not look like what it is nowadays.

1 How this word evolves into today’s look?

What you can learn from our hanbridge Chinese lesson is that the word Yang2 was a pictographic character in oracle bone script, which looked more like the front head of a goat. At that time, the strokes of it had various forms and went through from the period of Warring State to Han dynasty, the form of Yang2 was basically regulated. So what you think when it comes to the word yang2? Maybe it is the mutton.

2 In China, what does the word Yang2 symbolize?

Originally, the animal goat was served a kind of sacrifice. Why so? Because this kind of animal is rather docile animal and easy to domesticated. Offering sacrifice is a very auspicious ceremony in China, so the phonetic of yang2 is very close to another Chinese hanbridge word xiang2 (auspicious). It is no wonder that the character 羊yang2 is a part of the word祥(xiang2). And many Chinese people in ancient times write the phrase as 吉羊(Ji2 Yang2)，but they always read it as ji2 xiang2. In Chinese culture, the word yang2 symbolizes something good, kind, and beautiful. Therefore, this was always regarded as the auspicious animal.  

3 what kind of phrases can you make with the word yang2?

First of all, for example, we can say 羊年（yang2 nian2）. It refers to the year of the goat. Besides, there has been a custom for those whose animal zodiac is in this year. In Chinese we say ben3 ming4 nian2 (one’s year of fate). People always wear red clothes, socks, paints and even tie a red string on the waist to seek fortunes and avoid the audacious things. Another example of phrase is called yang2 xie1 zi, which is kind of delicious food that is the bone of the goat.

4 what does the yang2 play the role in ancient times?

At that time, ancient people would use goat and wine on the occasion of engagement. Goats serve another symbol in the wedding. Yang (goat) and yang (raise) are homophones. Chinese people all hope that they will have more offspring after they get married. Yang (raise) embraces a good wish to give birth to a good baby who will be a dutiful son because of a fact that a new born goat would kneel to suck its mother’s breast.  However, another old saying about yang2 is that shi2 yang2 jiu3 bu4 quan2 (a person’s fate of year of the goat is not auspicious). Actually, it is not scientific. There are also many outstanding people who was born in the year of the goat, such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates.

All right, today’s mandarin hanbridge lesson online comes to a end. We hope you will learn a fresh and practical Chinese language in your life. 

Source: 

http://00000000.over-blog.com/2015/03/let-us-learn-a-chinese-word-yang2-in-2015.html

  

  

Wish you to be a pair of bi3 yi4 bird!

Welcome to the new edition of mandarin Chinese for children. This is your lovely Chinese teacher Linda. Sometimes as you attended a Chinese wedding hosted by Chinese people, the host of the wedding usually says such a kind of famous poem with a big smile on the face:

Chinese character: 在天愿作比翼鸟, 在地愿为连理枝.

Chinese pinyin:   Zai4 tian1 yuan4 zuo4 bi3 yi4 niao3, zai4 di4 yuan4 wei2 lian2 li3 zhi1.

English: That we wished to fly to heaven, birds with the wings of one. And to grow to two together on the earth, branches of one tree.

You may want to ask: Wow! What is this meaning? I think I have to learn mandarin online to find the answer. Chinese language is so beautiful but too puzzling! Why does he say this on wedding? As you can see in English, this famous poem aims at expressing a good wish to the new couple on the wedding. Here, in our Chinese culture lessons online, our Chinese teacher will explain what the meaning of bi3 yi4 bird, how to use this blessing poem, and why it is so popular in China.

Literally, bi3 yi4 niao4 can be written as 比翼鸟, which has its own meaning of each word. Firstly, the word bi3 means “a pair of” in English. Then, the word Yi4 refers to the wings of any flying animals in nature. Finally, the word niao3 represents birds broadly. It is a bit difficult to write the word 翼（yi4）, and Chinese learners need to learn Chinese online to practice more.

According to Chinese culture and history, bi3 yi4 niao3 had another name that is called jian1 jian1 or man2 man2. It was a noble bird that it was recorded in Chinese Han ethnic group in ancient romance. To your surprise, this couple of bird was characterized by one eye and one wing on their bodies and the male and female bird always flied together with their wings paralyzing on a same level. It looked like that they are all together without separation, just as a new couple with full happiness in the world.

Because of the special features of the birds, the wise ancient Chinese people develop the meaning of bi3 yi4 niao3 in their lives. For one thing, people use bi3 yi4 niao3 to describe a couple whose relation is always sweet. And people can also express their blessings to a new couple by saying it to them. For another thing, the phrase bi3 yi4 niao3 can be compared to the friends who are in deep relationship and never separate with each other.

Dear friends, the best way to learn Chinese online is to read more Chinese folklores.  Is today’s Chinese culture and language lesson interesting and helpful? Have you understood its meaning? If you had a girl friend now, we wish you to be a couple of happy and everlasting bi3 yi4 bird! 

 Source: 

http://chinesegrasper.page.tl/Wish-you-to-be-a-pair-of-bi3-yi4-bird-ar-.htm