Author: eazychinese.com

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Lesson 10: At the Post Office

\"2012-08-07
Hey guys, long time no see! I apologize for taking such a long hiatus fom blogging, but life has been chaotic of late! My wife and I have relocated to the USA and have been working very hard to get re-established here, and so I have had little time or motivation to blog. But I know you all would be lost without me, so I'm back!
 
The format for my blog is now going to be a little different from the way it was before. From now on, since I am no longer in Taiwan, I will not be writing as many posts on exploring the island. I already have a fair amount of content on the subject, and I am always willing to answer any of your questions, but for now I am shifting my focus to Chinese. My posts will now be mainly Chinese lessons, with anecdotes of my time in Taiwan strewn in when appropriate. Please let me know what you think of this format, and as always, thank you for reading!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
 
 \"2012-08-07
So you're in the post office, waiting in line to send a care package back home. The guy in front of you is playing on his iPhone, and the guy behind you is stamping his feet, looking at his watch and visibly annoyed. He's obviously in a hurry and doesn't want to end up being held up by the foreigner taking forever to get walked through the process by the friendly, though somewhat lingually challenged clerk…or are you? Let's show that guy that he picked the wrong laowai!
 
Ten essential phrases:
 
1. Letter 一封信 yīfēngxìn
 
2. Stamp 郵票 yóupiào
 
3. Package 包裹 bāoguǒ
 
4. Express delivery 快遞 kuàidì
 
5. Registered 掛號 guàhào
 
6. Standard shipping 平信 píngxìn
 
7. mailbox 信箱 xìnxiāng
 
8. PO box 郵政信箱 yóuzhèng xìnxiāng
 
9. envelope 信封 xìnfēng
 
10. postage fee 郵資 yóuzī
 
 
 
In context:
 
 
1. I would like to send a package overseas. 
 
我要寄包裹到國外。
 
2. How much is express delivery? 
 
快遞的郵資要多少錢？
 
3. I want to send this letter as registered mail.
 
這封信我要寄掛號。
 
4. I would like to buy some stamps and envelopes.
 
我想買一些郵票和信封。
 
5. When will my letter arrive?
 
大概幾天會到？
 
That's it for today, practice and we'll see you next time!

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7 Day Chinese Course- Day7: Action2

In today's lesson, we are going to be learning some more common actions. This time we'll be making  simple sentences with them too.  Practice performing the action while you say it and you'll be able to remember it better! Follow along with the video here! 

http://youtu.be/pATyDjxuqdw

Day 7:  Actions 2

聽—聽我說。

tīng– tīng wǒ shuō.

Listen–Listen to me.

 

說—我不會說話。

shuō–wǒ bù huì shuō huà.

Say/speak–I can't speak.

 

讀—小朋友不喜歡讀書。

dú–xiǎo péng yǒu bù xǐ huān dú shū.

Read–Kids don't like to read.

 

寫—你會寫漢字嗎？

xiě–nǐ huì xiě hàn zì ma ？

Write–Can you write Chinese characters?

 

看—嘿！我看到你了耶。

kàn–hēi ！wǒ kàn dào nǐ le yē

Look/see/read–Hey! I see you!

 

This concludes your seven day Free Chinese Course, I hope you found it to be useful, and I urge you to continue learning! Use it or lose it!

Also, remember to check out more free lessons on my website eazychinese.com. Keep in touch and let me know how I can help you to better learn Chinese!!

Leave a comment, tell us how much you learn so far!

Logan 

Posted on

7 Day Chinese Course — Day 3: Face

http://youtu.be/BCABx8v_pCo

Day 3:  Face

In today's lesson, we will be keeping the same theme as yesterday: the parts of the body. Today, we'll be focussing on the face, though, so listen up, because this is some essential vocabulary. Please follow along with the video here, and practice aloud until you are blue in the face!

Vocabulary 

臉 liǎn             Face

眼睛 yǎn jīng  Eyes

鼻子 bí zǐ         Noise

嘴巴 zuǐ bā      Mouth

耳朵 ěr duǒ     EAR

That's concludes today's lesson, give yourself a pat on the back, because you rock! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave comment here, I am always eager to help!

Also, remember to check out more free lessons on my website eazychinese.com. See you tomorrow with more lessons, until then enjoy!

Logan 

Posted on

7 Day Chinese Course — Day 4:Emotions

http://youtu.be/zTvHrGkhu5I

Day 4:  Emotions

I hope you brought some tissues, because it's about to get REAL. Why, you may ask? Because we're going to be talking about our feelings. Today is all about emotions, so listen up!

Vocabulary

開心 kāi xīn Happy

傷心 shāng xīn  Sad

興奮 xìng fèn  Exciting

生氣 shēng qì Angry

緊張 jǐn zhāng Nervous

害怕 hài pà  Scare    

That concludes today's lesson, I sincerely hope that it didn't bring you to a dark place, or get you all choked up. Come on! Even tough guys need to talk about their feelings, right?

Also, remember to check out more free lessons on my website eazychinese.com. See you tomorrow with more lessons, until then enjoy!

Logan

Posted on

7 Day Chinese Course – Day2:Body parts

http://youtu.be/mxUrKI5ggBk

Day 2: Body parts

In today's lesson, we will be expanding our vocabulary by learning the parts of the body. Please follow along with the video and practice, practice, practice! 

Vocabulary

頭 tóu  Head

胸部 xiōng bù  Chest

肚子 dù zǐ  Belly

手臂 shǒu bì  Arm

腳 jiǎo  Foot

That's it for today, so you have no excuse for not getting the vocabulary down pat! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Also, check out more free lessons on my website. See you tomorrow with more lessons, until then enjoy!

 

Logan 

Posted on

7 Day Chinese Course- Day 1: Greetings

http://youtu.be/FlNhxRo4GyA

Day 1: Greetings!

In today's lesson we will be learning what to say when you first meet someone. After following along with the video, you should be able to say hello, tell your name to someone and ask theirs, and tell them that it's good to meet them.

Vocabulary

1.你好 

   nĭ hăo

Hello

 

2.您貴姓? 

   nín guì xìng

 

What is your family name?

-Note: This is a formal and respectful question, much more so than asking someone their given name. Especially useful when dealing with people older than you.

 

3.我姓 

   wŏ xìng…

   My family name is…

 

4.你叫什麼名字？

    nĭ jiào shén me míng zì?

    What's your name?

 

5.我叫。。。

   wŏ jiào…

   My name is…

 

6.很高興認識你！

   hĕn gāo xìng rèn shí nĭ!

   Nice to meet you!

 

 

Conversation

 

羅根：你好，我叫羅根。 您貴姓？

luó gēn: nĭ hăo, wŏ jiào luó gēn. nín guì xìng?

Logan: Hello, my name is Logan. What's your family name?

 

筱涵：我姓陳，名筱涵。

xiăo hán: wŏ xìng chén, míng xiăo hán.

Ruby: Hello Logan. My family name is Chen, and my name is Xiao-Han.

 

羅根：筱涵，很高興認識你。

luó gēn: xiăo hán, hĕn gāo xìng rèn shí nĭ.

Nice to meet you, Xiao-Han.

 

筱涵：我也是。

xiăo hán: wŏ yĕ shì.

Ruby: Likewise.

 

I hope you enjoyed Day 1, let me know if you have any questions, and see you tomorrow!

Leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions!

Logan

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Another 10 Foods You Ought to Try in Taiwan

Due to the popularity of my last post on Taiwanese food, 10 Foods You Must Try in Taiwan, I have decided to write an article detailing 10 more of the best foods to try while you are in Taiwan. So, without further ado…
 
 
1. Oyster pancakes蚵仔煎 
Sorry Aunt Jemima, we won't be needing any syrup up on these pancakes! Made with eggs and fresh oysters, these are one night market snack you have to try!
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2. Bolo bread 菠蘿麵包

Best when fresh out of the oven and filled with butter, this warm, tasty treat is just what the doctor ordered…on second though, don't mention it to your doctor, what he doesn't know won't hurt you!\"下載\"

 

 

 

 

 

3. Saweima 沙威瑪
Hailing from the middle east, Saweima is another food that is not ethnically Tawanese, though you can find it in night markets all over the\"下載\" island. This simple, yet elegant dish is prepared by slicing slivers of chicken from a spit, adding onions, lettuce and several other possible toppings like pepper, ketchup and mayonnaise and then scorching the bread until its nice and crispy. Many stands also have the option to add cheese or an egg for an extra charge. You can usually get them for 40 NT, and some places have special prices for buying three at a time.
 
 
 
4. Grilled squid 炭烤魷魚
Most Westerners are slightly taken aback when they first see this dish, but trust me, it's delicious! Grilled squid can sometimes be a little pricey, but it's worth it.
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5. Digua Qiu 地瓜球
Holy chewy, fried balls Batman! These sweet potato balls are awesome. Just make sure that you don't forget to sprinkle (pour in my case) on some sour plum powder. It makes for a great contrast of flavors!
\"images\"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Wild-boar sausage 山豬烤香腸
How's it shakin bacon? This ain't your run of the mill sausages. Boar meat is a lot leaner than regular old pork, and has a unique flavor that you you really must try, especially glazed in Taiwanese BBQ sauce, yum!
 
\"下載

 

 

 

 

 

7. Kao digua 烤地瓜
There was a time when Chinese families ate rice only as a luxury, and survived off of the humble sweet potato as a major staple of their diet. Well, nowadays people still eat it, because its both delicious and nutritious, and especially good to eat during the winter! The price will vary depending on the weight, but rest assured, you'll get a full belly with change to spare!
 
\"OLYMPUS

 

 

 

 

 

8. Oyster noodles 蚵仔麵線
Oh a mi swa is the name for this dish in Taiwanese, and that is what you will hear people call it, even if they don't speak Taiwanese well! The dish consists of oysters and mian xian, a thin, clear kind of noodle. It is commonly served with pigs blood cake and pig intestines, so not for the feint of heart!
\"0\"
 

 

 

 

 

9. Luogen mian 牛肉麵
My namesake, this is one tasty dish! It consists of pork that is mixed with flour into log-like shapes, noodles and a thick, sticky soup. It's delicious and will only run you around 45 NT.
\"下載
 

 

 

 

 

10. Tianbula甜不辣
Fried, grilled or boiled, get it however you can! This delicious dish is made from fish and flour and it is not to be missed!
\"images

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
＃picture from : some from google some from myself.

Posted on

Every Dog Has Its Day

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP40g_OjxRY]

Have I mentioned that I love dogs? Well, I do, and this week I am going to fill you in on two awesome places that you can bring your dogs for the day in Taoyuan County.

 
The first is called 綠風草原, and it's located in Zhongli. You'll need to take a car there, because its pretty far from any form of public transportation, though you could take a taxi. This place used to be a golf course, but has since been re-purposed into a dog park, though its pretty obvious what it was originally intended to be. The scenery is so beautiful, with trees dotting the walkways and grassy hills surrounding the pond(which must have originally been the water hazard!) your pooch is going to think he's died and gone to doggy heaven. It's a popular place on the weekend, so get there early to ensure that you get a good spot, and watch your worries melt away. Make sure you bring a sheet or towel to sit on, as the grass can be quite damp, and why not enjoy a picnic while you're at it? The entry fee is 150 NT and this can be used towards purchasing food or drinks, though I recommend you bring your own snacks as the food is pricey and not very good.
 
\"IMG_2464\" \"IMG_2463\" \"IMG_2509\" \"IMG_2512\"
\"IMG_2517\" \"IMG_2518\"
(In these pictures you can clearly see the park's golf course roots!)
 
\"IMG_2507\" \"IMG_2500\"
(When I went there were ducks in the pond, and then there were these great big inflatable ducks. Looks like the management decided to cash in on the recent duck-craze that has gotten ahold of Taiwan.)
 
\"IMG_2523\" \"IMG_2528\" \"IMG_2553\" \"IMG_2650\"
(The dogs absolutely love this place!)
 
The other place is called 老爸的後花園 Located in Longtan, you are going to need your own wheels to make it there, but it's worth it! The feel is a lot different from 綠風草原. As you enter the garden and follow the vine-covered walkway to the brick-house restaurant, it feels like you are going to pay a visit to a rich family at their country-side estate. The whole place is surrounded by trees and gardens, and it feels like you're in a small forest, especially for Taiwan (having a large yard is very rare here). The restaurant is beautiful and has a relaxing atmosphere, and oddly you will see dogs freely roaming around indoors. The food is not great here either(though the dessert was quite delicious), but that wasn't really why we went there. The garden outside is awesome, and your dogs will love it. We went on a Tuesday, so there weren't a lot of other people there, but I've been told it is another story altogether on the weekend. It's fun to chat with the other guests and see their dogs too anyway!
 
\"IMG_3239\" \"IMG_3255\" \"IMG_3253\" \"IMG_3293\"
(The restaurant it beautiful, but the food wasn't great…good thing I brought a snack!)
 
\"IMG_3403\" \"IMG_3357\"
\"IMG_3540\"\"IMG_3510\"
(We had a lot of fun with the dogs in the garden. The poster is about supporting animal adoption, something that I hope you will consider after reading this!)
 
I highly recommend making it over to either of these spots at least once (even of you don't have a dog, you can play with the ones you see there!). Let me know what you think if you make it over to one of them, and share your experiences here!
 
 
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 
How To Get There:
 
 
綠風草原– Here is a link to their website, it's in Chinese, but there is a map.
 
 
老爸的後花園- Here is their Facebook page with contact information.
 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

綠風草原= Green Breeze Prairie

老爸的後花園= Dad's Backyard Garden

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

 

 

Posted on

Lesson 9: Let\’s Talk Movies

\"IMG_3421\"
Before reading on, make sure to check out last week's lesson first!
 
Movies…who doesn't love 'em? What's better than curling up on the couch with a big bowl of freshly popped, glistening-with-butter, corn, and your favorite DVD ready to go.The Lord of The Rings, Pirates of The Carribean, and Star Wars, are just a few of my favorites, but feel free to choose your own titles. Or you could always head down to the theater and watch a new release on the big-screen! Personally, I love to go to the second-run movie theaters here in Taiwan, or 二輪片電影院 ér lùn piàn diàn yĭng yuàn. You can watch two movies for just 150NT, and for that price, who cares if it stinks? So in this lesson we will be learning vocabulary for discussing movies with your friends in Chinese, and I will provide you with a list of a few famous titles with their Chinese translations(Warning: Titles are translated differently in Taiwan and the Mainland). So, lights, camera, ACTION!
 
 
 
Movie Genres:
 
1. Action 動作片 dòng zuò piàn
 
2. Romance 愛情片 ài qíng piàn
 
3. Science fiction 科幻片 kē huàn piàn
 
4. Comedy 搞笑片 găo xiào piàn
 
5. Horror 恐怖片 kŏng bù piàn
 
6. Animation 動畫片 dòng huà piàn
 
 
 
A Few Phrases For Discussing a Movie:
 

1. It was awesome!

超好看啊！

chāo hăo kàn a ！
 
2. That scene was ridiculous!
那一幕很誇張！
nà yī mù hĕn kuā zhāng !
 
3. The director did a fantastic job.
導演拍的好好啊！
dăo yăn pāi de hăo hăo a ！
 
4. He/She's a great actor/actress.
他她是很棒的演員。
tā tā shì hĕn bàng de yăn yuán。
 
5. It's a new release.
它是新出來的。
tā shì xīn chū lái de。
 
6. Have you seen…..?
你有看過…..沒有？
nĭ yŏu kàn guò….méi yŏu ？
 
7. That's the best movie I've seen all year!
那是我今年看得最好看的電影！
nà shì wŏ jīn nián kàn de zuì hăo kàn de diàn yĭng ！
 
8. What did you think?
你覺得這樣？
nĭ jué de zhè yàng ？
 
9. The plot was very creative.
這一部電影故的事情節很創意。
zhè yī bù diàn yĭng de gù shì qíng jié hĕn yŏu chuàng yì。
 
10. I can't wait for the sequel!
我等不了下一集！
wŏ dĕng bù liǎo xià yī jí ！
 
 
Famous Movies and Actors Names Translate Into Chinese:
 
Movies

1. Titanic 鐵達尼號 tiĕ dá ní hào
 
2. Shreck 史瑞克 shĭ ruì kè
 
3. Star Wars 星際大戰 xīng jì dà zhàn
 
4. Escape Plan 鋼鐵墳墓 gāng tiĕ fén mù
 
5. Batman 蝙蝠俠 biān fú xiá
 
 
 
Actors

1. Arnold Scwanrzeneiger 阿諾·施瓦辛格 ā nuò shī wă xīn gé
 
2. Tom Cruise 阿湯哥 ā tāng gē
 
3. Angelina Jolie 安潔莉娜裘莉 ān jié lì nà qióng lì
 
4. Mat Damon 邁特戴蒙 mài tè dài méng
 
5. Julia Roberts 茱莉婭羅伯茨 zhū lì yà luó bó cí
[youtube=http://youtu.be/tt1CSEEhs0c]

Posted on

Lesson 9: Let\’s Talk Movies

\"IMG_3421\"
Before reading on, make sure to check out last week's lesson first!
 
Movies…who doesn't love 'em? What's better than curling up on the couch with a big bowl of freshly popped, glistening-with-butter, corn, and your favorite DVD ready to go.The Lord of The Rings, Pirates of The Carribean, and Star Wars, are just a few of my favorites, but feel free to choose your own titles. Or you could always head down to the theater and watch a new release on the big-screen! Personally, I love to go to the second-run movie theaters here in Taiwan, or 二輪片電影院 ér lùn piàn diàn yĭng yuàn. You can watch two movies for just 150NT, and for that price, who cares if it stinks? So in this lesson we will be learning vocabulary for discussing movies with your friends in Chinese, and I will provide you with a list of a few famous titles with their Chinese translations(Warning: Titles are translated differently in Taiwan and the Mainland). So, lights, camera, ACTION!
 
 
 
Movie Genres:
 
1. Action 動作片 dòng zuò piàn
 
2. Romance 愛情片 ài qíng piàn
 
3. Science fiction 科幻片 kē huàn piàn
 
4. Comedy 搞笑片 găo xiào piàn
 
5. Horror 恐怖片 kŏng bù piàn
 
6. Animation 動畫片 dòng huà piàn
 
 
 
A Few Phrases For Discussing a Movie:
 

1. It was awesome!

超好看啊！

chāo hăo kàn a ！
 
2. That scene was ridiculous!
那一幕很誇張！
nà yī mù hĕn kuā zhāng !
 
3. The director did a fantastic job.
導演拍的好好啊！
dăo yăn pāi de hăo hăo a ！
 
4. He/She's a great actor/actress.
他她是很棒的演員。
tā tā shì hĕn bàng de yăn yuán。
 
5. It's a new release.
它是新出來的。
tā shì xīn chū lái de。
 
6. Have you seen…..?
你有看過…..沒有？
nĭ yŏu kàn guò….méi yŏu ？
 
7. That's the best movie I've seen all year!
那是我今年看得最好看的電影！
nà shì wŏ jīn nián kàn de zuì hăo kàn de diàn yĭng ！
 
8. What did you think?
你覺得這樣？
nĭ jué de zhè yàng ？
 
9. The plot was very creative.
這一部電影故的事情節很創意。
zhè yī bù diàn yĭng de gù shì qíng jié hĕn yŏu chuàng yì。
 
10. I can't wait for the sequel!
我等不了下一集！
wŏ dĕng bù liǎo xià yī jí ！
 
 
Famous Movies and Actors Names Translate Into Chinese:
 
Movies

1. Titanic 鐵達尼號 tiĕ dá ní hào
 
2. Shreck 史瑞克 shĭ ruì kè
 
3. Star Wars 星際大戰 xīng jì dà zhàn
 
4. Escape Plan 鋼鐵墳墓 gāng tiĕ fén mù
 
5. Batman 蝙蝠俠 biān fú xiá
 
 
 
Actors

1. Arnold Scwanrzeneiger 阿諾·施瓦辛格 ā nuò shī wă xīn gé
 
2. Tom Cruise 阿湯哥 ā tāng gē
 
3. Angelina Jolie 安潔莉娜裘莉 ān jié lì nà qióng lì
 
4. Mat Damon 邁特戴蒙 mài tè dài méng
 
5. Julia Roberts 茱莉婭羅伯茨 zhū lì yà luó bó cí
[youtube=http://youtu.be/tt1CSEEhs0c]