SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
SOCIAL CHINESE

Talk Your Way Through a Chinese Wedding

Celebration of love or social obligation? Learn the language of Chinese weddings, from invitations to the ceremony itself

ANCIENT HISTORY, CHINESE CHARACTERS

Speaking Ill: How Ancient Chinese Talked About Sickness

From denoting various levels of illness to the “Gods of Plague,” 疒 is a radical you need to know in sickness or health

LANGUAGE

Wrap Your Mouth Around These Chinese Tongue Twisters

Learn the history of Chinese tongue twisters, which were taught to aid speech therapy and spread folk wisdom in the past

BOOKS

How the Xinhua Dictionary Defined the Way China Thinks and Talks

From encyclopedia to political pamphlet to standard classroom reading: 70 years in the history of China’s bestselling dictionary

IDIOMS

Choice Chengyu: In Praise of Youth (Mostly)

Discover popular sayings about youth through these Chinese idioms and proverbs to use when (mostly) praising the younger generation.

IDIOMS

How to live a happy life according to Chinese idioms

Chinese idioms that teach us how to be happy

IDIOMS

Choice Chengyu: Horsing Around

Idioms about one of man’s most loyal companions

CHINESE CHARACTERS

On the Character: 癌

The history of language around cancer

IDIOMS

Choice Chengyu: Barking Idioms

These sayings about dogs are more bark than bite

IDIOMS

Choice Chengyu: Turtle Terms

Idioms relating to the ancient symbol of longevity