Hanbridge Mandarin Chinese Online Learning

HSK exams consist of six levels, and each requires different proficiency. Read more about HSK level introduction here . No matter which exam you want to take, here are some useful tips to help you pass the test. 1. Expanding your vocabulary. There are certain vocabulary lists for every level. In order to learn the words, you can use different study tools that also help you to review. For levels 1-2 it’s enough that you understand the meaning of the word in listening and reading questions, but on levels 3-6 you have to be able to write  (or type if you take the computer test). Try to build a relatively large vocabulary so that for reading comprehension questions or cloze tests, you will have a better chance of answering the questions correctly. Also, a good vocabulary reduces the time you will spend on analyzing the grammatical structures of sentences because you may just work out a puzzled sentence more quickly by identifying the meanings of the words. 2. Find signpost words...

For someone who already made decision to take one of the 6 HSK levels tests, you may also got a study plan by yourself. But for someone who is still thinking about which level to take and wonder how long does it take to prepare for each level, this article can help you a lot. HSK 1: 150 words If you have no or very limited knowledge of Chinese and know nothing about basic Chinese words and phrases, you need to start from scratch and go through the survivor Mandarin. After you acquire 150 basic Chinese words (written in Pinyin) from the HSK Level 1 vocabulary list and master the most basic HSK 1 grammar, you will be ready to take the HSK 1 test. Before you take the test, make sure you can understand and use very simple Chinese words and phrases, and meet the most basic communication needs. This process might take about half year depending how much commitment you make. HSK 2: 300 words If you know some basic words and phrases but find it hard to produce fluently the daily communi...

Once you reach a comparatively higher level of Mandarin Chinese, the HSK 5 will definitely be an important examination, either as a job requirement or personal proof of achievement. Test takers who are able to pass the HSK 5 (C1) can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, enjoy Chinese films and plays, give a full-length speech in Chinese, and will acquire a vocabulary of at least 2500 words. Preparation for the HSK 5 Exam Generally speaking, if you are not that familiar with HSK 5 Exam , you must take the time to read the Syllabus for the HSK 5 test. Then you can find some HSK mock papers or online sample tests. It will help you know more about the test structure and your weakness. If you still don’t feel confident studying by yourself, you`d better hire a professional HSK tutor to guide you. Now, let’s talk about the specifics to build a good foundation. First, you need to know the meaning of words to take this exam. If you just study the passage, this isn’t going to be enough. ...

1. Where can I register HSK? You can visit the official website for the HSK test dates. Choose your own language and there's usually a link on the homepage that leads to the test dates of the year. 2. For how long is my HSK certificate valid? The HSK certificate is valid indefinitely. However, for academic purposes, it is valid for two years from the date the exam was taken. So if you're applying for a Chinese university, your HSK certificate will only be good for two years. 3. When can I find out my HSK Test results? The test results dates are also on the official website on the same page as the exam dates. You can visit the official website here . 4. How can I get my HSK Test certificate? While the official website doesn't say anything about receiving the physical HSK certificate (you can check the scores at the published dates of the HSK Test results as I mentioned in the above question), simply contact your test center you took the test at if you have inqu...

When Chinese say “thank you” to you, what do you do, how do you say you’re welcome in Chinese? You were surely taught that you’re welcome in Chinese is 不客气(bú kè qì), in fact, there are more ways to response thank you in Chinese ! Way 1: 不客气 (bú kè qì) 不客气 is the most common and formal way to say you are welcome, sound like you deserve the thanks. It usually used to these kinds of people: To those you don’t know, for example, the elderly man you offer your seat to on the bus. Unfamiliar people, like your leader. The people you serve in business. Way 2: 不用谢(bú yòng xiè) 不用 is no, 谢 is thank you, so 不用谢 means that’s all right. This expression is similar with 不客气, means you have accepted the thanks, often used to close friends. Way 3: 别客气，我很荣幸。(bú kè qì ，wǒ hěn róng xìng) This phrase translated into English is “It was my pleasure”. It is more formal than 不客气. A man who wants to show his gentleman's manners often use this phrase. Way 4: 别和我见外(bié hé wǒ jiàn wài) This mean...

If you are preparing for the HSK Exam by yourself, then you must take full use of these five excellent websites. They are free and helpful in every aspect of HSK test preparation! If you like these websites, don’t hesitate to share them with your friends! 1. HSK Test Preparation and Practice Youtube Channel Recommendation: ＊＊＊＊＊ This YouTube channel not only shows you the basic information to prepare for the HSK test, but also tackles the most difficult part of the test: Chinese synonyms and certain groups of words that are easily confused by most Mandarin learners. Examples include the difference between 有点儿(yǒudiǎnr) and 一点儿(yīdiǎnr), the difference between 知道(zhīdao)，认识(rènshi) and 明白(míngbai), and how to differentiate 的(de), 得(de) and 地(de), etc. The host of the channel displays a very lively and friendly style that enables you to review the HSK examination skills as well as practice listening, reading and speaking skills. 2. HSK Grammar Videos Recommendation: ＊＊＊＊＊ This ...

The vehicle is very important in our daily life. The airplane is the most common mean of transportation for those traveling to China. If you spend a short time in China, take a taxi or bus is a good choice for going out, and maybe you want to buy a car when plan to stay in China for a long time. In order to travel freely in China, learning Chinese words for different types of transport is necessary. Transportation in Chinese Vocabulary List Transportation on Land 公共汽车 [gōng gòng qì chē] - Bus 长途汽车 [cháng tú qì chē] - Long-distance bus 有轨电车[yǒu guǐ diàn chē] - Tram 小汽车 [xiǎo qì chē] – Car 的士 [dī shì] - Taxi 警车 [jǐng chē] – Police card 救护车 [jiù hù chē] – Ambulance 消防车 [xiāo fáng chē] - Fire engine 卡车 [kǎ chē] - Lorry 火车[huǒ chē] – train 自行车 [zì xíng chē] - Bicycle 摩托车 [mó tuō chē] - motorcycle 地铁 [dì tiě] - metro Transportation on Sea 轮船 [lún chuán] - Boat 邮轮 [yóu lún] - Cruise ship 游艇 [yóu tǐng] - Yacht Transportation in the Sky 飞机 [fēi jī] – Airplane 直升机 [zhí...

Actually, if you are familiar with Chinese numbers, the expression of time in Chinese is very simple and easy to remember. 1. Some basic words for telling time in Chinese diǎn 点 o'clock bàn 半 half kè 刻 quarter(of an hour) fēn 分 minute miǎo 秒 second Here are some examples: 8: 05 bādiǎn línɡ wǔ fēn 八点零五分 （Five to Eight） 10:30 shí diǎn bàn 十点半 (half past ten / ten thirty) 12: 15 shí èr diǎn shí wǔ fēn  十二点十五分 12: 15 shí èr diǎn yí kè 十二点一刻 A quarter past twelve 2: 45 liǎnɡ diǎn sì shí wǔ 两点四十五 two forty-five 2: 45 liǎnɡ diǎn sān kè  两点三刻  a quarter to three 7:57 qī diǎn wǔ shí qī fēn 七点五十七分 Seven fifty-seven 7:57 bā diǎn chà sān fēn  八点差三分 Three to eight 7:57 chà sān fēn bā diǎn  差三分八点 Three to eight Taking notice of the last sentence," 差(chā) " here means "minus", it is usually put before numbers to form a new expression. In our daily life, 秒(miǎo) is seldom used, so if you are a Chinese beginner, you don't need to me...

In every language, there is a word for yes or no, but Mandarin Chinese is an exception. When you learn Chinese, especially at the beginning stage, it’s important to understand that there is no exact word for yes and no to fit in all the situations. We have a particular structure for this. Let’s have a look at them in different scenarios. 1. To say yes According to the verb used in the previous question, you repeat the verb for yes. Scenario 1 : If someone asks, “Nǐ hē kāfēi ma? 你 喝 咖啡吗?” (Translation: Do you want coffee?), you would say “Hē, xièxie! 喝 ,谢谢!”(Translation: Yes, thank you.) And literally, you’re answering "Want, thank you." In this case, you repeat the verb “hē 喝” for yes. Scenario 2 : Or if someone asks “Nǐ qù le Běijīng ma? 你 去了 北京吗?” (translation: Did you go to Beijing?), here we can see the verb is “qù le,  去了 ” indicating an action in the past. So for the answer of yes, we simply repeat “qù le,去了” literally meaning “went”. Sceanario 3 : We’ve seen the ...

There are some interesting Internet Slang every year and extremely more this year. Below we have selected the hottest Chinese Internet Slang in 2015, and still commonly used in 2016. How many do you know? What topics are closely related to your daily life? You are encouraged to read below in case you are old fashioned for this. If you learn some Internet Slang , you will be quite impressed by your Chinese friends or colleagues. A few well-placed pieces of slang can instantly make your Chinese much more impressive. Just be sure that you have a strong grasp of standard Chinese as well. Let's take a look. 1. wǒ de nèixīn jīhū shì bēnɡkuìde    我的内心几乎是崩溃的    I almost had a nervous breakdown. Meaning: Universal sentence can be used in nearly any situations, describing someone suffered all kinds of great strikes. It's a ridicule to tell someone already knew the truth, or someone is interrupted by someone else, then have no idea what to say. Background...

听不懂 tīng bù dǒng is a useful phrase that every Chinese beginner needs to learn. When you do not understand something, you will default to saying 我听不懂/听不懂 tīng bù dǒng. However, it does not help in all situations. If you say "我听不懂，听不懂"，the native speaker will think you do not understand Mandarin Chinese at all, not like you do not understand the particular thing. But, what if you just do not fully get the meaning of the speaker, like missing one word, concept, or maybe you just didn't hear clearly, what should you say? Today we really encourage you to read below about better ways to say "I don't understand" in Chinese . Let's go through one by one. 1. wǒ bù mínɡ bɑi ; wǒ bù dǒnɡ; wǒ bù zhī dào 我不明白; 我不懂；我不知道 Sorry, I don't understand/comprehend. This phrase is quite similar to 听不懂, which means I heard what you say, but could not get the meaning of it. 2. bù hǎo yì si, wǒ méi tīnɡ qīnɡ chu 不好意思，我没听清楚 Excuse me. I did not qui...

Scientifically speaking, musical instruments produce sounds in a pattern. Yet, patterns of sound made by different instruments can evoke a variety of human emotions. Indeed, music can provide the soundtrack for our moods , whether it is soft and relax or with a beat that makes you want to get up and dance. So let’s look at the various categories of musical instruments. String instruments: Violin xiǎo tíqín 小提琴 Viola zhōnɡ tí qín 中提琴 Viola zhōnɡ tíqín 中提琴 Cello dà tíqín 大提琴 Guitar jítā 吉他 Double bass dīyīn tíqín 低音提琴 Ukulele yóukèlǐlǐ 尤克里里 Harp shùqín 竖琴 Electric bass diàn bèisī 电贝司 Is there a musical instrument that you would like to play? My favorite instrument is the violin, and in China, the most famous violin repertoire is "Butterfly Lovers." Keyboard instruments: Piano ɡānɡqín 钢琴 Organ ɡuǎnfēnɡqín 管风琴 Piano Accordion shǒufēnɡqín 手风琴 Percussion instruments: Gong luó 锣 Snare Drum xiǎo ɡǔ 小鼓 Triangle sānjiǎotiě 三角铁 Drum set juéshì ɡǔ 爵士鼓 Hand Bell s...

Today we’ll learn month, season and week in Chinese Mandarin. Months of the Year in Chinese Months in Chinese are pretty easy to learn. There are twelve months in a year, and January is the first month of the year, February is the second month of the year. Month in Chinese is “月”, one in Chinese is “一”, two in Chinese is “二”. And January translate into Chinese is “一月”, February is “二月”. You have found the rule, right? Yes, from January to December, the term is “ number of the year + 月 ”. See the full list of translation: 一月 (yī yuè) - January 二月 (èr yuè) - February 三月 (sān yuè) - March 四月 (sì yuè) - April 五月 (wǔ yuè) - May 六月 (liù yuè) - June 七月 (qī yuè) - July 八月 (bā yuè) - August 九月 (jiǔ yuè) - September 十月 (shí yuè) - October 十一月 (shí yī yuè) - November 十二月 (shí èr yuè) - December Example: 现在是三月。(xiàn zài shì sān yuè) It is March Seasons in Chinese There are four seasons in a year: 春天 (chūn tiān) - Spring 夏天 (xià tiān) - Summer ...

Yes, you opened the right page, we are going to look at the bad words in Chinese. I know lots of you have already learned somewhere somehow, but your teacher never taught you this, right? In fact, it is necessary to learn how to say the bad words in Chinese, especially when you are a 老外(foreigner) . It’s nice to be equipped with a few insults to throw back to show that you’re not a 听不懂的傻老外 tīng bu dǒng de shǎ lǎowài (stupid forerigner who understands nothing). Here the most common used Chinese silly words are listed below. -Mother Related Just as the other languages, the most offensive words always have something to do with someone’s mother. Chinese is no exception. A lot of the most hurtful insults related to someone’s mother can be easily found, and much worse. Chinese learners should be warned, the phrase I’m going to present will only get you trouble, so proceed with caution cause I’ve seen plenty of fights started over this. 1. 他妈的 (tā mā de) –It literally translates as “his...

First of all, we should make clear what is Mandarin and what is Cantonese. Mandarin refers to Standard Chinese, which is based on the Beijing dialect, of course with some lexical and syntactic influence from other Mandarin dialects. As the official spoken language of the People's Republic of China, it is under the name "Chinese". In China, we call the modern standard language “Pǔtōnghuà”, which means “common speech". Cantonese is the dialect of Yue which is spoken in southern China, especially in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau. It is also spoken widely among overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore and the Western world, most notably in Canada, Australia and the United States. The differences between Mandarin and Cantonese is obviously, as for the tones, we all know that there are 4 tones in Mandarin,however,there are 9 tones in Cantonese. Except for tones, vocabulary and grammar structures also differs. Technica...

If you take a walk in China, you’ll see a lot of markets, shops, and malls everywhere. I’ve been asked countless times by my students how to bargain with shop owners properly and not be tricked. So, today I will help you learn some words you can use for shopping. Let’s get started! Before you go shopping, these are the important words you should know first: kàn 看 to look shì 试 to try mǎ 码 size These three words can be very useful for the following situations: Situation 1 - In the shop Aren’t you tired of being followed and asked by the shop assistant, ”Nǐ hǎo, nǐ xǐhuan ma? 你好，你喜欢吗？Hello do you like it?” At that moment is the perfect time to say, ”Xièxie, wǒ kàn yíxiàr! 谢谢，我看一下儿！Thanks, I just want to have a look.” The clerk will understand that you want to be left alone. Situation 2- To try the clothes You have your eye on a beautiful shirt and want to try it on, so you can say ‘Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng shì yīxiàr你好，我想试一下儿’. Situation 3 - To ask for the size When you need to...

Direction plays a very important role in our daily life especially when you go to some places where you are unfamiliar with. Many foreigners come to China for a business trip or just to have a travel to enjoy the beautiful scene in China. However, when you suddenly find that you get lost or are separated with your friends during your journey, what will you do? Here are some basic words and phrases about directions when you need help of passers-by. dōnɡ 东 east nán 南  south xī 西  west běi 北  north qián miɑn 前面 ahead, in front of hòu miɑn 后面  back zuǒ biɑn 左边  left side yòu biɑn 右边  right side pánɡ biān 旁边  besides yì zhí zǒu 一直走  go straight zuǒ ɡuǎi 左拐  turn left yòu ɡuǎi 右拐  turn right lù 路  road lù kǒu 路口  crossing qián miɑn de lù kǒu 前面的路口  the crossing ahead hào 号  number shì 室  room dà shà 大厦  big building qǐnɡ w...

The human life and color are closely related. There is a large number of words about colors in Chinese mandarin. Each country has their own culture on different colors, and china is of no exception. To learn the Chinese colors is not only to remember the basic color words, but also to know more about the color culture in Chinese mandarin. In this way, you can also understand the Chinese people's aesthetics and way of thinking. Here I will introduce the connotation of some common colors. Colors in Mandarin Chinese Color Pinyin Hanzi white bái sè 白色 blue lán sè 蓝色 yellow huáng sè 黄色 green lǜ sè 绿色 red hóng sè 红色 orange jú sè or chéng sè 橘色 or 橙色 brown kāfēi sè 咖啡色 black hēi sè 黑色 purple zǐ sè 紫色 grey huī sè 灰色 # 红色 (hónɡsè) red When mention to China, to the colors, the word come to your mind immediately should be "red", "hóng sè ". Red Chinese knot, red couplets, red clothes, red flag, red lanterns...

There are many different ways of doing greetings in Chinese, including Hello and goodbye , Good morning/afternoon/evening, goodnight , happy New Year and so on. In most cases these expressions are quite short, easy, and neatly matched with English equivalents. nǐ hǎo 你好 hello nǐ hǎo mɑ 你 好 吗 how are you hěn ɡāo xìnɡ rèn shí nǐ 很 高兴 认识 你 nice to meet you wǒ yě hěn ɡāo xìnɡ rèn shí nǐ 我 也 很 高兴 认识 你 I'm also glad to meet you zǎo shang hǎo 早上 好 good morning wǎn shɑnɡ hǎo 晚上 好 good evening háo jiǔ bú jiàn 好久不见 long time no see xiè xie 谢 谢 thanks bú kè qi 不 客 气 you're welcome nǐ tài kè qi le 你太客气了 you're welcome duì bù qǐ 对 不 起 sorry méi ɡuān xi 没 关 系 It doesn't matter zài jiàn 再 见 bye bye mínɡ tiān jiàn 明 天 见 see you tomorrow xīn nián kuài lè 新 年 快 乐 happy new year ɡōnɡ xǐ ɡōnɡ xǐ 恭 喜 恭 喜 congratulations shēnɡ rì kuài lè 生 日 快乐 happy birt...

The HSK exam is an internationally recognized exam for non-native students of Mandarin Chinese. It tests the 4 components of language and is divided into varying levels of difficulty. Then, why take HSK? The test is designed to help Chinese education institutions and companies evaluate the language level of non-native speakers. The HSK examines many of the most common words and grammatical structures that one will meet in both every day and professional situations. Thus, preparing for this exam will allow a student to cover a wide range of useful material which will be immediately applicable in various situations. Reason 1 : If you are thinking about expanding to the Chinese market for personal, professional or business reasons, the HSK is definitely something for you. Even the English level of Chinese people is comparatively high in Asia, but Chinese people will be definitely thrilling if their business partner can speak some Chinese. Reason 2 : The HSK is a pre-requisite for tho...

HànYǔ ShuǐPínɡ KǎoShì (HSK) is a test of the non-native Chinese people(including a lot of different candidates, there are foreigners, overseas Chinese and Chinese minority etc.)standardized test of Chinese level. It is a standardization of Chinese language proficiency test, focuses on the candidates’ ability when they are in the life, study and work to use Chinese for communication. With the development of China's economy, more and more foreigner people want to attend the HSK test, even some Chinese companies are hiring foreigners will ask for a level certificate of HSK. As we see this certificate is being more and more important in 21st Century. Now let’s see what you need to prepare before you are going to attend this test. There are some resources I would like to recommend to you. 1. A good guide book will be very helpful before you decide to take HSK Chinese proficiency test syllabus is a book published by Confucius institute headquarters. As we know, HSK test is divide...

The HSK is a standardized Chinese proficiency test recognized by governments and corporations worldwide as a standard gauge of an individual's Chinese language proficiency level. To study HSK you can get help from some websites that have information about the test. Most them provide simulations and learning skills. They may also suggest some teachers to help and answer your questions online. This course covers to all HSK levels. Learn more about the tailor-made HSK preparation course . Study Guide For HSK Level 1 We suggest that you study 4-6 hours per week and learn for at least half a year. There are 150 words in HSK 1. Listening is the most important part and as long as you can understand PinYin. The test won't be difficult. Study Guide For HSK Level 2 For HSK level 2. There are 300 words in HSK 1. Learn about one year and study 4-6hours per week would be fine. In this level it has more grammar point and sentence structures which mean understanding is as important as ...

The HSK Level 6 test assesses test takers’ abilities to use Chinese in their everyday life. It is the counterpart of the level 5 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK 6 can easily comprehend written and spoken information in Chinese and can effectively express themselves in Chinese, both orally and on paper. The Basics of HSK Level 6 Whether you’re just preparing to take level 6 of the HSK or if you feel you’re ready but still lack of certain skills to answer all the questions, I’ll give you some advice! The truth is once you enter the high level of Chinese learning, the most important thing is no longer grammar or vocabulary, but to be sure to understand both formal and informal Chinese in all kinds of contexts and on all kinds of topics. In order to achieve this goal, we still need to start from the fundamentals but with different s...

When preparing for HSK , I believe all of you feel somewhat frustrated when you see the writing assignment. What and how should I write? If this question ever came cross, you should definitely read this article. Today, I’ll take HSK 5 writing assignment for example. Part 1: Write a short text of about 80 words by using ALL the given words. Method 1: Choose a theme from the given words : The theme of text is not fixed, but obviously, you need to have a theme and make sure your text relates to it. Therefore, it is very important to come up with a theme by the given words. Make sentences by using the given words : Since you need to use ALL the given words, you can make individual sentence and make sure the sentences are relevant. Use conjunctions to link the sentences : be careful with the relations between sentences and choose proper conjunctions. Add adjectives and expressions : by doing this, the text will not only be more natural and smooth but also the total number of words i...

The HSK level 3 exam tests whether you reach the intermediate level or not. In particular, you should be able to complete some basic communicative tasks such as describing the weather, seasons, sizes, colors, directions, even your emotions, and so on. You should also know how to express your own opinions in Chinese, explain reasons, and understand logical relationships. You should be able to master making comparisons and explain decisions. HSK Level 3 Introduction The HSK level 3 consists of three parts: listening, reading and writing. The whole test contains 80 items, which lasts 90 minutes in total. The maximum score is 300, and pass score is 180. Here are 3 suggestions for preparing HSK Level 3 Exam. 1. Learn More Words and Trying to Remember Some Characters The exam outline requires that you should master 600 words, so studying the HSK level 3 word list is a good choice. As for the words, you should not only know their meanings, but also the usage and the grammar structure...