Chinese grammar: Explaining causes with “yinwei”
A common way to explain causes in Chinese is with "因为"(yīnwèi). This is almost entirely equivalent to "because" in English. Usually "因为"will begin a new phrase in a sentence.
Colours and Clothing in China
When it comes to clothes, we usually think about colours and styles. And people's preference differs.
Chinese food: Tofu Mayonnaise
Silken tofu has a creamy, custard-like texture that makes it perfect substitute for standard mayonnaise. Use tofu mayonnaise instead of mayonnaise in sandwiches and salads, or even as a condiment to go with tea eggs. Feel free to replace the cayenne with a small amount of chili paste.
Write 获(huò)(win) in Chinese character
获(huò)
Origin: 甲骨文中,“获”的字形像一只手抓住了鸟,本义是“捕获”,现在也有“得到”、“赢得”的意思。
On ancient oracle bone inscriptions, “获” looks likes a hand catching a bird, so its original meaning is “to capture.” Now it also has the meaning of “to get” or “to win.”
Meaning:
Red Sorghum 红高粱
Today let's take a brief introduction of a famous Chinese movie named "Red Sorghum".The film Red Sorghum was adapted from Families of Red Sorghum, a novel by the famous Chinese author Mo Yan. It was shot in 1988, directed by Yimou Zhang and co-starred Jiang Wen and Gong Li. This film shows a quite strong style of Zhang and is considered as one of Zhang’s best works and the landmark of Chinese film industry. It received China Film Golden Rooster Award for the best feature-length film, best cameraman award, best music award and a best recording award in 1988. What is more, it won the 11th Hundred Flowers Award for the best feature-length film and the Golden Bear for the best- feature film on the 38th Berlin International Film Festival.
Chinese food: Tofu and Cashew Chow
Crunchy cashews and vegetables complement the soft texture of the noodles and tofu in this chow mein dish for two.
Chinese grammar: Explaining results with 所以”suoyi”
Just as "因为"(yīnwèi) can be used to explain causes, "所以"(suǒyǐ) can be used to explain results. This is equivalent to "so therefore. . ." in English.
Interior Painting in Snuff Bottles
Snuff bottles are not native to China but were reportedly introduced from the West by Fr.Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit father who worked in Beijing in the early 17th century. Yet the art of interior painting in snuff bottles was born and developed in China and unique to the country.
Chinese food: Hawaiian Beef Stew
The authors write: "Chinese cooks at Hawaiian ranches made stew on an open fire, tossing the less-than-tender beef into a pot of water to simmer all day long, then adding vegetables shortly before the cowboys came in."
Write 降(jiàng/xiáng)(fall) in Chinese character
降(jiàng)(xiáng)
Origin: 甲骨文中,“降”的左边是一座土山,右边是两只方向朝下的脚,表示“从高处向低处”走的意思,音(jiàng),后来引申为“投降”义(音xiáng)。On ancient oracle bone inscriptions, the left side of “降” is a hill and the right side is two feet facing downward, showing the meaning of going from high to low position (pronounced “jiàng”). Later, that extended to mean surrender (pronounced “xiáng”).