You may have learned that 在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used before verbs to express that an action is ongoing or in progress. They are used to create the Mandarin equivalent of present continuous in English. But that pattern is actually a part of a longer, fuller pattern. It's rarely used in its full form, but bits and pieces of it are frequently used in everyday speech, so it's important to know the full form, even if you don't use it regularly yourself.
Tag: mandarin
Chinese grammar: Separable verb
"Separable verbs," called 离合词 (líhécí) in Chinese, get their name from their ability to "separate" into two parts (a verb part and an object part), with other words in between. Separable verbs are an important concept to master in Chinese, and are also the source of many beginner mistakes. Mastering separable verbs is an essential objective of the intermediate (B1) level learner of Chinese.
Chinese Food and Cuisine
Chinese culinary arts has a long history , famous all over the world. Chinese cuisine has developed and matured over the centuries, forming a rich cultural content. It is characterized by fine selection of ingredients, precise processing, particular care to the amount of fire, and substantial nourishment.
Chinese grammar: Aspect particle 着zhe
The particle 着 (zhe) is one way of indicating the continuous aspect in Mandarin Chinese (another common way is using the adverb 在 in front of verbs). You may have heard that the Chinese particle 着 added onto the end of verbs is similar to the use of -ing in English. This isn't particularly helpful, however, because the use of 着 in Chinese is not nearly so frequent, and can also be quite idiomatic.
Embroidery in China 刺绣
As a folk art with a long tradition, Embroidery（刺绣：cì xiù） occupies an important position in the history of Chinese arts and crafts. It is, in its long development, inseparable from silkworm-raising and silk-reeling and weaving.
Chinese grammar: The filler word 那个”neige”
Sometimes when speaking you may blank out a bit, forget a little word or phrase, and you need something to say while gathering your thoughts. Or maybe you need to stall for a while. Well, the word "那个"（nèige) is just what you need.
Chinese food: Turkey, Mandarin and Poppy Seed Salad
The secret ingredient in this dish is the Dijon mustard in the dressing. Not only does its strong, almost sweet flavor provide a nice balance to the red wine vinegar, but it thickens the dressing, holding the olive oil and vinegar together. Feel free to replace the poppy seeds with sesame seeds if desired.
About the Eight Cuisines in China
China is a vast country with a large population and abundant resources, hence a variety of Chinese food with different but fantastic and mouthwatering flavor. Since China's local dishes have their own typical characteristics, generally, Chinese food can be roughly divided into eight regional Cuisines, which has been widely accepted around. Certainly, there are many other local Cuisine s that are famous, such as Beijing Cuisine and Shanghai Cuisine (菜系càixì).
Chinese food: Steamed Fruit Cake
Also known as Sticky Cake, this New Years dish is traditionally fed to the Chinese Kitchen God, so that he will give a favorable report on the family's behavior throughout the previous year when he returns to heaven.
Chinese food: Steamed Fruit Cake
Also known as Sticky Cake, this New Years dish is traditionally fed to the Chinese Kitchen God, so that he will give a favorable report on the family's behavior throughout the previous year when he returns to heaven.
Vietnamese 
English 
French 
German 
Malay 
Thai 
Myanmar