真正的朋友愿意理解你的过去，相信你的未来，接受你的现在。

知识好像地下的泉水，掘得越深，水就越清。

Knowledge is like the spring underground — the deeper you dig, the clearer the water is.

100 days of languages: day 10

day 10: learn 4 idioms

1. 如火如荼 rú huǒ rú tú like wildfire, unstoppable

他的生意如火如荼。

2. 大街小巷 dà jié xiǎo xiàng great streets and small alleys, everywhere in the city

每天晚上都有很多警察在全市的大街小巷进行查巡。

3. 赞不绝口 zàn bù jué kǒu to praise without cease, to praise to high heaven

游客总是对我们的优美环境赞不绝口。

4. 平易近人 píng yí jìn rén amiable and approachable, easy-going

好的领导平易近人。

Super helpful Chinese grammar post! 😄

Chinese Grammar: Comparisons

My first grammar post! I hope there will be more to come. =}

Here are ways to compare things whether they be the same, or different, and also how something has improved/changed.

比 - bǐ: to compare/something is more ___ than something

我弟弟的个子比我的高。 (Wŏ dìdi de gèzi bĭ wŏ de gāo.) - My little brother is taller than me./ My little brother’s height is taller than mine.

我不比她高。 (Wŏ bùbĭ tā gāo.) - I am not taller than her.

…跟… 一样 - …gēn… yiyang: the same; as… as…

这本书跟那本一样长。(Zhè běn shū gēn nà běn yīyàng cháng.) - This book and that one are both long.

这个故事跟那个不一样好笑。 (Zhè ge gùshi gēn nà ge bù yīyàng hăo xiào.) - This story is not as funny as that one.

越来越 - yue lai yue: more and more

他的个子越来越高。 (Tā de gèzi yuè lái yuè gāo.) - His height gets more and more tall.

Now, with these types of comparisons, you never add 很 (hěn) before the adjective. Usually to really add depth or exaggeration to just how something is much more than something else, add 多了(duō le) after the adjective.

e.g： 他比我高多了。 (Tā bĭ wŏ gāo duō le.) - He’s much taller than me.

你好！hello! so this is my first masterpost and i decided to make a masterpost on chinese since i am currently learning chinese and have been since i was around 5. i haven’t seen very many chinese masterposts here and hoped this will help every single one of you who are currently learning chinese or would like to start learning!! 

the basics:

chinese tools learn chinese - they have 31 lessons!

bbc learn chinese - several different sources

memrise - i’ve heard lots of good things about this site!!

quizlet - great for grammar, flashcards, i used this at school since my chinese teacher made sets for use to learn!

CCTV learning chinese - CCTV is a chinese tv broadcaster, this has a lot of videos you can watch

mandarin chinese pinyin chart with audio - awesome chart of pinyin and tones

you could also find a chinese ethnic school near you, this is what i did but i know many non-chinese who choose to go to a chinese school since you are surrounded by others who are also at your level and you have a teacher in person to teach and guide you. having native chinese speakers around you is definitely helpful and it will help you develop listening and speaking skills! :)

apps:

learn chinese - chineseskill  [ android | ios ] free

learn chinese - hello chinese [android | ios ] free

skritter [ android | ios ] free for a week, then you have to pay

pleco dictionary (the best thing ever honestly) [ android | ios ] free and there is a paying option but the free version is still good!

line dictionary [ android | ios ] free

laokang tone test [ ios ] free but no android version :(

shi zhi - learn characters [ android (this is a similar app and its cute!!) | ios ] the android app is free but ios app isn’t

dictionaries:

MDBG dictionary - has both a simplified and tradition character option and also you can draw the characters and they can recognize them

line dictionary - sometimes this site doesn’t work for me but when it does it is very useful!! also has a handwriting option

chinese tools

chinese text annotation - i’m not sure if this counts as a dictionary, however whenever you copy and paste or type a chinese paragraph into the box you can annotate the phrases and get the pinyin and the english meaning

google translate - ok i know this isn’t a very reliable translation option, however when you type a paragraph of chinese into it, it shows the pinyin which is v useful for those who need to write down the pinyin into their textbooks etc etc

other resources:

中外对话 china dialogue - read chinese articles for you to improve your reading skills and to find new vocab

slow chinese - another chinese article site where it also has audio and podcasts on itunes. slow chinese also translates not only into english, but german, french, portuguese and many more languages!! [podcasts]

music, movies & tv shows etc.:

myasiantv - other than korean dramas and movies, myasiantv offers chinese ones!!

最强大脑 the brain china - a game/talent show aiming to find people with exceptional brain power

非诚勿扰 if you are the one - a game/dating show, addicting :’)))

奔跑吧兄弟 hurry up, brother (aka. running man china) - running man is a very popular variety show in korea and now there is a chinese version based on the original version!

learn chinese now - youtube channel

chinese class 101 - youtube channel

tips:

try to make learning chinese fun!! watching tv shows in chinese with or without subs will definitely help you pick up on some vocab and pronunciation

engage with native speakers, if you have chinese friends, ask them to help you with conversation and pronunciation, don’t be shy!

try to use at least one word/phrase in a sentence each day, this will help you in future for making sentences

keep on practicing! i stopped learning chinese for 2 years and i actually lost a lot of vocab that i learnt and when i started again, it was hard to remember some of it ;A;

other language resources: 

language learning tips + resources by @study-ings 

free online language courses by @wonderful-language-sounds 

tips + tricks for learning a language by @ofminervas

chinese resources by @brbimstudying

ok this was a huge masterpost tbh but i hope i was helpful!!

ig: acadehmic

Chinese family tree!

Family

家庭 (jiātíng)-family/household

父母 (fùmǔ)-parents

妈妈 (mā ma)-mom

爸爸 (bà ba)-dad

儿子 (ér zi)-son

女儿 (nǚ ér)-daughter

哥哥 (gē ge)-older brother

姐姐 (jiě jie)-older sister

弟弟 (dì di)-younger brother

妹妹 (mèi mei)-younger sister

奶奶/祖母 (nǎi nai/zǔmǔ)-dad’s mom

爷爷/祖父 (yé ye/zǔfù)-dad’s dad

姥姥 (lǎo lao)-mom’s mom

姥爷 (lǎo ye)-mom’s dad

外婆 (wài pó)-mom’s mom(mostly used in southern China)

外公 (wài gōng)-mom’s dad(mostly used in southern China)

舅舅 (jiùjiu)-uncle(mother’s brother)

舅妈 (jiù mā)-aunt(mother’s brother’s wife)

阿姨 (āyí)-a form of address for a woman of about one’s mother’s age; in southern China aunt(mother’s sister)

姨丈 (yí zhàng)-uncle(mother’s sister’s husband)

姑妈 (gū mā)-aunt(father’s sister)

姑丈 (gū zhàng)-uncle(father’s sister’s husband)

叔叔/叔父 (shūshu/shū fù)-uncle(father’s younger brother)

婶婶 (shěn shěn)-aunt(father’s younger brother’s wife)

伯父/伯伯 (bó fù/bóbo)-uncle(father’s older brother)

伯母 (bó mǔ)-aunt(father’s older brother’s wife)

姐夫 (jiě fu)-brother-in-law(older sister’s husband)

妹婿 (mèi xù)-brother-in-law(younger sister’s husband)

嫂嫂 (sǎosao)-sister-in-law(older brother’s wife)

弟媳 (dì xí)-sister-in-law(younger brother’s wife)

堂哥 (táng gē)-older male cousin(father’s side)

堂弟 (táng dì)-younger male cousin(father’s side)

堂姐 (táng jiě)-older female cousin(father’s side)

堂妹 (táng mèi)-younger female cousin(father’s side)

表哥 (biǎo gē)-older male cousin(mother’s side)

表弟 (biǎo dì)-younger male cousin(mother’s side)

表姐 (biǎo jiě)-older female cousin(mother’s side)

表妹 (biǎo mèi)-younger female cousin(mother’s side)

侄子 (zhí zi)-nephew(brother’s son)

侄女 (zhí nǚ)-niece(brother’s daughter)

外甥 (wài shēng)-nephew(sister’s son)

外甥女 (wài shēng nǚ)-niece(sister’s daughter)

23.10.2020

Apologies for this very text heavy infographic-thingy, I am still trying to get the hang of making better graphics ^^ There was a lot of information I wanted to include in this one and it ended up this way! I did not at all expect my first post to get as much love as it did but I’m glad it was helpful :)

Read under the cut for some additional resources!

Keep reading

Hey everyone! I’m really excited to (formally) introduce my first real “big” project / post here on tumblr! It’s called the “Reasons to Learn a Language” Project, and it’s something that everyone can be involved in!

What is it?: This is a community project where tumblr users can send in their  “reason(s) to learn a foreign language” to my blog (@cactii-studies) via ask. The reasons can be long or short, and as in depth (or not) as you’d like them to be. The reasons that I’ve received will then be compiled into one large post with the sender’s username by the reason. The final setup will be similar to @study-well‘s “100 Reasons to Study” post. 

Why?: My hope is that this will serve as a motivational list of reasons for taking up foreign language studies. I personally think that foreign language studies are incredibly important, and I’d like to compile everyone’s thoughts in one place for people to look at, and hopefully inspire others to take the leap into learning a new language. 

Who?: Everyone! I’m not kidding! You don’t have to be a langblr to send in a reason. This is a community project that is open to everyone who has a tumblr account, no matter the content of your blog. Whether you’re learning Arabic, German, Japanese,  Afrikaans, or American Sign Language, you’re welcome to participate. This project is not language specific. Therefore, it would be nice if your reason did not include a specific language. (Perhaps those of you in other language communities would be interested in making posts like “Reasons to learn (insert language here)”? That’s up to you guys though, and would be a separate project!) Also, you don’t have to be learning a foreign language to participate! Just send in a reason why you want to start learning one! 

When?: This project starts November 19, 2017, and will end on December 27, 2017. I will be using December 28-31 to compile the final list, which will be posted on January 1, 2018, in order to kick off a new year of language learning! 

I’m going to tag some blogs that showed interest when I initially mentioned this idea in order to get the word about this project out there. That being said, most of my connections are to Japanese langblrs or studyblrs, so please please please spread this around! 

@uni-venture | @yoimosezu | @languagesque | @hinodestudies | @lovelybluepanda | @the-notegarden | @peraperagengo | @ccstudys | @the-delusion-polyglot | @worldapprentice | @jpnstudynet | @milkastudies | @fuckstudy | @mochiilang | @therenoplaceforus | @emmastudies | @phctcsynthesis | @studyquill | @studyflwr | @smallstudyblrsunite | @equaticns | @focusign

If you have a question, please ask, and I’ll answer as quickly as I can! I hope that this project is something that people are interested in, and will participate in! 

Oh, all posts regarding this project with be tagged with #rtlalproject

I personally struggle with depression and anxiety, along with an eating disorder (which, believe me, can have its toll in your academic life) and chronic tiredness, so I decided to make this post to share things that have helped me. Here are some study / productivity tips!

If you are feeling burned out, take a productive, physical break. If i start feeling tired but my task isn’t done, I take a small productive break. I fold clothes, clean my brushes if I’m painting, clean your room, exercise, stretch, anything that will briefly take my mind off things. 

Don’t be too strict with your timetable: Allow yourself a 10 minute window between tasks because you might need a small break or something might come up. Have in mind that you will be doing the tasks you are planning to do, not the idealized version of yourself who doesn’t need breaks and doesn’t get tired (something I am definitely guilty of doing).

Don’t fight yourself! Your mood matters! Notice your mood and your body, how are you feeling? Are you tired, does anything hurt, are you thirsty, do you need to take a short walk? If you don’t feel like doing something very mentally taxing, you can put on a podcast, music or a YouTube video, and just organize your files, fold clothes, declutter your school folder, etc. You will thank yourself later without sacrificing your mental health even more. 

Have a place to write down distracting thoughts that you can address later. I have a recycled piece of paper taped to my desk at all times and there I scribble ideas and things I have to do. You can check the list later, just write those thoughts down and forget about them while you’re doing your task. 

Experiment with how many tasks you can do in a day. Set your priorities) and put tasks together and do a little bit of each category

Ask for help from your friends or professors! They just want you to do well and helping you or giving you a little bit more time is easy for them to give you. 

Eat the frog first. Do the most difficult thing first, the one you fear the most, the one that will take you more time and energy. I have found that some tasks seem a million times more difficult in the evening than in the morning, so I usually start with the most unpleasant tasks right when i wake up since I have more energy then. 

Break up everything in small parts. Outline a task before you start. Starting something is the hardest thing for me, once I know what i have to do everything is so much easier to do. Sketch it out, then just fill out the blanks. 

Be aware of your learning style. One of the reasons why you find studying a certain subject difficult might not have to do with the subject at all, but with how you are learning it. Here’s a test to find out your learning style 

Dedicate a whole day to one thing. This is an approach I use when I’m in a weird mood / energy fluctuation state. I just dedicate a whole day or a whole week to do something (this week is painting, I’ve gone a bit overboard), and it helps me to cram something until my desire to do that thing has gone away and then I can focus on something else. 

Force yourself to work on something for only five minutes. Only five minutes! I do this when I have tried everything else and I just cannot be bothered. Put on some music and promise yourself you only have to work on that assignment for five minutes, and then you can stop. Many times I see that it was easier than I expected and I continue working on it after the five minutes has passed. 

If you get bored easily, try multitasking with tasks that don’t require a lot of brain power. This is for my ADHD folks. I personally don’t have ADHD but here are some study tips from people who actually do: link one link two 

Put the deadline a few days earlier so you have time to ask for help if you need it. This is a very common study tip but definitely helps if you struggle with time management. 

Change the location or study with someone

Have multiple schedules: I personally have a high energy schedule and a low energy schedule. Both are necessary and I have found that they create a great balance. I can do a post on this later if you guys want! 

Build an automatic routine and group habits together. This might be good for forgetful folks. Have a morning/afternoon/night routine and group tasks that you tend to forget. Organize it around an even (before going to class, after a meal) to make it impossible to forget it. It will become automatic in no time and then you won’t have to worry about that stuff. 

Here are some reminders if you’re feeling discouraged. 

你的过错应该成为你的动力，而不是借口。

Your mistakes should be your motivation; Not your excuses.