I wanted to share a resource for reading practice that I stumbled across recently. It’s called the Chinese Reading World, and it was a project led by the University of Iowa.

The site was put together from 2005 to 2008, so it’s not super up to date. However, there is a ton of content! Everything is sorted into 3 levels: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. 

Each level has 30 units, and each unit has 10 lessons. The lessons begin with a vocab pre-test, then there is a reading with some comprehension questions. Lastly, there is a vocab post-test, which is the same as the initial test (at least for the lessons I’ve done so far). There’s audio for each lesson text, but unfortunately it can’t be streamed—you have to download it. There is also an achievement test at the end of each unit.

My experience has actually been that I already know all the words on the vocabulary tests, but the reading passages contain other words that I’m not familiar with.

So far, the readings I’ve encountered are not very long. This is nice since reading longer pieces can be frustrating at times. With shorter readings, you can just read 1 or 2 on some days and read more when you have more time/patience. I believe the readings are taken from Chinese newspapers.

Also, every unit has a theme. With 90 units total, there are bound to be themes that interest you.
Example unit topics:

• Directions and Asking Direction 方向和问路
• Sports and Outdoor Activities 体育和户外运动
  
• Chinese Music and Musicians 中国音乐和音乐家
• Chinese Minorities and Local Customs 地方习俗和民族风情
  
• Chinese Sports and Olympic Games 体育和奥林匹克
• Contemporary Chinese Literature and Writers 中国当代文学和作家

The 3 levels also each come with 5 proficiency tests. They seem to be based on vocabulary knowledge, so expanding your vocab is clearly a huge focus of this site. The only thing I’m unclear is about is I’m not sure exactly when the proficiency tests are meant to be taken. After completing all units? Or are they spaced out so you are supposed to take test 1 after the first few units, test 2 after the next few, etc.?

I’ve started working my way through the advanced section this week. With 300 advanced lessons alone, it really feels like I have an infinite number of articles to go through!

Have you ever been surfing a Taiwanese website and noticed that years are labeled completely differently? I was on some webpage last year and got so confused as to why I was seeing numbers like 75 and 100 for the year. What??

I somehow found my way to this Wikipedia article calledRepublic of China calendar or 民国纪年 in Chinese. Apparently this calendar is also referred to under other (similar) names such as 中华民国纪年 and 中华民国历.

The year 1 in the ROC calendar is 1912, the year the ROC was founded. So 2022 is the 111th year! Just add or subtract 1911 to convert between the Gregorian calendar and 民国纪年.

Since learning about this calendar, I’ve seen it pop up here and there on academic websites to mark the years people graduated or took a college entrance exam. You may very well never encounter this system in the wild, but if you do, now you’ll be prepared!

I wanted to find a real life example to display, so I went digging. I found the 民国纪年 on the website for 国立台湾大学哲学系 (NTU Philosophy Department).

See! For the year of these doctoral theses (博士论文), the table has 108, aka 2019.

Just goes to show that you really have to learn some stuff about culture and history when learning a language.

The Most Satisfying Feeling I Get from Learning Chinese

One of the most satisfying feelings I’ve experienced in learning Chinese is the feeling I get after hearing a new word and just *understanding* it. This isn’t that hard when reading (and that’s why we love 汉字), but when it comes to listening, it’s a whole different story. So the moments when I’ve heard a new word and intuitively known what 汉字 it consists of plus its meaning of have made me feel so accomplished. Over time I’ve jotted down some of these words, and I thought they would make a fun post.

1. 迷失 míshī - to lose (one’s bearings) / to get lost
   I was able to understand this word thanks to knowing words like 迷路, 迷茫, 失去, and 消失. I first remember identifying this word in Escape Plan’s song 夜空中最亮的星.
2. 旅途 lǚtú - journey / trip
   I know a lot of words with 旅 like 旅游, 旅行, and 旅程, and I was also familiar with 途 via 路途 and 前途. So 旅途 was very easy for me to understand.
3. 心愿 xīnyuàn - cherished desire / dream / craving / wish / aspiration
   心愿 is similar in meaning to 愿望 and 意愿, which I already knew. I believe I first heard this word in the song 有点甜 by 汪苏泷 and BY2.
4. 高傲 gāo'ào - arrogant / haughty / proud
   I heard this word in the song 寻宝 by 沈以诚. I’ve listened to this song many times, and one day it just clicked! It’s all thanks to the similar words 骄傲 and 傲慢.
5. 安稳 ānwěn - smooth and steady
   There are so many words with 安 like 安定 and 平安. I also know some 稳 words, such as 稳定 and 平稳. So I was able to put two and two together for 安稳.
6. 还原 huányuán - to restore to the original state / to reconstruct (an event)
   The meaning of 还 here is very familiar from 还给 and 还清. Also, I know a lot of words with 原: 原来, 原本, 原始, 原先.
7. 选拔 xuǎnbá - to select the best
   There are so many 选 words I see all the time like 精选, 选举, and 选择. I also know 拔 from 拔苗助长 and 自拔, so I was able to piece together the overall meaning of 选拔.
8. 解压 jiěyā - to relieve stress
   I’ve already learned the word 缓解 which is related in meaning. Also, I’ve learned 施压 (or 施加压力), which is basically the opposite of 解压.
9. 感人 gǎnrén - touching / moving
   I think this word is pretty easy to put together if you know similar words like 感染, 感动, and 动人.
10. 认输 rènshū - to concede / to admit defeat
    I distinctly remember hearing this word in the Tanya Chua song 救生圈. I think I was able to understand it thanks to knowing that 认 can mean to admit like in the words 承认 and 公认.

Here’s to many more of these satisfying moments in 2022!

Last post (probably) of the year! 《泡沫》 was a mega hit off G.E.M.’s 2012 album Xposed. The album features both Mandopop and Cantopop songs. I was initially torn between featuring this song and 《光年之外》, but I ultimately chose 《泡沫》 because it’s my favorite of the two. This song is so packed with feeling that I think you really don’t need to speak a word of Mandarin to understand the emotions the lyrics convey. When I first started listening to Mandopop, G.E.M. was one of the first artists I listened to, and I still enjoy her music to this day. So a Learning Chinese with Lyrics post featuring her is long overdue!

邓紫棋 (G.E.M.) - 泡沫

阳光下的泡沫 是彩色的
就像被骗的我 是幸福的
追究什么对错 你的谎言 基于你还爱我

彩色 cǎisè - color / multi-colored 
追究 zhuījiū - to investigate / to look into (Taiwan pr. zhuījiù)
基于 jīyú - because of / on the basis of / in view of / on account of

美丽的泡沫 虽然一刹花火
你所有承诺 虽然都太脆弱
但爱像泡沫 如果能够看破 有什么难过

一刹 yíchà - instant / split second / a moment
花火 huāhuǒ - firework

早该知道泡沫 一触就破
就像已伤的心不胜折磨
也不是谁的错 谎言再多 基于你还爱我

不胜 búshèng - cannot bear or stand / be unequal to / very / extremely (Taiwan pr. bùshēng)

美丽的泡沫 虽然一刹花火
你所有承诺 虽然都太脆弱
爱本是泡沫 如果能够看破 有什么难过

再美的花朵 盛开过就凋落
再亮眼的星 一闪过就坠落
爱本是泡沫 如果能够看破 有什么难过

凋落 diāoluò - to wither (and drop off) / to wilt / to pass away
亮眼 liàngyǎn - conspicuous / showy

为什么难过 有什么难过 为什么难过

全都是泡沫 只一刹的花火
你所有承诺 全部都太脆弱
而你的轮廓 怪我没有看破 才如此难过

轮廓 lúnkuò - an outline / silhouette

相爱的把握 要如何再搜索
相拥着寂寞 难道就不寂寞
爱本是泡沫 怪我没有看破 才如此难过

在雨下的泡沫 一触就破
当初炽热的心 早已沉没
说什么你爱我 如果骗我 我宁愿你沉默

炽热 chìrè - red-hot / glowing / blazing / (fig.) passionate
沉没 chénmò - to sink

See you in 2022!

I remembering seeing this music video pop up in my recommendations on YouTube back in middle school. It was everywhere, but I don’t think I ever clicked on it! A song called “Rainie Love” just didn’t appeal to me. Finally this year after seeing Rainie Yang on 乘风破浪的姐姐2 and seeing Li Ronghao (her husband) on 青春有你3, I thought I should listen to this iconic song. I was pleasantly surprised—the song isn’t groundbreaking or anything, but it has more umph to it than a plain piano ballad. Seems like it would be fun for a karaoke night too.

杨丞琳 (Rainie Yang) - 雨爱

窗外的天气 就像是你多变的表情
下雨了 雨陪我哭泣
看不清 我也不想看清

多变 duōbiàn - fickle / frequently-changing

离开你 我安静的抽离
不忍揭晓的剧情
我的泪流在心里 学会放弃

抽离 chōulí - to remove / to step back from involvement / to disengage
不忍 bùrěn - cannot bear to / disturbed
揭晓 jiēxiǎo - to announce publicly / to publish / to make known / to disclose
剧情 jùqíng - storyline / plot / drama (genre)

听雨的声音 一滴滴清晰
你的呼吸像雨滴渗入我的爱里
真希望雨能下不停
让想念继续 让爱变透明
我爱上给我勇气的 Rainie Love

清晰 qīngxī - clear / distinct
渗入 shènrù - to permeate

窗外的雨滴 一滴滴累积
屋内的湿气像储存爱你的记忆
真希望雨能下不停
雨爱的秘密 能一直延续
我相信我将会看到彩虹的美丽

累积 lěijī - to accumulate
湿气 shīqì - moisture / humidity
储存 chǔcún | chúcún - stockpile / to store / to stockpile / storage

冷冷的空气 很窒息我无法呼吸
一万颗 雨滴的距离
很彻底 让爱消失无息

窒息 zhìxī | zhìxí - to choke / to stifle / to suffocate
无息 wúxī | wúxí - uninterrupted / continuous / without a sound

离开你 我安静的抽离
不忍揭晓的剧情
我的泪流在心里 学会放弃

听雨的声音 一滴滴清晰
你的呼吸像雨滴渗入我的爱里
真希望雨能下不停
让想念继续 让爱变透明
我爱上给我勇气的 Rainie Love

窗外的雨滴 一滴滴累积
屋内的湿气像储存爱你的记忆
真希望雨能下不停
雨爱的秘密 能一直延续
我相信我将会看到彩虹的美丽

屋内的湿气像储存爱你的记忆
真希望雨能下不停
雨爱的秘密 能一直延续
我相信我将会看到彩虹的美丽

In your Chinese studies you’ve probably learned: 红色、橙色、黄色、绿色、蓝色、紫色、灰色、白色、黑色、咖啡色、粉红色

But there are so many beautiful colors out there! Let’s learn some more. These are color terms I’ve come across outside Chinese class.

In general you can indicate a light shade with 浅 and a dark shade with 深. I have also seen 墨 for dark and 淡 for light, but when I Googled various color terms, there were more results for 浅 and 深 than 淡 and 墨.

I spent way too much time messing with HTML to color the text to match (except for the shades of white).

• 褐色 hèsè - brown
• 橘黄色 júhuángsè - orange
• 奶油色 nǎiyóusè - cream
• 金黄色 jīnhuángsè - gold color
• 朱红色 zhūhóngsè - vermilion
• 米色 mǐsè - beige
• 棕色 zōngsè - brown
• 青色 qīngsè - cyan / blue-green
• 灰白 huībái - light gray / ash-colored
• 蔚蓝 wèilán - azure / sky blue
• 纯白 chúnbái - pure white
• 雪白 xuěbái - snow white
• 洁白 jiébái - spotlessly white / pure white
• 漆黑 qīhēi - pitch-black
• 铜色 tóngsè - copper
• 乌黑 wūhēi - jet-black / dark
• 靛色 diànsè - indigo (color)
• 金色 jīnsè - golden / gold (color)
• 银色 yínsè - silver (color)

Here are some single characters I’ve seen as well. Some of these are commonly used in names, like 彤 and 丹.

• 彤 tóng - red
• 丹 dān - red / pellet / powder / cinnabar
• 缇 tí - orange-red silk / orange-red colored
• 赤 chì - red / scarlet / bare / naked
• 碧 bì - green jade / bluish green / blue / jade
• 翠 cuì - bluish-green / green jade
• 皓 hào - bright / luminous / white (esp. bright white teeth of youth or white hair of old age)
• 颢 hào - bright / white
• 玄 xuán - black / mysterious

彤, 丹, and 缇 are all described as a red-orange color. I’m not really sure of the difference, so I just made them all the same shade. I’m also unclear on exact distinction between 褐色 and 棕色. Image search results certainly suggest that they are used differently. Not sure how 咖啡色 fits in either.

I stumbled across this giant Wikipedia table with many beautiful colors that you can check out to learn more!

Eason Chan is an iconic Hong Kong singer with many Cantopop and Mandopop albums. I first heard this song on Youth With You 3 when it was covered in the first performance round. Honestly I didn’t think their cover was that good…but I could tell instantly that I would like the original version of the song. I guess that says a lot about the quality of this song! It’s a rock song that starts somber and slow but then quickly builds. Sadly this song isn’t on US Spotify (there are covers though, as well as another great Eason Chan song with a title that has a similar vibe 《陪你度过漫长岁月》). Really the only flaw is that it’s a short song at only a bit over 3 minutes, so I’m always left wishing it were longer!

陈奕迅 (Eason Chan) - 让我留在你身边

我从来不说话
因为我害怕 没有人回答
我从来不挣扎
因为我知道 这世界太大

挣扎 zhēngzhá - to struggle

太多时间浪费 太多事要面对 太多已无所谓
太多难辨真伪太多纷扰是非在你身边是谁

辨 biàn - to distinguish / to recognize
真伪 zhēnwěi - true or bogus / authenticity
纷扰 fēnrǎo - turmoil / unrest / disturbance
是非 shìfēi - right and wrong / quarrel

最渺小的我 有大大的梦
时间向前走 一定只有路口没有尽头
纷纷扰扰这个世界 所有的了解
只要 让我留在你身边

渺小 miǎoxiǎo - minute / tiny / negligible / insignificant

最渺小的我 有大大的梦
我愿意安静的活在每个有你的角落
如果生活还有什么 会让你难过
别怕 让我留在你身边 都陪你度过

度过 dùguò - to pass / to spend (time) / to survive / to get through

最渺小的我 最卑微的梦
我发现这世界没有那么那么的不同
现实如果对你不公别计较太多
走吧暴风雨后的彩虹

卑微 bēiwēi - lowly / humble
不公 bùgōng - unjust / unfair
计较 jìjiào - to bother about / to haggle / to bicker / to argue / plan / stratagem
暴风雨 bàofēngyǔ - rainstorm / storm / tempest

也许会落空也许会普通
也许这庸庸碌碌的黑白世界你不懂
生命中所有的路口 绝不是尽头
别怕 让我留在你身边 都陪你度过

落空 luòkōng - to fail / to fall through / to come to nothing
庸庸碌碌 yōngyōnglùlù - ordinary / mediocre

See also: Variant Characters You Should Know

Whoops! I accidentally published a draft of this post early a few weeks ago, and some people liked and reblogged it. If you saw it…pretend you didn’t.

I’ve kind of inadvertently started a Cross-Strait series on this blog comparing Mandarin Chinese in Mainland China and Taiwan. This post is a continuation of this unofficial series. It is NOT intended to be comprehensive. For example, some of the characters below can be surnames but are not marked as such because I’ve never encountered them (meaning they are likely very rare). More obscure variants aren’t indicated either. 

Definitions are from MDBG. Please let me know if you notice any errors.

發、髮 → 发

发 | 發 fā - to send out / to show (one’s feeling) / to issue / to develop / to make a bundle of money / classifier for gunshots (rounds)
>> 发送 | 發送 fāsòng - to transmit / to dispatch / to issue (an official document or credential) 

发 fà | 髮 fǎ - hair
>> 发型 fàxíng | 髮型 fǎxíng - hairstyle / coiffure / hairdo

只、隻 → 只

只 zhǐ - only / merely / just / but
>> 只要 zhǐyào - if only / so long as

只 | 隻 zhī - classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc
>> 一只猫 | 一隻貓 yì zhī māo - one cat

游、遊 → 游

游 yóu - to swim / variant of 游 | 遊
>> 游泳 yóuyǒng - swimming / to swim

游 | 遊 yóu - to walk / to tour / to roam / to travel
>> 游览 | 遊覽 yóulǎn - to go sightseeing / to tour / to visit

塗、涂 → 涂

涂 | 塗 tú - to apply (paint etc) / to smear / to daub / to blot out / to scribble / to scrawl / (literary) mud / street
>> 糊涂 hútu | 糊塗 hútú - muddled / silly / confused

涂 Tú - surname Tu
>> Actor 涂松岩 (Tu Songyan)

噹、当 → 当

当 | 噹 dāng - (onom.) dong / ding dong (bell)
>> 叮当 | 叮噹 dīngdāng - ding dong / jingling of bells / clanking sound

当 | 當 dāng - to be / to act as / manage / withstand / when / during / ought / should / match equally / equal / same / obstruct / just at (a time or place) / on the spot / right / just at
>> 相当 | 相當 xiāngdāng - equivalent to / appropriate / considerably / to a certain extent / fairly / quite

当 | 當 dàng - at or in the very same… / suitable / adequate / fitting / proper / to replace / to regard as / to think / to pawn / (coll.) to fail (a student)
>> 适当 | 適當 shìdàng - suitable / appropriate

別、彆 → 别

别 | 別 bié - to leave / to depart / to separate / to distinguish / to classify / other / another / don’t …! / to pin / to stick (sth) in
>> 离别 | 離別 líbié - to leave (on a long journey) / to part from sb

别 | 彆 biè - to make sb change their ways, opinions etc
>> 别扭 bièniu | 彆扭 bièniǔ - awkward / difficult / uncomfortable / not agreeing / at loggerheads / gauche

胡、鬍 → 胡

胡 hú - surname Hu / non-Han people, esp. from central Asia / reckless / outrageous / what? / why? / to complete a winning hand at mahjong (also written 和)
>> 胡说 | 胡說 húshuō - to talk nonsense / drivel

胡 | 鬍 hú - beard / mustache / whiskers
>> 胡子 | 鬍子 húzi - beard / mustache or whiskers / facial hair

面、麵 → 面

面 miàn - face / side / surface / aspect / top / classifier for objects with flat surfaces such as drums, mirrors, flags etc
>> 面对 | 面對 miànduì - to confront / to face

面 | 麵 miàn - flour / noodles / (of food) soft (not crunchy) / (slang) (of a person) ineffectual / spineless
>> 拉面 | 拉麵 lāmiàn - pulled noodles / ramen

乾、幹、干 → 干

干 | 乾 gān - dry / clean / in vain / dried food / foster / adoptive / to ignore
>> 干脆 | 乾脆 gāncuì - straightforward / clear-cut / blunt (e.g. statement) / you might as well / simply

干 gān - to concern / to interfere / shield / stem
>> 干扰 | 干擾 gānrǎo - to disturb / to interfere / perturbation / interference (physics)

干 | 幹 gàn - tree trunk / main part of sth / to manage / to work / to do / capable / cadre / to kill (slang) / to fuck (vulgar) / (coll.) pissed off / annoyed
>> 树干 | 樹幹 shùgàn - tree trunk

余、餘 → 余

余 yú - surname Yu / (archaic) I / me / variant of 余｜餘, surplus
>> Author 余华 (Yu Hua)

余 | 餘 yú - extra / surplus / remaining / remainder after division / (following numerical value) or more / in excess of (some number) / residue (math.) / after / I / me
>> 多余 | 多餘 duōyú - superfluous / unnecessary / surplus

于、於 → 于

于 yú - surname Yu / to go / to take / sentence-final interrogative particle / variant of 于 | 於
>> Singer 于文文 (Yu Wenwen/Kelly Yu)

于 | 於 yú - in / at / to / from / by / than / out of
>> 对于 | 對於 duìyú - regarding / as far as sth is concerned / with regards to

后、後 → 后

后 hòu - empress / queen / (archaic) monarch / ruler
>> 皇后 huánghòu - empress / imperial consort

后 | 後 hòu - back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later / post-
>> 后悔 | 後悔 hòuhuǐ - to regret / to repent 

台、檯、臺、颱 → 台

台 | 檯 tái - desk / table / counter
>> 台灯 | 檯燈 táidēng - desk lamp / table lamp

台 | 臺 tái - platform / stage / terrace / stand / support / station / broadcasting station / classifier for vehicles or machines
>> 舞台 | 舞臺 wǔtái - stage / arena / fig. in the limelight

台 | 颱 tái - typhoon
>> 台风 | 颱風 táifēng - hurricane / typhoon

捨、舍 → 舍

舍 | 捨 shě - to give up / to abandon / to give alms
>> 不舍 | 不捨 bùshě - reluctant to part with (sth or sb) / unwilling to let go of

舍 shè - residence
>> 宿舍 sùshè - dormitory / dorm room / living quarters / hostel

志、誌 → 志

志 zhì - aspiration / ambition / the will
>> 志愿 | 志願 zhìyuàn - aspiration / ambition / to volunteer

志 | 誌 zhì - sign / mark / to record / to write a footnote
>> 标志 | 標誌 biāozhì - sign / mark / symbol / logo / to symbolize / to indicate / to mark

裏、裡、里 → 里

里 | 裡 lǐ - lining / interior / inside / internal
里 | 裏 lǐ - variant of 里 | 裡
>> 里头 | 裡頭 lǐtou - inside / interior

里 lǐ - ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m / neighborhood / ancient administrative unit of 25 families / (Tw) borough, administrative unit
>> 公里 | 公里 gōnglǐ - kilometer

範、范 → 范

范 | 範 fàn - pattern / model / example
>> 模范 | 模範 mófàn - model / fine example

范 Fàn - surname Fan
>> Actress 范冰冰 (Fan Bingbing)

並、併 → 并

并 | 並 bìng - and / furthermore / also / together with / (not) at all / simultaneously / to combine / to join / to merge
>> 并且 | 並且 bìngqiě - and / besides / moreover / furthermore / in addition

并 | 併 bìng - to combine / to amalgamate
>> 合并 | 合併 hébìng - to merge / to annex
*合并 also exists as a variant

丑、醜 → 丑

丑 chǒu - clown / 2nd earthly branch: 1-3 a.m., 12th solar month (6th January to 3rd February), year of the Ox / ancient Chinese compass point: 30°
>> 小丑 xiǎochǒu - clown

丑 | 醜 chǒu - shameful / ugly / disgraceful
>> 丑陋 | 醜陋 chǒulòu - ugly

松、鬆 → 松

松 sōng - pine
>> 松树 | 松樹 sōngshù - pine / pine tree

松 | 鬆 sōng - loose / to loosen / to relax / floss (dry, fluffy food product made from shredded, seasoned meat or fish, used as a topping or filling)
>> 放松 | 放鬆 fàngsōng - to loosen / to relax

准、準 → 准

准 zhǔn - to allow / to grant / in accordance with / in the light of
>> 不准 bùzhǔn - not to allow / to forbid / to prohibit

准 | 準 zhǔn - accurate / standard / definitely / certainly / about to become (bride, son-in-law etc) / quasi- / para-
>> 标准 | 標準 biāozhǔn - (an official) standard / norm / criterion

曆、歷 → 历

历 | 曆 lì - calendar
>> 日历 | 日曆 rìlì - calendar

历 | 歷 lì - to experience / to undergo / to pass through / all / each / every / history
>> 历来 | 歷來 lìlái - always / throughout (a period of time) / (of) all-time

吁、籲 → 吁

吁 xū - sh / hush
>> 吁吁 xūxū - to pant / to gasp for breath

吁 | 籲 yù - to implore
>> 呼吁 | 呼籲 hūyù - to call on (sb to do sth) / to appeal (to) / an appeal

須、鬚 → 须

须 | 須 xū - must / to have to / to wait
>> 必须 | 必須 bìxū - to have to / must / compulsory / necessarily

须 | 鬚 xū - beard / mustache / feeler (of an insect etc) / tassel
>> 胡须 | 鬍鬚 húxū - beard

表、錶 → 表

表 biǎo - exterior surface / family relationship via females / to show (one’s opinion) / a model / a table (listing information) / a form / a meter (measuring sth)
>> 表面 | 表面 biǎomiàn - surface / face / outside / appearance

表 | 錶 biǎo - wrist or pocket watch
>> 手表 | 手錶 shǒubiǎo - wrist watch

臟、髒 → 脏

脏 | 臟 zàng - viscera / (anatomy) organ
>> 心脏 | 心臟 xīnzàng - heart

脏 | 髒 zāng - dirty / filthy / to get (sth) dirty
>> 脏话 | 髒話 zānghuà - profanity / obscene language / speaking rudely

刮、颳 → 刮

刮 guā - to scrape / to blow / to shave / to plunder / to extort
>> 刮痧 guāshā - gua sha (technique in traditional Chinese medicine)

刮 | 颳 guā - to blow (of the wind)
>> 刮风 | 颳風 guāfēng - to be windy

困、睏 → 困

困 kùn - to trap / to surround / hard-pressed / stranded / destitute
>> 困难 | 困難 kùnnan - difficult / challenging / straitened circumstances / difficult situation

困 | 睏 kùn - sleepy / tired

緻、致 → 致

致 | 緻 zhì - (bound form) fine / delicate
>> 细致 | 細緻 xìzhì - delicate / fine / careful / meticulous / painstaking

致 zhì - to send / to devote / to deliver / to cause / to convey
>> 导致 | 導致 dǎozhì - to lead to / to create / to cause / to bring about

儘、盡 → 尽

尽 | 儘 jǐn - to the greatest extent / (when used before a noun of location) furthest or extreme / to be within the limits of / to give priority to
>> 尽早 | 儘早 jǐnzǎo - as early as possible

尽 | 盡 jìn - to use up / to exhaust / to end / to finish / to the utmost / exhausted / finished / to the limit (of sth) / all / entirely
>> 尽头 | 盡頭 jìntóu - end / extremity / limit

*There are some words like 尽量 where 盡量 and 儘量 are both possible.

制、製 → 制

制 zhì - system / to control / to regulate / variant of 制 | 製
>> 控制 kòngzhì - control / to exercise control over / to contain

制 | 製 zhì - to manufacture / to make
>> 制造 | 製造 zhìzào - to manufacture / to make

注、註 → 注

注 zhù - to inject / to pour into / to concentrate / to pay attention / stake (gambling) / classifier for sums of money / variant of 注 | 註
>> 注重 zhùzhòng - to pay attention to / to emphasize

注 | 註 zhù - to register / to annotate / note / comment
>> 注定 | 註定 zhùdìng - to foreordain / to be bound to / to be destined to / to be doomed to / inevitably

了、瞭 → 了

了 le - (completed action marker) / (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) / (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
>> 为了 | 為了 wèile - in order to / for the purpose of / so as to

了 liǎo - to finish / to achieve / variant of 了 | 瞭 / to understand clearly
>> 了不起 liǎobuqǐ - amazing / terrific / extraordinary

了 | 瞭 liǎo - (of eyes) bright / clear-sighted / to understand clearly
>> 明了 | 明瞭* míngliǎo - to understand clearly / to be clear about / plain / clear
* Can also be written 明了 in traditional Chinese.

Further reading:
More Than You Want to Know About Simplified Characters
現代漢語常用簡繁一對多字義辨析表- 附錄

Thank you everyone for 2500 followers <3 I haven’t been posting as much lately because I’ve been busy. But this post is quite long and took a long time to write, so consider it a token of my thanks.

Source: Genki II Lesson 13.5, Tofugu

〜回 is a Japanese counter used to describe repetitive actions (“I skipped rope ten times”) and express the frequency of events over a period of time (“I shampoo three times a week”). 

1. Structure: 

“describe repetitive actions”

number of times + 〜回 

“express the frequency of events over a period of time”

period に frequency 〜回

2. Examples:

“describe repetitive actions”

縄跳びを１０回跳んだ。I skipped rope ten times.

スクワットを３０回します。I’m going to do thirty squats.

“express the frequency of events over a period of time”

毎日２回お風呂に入ります。I take a bath twice every day.

More information: Tofugu

Source: Genki II Lesson 13.5

〜なら is used to express “limitation” or “contrast” in a sentence.

1. Structure:

noun (A) なら predicate (B)

B only applies to A

2. Examples:

ブラジルに行ったことがありますか。Have you ever been to Brazil? メキシコなら行ったことがありますが、ブラジルは行ったことがありません。I’ve been to Mexico, but I’ve never been to Brazil. 

日本語が分かりますか。Do you understand Japanese? ひらがななら分かります。If it’s in hiragana, I understand.

Source: Genki II Lesson 13.4

〜てみる is used to express the idea of “doing something tentatively” or “trying something”. 

1. Structure:

It combines the て-form with みる, conjugated as a る-verb.

て-form + みる

2. Examples:

漢字がわからなかったので、日本人の友達に聞いてみました。Because I could not understand the kanji, I tried asking my Japanese friend about it. 

友達があの店のケーキをおいしいと言っていましたから、今度食べてみます。I heard from my friend that the cake from this store is good, so I will go try it someday soon.

Source: Genki II Lesson 13.3

Intermediate Japanese Review Day 2 & 3/15

Used to express an impression or inference based on direct observation. Equivalent to “it looks like” or “it seems like”.

1. Structure:

い adjectives: おいしい → おいしいそうです・おいしくなさそうです

exception: いい → よさそうです・よくなさそうです

な adjectives: 元気(な) → 元気そうです・元気じゃなさそうです (drop な)

2. Examples:

Affirmative:

このりんごはおいしいそうです。This apple looks delicious.

明日は天気がよさそうです。It looks like the weather will be fine tomorrow.

メアリーさんは元気そうでした。Mary looked fine.

Negative:

この本は難しくなさそうです。This book doesn’t look difficult.

ともこさんはテニスが上手じゃなさそうです。It looks like Tomoko isn’t good at tennis.

3. Qualifying a noun: adjective + そうな

そう can be used after an adjective to qualify a noun. そう is a な adjective, thus it is written as そうな.

暖かそうなセーターを着ています。She is wears a warm-looking sweater.

For more information: PuniPuni Japan

Source: Genki II Lesson 13.2

Intermediate Japanese Review Day 1/15

から is used to give a reason for something. When you want to express two or more reasons for something, you use the 〜し structure.

(reason 1*) し、(reason 2*) し、 (situation)。

*predicate in short form.

Sentence examples:

1. 日本語はおもしろいし、先生はいいし、私は日本語の授業が大好きです。I really like my Japanese class because Japanese language is interesting and my teacher is good.

2. 家族から手紙を来たし、彼と電話で話したし、昨日はとてもいい日でした。Yesterday was a great day because I received a letter from my family and I talked with my boyfriend on the phone.

Observation: In the present tense, だ is added before 〜し for な adjectives and nouns, but not for い adjectives.

い adjectives: おもしろいし

な adjectives: 好きだし

noun +  です: 先生だし

You can also use just one 〜し clause, implying that this is not the only reason for the situation.

Sentence examples:

1.  物価が安いし、この町の生活楽です。Life in this city is easygoing. For one, things are cheap.

Intermediate Japanese Review Day 1/15

You can use the prompts below to practice potential verbs in Japanese.

Things I could do as a child:

1. 泳げました。I could swim.

2. 絵を描けました。I could draw (pictures).

Things I could not do as a child:

1. 日本語が話せませんでした。I couldn’t speak Japanese.

2. 家賃を払えませんでした。I couldn’t pay rent. *obviously*

Things I can do:

1. 食べ物を作れます。I can cook (food).

2. Photoshopを使えます。I can use Photoshop.

Things I cannot do:

1. 車を運転できません。I can’t drive. *blushes in shame*

2. ピアノを弾けません。I can’t play the piano.

You can practice more potential verbs (+ te form) using the flashcards I made here.

Source: Genki II Lesson 13.1

Intermediate Japanese Review Day 1/15

To express ability to do something (“can”) or possibility.

る-verbs: drop final -る and add -られる

見る→見られる (to see)

う-verbs: drop final -う and add える

行く→行ける (to go)

話す→話せる (to speak)

買う→買える (to buy)

泳ぐ→泳げる (to swim)

遊ぶ→遊べる (to play)

待つ→待てる (to wait)

読む→読める (to read)

死ぬ→死ねる (to die)

取る→取れる (to take)

irregular verbs:

くる→こられる

する→できる

1. The verbs below have alternative, informal variations:

見る→見られる→見れる

出る→出られる→出れる

くる→こられる→これる

2. Potential verbs conjugation pattern:

Short forms

Present: 見られる・見られない

Past: 見られた・見られなかった

Long forms

Present: 見られます・見られません

Past: 見られました・見られませんでした

て-form

見られて

3. Particles

Verbs with を particles: either が or を

漢字を読む→漢字が読める・漢字を読める

する (できる):

仕事をする→仕事ができる

Verbs with other particles:

山に登る→山に登れる

4. Sentence examples:

私は日本語が話せます。I can speak Japanese.

私は泳げないんです。Actually, I can’t swim.

雨が降ったので、海に行けませんでした。We couldn’t go to the beach because it rained.