#studying languages
A while ago I made a post about Dutch websites that can help you practice your Dutch, and a bunch of lovely people added some websites to the original post so I figured it was time to update the post. The websites are now sorted into more specific categories to keep the post more organised.
A special thanks to @onzin-en-talen for adding the Belgian websites!
Beginner (kids websites)
jeugdjournaal.nl is the website for het Jeugdjournaal (daily on tv for 7-10 year old kids). Easy language, so easier to follow. Daily news ‘episodes’, 15 minutes long.
ketnet.be is a Belgian kids channel. Check out karrewiet too!
More advanced: News
AD.nl is an online newspaper - it is for adults so if you want news that’s familiar to items you can find on your newspaper you could go to the topic Buitenland.
NU.nlis another online newspaper which might be harder to read so again, if you go to Buitenland you’ll find worldwide newsitems.
NOS.nl again, an online news website and a topic Buitenland.
destandaard.be is a Belgian newspaper. This is the Buitenlandsection.
demorgen.be I couldn’t find a Buitenland section, but they do have, among others, a MusicandTechnology section on which you can find interesting articles.
hln.be another Belgian newspaper. This is the link to the Buitenlandsection.
VRT NWS is the Belgian public broadcasting service’s news website.
More advanced: Sports
sportnieuws.nl offers the latest sports news in the Netherlands.
sporza.beis the Belgian public broadcasting service’s sport news site.
More advanced: TV
NPO 1 is the Dutch national broadcasting channel, here you can watch live TV.
bvn.tvis a website where you can watch Dutch TV (thank you, @join-the-dutch-clan)!
uitzendinggemist.nl here you can watch TV too, this website uploads recent episodes you might have missed on TV.
More advanced: Magazines
humo.be is a Belgian magazine, which provides interviews. They also offer reviews of concerts, CDs, TV programs and movies.
knack.be is a magazine that offers news as well as interviews on their website.
More advanced: Radio
onlineluisteren.nl offers all radio stations in the Netherlands, sorted by genre (if you scroll down). You can also find the regional channels on here! These offer more news about the province.
qmusic.nlis the website for Dutch radio station Q Music. You can find music, videos from the studio and music related news on here.They mainly focus on pop.
radio 538 is another Dutch radio station, focused on pop. They have a section called Gemist that offers the latest interviews and other cool stuff they did.
stubru.be is a Belgian alternative rock radio station - @onzin-en-talen recommends the interview Linde Merckpoel had with Ed Sheeran. They offer music news and more.
mnm.be is another Belgian radio station, which is more focused on pop.
Learning vocab
woordjesleren.nlis a website where you can look up lists of words and sentences from a lot of language methods we use in Holland. There are not only Dutch - English lists, but also Dutch - other languages. It isn’t that great though if you don’t have the schoolbooks that belong to the lists… There also is an app but that probably will only work if you’re in the Dutch Appstore.
wrts.nl wrts is short for woordjes which translates to words. I think it’s free - at least when I made my account. You can make lists by yourself, or download lists from woordjesleren.nl.
Let me know if you have any questions or are looking for something specific! Voor nu wens ik je veel succes en plezier!
Grammar: “a little” in Chinese. «一下»
Note: The pinyin for 一下 is written “yīxià” but pronounced “yíxià” due to a tone change rule
Structure: To express that a verb is carried out briefly or “a little bit,” you can add 一下 (yīxià) after it. Sometimes 一下 (yīxià) can soften the tone.
Subj. + Verb + 一下 + Obj.
Often, adding 一下 (yīxià) just makes the Chinese feel more natural. This is not something you can get a feel for quickly. You’ll want to observe how native speakers use 一下 (yīxià) over a long period of time to really get used to how it is used.
Examples:
*请 你 等 一下。You get the feeling that it shouldn’t be a long wait.Qǐng nǐ děng yīxià. Please wait a little bit.
*你 看 一下。It should be quick.Nǐ kàn yīxià. Take a look.
*试 一下 吧。How long can trying it take? Shì yīxià ba. Try it.
*我 要 想 一下。You’re supposed to believe that I won’t need to think about it long.Wǒ yào xiǎng yīxià. I want to think a little.
*开 一下 门 吧 。 How long can it take to open the door?Kāi yīxià mén ba. Please open the door.
*请 你 说 一下 为什么。I feel it should be a quick explanation.Qǐng nǐ shuō yīxià wèishénme. Please say why.
How to compare in Chinese. Grammar
Since we use comparisons a lot in both conversation and writing, I’ve decided to to tell you about this grammar.
The basic structure for comparison 比 bǐ is
A + 比 + B + Adjective
For example:
- 我哥哥(A) 比 我(B) 高(Adj)。(My older brother is taller than me.)
- 这个公园(A) 比 那个公园(B) 漂亮(Adj)。(This park is prettier than that park.)
But in the real conversation, we may add more details when we compare.
You can add “degree,” like:
- “Wow! This one is MUCH bigger than that one.”
- “I am just A LITTLE shorter than him.”
- “He is 4 years older than me.”
You can add “degree” in the end of the sentence. So the structure is:
A + 比 + B + Adj. + Degree
For example:
- 我哥哥(A) 比 我(B) 高(Adjective) 得多(Degree)。(My older brother is taller than me.)
- 我哥哥(A) 比 我(B) 高(Adjective) 五公分(Degree)。(My older brother is 5 centimeters taller than me.)
You also can add “even more” when you would like to compare 3 things. So the structure is:
C + 比 + A + 更/还 + Adj.
For example:
- 我哥哥(A) 比 我(B) 高(Adjective), 我爸爸© 比 我哥哥(A) 更(even more) 高(adjective)。
Weather vocabulary
Left:Simplified version
Right:Traditional version
The adverb 都 (dōu) is used to express “all” in Chinese. It’s common to use 都 (dōu) in a variety of sentences where it would seem unnecessary in English.
Remember that 都 (dōu) appears after the subject. A common mistake learners make is to put 都 (dōu) at the beginning of the sentence (as “all” often appears there in English). This isn’t good Chinese - make sure you put 都 (dōu) after the subject and before the verb.
Structure:Subj. + 都 + [Verb Phrase]
Examples:
Since it is an adverb, 也 (yě) is inserted after the subject, before the verb or verb phrase.
Structure:Subj. + 也 + Verb / [Verb Phrase]
Examples:
In Chinese, regardless of whether the sentence is positive (“I like them too”) or negative (“I don’t like them either”), 也 (yě) is used the same way. Just make sure you put the 也 (yě) before the 不 (bù) or other negative part that comes before the verb.
也 (yě) with Adjectives:
也 (yě) can also be used with adjectives. Remember that for simple “noun + adjective” sentences you normally need to include an adverb like 很 (hěn) before the adjective. In that case, just put the 也 (yě) before the adverb.
Structure:Subj. + 也 (+ Adv.) + Adj.
Jess Lee is nicknamed 铁肺女王 (iron lung queen), and this song perfectly demonstrates why. She hasn’t been in the industry as long as Tanya Chua and Stefanie Sun (the last two artists I’ve featured in this series), but I’ve found some real gems on her 4 albums. This song is her most popular and not too difficult in terms of vocabulary content. Probably the most difficult part of the song is that there are some long pauses between words that can make the lines hard to parse. The song is quite sad lyrically, but it stands out most as being dramatic and powerful. It’s not like your typical sad love song in that way. And the title is very fitting, because I really feel the torment and suffering from Jess Lee’s performance.
李佳薇 (Jess Lee) - 煎熬
早知道 你只是飞鸟
拥抱后 手中只剩下 羽毛
当初你又何必浪费
那么多咖啡和玫瑰 来打扰
飞鸟 fēiniǎo - bird
羽毛 yǔmáo - feather / plumage / plume
我想要 安静的思考
天平上 让爱恨不再 动摇
一想你就平衡不了
我关灯还是关不掉 这风暴
天平 tiānpíng - scales (to weigh things)
动摇 dòngyáo - to sway / to waver / to rock / to rattle / to destabilize / to pose a challenge to
风暴 fēngbào - storm / violent commotion / fig. crisis (e.g. revolution, uprising, financial crisis etc)
心一跳 爱就开始煎熬
每一分 每一秒
火在烧 烧成灰有多好
叫思念 不要吵
我相信我已经快要
快要把你忘掉
跟寂寞 再和好
和好 héhǎo - to become reconciled / on good terms with each other
得不到 也不要乞讨
怎么做 不需要别人 转告
在陷得太深的海底
我也只剩下我自己 能依靠
乞讨 qǐtǎo - to beg / to go begging
转告 zhuǎngào - to pass on / to communicate / to transmit
陷 xiàn - pitfall / trap / to get stuck / to sink / to cave in / to frame (false charge) / to capture (a city in battle) / to fall (to the enemy) / defect
海底 hǎidǐ - seabed / seafloor / bottom of the ocean
心一跳 爱就开始煎熬
每一分 每一秒
火在烧 烧成灰有多好
叫思念 不要吵
我相信我已经快要
快要把你忘掉
跟寂寞 再和好
我相信我已经快要
是真的我快要
快要可以微笑
去面对 下一个 拥抱
I’m trying to post more this summer, so here’s another Mandopop vocab list. I’ve seriously been seeing some of these words pop up EVERYWHERE. I guess it’s the Baader–Meinhof phenomenon?
- 姿态 zītài - attitude / posture / stance
我们都讨厌她傲慢的姿态。 - 不知不觉 bùzhībùjué - unconsciously / unwittingly
不知不觉已过了三个月。 - 暧昧 àimèi - vague / ambiguous / equivocal / dubious
她与一个已婚男人的关系有些暧昧。 - 放纵 fàngzòng - to indulge / to pamper / to connive at / permissive / indulgent / self-indulgent / unrestrained / undisciplined / uncultured / boorish
我们偶尔都会放纵一下自己。 - 背叛 bèipàn - to betray
这种背叛严重伤害了我。 - 牵挂 qiānguà - to worry about / to be concerned about
好好学习，家里的事不用牵挂。 - 优先 yōuxiān - to have priority / to take precedence
我总是优先考虑我的孩子们。 - 忍耐 rěnnài - to endure / to bear with / to exercise patience / to restrain oneself / patience / endurance
我的忍耐是有限度的。 - 漫无目的 mànwúmùdì - aimless / at random
他过着一种漫无目的的生活。 - 闪烁 shǎnshuò - flickering / twinkling / evasive / vague (of speech)
她的眼睛里闪烁着喜悦的泪花。 - 坦白 tǎnbái - honest / forthcoming / to confess
坦白地说，我根本不在乎。 - 不配 búpèi - unworthy / unsuitable / not fitting
这袜子的颜色和鞋子不配。 - 退路 tuìlù - a way out / a way to retreat / leeway
我们到了没有退路的地步。 - 脸孔 liǎnkǒng - face
我还记得那些名字、那些脸孔。 - 不闻不问 bùwénbúwèn - to show no interest in sth / uncritical / not in the least concerned
她对这件事情完全不闻不问。 - 空白 kòngbái - blank space
我脑子突然一片空白。 - 标本 biāoběn - specimen / sample / the root cause and symptoms of a disease
苏州园林是中国园林的标本。 - 坐立不安 zuòlìbùān - agitated sitting or standing / restless / fidgety
都半夜了，儿子还不回家，母亲坐立不安。 - 无所事事 wúsuǒshìshì to have nothing to do / to idle one’s time away
孩子在家一整天都无所事事。 - 着迷 zháomí - to be fascinated / to be captivated
老爷爷的故事让孩子们听得着迷了。
