Lingua China

They don't teach you this in 汉语 class.

[linguachina]

The Archeological Discovery in AD3009, Yue Minjun Today Art Museum, Beijing

Classic ^_^ emoticon in sculpture form.  

[jumpdog]

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jumpdog:

The “Shirt Roll” is sweeping across mainland China. Accessorize with fanny pack stuffed with US Treasuries.

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Beijing hua of the day

倍儿  Bèi er

Quite possibly my favorite adverb in the Chinese language. Why? It's fun to use, fun to say, and gets you brownie points with 北方 locals. 

Thrown it in front of adjectives and adverbs galore to add emphasis, it has the same effect of "very" or "so".

Example: Wang Lee Hom? You mean Wang Lee Hunk. What a dreamboat，倍儿帅！

[linguachina]

Useful Sichuanese

不存在 bu cun zai

I would include tones but since it's Sichuan dialect, traditional tones kind of go out the window. My tip: just say it like you would in Mandarin...but in a Louisiana accent. 

The phrase literally translates into "does not exist" but is used to mean "no problem".

Example:

Shaq: "Can I hold that panda?"

Chengdu: "Sure, 不存在!"

[linguachina]

Slang of the day

拉倒吧 Lādǎo ba

I hear my co-workers say this all the time. Might be a Beijing thing. 

Means "Forget about it" or, as I like to say, "Forgedaboudit."

Example: You want me to lend you how much for that e-bike? 拉倒吧!

[linguachina]

Turning heads

Wanfujing, Beijing

[linguachina]

Phrase of the day

我天啊！ Wǒ tiān a!

One of my favorites. Can be used anytime, anywhere to mean OMG. 

"我天啊 SHOES."

[linguachina]

Chinese slang of the day

老牛吃嫩草 lǎo niú chī nèn cǎo

Literally means old cow eats young grass. Used to describe a relationship between an older man and a much younger woman. See: Woody Allen, Humbert Humbert, Silvio Berlusconi, etc etc. The list goes on...

But what phrase can I use to describe Demi+Ashton and Madonna+(insert name of young male model)?! 老样吃小伙子？

[linguachina]

Liu Bolin would kill at hide-and-go-seek. 

[linguachina]

Chinese slang of the day

尼玛/尼马 ni ma (used interchangeably with 你妈)

Literally means, "your mom." More commonly used to mean WTF. 

[linguachina]

Do want. 

Can we make one of these for Gary Locke (a.k.a. G-Locke, a.k.a. Gare Bear) too?

[linguachina]

mandaflewaway:

CLICK TO MAKE SOME MUSIC

Holy crapoly why is this so mesmerizing?

[linguachina]

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of an internet startup to call his own.”

[linguachina]

Din Tai FUNg

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I seriously thought this was coal at first.

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No stroller, no problem! (Andingmen, Beijing)

[linguachina]

Succinct English