Red Cloth” (一块红布, Hóng Bù) is a song by Cui Jian (崔健), often called the father of Chinese rock. Cui Jian rose to fame in the 1980s as a pioneer of rock music in China, using his music to express deep emotions, social critique, and personal struggles. Here’s the Chinese lyrics with English translations, pinyin and more.
In this post, I take a closer look at the 10 most downloaded apps for learning Chinese. What are they and why are they so popular?
In this first edition of 2025: Tiktok refugees, being rich in Shanghai, cycling in Tibet, “letting it rot”, discussing China’s economy, dealing with hate comments, ideological flexibility for the sake of collective wealth and Chinese stereotypes about foreign countries.
Teacher AI has garnered significant attention on social media, promoted by prominent polyglots on YouTube and other platforms. Could this be the reason behind its premium pricing and the absence of a free trial? Here’s a first look at what the app has to offer, particularly for learners of Chinese.
Duolingo – the gamified language-learning app with its infamous owl mascot – has charmed millions of users with its promise of making language acquisition easy and fun. But if you’re serious about learning Chinese, let me save you some wasted time: Duolingo is not the tool for the job.
Forget hunting for Chinese classes or tandem partners – could an AI-powered language tutor be the game-changer for mastering Chinese? I put Talkpal, an AI language tutor app, to the test. Here’s my review.
In this edition: Applying for a job in the Chinese army, the challenges of traveling in Africa, hiring Chinese street workers, surfing in Portugal, gap year in Norway and a survival guide for tiny apartments.
A key component of Chinese handwriting practice is choosing the right calligraphy paper. Discover how to find the best material to enhance your practice.
AI-powered Text-To-Speech (TTS) technology is a big step forward for Chinese learners all over the world. In this blog, I set out to find the best AI-voice generator for the Chinese language currently available.
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mischa Wilmers on his I’m Learning Mandarin podcast.
“The little chickens will grow to be ducks, the ducks will become geese, and the geese will become oxen, and tomorrow will be better”.
How can Google Gemini be used to learn Chinese and does it outperform ChatGPT in any respect?
In this edition: Applying for a job in the Chinese army, the challenges of traveling in Africa, hiring Chinese street workers, surfing in Portugal, gap year in Norway and a survival guide for tiny apartments.
In this edition: Chinese travelers in Afghanistan and Malawi, settling down in Norway, the rising popularity of low-priced housing in China’s backward cities, why do Chinese men not want to marry any more, Chinese-American stand-up comedy and more…
AI is revolutionizing language learning through the power of music. To boost my Chinese skills, I made my own “Chinese hit songs,” combining language practice with creativity and fun.
Can you learn Chinese by watching TV series and movies? I tried Lingopie, the video-based language learning platform offering premium TV shows and movies, for 14 days. Here I sum up my experience.
In this edition: living as a black American in China, how the Chinese see the US, Chinese reactions to Trump’s assassination attempt, Chinese businessman collides with Al Jazeera show, Nord Stream bombing and more.
How to find online Chinese lessons that are truly worth your time and money? In this blog,…
Eunuchs, or huanguan (宦官, huàn guān), have been a notable and often controversial presence in Chinese history. These castrated men held unique and powerful positions within the imperial court, shaping the political and cultural landscape of China for centuries. From their origins to their roles, this blog post explores the role of eunuchs in Chinese history and how they were perceived by the people of their time.
This post I’ve been wanting to write for years. Now I finally did. A reflection on marathon…
Generative AI is fast, affordable and advancing rapidly. Can AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Gemini perform tasks of a language tutor and make costly Chinese lessons dispensable?
You want to know how to say ‘Chinese Language’ in Chinese? This is a in-depth guide to the name and nuances that should answer all your questions.
In this edition: understanding parasocial interaction with Laolei and Afu, exclusive interview with famous Buddhist teacher Agya Hotogtu, discovering China’s most populous city Chongqing and insider tips on how to survive Chinese summer.
Learning Chinese, the language of over a billion people, has always been an intriguing endeavor for language enthusiasts. But for learners the landscape has changed a lot over the past 40 years. Let’s look back and reflect the differences of learning Chinese 40 years ago compared to the present-day situation. How much easier has learning Chinese become?
If you’re (self-)studying Chinese nowadays, you’ve probably never heard of John DeFrancis’ classic Chinese reader. The Beginning Chinese Reader was first published by Yale University Press in 1966 and still can be purchased today. But is it worth buying and why (not)?
This comprehensive review explores nine apps designed to enhance Chinese reading skills for learners at various proficiency levels. The Chairman’s Bao and Du Chinese, which are well-known for their extensive libraries and graded materials, face competition from newer apps like Dot Languages and mylingua, introducing AI features.
In this edition: declining marriage rates in China, interview with the winner of the world’s largest Chinese competition, English skills of Chinese people, 996 work culture, banning TikTok (or not) and the canceled Prime Minister’s press conference.
Experiment: can ChatGPT correct my badly written Chinese texts better than a Chinese teacher?
Maayot is a fairly new app that helps to improve your Chinese reading, writing and speaking. It is nicely designed and powered by a dedicated team in Hongkong. I tested it for one month. Here’s the summary of my experience learning Chinese with maayot.
Since ChatGPT knows everything, I asked the AI-tool for his best learning advice for Chinese learners. Not just random learning advice, but broken down into learning tips for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners. The results can be taken seriously. Find out which learning advice ChatGPT has in store for your current language goals.