大家好! 👋
Welcome to this week’s Mandarin Weekly newsletter! We’re diving into the exciting world of shopping. Whether you’re browsing for stylish clothes, hunting for bargains, or just window shopping, we’ve got you covered. Let’s explore the colourful vocabulary and fascinating Chinese characters related to shopping!
Vocabulary
衣服 (Yīfú) - Clothes
T-shirt (T恤衫):
Chinese: T恤衫
Pinyin: T xù shān
Example: 我想买一件白色的T恤衫。(Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī jiàn báisè de T xù shān.) - “I’d like to buy a white T-shirt.”
Sweater (毛衣):
Chinese: 毛衣
Pinyin: Máo yī
Example: 这件毛衣很暖和。(Zhè jiàn máo yī hěn nuǎnhuo.) - “This sweater is very warm.”
Jeans (牛仔裤):
Chinese: 牛仔裤
Pinyin: Niúzǎi kù
Example: 我喜欢穿蓝色的牛仔裤。(Wǒ xǐhuān chuān lán sè de niúzǎi kù.) - “I like to wear blue jeans.”
Dress (连衣裙):
Chinese: 连衣裙
Pinyin: Liányīqún
Example: 我想买一件绿色的连衣裙,可以试穿吗?(Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī jiàn lǜsè de liányīqún, kěyǐ shì chuān ma?) - “I’d like to buy a green dress. Can I try it on?”
Skirt (裙子):
Chinese: 裙子
Pinyin: Qún zi
Example: 请给我一条红色的裙子。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yī tiáo hóngsè de qún zi.) - “Please give me a red skirt.”
Shoes (鞋子):
Chinese: 鞋子
Pinyin: Xiézi
Example: 这双鞋子多少钱?(Zhè shuāng xiézi duōshǎo qián?) - “How much do these shoes cost?”
Coat (外套):
Chinese: 外套
Pinyin: Wàitào
Example: 我需要一件黑色的外套。(Wǒ xūyào yī jiàn hēisè de wàitào.) - “I need a black coat.”
Hat (帽子):
Chinese: 帽子
Pinyin: Màozi
Example: 这顶帽子很时尚。(Zhè dǐng màozi hěn shíshàng.) - “This hat is very fashionable.”
Scarf (围巾):
Chinese: 围巾
Pinyin: Wéijīn
Example: 我喜欢这条围巾的颜色。(Wǒ xǐhuān zhè tiáo wéijīn de yánsè.) - “I like the color of this scarf.”
Gloves (手套):
Chinese: 手套
Pinyin: Shǒutào
Example: 请给我一副黑色的手套。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yī fù hēisè de shǒutào.) - “Please give me a pair of black gloves.”
Colours
红色 (hóng sè) — Red
Pinyin: hóng sè
English: Red
Significance: Red is a prominent colour in Chinese culture. It represents strength, vitality, energy, and is associated with festivity. It’s considered an auspicious (lucky) colour and is often seen during holidays like Chinese New Year and weddings. Varieties of red include:
粉红 (fěn hóng) — pink
玫瑰红 (méi gūi hóng) — rose red
朱红 (zhū hóng) — vermilion
枣红 (zǎo hóng) — maroon
莲红 (lián hóng) — lotus red
深红 (shēn hóng) — dark red
辣椒红 (là jiāo hóng) — chili red
珊瑚红 (shān hú hóng) — coral
棕红 (zōng hóng) — reddish brown
鲜红 (xiān hóng) — bright red
绯红 (fēi hóng) — scarlet
橙色 (chéng sè) — Orange
Pinyin: chéng sè
English: Orange
Significance: Orange is a lively and happy colour, reminiscent of autumn and plentiful harvests. It can represent good fortune, celebration, and wealth. Varieties of orange include:
橙红色 (chéng hóng sè) — reddish orange
柿子橙 (shì zǐ chéng) — persimmon
阳橙 (yáng chéng) — sun orange
热带橙 (rè dài chéng) — tropical orange
蜜橙 (mì chéng) — honey orange
深橙 (shēn chéng) — dark orange
黄色 (huáng sè) — Yellow
Pinyin: huáng sè
English: Yellow
Significance: Yellow is a bright and glorious colour associated with the sun. It was worn by ancient Chinese emperors and represents riches and power.
绿色 (lǜ sè) — Green
Pinyin: lǜ sè
English: Green
蓝色 (lán sè) — Blue
Pinyin: lán sè
English: Blue
紫色 (zǐ sè) — Purple
Pinyin: zǐ sè
English: Purple
Chinese Character of the Week:钱 (qián) - Money 💰
Our featured character this week is 钱 (qián), which means “money.” Let’s break it down:
Character: 钱
Pinyin: qián
Meaning: Money
Origins: The character 钱 is made up of two parts: 钅 (jīn), representing the metal radical, and 戋 (jiān), meaning “narrow” or “small.” Imagine two spears breaking up metal (gold) to create coins. Interestingly, the pronunciation of 戋 (jiān) is a rough phonetic match for 钱 (qián) .
Sample Usage:
我需要一些钱买新衣服。(Wǒ xūyào yīxiē qián mǎi xīn yīfú.) - “I need some money to buy new clothes.”
Clothes
Shopping
Colours
Tip of the week
Recently I have discovered that watching children’s TV is a great way to enhance your listening skills! My personal recommendation is Peppa Pig - even though very annoying - try to give it a go! Due to its uncomplicated story, basic and descriptive language, and repetitiveness, you can actually understand what is going on even as a beginner! Bonus if watching it on Netflix: you can slow it down to 0.75x and be able to learn even more!
Happy learning!
Your Mandarin Weekly