How Many Tears

Li Yu (李煜 • li3 yu4) was the last emperor of the Southern Tang dynasty. He was known as Li Houzhu (李後主 • li3 hou4zhu3), literally "the latter Lord Li"; as Houzhu of Southern Tang (南唐後主 • nan2 tang2 hou4zhu3), literally "the latter lord of Southern Tang", and posthumously, as Prince of Wu (吳王• wu2 wang2).
He was also a poet. His best-known poems were composed during the years after the Song formally ended his reign in 975. He was created the Marquess of Wei Ming (違命侯 • wei2 ming4 hou2), literally, the Marquess of Disobeyed Edicts. Li's works from this period dwell on his regret for the lost kingdom and the pleasures it had brought him.

"How Many Tears" or "Gazing at the South" is one of his poems from this later period.

多少淚
duo1shao5 lei4
(how)(many)(tears)
斷臉復橫頤
duan4 lian3 fu4 heng2 yi2
(cut)(face)(repeat)(across)(cheek)
心事莫將和淚說
xin1shi4 mo4 jiang1he2 lei4 shuo1
(worry)(not)(with) (together)(tears)(speak)
鳳笙休向淚時吹
feng4 sheng1 xiu1 xiang4 lei4 shi2 chui1
(Phoenix)(flute)(not)(to)(tears)(time)(play)
腸斷更無疑
chang2 duan4 geng4 wu2 yi2
(Heart)(break)(more)(without)(doubt)

The following english translation is from www.chinese-poems.com

"How many tears
Criss-cross your cheeks and run across your face!
Don't try to speak when worry makes you weep,
Nor play the flute when it will bring your tears,
Or surely then your heart will break."

You can practice the chinese pronunciation for this poem using Pinyin Talker. Remember, this tool is not meant to simulate natural speech but it will give you a clear pronunciation model for each of the syllables


Credits:
Li Houzhu. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved September 10, 2007, from Answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/li-houzhu

"© Photographer: Mel Gama | Agency: Dreamstime.com"

A king's breakfast!

I was always told that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. From what I have read, it seems that the nutrients consumed at breakfast are utilized more efficiently by the body since they provide a steady stream of glucose to the body.
In western countries, the breakfast meal usually includes plenty of carbohydrates and proteins. The picture shown is that of a typical 西部 早餐 • xi1bu4 zao3can1 • Western breakfast.

I have found three different ways to order Pancakes in Chinese:

薄煎餅 • bo2 jian1bing3 • literally, thin fried cake or biscuit,
早餐蛋炳 • zao3can1 dan4bing3 • early meal egg biscuit, or
烙餅 • lao4bing3 • biscuit baked in a pan.

Of course, most people eat their pancakes with:

奶油 • nai3you2 • or 黃油 • huang2you2 • butter ; 枫糖浆 • feng3tang2 jiang3 • maple syrup and even some 鲜奶油 • xian1 nai3you2 • whipped cream.

If you are really hungry, then you can order a 煎蛋 • jian3dan4 • fried egg and some 煙肉 • yan1 rou4 • smoked meat or 培根 • pei2gen1• bacon to go with it, although I think that's pushing the "cholesterol" gauge a bit to far!

A healthier alternative would include some 草莓 • cao3mei2 • strawberries ; 藍莓 • lan2mei2 • blueberries or any other fruit.

Of course, a glass of fresh 橘子汁 • ju2zi5zhi1 • Orange Juice or any other natural 果汁 • guo3zhi1 • fruit Juice is the perfect accompaniment.

To finish up the meal, a nice and hot cup of 咖啡• ka1fei1 • coffee is a must!

if there is truth in the old adage ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper’, then this breakfast is a good way to start the day.

Happy Chinese language pronunciation with Pinyin Talker!

Movies can teach you

Learning to speak Chinese is no easy task. It requires a lot of commitment and perseverance. The process can be so frustrating at times you may be tempted to just drop it!.
There are literally thousands of resources available on the web to help you in your studies but one thing I have found to be of enormous help is watching Chinese movies. I cover the subtitles and listen to the audio in Mandarin just to force myself to find and recognize familiar words. It helps a great deal to get used to the sound of natural or connected Chinese speech. It will definitely help you improve your Chinese language pronunciation.

A great movie to practice is "House of the Flying Daggers". I must have watched this film at least 3 dozen times . In all honesty, one of the reasons I keep watching it over and over again is because I AM MADLY IN LOVE with both Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro, but that's another story altogether.

House of the Flying Daggers ( 十面埋伏 • shi2 mian4 mai2fu2) is a movie of the 武俠 • wu3xia2 • chivalry genre. From what I have read, the four character idiom means "lying in an ambush in ten sides".

十 • Shi2 is the word for the number ten; 面• mian4, refers to side, aspect, surface or area; and 埋伏 • mai2fu2 is a the word for "ambush" (where 埋 • mai2 = bury and 伏 • fu2 = prostrate or hide).

During the reign of the Tang dynasty (唐朝 • tang2chao2) in China, a secret organization called "The House of the Flying Daggers" rises and opposes the government. A police officer called Leo （劉船長 • liu2chuan2zhang3) sends officer Jin (金船長 • Jin1chuan2zhang3) to investigate a young dancer named Mei (小妹 • xiao3mei4), claiming that she has ties to the "Flying Daggers". Leo arrests Mei, only to have Jin break her free in a plot to gain her trust and lead the police to the new leader of the secret organization.

When I first saw the movie I had no idea that 章子怡 (zhang1 zi3yi2) could sing at all. As it happens, she does and beautifully. The movie introduces a theme performed by her and borrowed from a famous poem written by 李延年• li3 yan2nian2, a poet from the Han Dynasty (漢朝 • han4chao2).

These are the lyrics with some personal annotations to help you understand where the meanings come from:




















































You can listen to the song here
Remember you can practice your Chinese language pronunciation online with Pinyin Talker!

Don't do Tai Chi, do Tai4ji2quan2 instead!

If you to China hoping to learn Tai Chi, you will probably end up studying something entirely different!

The correct word is 太極拳 • Tai4ji2quan2 which some people translate as Shadow Boxing. Tai4ji2quan2 combines exercise and fighting skills and it contains rich ancient Chinese philosophy. It integrates concepts from several martial arts (武術 • wu3shu4), from 氣功 • qi1qong1, Chinese medicine and from the elements of yin and yang.

If you want to learn Tai4ji2quan2, , say from a teacher, this is what you should say:

我想學太極拳 wo3 xiang3 xue2 tai4ji2quan2

If you would like to practice with a friend or on your own, then say:

我想練太極拳 wo3 xiang3 lian4 tai4ji2quan2

If you just want to "do" some Tai4ji2quan2, then say:

我想打太極拳 wo3 xiang3 da3 tai4ji2quan2

There are several styles of Tai4ji2quan2, most of them named after the name of their founders. One of these is the Yang Style.
I came across the list of the movements that comprise the traditional Yang slow style. I think it would be interesting to use this list to practice some Chinese pronunciation.

This style comprises 81 movements. Let's start with the first 10:

(1) 預備式 • yu4bei4 shi4 • Preparation position
(2) 太極拳起式 • tai4ji2quan2 qi3 shi4 • Commencement of Taijiquan
(3) 攬雀尾 • lan3 qiao1 wei3 • Grasp the bird’s tail
(4) 單鞭 • shan4 bian1 • Single whip
(5) 提手上式 • ti2 shou3 shang4 shi4 • Step forward and raise hands
(6) 白鶴亮翅 • bai2he4 liang4 chi4 • White stork spreading its wing
(7) 摟膝拗步 • lou1 xi1 ao3 bu4 • Brush knee and twist step
(8) 手揮琵琶 • shou3 hui1 pi2pa2 • Play the fiddle
(9) 左右摟膝拗步 • zuo3you4 lou1 xi1 ao3 bu4 • Brush knee and twist step
(10) 手揮琵琶 • shou3 hui1 pi2pa2 • Play the fiddle

It's time stop so you can practice your tai4ji2quan2 movements and your Chinese pronunciation.
Happy learning!

Chinese Martial Arts

(photo) Demonstrating Kung Fu at Daxiangguo Monestary, Kaifeng, Henan. Taken by Ariel Steiner. - Wikipedia Commons


Kung Fu is the prevailing term when referring to Chinese martial arts. Funny enough, the term Kung Fu (功夫 • gong1fu1) actually refers to an individual's accomplishments or acquired skill, which could be in the field of martial arts, cooking, dancing, or what have you. Gong1 (功) means "contribution; achievement" and Fu1 (夫) means "work".
Another term that has become very popular lately, I imagine thanks to the proliferation of Chinese actors and actresses in the hollywood scene, is Wushu (武術 • Wu3shu4). This term is more precise and it does refer to martial activities: Wu3 (武 ) means "martial or military" and Shu4 (術) referst to " method or technique".

Other martial related terms are:

武打 • wu3da3 • Traditional Chinese schools of martial arts
武德 • wu3de2 • Martial Morality
武打片 • wu3da3pian4 • Martial arts movie
武功 • wu3gong1 • martial arts skill
武俠 • wu3xia2 • Chivalry
武俠小說 • wu3xia2xiao3shuo1• Martial arts novel

*Traditional martial arts deal with the study of martial arts not just as a means of self-defense or mental training, but also as a system of ethics. Wu3de2 (武德) can be translated as "martial morality" and is constructed from two Chinese characters, "wu3" (武) which means martial and "de2" (德) which means virtue or righteousness. Wu3de2 (武德) deals with two aspects; "morality of deed" and "morality of mind". The ultimate goal is reaching no extremity or limit (Wu2ji2, 無極) - wu2 • without; ji2 • extreme - where both wisdom and emotions are in harmony with each other.

• Concepts referring to Morality of deed:

• Humility (謙虛 qian1xu1)
• Loyalty (忠誠 zhong1cheng2)
• Respect (尊敬 zun1jing4)
• Righteousness (正義 zheng4yi4)
• Trust (信賴 xin4lai4)

• Concepts referring to Morality of mind:

• Courage ( 勇氣 yong3qi4)
• Endurance (忍耐 ren3nai4)
• Patience (耐心 nai4xin1)
• Perseverance (毅力 yi4li4)
• Will (意志 yi4zhi4)

My favorite Chinese Martial Artists:
Credit: International action-movie star and Hong Kong native Jackie Chan enjoys his experiences on the flight deck during a tour of the Kitty Hawk. USS Kitty Hawk's current mission is to provide a forward presence in the Asia/Pacific region, conduct training and exercises with regional allies, and, as America’s “9-1-1” Battle Group, remain available to respond to emergent national taskings wherever and whenever needed. (Image 021202-N-0271M-011)
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Lee M. McCaskill - Wikipedia Commons

Jackie Chan (B. 1954, 成龍 • cheng2long2) - Hong Kong martial artist and actor widely known for introducing physical comedy into his martial arts performances, and for actually doing most of the stunts in his films. One of my favorite Jackie Chan's film is "Who am I". I don't ever remember laughing so hard!

Bruce Lee 李振藩 • His real name was li3 zhen4fan1 although if you look him up in a Chinese dictionary you'll probably find 李小龍 • li3xiao3long2 for his stage name. He was and still is my brother's idol! He is considered an important icon in the 20th century.

And last but least,
Jet Li (B. 1963, 李連杰 • li3 lian2jie2) A five-time sport wu3shu4 champion of China, also an accomplished movie actor. You just have to love him in "Hero" and "Fearless".

* Reference: Wikipedia

Asking for 方向 (fang1xiang4) Directions

If you happen to be in China and you ask someone on the street for directions, it is a good idea to listen for these key words in their answer:

北 • Bei3 • North
南 • Nan2 • South
東 • dong1 • East
西 • xi1 • West

東南 • dong1nan2 • Southeast
西南 • xi1nan2 • Southwest
東北 • dong1bei3 • Northeast
西北 • xi1bei3 • Northwest

左 • zuo3 • Left
右 • you4 • Right
左邊 • zou3bian5 • Left Side
右邊 • you4bian5 • Right Side

在(…)的左邊 • zai4 (…) de5 zou3bian5 • Is on the left of (…)
在(…)的右邊 • zai4 (…) de5 you4bian5 • Is on the right of (…)

后 • hou4 • Back
前 • qian2 • Front
對面 • dui4mian4 • across from; directly opposite
前面 • qian2mian5 • in front (of)
后面 • hou4mian5 • in back (of)

遠 • yuan3 • far
近 • jin4 • near; close
近於 • jin4yu2 • close to; near to
向 • xiang4 • towards
向前 • xiang4qian2 • foward
向后 • xiang4hou4 • backward

Chinese people seem to be very spatial oriented so it might be wise to take a compass along!

Remember you can practice your Chinese Language Pronunciation with Pinyin Talker, the online tool

wo3 ke3le5 A beer for me, please!

After I finished writing my last post about Chinese tea, I though, well maybe some people don't like drinking tea at all! What if they want to ask for something a little stronger? So i figured I would find out how to go about ordering other types of drinks.

I'm no expert on the Chinese Language but I imagine the sentence structure would remain the same:

我想喝茶 wo3 xiang3 he1 (cha2)
(I) (want) (drink) (tea)
I would like to drink tea

The first word you should know is (酒) jiu3 which means liquor. You'll see this character repeated over and over again!

伏特加酒 • Vodka • fu2te4jia1 jiu3
白蘭地酒 • Brandy • bai2lan2di5jiu3
威士忌酒 • Whisky • wei1shi4ji4jiu3
杜松子酒 • Gin • du4song1zi3jiu3
啤酒 • Beer • pi2jiu3
紅葡萄酒 • Red Wine • hong2pu2tao2jiu3
葡萄酒 • Wine • pu2tao2jiu3
白葡萄酒 • White Wine • bai2 pu2tao2jiu3
馬蒂尼雞尾酒 • Martini cocktail • ma3 di4ni2 ji1wei3jiu3
苦艾酒 • Vermouth • ku3ai4jiu3
蘭姆酒 • Rum • lan2 mu3jiu3
龍舌蘭酒 • Tequila • long2she2lan2jiu3

If you have managed to order drinks in Chinese, then here you have some handy phrases that will make you sound like a pro:

為我們的友誼干杯! • To our friendship! • wei4 wo3men5 de5 you3yi4 gan1bei1!
干杯! • Bottoms up! Cheers! • gan1bei1!
為你的健康干杯 • To your health • wei4 ni3de5 jian4kang1 gan1bei1


I'm not much of a drinker so my repertoire is not that extensive. My apologies for that!
Now, go order some drinks but try not to get too 酒醉 (jiu3zui4 • drunk)!!!