Do you say 我不能听懂 (wǒ bù néng tīng dǒng)? It actually means "I'm not allowed to understand it." Native speakers say 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bu dǒng): "I can't understand it." The trick is to put 不 between the verb and its result. Five more: 我不能睡觉 → 我睡不着 (I can't fall asleep) 我不能吃完 → 我吃不完 (I can't finish it) 我不能买 → 我买不起 (I can't afford it) 我不能记得 → 我记不住 (I can't remember it) 我不能看清楚 → 我看不清 (I can't see it clearly) Which one have you said the beginner way?

There's no single English word for 心疼 (xīn téng), feeling pain in your heart for someone you love. Five more, all picked from your comments on part 1: 敷衍 (fū yǎn): doing something just to get it over with. 羡慕 (xiàn mù): wishing you had what someone else has, without resentment. 热闹 (rè nao): the warm buzz of a place full of people. 孝顺 (xiào shùn): respecting and caring for your parents. 乖 (guāi): well-behaved, listens, and easy to love. Which one would you add to English?

The Chinese you learn in class vs the Chinese people actually say. It's not either/or. Class Chinese is used every day too. Here are a few more ways people say the same things: 什么 → 啥 (What) 为什么 → 为啥 (Why) 怎么 → 咋 (How) 你怎么了？ → 你咋啦？ (What's up with you?) 等一下 → 稍等 (One moment, please) 对不起 → 抱歉 (Sorry (more formal)) 我想要一杯咖啡 → 来杯咖啡 (A coffee, please) 我同意 → 有道理 (That makes sense) Which one have you heard the most?

You've been saying hello wrong in China. Here are 5 greetings people actually use. 吃了吗 (chī le ma): Have you eaten? 去哪儿 (qù nǎr): Where are you going? 早 (zǎo): Early. 在干嘛 (zài gàn má): What are you doing? 嗨 / 哈喽 (hāi / hā lóu): Hi / Hello. In your language, do you greet people with a question too? Tell us yours.

One Chinese character, two sounds. 行 is háng in 银行 (bank) and xíng in 旅行 (travel). 长 is cháng in 长城 (Great Wall) and zhǎng in 长大 (grow up). 还 is hái in 还是 (or, still) and huán in 还钱 (pay back). 乐 is lè in 快乐 (happy) and yuè in 音乐 (music). 重 is zhòng in 重要 (important) and chóng in 重新 (start over). 好 is hǎo in 好吃 (tasty) and hào in 爱好 (hobby). Which one tripped you up?

English has no single word for food that makes you eat more rice. Chinese does: 下饭 (xià fàn). 麻辣 (má là) is numbing and spicy. 香 (xiāng) is smells and tastes good. 过瘾 (guò yǐn) is deeply satisfying. 清淡 (qīng dàn) is light, and a compliment. What's your 下饭 dish?

One wrong tone and your mom becomes a horse. 妈 (mā) is mom. 马 (mǎ) is horse. 买 (mǎi) is buy. 卖 (mài) is sell. 水饺 (shuǐ jiǎo) is dumplings. 睡觉 (shuì jiào) is sleep. 汤 (tāng) is soup. 糖 (táng) is sugar. 请问 (qǐng wèn) is "may I ask." 请吻 (qǐng wěn) is "please kiss." Which one have you made?

English: aunt, uncle. That's two words. Chinese: ten. You need to know the side of the family, and who is older. - 伯伯 (bó bo) and 伯母 (bó mǔ): your father's older brother, and his wife. - 叔叔 (shū shu) and 婶婶 (shěn shen): your father's younger brother, and his wife. - 姑父 (gū fu) and 姑姑 (gū gu): your father's sister, and her husband. - 舅舅 (jiù jiu) and 舅妈 (jiù ma): your mother's brother, and his wife. - 姨父 (yí fu) and 姨妈 (yí mā): your mother's sister, and her husband. How many do you have?

Every Chinese learner in China has heard these. 你中文说得真好！(nǐ zhōngwén shuō de zhēn hǎo) "Your Chinese is so good!" You: I only said hello. 你会用筷子啊！(nǐ huì yòng kuàizi a) "Wow, you can use chopsticks!" You: I have used them for years. 我们说英语吧。(wǒmen shuō Yīngyǔ ba) "Let's just speak English." You: but I wanted to practice. Which one have you heard the most?

In China, a phone number can cost more than a car. One ending in five 8s sold for about US$325,000. The number 4 can ruin your day. And 520 means "I love you." It is all about how they sound: 8 (bā) sounds like 发 (fā), "get rich." 4 (sì) sounds like 死 (sǐ), "death." Many buildings skip the 4th floor. 6 (liù) sounds like 溜 (liū), "smooth." 9 (jiǔ) sounds like 久 (jiǔ), "long-lasting." 520 (wǔ èr líng) sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), "I love you." What's your lucky number?

Same sound, different word: 在 and 再 are both zài. 在 = at, or in the middle of doing something. 再 = again, or one more. Quick test. Pick 在 or 再: 1. 请___说一遍。 (qǐng ___ shuō yí biàn.) 2. 他___北京工作。 (tā ___ Běijīng gōngzuò.) 3. 我们下次___聊。 (wǒmen xià cì ___ liáo.) Reply with your answers.

In English you say "you can do it!" In Chinese you say 加油 (jiā yóu): "add oil." Four more: 不客气 (bú kè qi): "don't act like a guest." Your reply when someone says thanks. 干杯 (gān bēi): "dry the cup." Cheers, and people mean it. 多喝热水 (duō hē rè shuǐ): "drink more hot water." Cure for everything. 麻烦你了 (má fan nǐ le): "I've troubled you." Thank you for the favor. Which one have you heard?

There's no single English word for 缘分 (yuán fèn), the invisible bond that brings two people together. Or for these four: 撒娇 (sā jiāo): acting soft and cute to get affection or a favor. 委屈 (wěi qu): feeling wronged, and swallowing it. 辛苦 (xīn kǔ): hard, tiring effort that deserves to be seen. 上火 (shàng huǒ): "fire rising." Too much heat in the body from spicy food and late nights. Which one would you add to English?

In Chinese, a fish, a road and a pair of pants all get counted with the same word: 条 (tiáo). Why? They're all long and thin, and Chinese counts things by shape. 一条鱼 (yì tiáo yú), one fish 一条路 (yì tiáo lù), one road 一条裤子 (yì tiáo kù zi), one pair of pants And 条 is just the start: 张 (zhāng) for flat things: 一张纸 (a sheet of paper), 一张桌子 (a table) 只 (zhī) for small animals: 一只猫 (a cat), 一只鸟 (a bird) 本 (běn) for books: 一本书 (a book) 双 (shuāng) for pairs: 一双鞋 (a pair of shoes), 一双筷子 (a pair of chopsticks) 个 (gè) when you're not sure: 一个人 (a person), 一个苹果 (an apple) Which one trips you up the most?

Five Chinese sayings, all over 2,000 years old, and every one still fits a rough day. 塞翁失马，焉知非福 (sài wēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú) "Who knows if losing a horse is bad luck?" An old man lost his horse, then it came back with a second one. Good luck and bad luck kept taking turns, so he never rushed to judge. 千里之行，始于足下 (qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià) A journey of a thousand miles starts under your feet. Big goals feel less scary after step one. 欲速则不达 (yù sù zé bù dá) Rushing doesn't get you there. Rush a task and you end up redoing it. 己所不欲，勿施于人 (jǐ suǒ bú yù, wù shī yú rén) Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you. The simplest rule for being kind. 三人行，必有我师 (sān rén xíng, bì yǒu wǒ shī) Among any three people, one can be my teacher. Someone always knows something you don't. Which one do you need right now?

There's no single "OK" in Chinese. There are at least five, and they're not interchangeable. 好 (hǎo): the all-purpose yes. "Dinner at 7?" 好! 行 (xíng): "works for me." "Meet at the gate?" 行。 可以 (kě yǐ): "you can" or "that's fine." It's for permission. "Can I sit here?" 可以。 没问题 (méi wèn tí): "no problem." The confident yes when someone asks for help. 嗯 (èn): "mm-hm." Barely a word, but it counts. Which one do you say the most?