Day 28 - Trekked

I trekked 12 miles today, but theres no excuses when Chinese is something you can do while lying in bed. 

 

coffee 咖啡

clasp; hands joined 廾

to open 开

stage 台

beginning 始

to begin 开始

to look after 看

hand 手

to look 看

to see 看见

to be tested 考

dart (also: dagger) 弋

to try 试

exam 考试

to be able 能

possibly 可能

using 以

can (also: may) 可以

field 田

fruit 果

lesson 课

archer's thimble 夬

lump 块

fast 快

happiness 乐

 

 

Awesome. I'm going to go die from my blisters now. Ok thanks.

Day 27 - Busy

I have a busy weekend ahead of me. So I am doing this as quickly as I can.

 

 

bird 鸟

chicken 鸡

chicken egg 鸡蛋

cow 牛

correspondence 件

to call 叫

knock (radical) 攵

filial piety 孝

to teach 教

room 室

classroom 教室

older sister 姐

older sister 姐姐

to introduce 绍

to introduce 介

to introduce 介绍

path (radical) 辶

near 近

nine 九

lame 尢

especially 尤

only then 就

to increase 加

coffee 咖

coffee 啡

 

 

Wasn't that fun! There are way too many characters that mean ''to introduce'. Anyway, I have to go. Laters homies!

Day 26 - Bug eggs

CHINESE TIME!!!! LET'S SMASH IT!!!!

 

 

and 和

black 黑

step 彳

stubborn 艮

very 很

red 红

behind 后

and yet, beard (radical) 而

face 面

rear 后面

surround 囗

to return 回

to answer 答

to answer 回答

cloud 云

to know how to 会

to stand 立

station 站

train 火车

train station 火车站

don't 勿

open space 场

airport 机场

bug 虫

egg 蛋

 

 

Some very useful characters. I think the most difficult to remember is 蛋, which means 'egg'. I think it combines the characters for 'bolt' and 'bug'. But I often think the 'bolt' character looks like a step. So I imagine stepping on a bug and lots of bug eggs coming out. Creepy, but memorable. 

I think the best character in this set is 机场 'airport'. It's 'machine' + 'open space'. Very easy to remember and pretty useful if you intend to travel to China. 

Another good day.

Day 25 - Public Steam Car

Super sleepy.  Let's smash some Chinese!

 

collectively 共

bus 公共汽车

half a kilo, axe (radical) 斤

kilogram 公斤

to take charge of 司

company 公司

work 工

suddenly 乍

to do 作

work 工作

small dog (radical) 犭

sentence 句

dog 狗

expensive 贵

wild boar 亥

child 孩

child 孩子

five 五

language 语

Han 汉

Chinese language 汉语

woman 女

well, good 好

tasty 好吃

number 号

 

 

Some awesome new characters. It's annoying that 'Bus' becomes '公共汽车'. It's 'public' 'collectively' 'steam' 'car'. Fairly logical. Members of the public collectively on a steam...car.... Okay not super logical.

Day 24 - Wrong

I'm exhausted and it's super late, but let's do this!

 

wrong 非

extremely 非常

machine 机

to fly 飞

airplane 飞机

knife 刀

to divide 分

middle 中

clock 钟

minute 分钟

affair 务

to serve 服

cowrie 贝

person 员

waiter 服务员

to be happy 兴

tall 高

happy 高兴

older brother 哥哥

measure word 个

to shut (also: to join) 合

to give 给

three dots water (radical) 氵

steam 汽

public 公

 

 

Some pretty trick characters in there, but also some fun ones. I like how 非 looks. Anyway, sleep now.

Day 23 - A flood is made up of raindrops

It's getting a bit depressing her in England because it's getting dark earlier in the evenings. It's cold and a little bit miserable. But let's cheer ourselves up with some super awesome Chinese!

 

 

word (squished to the side) 讠

to read 读

dusk 夕

many 多

few 少

how much 多少

son 儿子

two 二

mandarin (a government official) 官

food (squished to the side) 饣

hall 馆

factory, slope (radical meaning) 厂

to rebel 反

rice (cooked or boiled) 饭

restaurant 饭馆

gate 门

space 间

square 方

corpse (radical) 尸

door (radical) 户

building 房

room 房间

glass jar (radical) 冂

to esteem 尚

often 常

 

 

That made me feel much better. Every 25 characters brings you closer to being able to read a poem or book in Chinese. A flood is made up of raindrops. Just keep swimming...etc.... Anyway, I have a lot of speaking practice to do this week before my next lesson because I felt like I let down my teacher yesterday. 

'You should do something today that your future self will thank you for' - Some guy on Instagram.

Day 22 - Heavy grass

 I ran a 10k this morning. I try to run one every sunday, but its the end of running season now. So no more races until March. :( Let's cheer ourselves up with some Chinese!

 

to wait for 等

bow 弓

younger brother 弟

younger brother 弟弟

fire 火

four dots fire (radical) 灬

magic (radical) 卜

to divine 占

a bit 点

electricity 电

pattern 文

bowl 凵

brain 脑

computer 电脑

sign (squished to the side) 礻

to see 见

to look at 视

television 电视

west 西

east 东

thing 东西

to supervise 董

heart (squished to the side) 忄

to understand 懂

head 头

 

 

I think the hardest to remember are  懂 and 董. These just need to be repeated a LOTTTTT. If they keep coming up and keep being repeated then you will eventuallly remember them.
董 'to supervise' is a hard one. 'Grass' + 'heavy'. The grass is so heavy that it needs someone to supervise it when it's lifted?

Day 21 - Wearing a cave tooth

It's Saturday bitches! Let's smash out some characters and then go and enjoy our weekend.

cave 穴

to wear 穿

small table 几

boat 舟

ship 船

measure word for actions 次

the old days 昔

king 王

gold 金

gold (squished to the side) 钅

mistake 错

to hit 打

water 水

to look for 求

ball 球

to play basketball 打篮球

small knife (radical) 刂

cocoon (radical) 厶

to reach (arrive) 至

to arrive 到

wrap (radical) 勹

spoon 勺

belonging (grammatical particle) 的

bamboo 竹

top bamboo (radical) ⺮

 

 

Some really good words in there. 到 is hard to remember. So is 穿. It has the characters for cave and tooth, but means 'to wear'. What a mess.

Day 20 - Sunlight/Sun/to say

It's been a long day. But lets relax with another set of 25 characters. Just like we do everyday....

 

 

wood, tree (radical) 木

to pick 采

grass (radical) 艹

vegetable 菜

nail 丁

can 可

older brother 哥

yawn 欠

song 歌

to say 曰

sunlight (radical); flourishing 昌

to sing 唱

to sing 唱歌

to beg 乞

to eat 吃

mountain 山

to go out 出

car 车

moreover, a long time (radical) 且

grain 禾

to rent 租

taxi 出租车

son 儿

only just 才

tooth 牙

 

 

You might notice that 曰 (to say) looks an awful lot like 日 (sun). This is because the Chinese are sadistic. This character 昌 (sunlight) has both character in, and I defy you to be able to tell me which is which. 

I like that 'Taxi' is 出租车 'to go out' + 'to rent' + 'car'. A car you go out and rent. Very logical.

Day 19 - Newspaper

I'm filled with motivation! Let's learn us some Chinese!!!

 

 

hundred 百

cloth 巾

mound or city (radical) 阝

to help 帮

eye 目

strength 力

to help 助

assistance 帮助

hand (squished to the side) 扌

seal (radical) 卩

to announce 报

silk (squished to the side) 纟

clan 氏

paper 纸

newspaper 报纸

child 子

cup 杯

cup 杯子

root 本

fish hook 乙

to breathe 气

to follow 夂

each 各

guest 客

you're welcome 不客气

 

 

Wasn't that easy! My favourite word was 报纸. Definitely helpful and handy to know. Love learning the characters so much. Can't wait until the next 25 tomorrow!

Day 18 - Off to the bar.

You will probably recognise most of these.

 

father 爸爸

Chinese inch, thumb (radical) 寸

against, correct 对

to stop, toe (radical) 止

earth 土

to walk 走

already 已

oneself 己

to rise 起

not 不

I'm sorry 对不起

sun 日

one 一

dawn 旦

man, person 人

man (squished to the side) 亻

but 但

bolt (of fabric) 疋

to be 是

but 但是

small claws 爫

to love 爱

eight 八

bar 吧

white 白

 

 

I think the only new ones are  吧 and 但是. Good words to know though. Especially the one for bar. Will probably need to remember that one.

Day 17 - HSK 2 BEGINS!!

You will definitely recognise some/most of these characters because I have opted to go for the HSK Level 2 set that incudes characters that were in Level 1. I don't mind going over them and taking a little longer as a result.

again, right hand (radical) 又

friend 友

friend 朋

friend 朋友

ice 冫

stick (radical) 丨

cot (radical) 丬

ladle 匕

north 北

lid (radical) 亠

small 小

mouth 口

capital 京

Beijing 北京

crown (radical) 冖

drop (radical) 丶

roof (radical) 宀

swine 豕

home 家

big 大

everybody 大家

fetus 巳

to look forward to 巴

father 父

dad 爸

Very easy. I know these already. But it's good to keep them in the front of your brain. Or something....

Day 16 - HSK 1 over!

This is the last few words in HSK level 1. Mandarin has its own grading levels and HSK 1 is the first. It goes up to HSK 6 and has 5,000 words in total that you are expected to know. You are only expected to be able to actually read anything at HSK 3.  

not yet 未

to come 来

to sit 坐

lord 主

to live 住

to go 去

four 四

measure word 个

root 本

to open 开

now 现在

oneself 己

to sell 卖

cooked rice 米饭

you (the plural form) 你们

they (female) 她们

how about 怎么样

they 他们

Quite difficult. I think 卖 will be the hardest character to remember. It means 'to sell.' Doesn't look like much though. 

I just ran 8.5 miles after getting home from work. Pretty tiring. If you need some motivation then I just ran 8.5 miles and I'm about to spend the rest of the evening studying Mandarin. You're welcome.

Day 15 - Grass Field Dog

So hungover :( 

But I will struggle on. Also, I have a Mandarin lesson later. Trying not to neglect my spoken Mandarin in place of my character learning.

paper-thin 戋

money 钱

to buy 买

sentence 句

dog (radical) 犭

dog 狗

cat 猫

book 书

dove 隹

who 谁

she 她

seven 七

extremely 太

six 六

white 白

spoon 勺

belonging (grammatical particle) 的

bolt (of fabric) 疋

to be 是

step 彳

stubborn 艮

very 很

green 青

please 请

a bit 点

Not super tricky, but ones like 谁 will be difficult to remember long term. I like that cat is 猫 which is like 'grass field dog'.

Anyway, back to my hangover.