We’ve been testing Medlock English Magazine for 6 months now and we are almost ready to come out of beta and have the “grown-up” version ready. There are two versions: one intended for Chinese speakers learning English and another for German speakers learning English. (The German speakers version is still in early development).

The magazine has articles on a range of topics with translations and audio of keywords as well as the ability to hear the article being read. Both of the magazines are FREE to use! The current Chinese version on has traditional characters in the keyword glossary, but a simplified version will be available in the summer.

For Medlock English Magazine for Chinese speakers  medlockenglish.com

For Medlock English Magazine for German speakers medlockenglish.de

他tā 话huà 说shuō 得de  很hěn 慢màn 。v.s. 请qǐng 把bă 话huà 说shuō 慢màn 点diăn 儿r 。v.s. 他tā 话huà 说shuō得de  慢màn 了le 点diăn 儿r 。

He speaks slowly. v.s. please speak slower. v.s. He speaks too slowly.

说shuō 得dé 很hěn 慢màn , 说shuō 慢màn 点diăn and 说shuō 得de 慢màn 了le 点diăn do not have the same meaning, although they look 差chà 不bù 多duō (more or less the same).

他tā 话huà 说shuō 得dé 很hěn 慢màn simply states the reality that He speaks very slowly. The sentence pattern is ‘Verb 得de 很hěn adjective’.

请qǐng 把bă 话huà 说shuō 得de 慢màn 点diăn 儿r 。The sentence pattern ‘Verb 得de Adjective 一yì 点diăn 儿r’  expresses the hope/ order/ requirement that Please speak slower.

The third sentence pattern is ‘Verb 得de adjective了le  点diăn 儿r ‘ It expresses a complaint or unsatisfactory feelings; 他tā 话huà 说shuō 得de 慢màn 了le 点diăn 儿r，He speaks a bit slow (I wish he would speak a bit quicker.).

Compare the following three sentences:

我wǒ 动dòng 作zuò 一yí 向xiàng 很hěn 慢màn  。I do things slowly.

动dòng 作zuò 慢màn  点diăn 儿r ，别bié 摔shuāi 倒dăo 了le ！Slow down! Don’t trip over.

我wǒ 动dòng 作zuò 慢màn 了le 点diăn 儿ér ，东dōng 西xī 全quán 都dōu 被bèi 拿ná 光guāng 了le 。I was too slow, Everything has been taken.

Eat, eat, drink, drink

Chinese poeple love to eat, and considering the amazing flavours of Chinese food who can blame them!

This week’s Chinese Language Builder podcast is the first episode in the new series about eating and drinking in China. By the end of the series you should have enough Mandarin speaking ability to talk about and order a variety of typical Chinese dishes. In later series we will dvelop your speaking abilities even more and talk about Chinese food in more detail.

In this lesson you’ll learn to say:

• I’m starving
• I’m parched
• I’m full

You’ll learn to ask:

• Where shall we go for dinner/a snack etc?

You’ll learn to say:

• Let’s go to any old restaurant and eat something.
• It’s on me!
• You choose the restaurant.
• Whatever kind of food will do.
• I’d like to find an inexpensive place to eat. Can you recommend one?

And much more.

You can either download the podcast from our feed, or the Zune store.

Have fun!

他tā 做zuò 事shì 一yí 向xiàng 很hěn 马mă 虎hū 。

He usually does things sloppily.

你nǐ 别bié 跟gēn 我wǒ 打dă 马mă 虎hū 眼yăn 。

Talk properly! (Don’t give grudging monosyllabic replies! or Give me the details not just the surface.)

做zuò 事shì means literally ‘to do things’.

马mă 虎hū  You probably have heard the expression 马mă 马mă 虎hū 虎hū before which means ‘O.K. nothing special’.  It connotes ’sloppiness/ imperfection’ . 打dă 马mă 虎hū 眼yăn means to answer someone’s questions reluctantly and without revealing details.

他tā 整zhěng  天tiān 无wú 所suǒ 事shì 事shì ，不bú 是shì 吃chī 饱băo 睡shuì ，就jiù 是shì 睡shuì 饱băo 吃chī 。

He hangs around all day eating and sleeping.

整zhěng 天tiān is ‘the whole day/ all day long’.

无wú 所suǒ 事shì 事shì is an idiom meaning ‘nothing to do/ hanging around’.

不bú 是shì …… 就jiù 是shì ….. If not ….., then ….

饱băo means ‘full’; 吃chī 饱băo means ‘full up (with food) and 睡shuì 饱băo means ‘fully rested (with sleep)’.

吃chī 饱băo 睡shuì ，睡shuì 饱băo 吃chī literally means ‘have enough food then sleep, and have enough sleep then eat’. In other words: He is a lazy bum!

In the final part of Chinese Language Builder – Hotel we eventually get to check out of the hotel!

In the lesson you’ll learn:

How to ask about booking airline tickets and local tours.

How to do things such as turn off your airconditioner or turn on the room heat.

How to ask for recommendations.

How to go about checking out.

And more.

At the end of the Chinese Langauge Builder Hotel series you should be able to cope with most common hotel situations with confidence.

Next week we start that most important of topics in China: Food and Drink

Listen or download in iTunes or from our feed

Until then  再见!

他tā 打dă 破pò 杯bēi 子zi 。v.s. 他tā 把bă 杯bēi 子zi 打dă 破pò 了le 。

He broke the glass (cup).

打dă 破pò is to break something into pieces, usually unintentionally.

杯bēi 子zi is glass or cup (both are the same in Chinese)

Although these two sentences mean the same thing that ‘He broke the glass (cup); ‘, the emphasis is different.  The 把bă sentence pattern emphasizes: Something has been changed or influenced by an action. Therefore the result is the ‘key point’.

The 把bă sentence patter is:

Subject + 把bă + object + result

他tā 把bă 桌zhuō 子zi 搬bān 到dào 房fáng 里lǐ 。He has moved the desk/ table into the room.

我wǒ 把bă 蛋dàn 糕gāo 切qiē 成chéng 12片piàn 。I have cut the cake into 12 pieces.

儿ér 子zi 把bă 屋wū 子zi 打dă 扫săo 得de 乾gān 乾gān 净jìng 净jìng 。(My/ Our) Son has cleaned the room (not just cleaned, thoroughly cleaned).

请qǐng 你nǐ 把bă 报bào 纸zhǐ 还huán 给gěi 我wǒ 。 Please give the newspaper back to me.

The common mistakes you might see:

他tā 放fàng 那nà 本běn 书shū 在zài 桌zhuō 上shàng 。 It should be: 他tā 把bă 那nà 本běn 书shū 放fàng 在zài 桌zhuō 上shàng 。(He put the book on the table/desk.)

他tā 把bă 这zhè 封fēng 信xìn 写xiě 了le 。 It should be: 他tā 把bă 这zhè 封fēng 信xìn 写xiě 好hăo 了le 。(He has finished writing the letter.) It needs the result 好hăo (finished).

别bié 忘wàng 了le 把bă 照zhào 相xiàng 机jī 带dài 。 It should be: 别bié 忘wàng 了le 把bă 照zhào 相xiàng 机jī 带dài  来lái 。(Don’t forget to bring the camera over.) It needs the result 来lái (over here).

In part 4 of Chinese Language Builder Hotel we look at complaining in a Chinese hotel. By the end of this lesson you’ll be able to:

Ask the hotel to change your sheets

Complain that the bathroom is dirty

Ask for more toilet paper and more towels

Tell the front desk that the airconditioner isn’t working

And much more…

You can either download the screencast from or from

他tā 不bù 能néng 开kāi 车chē  。v.s.

他tā 不bú 会huì 开kāi 车chē 。

Both sentences mean ‘He cannot drive’, but 不bù 能néng indicates that there is a condition which causes the result that ‘he cannot drive’. For example, 他tā 喝hē 酒jiŭ ，不bù 能néng 开kāi 车chē 。(He drank, so that he cannot drive.)  他tā 太tài 太tai 要yào 用yòng 车chē ，所suǒ 以yǐ 他tā 不bù 能néng 开kāi 车chē 。(His wife needs to use the car, so he cannot drive.)

会huì means ‘to be able to’ and the ability is acquired. 他tā 不bú 会huì 开kāi 车chē, the sentence alone without explanation literally means ‘He’ hasn’t acquired the ability to drive’.

However, 会huì also indicates ‘might’ , i.e. strong possibility. 明míng 天tiān 会huì 下xià 雨yŭ 。Therefore, 不bú 会huì also means ‘impossible to’. For example, 他tā 明míng 天tiān 不bú 会huì 来lái ，他tā 不bù 喜xǐ 欢huān 热rè 闹nào 。(He won’t come tomorrow, he does not like noise/ many people gathering.) 他tā 明míng 天tiān 不bù 能néng 来lái ，因yīn 为wèi 他tā 生shēng 病bìng 了le 。(He cannot come tomorrow, because he is ill.) The illness causes the result that he cannot come, even though he would really like to come.

她tā 很hěn 漂piào 亮liàng 。v.s.她tā 是shì 很hěn 漂piào 亮liàng 。

She is pretty. v.s. She ‘is’ very pretty.

In the very early stages of  learning Chinese, you learned that Chinese adjectives act like verbs which do not need the Be-verb. She is pretty. 她tā 很hěn 漂piào 亮liàng 。I’m busy. 我wǒ 很hěn 忙máng 。Things are expensive here. 这zhè 儿r 东dōng 西xi 很hěn 贵guì 。

However, when you want to emphasize that something or someone ‘is’ very ……, you can use 是shì. Usually, it is used to agree with someone’s opinion. e.g. A:台tái 湾wān 夏xià 天tiān 很hěn 热rè 。Taiwan is hot in the summer. B:是shì 很hěn 热rè 。It is very hot. 听tīng 说shuō 义yì 大dà 利lì 人rén 很hěn 热rè 情qíng 。I heard Italians are passionate. 对duì ，是shì 非fēi 常cháng 热rè 情qíng 。Yes, (They) are very passionate.