NihaoChinese

How to use “顿号” (dùn hào) in Chinese

Elena M — Thu, 22 May 2025 02:22:36 +0000

What is 顿号 (、)?

The 顿号 (、) is a unique punctuation mark used in written Chinese. It’s known as the enumeration comma or pause mark, and it looks like a small slash slanting left: 、.

⸻

? Main Function:

The 顿号 is used to separate items in a list of three or more parallel words or phrases.

It serves the same role as the English comma (,) when listing items, but is only used between words or phrases in Chinese writing.

⸻

? Examples:
• 我买了苹果、香蕉、橘子和葡萄。
I bought apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes.
• 他是一个聪明、勇敢、正直的人。
He is a smart, brave, and honest person.

? The 顿号 is used between parallel adjectives or nouns, just like English commas in a list.

⸻

Rules and Tips:

Only used when listing three or more items.
• Correct: 我喜欢音乐、电影、旅游。
• Incorrect: 我喜欢音乐、和电影。 (“和” means “and” — don’t use it with 顿号 like this.)

If there are only two items, use “和” (and) or “或” (or), without 顿号.

⸻

Used even if “和” or “或” appears at the end of a list.
• 她会说英语、法语和西班牙语。
(She can speak English, French, and Spanish.)
• 你可以选择红色、蓝色或绿色。
(You can choose red, blue, or green.)

⸻

Not used in certain cases:
• Foreign words or numbers in a list: Use commas instead (in English or mixed contexts).
• Fixed expressions or idioms: No 顿号 inside idioms like 风调雨顺 or 国泰民安.

The post How to use “顿号” (dùn hào) in Chinese appeared first on NihaoChinese.

文化差异系列（二）：她打了个喷嚏，却觉得中国人不关心她？

Elena M — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:02:38 +0000

Cultural Differences Series (2): She Sneezed — and Felt Uncared For in China?

昨天，我的一位学生跟我分享了她在中国的文化冲击：

“我打喷嚏的时候，没人说‘Bless you’，我感觉大家都忽略了我，好像没人关心我一样。”

为什么美国人会说 “Bless you”？

在英语文化中，别人打喷嚏时说 “Bless you” 是一种基本的礼貌，它起源于宗教，也传达了关心和祝福的意思。在日常生活中，即使是陌生人打喷嚏，人们也常常会自动说一句 “Bless you”。

那中国人为什么不说呢？

因为在中国，打喷嚏并没有被赋予特殊的“仪式感”或社交意义。我们更关注的是卫生和实际反应，

比如： • “你是不是感冒了？” • “快点多喝点水。”

**不说话，并不代表不关心。**只是我们表达关心的方式不一样，更偏向实际和间接。

误解从哪里来？

对于美国人来说，没听到 “Bless you” 可能会被理解成“冷漠”或“不礼貌”；但对于中国人来说，说这句话反而会让人觉得有点奇怪或太“西化”，尤其是陌生人之间。

小贴士 Tips for Cross-Cultural Moments: • 如果你在中国，不要因为别人没说 “Bless you” 而难过，观察一下他们是否用其他方式表达了关心。

• 如果你是中国人，想让外国朋友更舒服，也可以试着在他们打喷嚏后说一句 “Bless you” 或 “保重啊”。

文化差异不只是语言的不同，更是表达习惯和心理期待的不同。学会理解彼此的“默契”，才能走得更近。

你有遇到过类似的小误会吗？欢迎留言告诉我，我们一起拆解文化“潜台词”！

Yesterday, one of my students shared her experience of culture shock in China:
“When I sneezed, no one said ‘Bless you.’ I felt like everyone ignored me, as if no one cared about me.”

Why do Americans say “Bless you”?
In English-speaking cultures, saying “Bless you” when someone sneezes is considered a basic courtesy. It originated from religious traditions and conveys care and good wishes. In daily life, even strangers often automatically say “Bless you” when they hear someone sneeze.

Why don’t Chinese people say it?
In China, sneezing is not associated with any special “ritual” or social meaning. People are more focused on hygiene and practical concerns,
for example:
• “Are you catching a cold?”
• “Drink more water!”

Not saying anything doesn’t mean we don’t care.
It’s just that the way we express concern is different—more practical and indirect.

Where does the misunderstanding come from?
For Americans, not hearing “Bless you” might be interpreted as coldness or rudeness.
But for Chinese people, saying “Bless you” can sometimes feel strange or “too Western,” especially between strangers.

Tips for Cross-Cultural Moments:
• If you’re in China, don’t feel bad if no one says “Bless you” after you sneeze. Instead, observe if they show care in other ways.
• If you’re Chinese and want to make foreign friends feel more comfortable, you can try saying “Bless you” or “Take care” after they sneeze.

Cultural differences are not just about language, but also about habits of expression and different expectations.
By learning to understand each other’s “unspoken rules,” we can connect more deeply.

Have you ever experienced a similar little misunderstanding? Feel free to share in the comments—let’s explore the hidden layers of culture together!

The post 文化差异系列（二）：她打了个喷嚏，却觉得中国人不关心她？ appeared first on NihaoChinese.

HSK1 (Level1) Reading and Listening Practice_Stories of Xiaotao

Elena M — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 10:03:33 +0000

This story is based on HSK1 sentence patterns and vocabulary

小桃8岁了，她上小学一年级，她家有四口人，爸爸，妈妈，哥哥和她。她还有一只猫和一只狗。她的猫叫喵喵（miao1 miao），她的狗叫阿黄（a huang2）。猫是白色的，狗是黄色的。

小桃有很多爱好，比如唱歌、画画、弹吉他。但是她最喜欢的是书法（shu1 fa3 colligraphy），她每天都要练习写毛笔字。她的字写得很好。

小桃平时很忙，从周一到周五每天都要上课，下课后还要写作业，上兴趣班。周末不上课的时候，爸爸妈妈有时候会带她出去玩，他们经常去郊游，爸爸开车带她去爬山或者去湖边散步。

小桃喜欢吃很多东西，比如饺子，面条，包子还有她的最爱糖葫芦。糖葫芦很甜很好吃。但是不能多吃，因为会牙疼。小桃最喜欢穿白色的衣服，尤其是夏天，她的裙子都是白色的。小桃有两个很好的朋友，一个叫欢欢，另一个叫芳芳。他们都是8岁，在同一个年级nian2 ji2 (grade)，但是不同班级(ban1 ji2) class. 他们经常在一起写作业，做游戏。

现在很多小孩子都喜欢打游戏，但是小桃不喜欢，她喜欢看书，听音乐。她比较喜欢安静的活动。小桃平时8点半睡觉，但是有时候作业太多，写不完，她只能十点睡觉。妈妈觉得这样很不好，但是没办法，现在小孩子压力很大。

小桃每天走路去上学，因为她家离学校不远。她不喜欢坐公交车，因为需要等车，又不舒服。

Follow me on YouTube: nihaochinesenet or book a lesson on nihaochinese.net

English Version:

Xiao Tao is 8 years old. She is in grade one of primary school. There are four people in her family, father, mother, brother and her. She also has a cat and a dog. Her cat’s name is miao1 miao and her dog’s name is a huang2. The cat is white and the dog is yellow.

Xiao Tao has many hobbies, such as singing, drawing and playing guitar. But her favorite was calligraphy (shu1 fa3 colligraphy), where she practiced writing brush characters every day. Her handwriting is very good.

Xiao Tao is usually very busy. She has to attend classes from Monday to Friday, after class she has to do homework, interest classes. When there is no class on weekends, her parents sometimes take her out to play, they often go for an outing, her father drives her to climb a mountain or go for a walk by the lake.

Xiao Tao likes to eat many things, such as dumplings, noodles, steamed buns and her favorite snacks sugar gourd. Sugar gourd is very sweet and delicious. But don’t eat too much, because it will hurt your teeth.

Xiao Tao likes to wear white clothes most, especially in summer, her skirts are all white.Xiao Tao has two very good friends, one is called Huanhuan, the other is called Fangfang. They are both 8 years old and in the same nian2 ji2 (grade), but different (ban1 ji2) class. They often do their homework and play games together.Nowadays many children like playing games, but Xiao Tao doesn’t. She likes reading books and listening to music. She prefers quiet activities.

Xiao Tao usually goes to bed at 8:30, but sometimes there is too much homework to finish, she can only go to bed at 10:00. Mom thinks it’s bad, but there’s no way. Kids are under a lot of pressure these days.

Xiao Tao walks to school every day, because her home is not far from school. She doesn’t like taking the bus because she has to wait for it and it’s uncomfortable.

The post HSK1 (Level1) Reading and Listening Practice_Stories of Xiaotao appeared first on NihaoChinese.

Don’t wear a green hat in China！

Selena W — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 14:06:37 +0000

绿帽子，是什么意思，绿色的帽子？对，但是它还有其他的意思，如果一个人的另一半背叛他了，和别人好了，人们可以说: 他被戴绿帽子了，或者他被绿了。

为什么会有这种用法呢, 在明代，所有家里有女人从事妓女之类行业的男人都必须戴着一个绿色的帽子以示区分，所以就变成了这个意思。

在中国，没有男人会戴一个绿色的帽子，如果你来中国旅游戴着一个绿色的帽子，人们可能会用奇怪的眼神看你，明白了吗？

What does green hat mean in Chinese? A green-colored hat, or a green-colored turban? Yes, but it may also mean something else.If someone’s partner cheated on him, people can say: He’s been cuckolded, or he was green.

Why is green hat used in this way? In the Ming Dynasty, all men who had women in their families working as prostitutes had to wear a green turban to distinguish them from others, so it came to mean this.

In China, no men would like to wear a green hat. If you wear a green hat, people will probably look at you strangely. Got it?

中国人结婚时穿什么？What do Chinese People Wear on Their Wedding Day

The post Don’t wear a green hat in China！ appeared first on NihaoChinese.

Travel Notes in Beijing

Selena W — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 14:55:33 +0000

难忘的一天

昨天我来到了北京，今天下午我骑共享单车去了天安门广场，一路上穿过了很多大街小巷，北京的自行车道很宽，有足够多的地方骑自行车。我住的地方在北京二环，到天安门广场5公里，路上我看到了很多不同时代，不同风格的建筑，但是都不高，两三层的居多。五月的北京天气很好，很适合骑自行车。北京的建筑很漂亮，尤其是古建筑，很有特色，也很有韵味。如果你来中国，我建议你一定来北京看看。在北京的第二天，我还没有看到很多高楼大厦，明天我要去故宫，我很期待！终于到了天安门广场，我特别兴奋，天安门广场真的好气派啊，比电视上，图片里看到的都漂亮！身临其境的感觉真的很好，我后悔没有早点来北京，因为我看到了很多报道，说北京很拥挤，有沙尘暴，空气质量不好，但是五月真的天气非常不错，如果你不在高峰期坐地铁，也还可以，沙尘暴更是偶尔才有的。。我在天安门广场前拍了好多照片，北京的天很高很蓝，拍照特别好看，我感到非常满足，因为拍了很多满意的照片，可以留着以后老了看，或者给以后的小孩看。天安门广场对面有很多中国的政府机构，人民大会堂。。。。。然后也有很多警察，你需要刷身份证才可以近距离到天安门广场前拍照，但是我感觉很自豪，中国的首都比我想象中更漂亮，更大气。我觉得我应该更好的给外国人介绍中国的文化，让世界更了解中国。
今天我特别开心，真的是有意义的一天。

The post Travel Notes in Beijing appeared first on NihaoChinese.

起床困难症

Selena W — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 08:46:07 +0000

又到冬天了，天气渐渐变冷，起床开始变得困难，虽然我很早就醒了，但是就是不想起床，我常常要上课的最后几分钟才起来，但是夏天我总是起得又早又快。
你呢，对你来说冬天起床困难吗，或者你有什么好的起床快的方法吗？

The post 起床困难症 appeared first on NihaoChinese.

关于下雨的表达 Expressions about Rain

Selena W — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 11:25:44 +0000

Hello大家好，最近中国很多地方都在下雨，那么我们今天来学习一下关于雨的词语。
打雷：thunder
闪电：lightning
暴风雨：rainstorm
洪水：flood

关于下大雨的成语：风雨交加、狂风暴雨、瓢泼大雨、大雨倾盆
下小雨的成语：牛毛细雨、和风细雨、雨过天晴

最后祈祷时间各地风调雨顺吧。

The post 关于下雨的表达 Expressions about Rain appeared first on NihaoChinese.

Chinese Learning Tips: The Neutral Tone

Selena W — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 11:33:48 +0000

The post Chinese Learning Tips: The Neutral Tone appeared first on NihaoChinese.

Writing Practice: Write about your favorite hobby

Selena W — Sat, 17 Apr 2021 11:27:40 +0000

我现在最大的爱好是骑自行车(除了写作以外)，我几乎每个星期都会去公园或者湖边骑自行车，以前我在澳大利亚读书的时候也是每天骑自行车去学校。我觉得（think）骑自行车非常方便，又可以锻炼身体，尤其（especially）是天气好的话，微风拂面，骑自行车真的是一种享受。

跟开车相比的话，骑自行车你可以感受到风，可以闻到花香，阳光可以洒在你的脸上。你能更好的感受到你周围的自然环境。当然冬天我不骑自行车，因为很冷。。。。。。

现在我常常骑自行车的地方

The post Writing Practice: Write about your favorite hobby appeared first on NihaoChinese.

吃软不吃硬

Selena W — Sun, 11 Apr 2021 13:28:23 +0000

Hello大家好，今天我们来学习一个新的谚语，叫做“吃软不吃硬”。

这个词语的意思是说“接受温和的劝说而不受强迫”。

对态度强硬者绝不屈从，对好言好语，容易听从；个性顽强不怕强硬。

为什么要讲这个词语呢，是看到最近的新闻，美国和澳大利亚都对华采取了强硬政策。但是，就像杨洁篪主任说的，“中国人不吃这一套”。Chinese won’t buy this.

平等和尊重是建立所有友好关系的开始，假装的强硬只能刺到自己，希望世界朝着和平友好的方向发展。这才是我们学习外语，学习外国文化的意义。

Today we’re going to learn a new saying, called “chī ruǎn bù chī yìng.”

It means “to accept gentle persuasion without being forced.”

Never succumb to the tough, and listen to kind words. Those with a strong character are not afraid of toughness.

The United States and Australia have both adopted tough policies towards China. However, as China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said, the Chinese people won’t buy this.

Equality and respect are the beginning of establishing all friendly relations. Pretending to be tough can only sting oneself. I hope that the world can develop in a peaceful and friendly manner. This is why we learn foreign languages and cultures.

The post 吃软不吃硬 appeared first on NihaoChinese.