description question

今天 (jīn tiān)

Pinyin: jīntiān | Say it: "jin-tyen" | Meaning: Today | Memory tip: Picture drinking "gin" today, right now, this very "tyen" (day) — today is gin day.

明天 (míng tiān)

Pinyin: míngtiān | Say it: "ming-tyen" | Meaning: Tomorrow | Memory tip: Picture a "ming" vase that will arrive tomorrow — you have to wait one more day ("tyen") for delivery.

昨天 (zuó tiān)

Pinyin: zuótiān | Say it: "dzwoh-tyen" | Meaning: Yesterday | Memory tip: Picture saying "d'oh!" (regret) about something from yesterday's day ("tyen") — yesterday's mistakes.

现在 (xiàn zài)

Pinyin: xiànzài | Say it: "shyen-dzeye" | Meaning: Now | Memory tip: Picture a "shy-eye" peeking out right now, in this exact moment — shy-eye, right now.

几点了 (jǐ diǎn le)

Pinyin: jǐ diǎn le | Say it: "jee-dyen-luh" | Meaning: What time is it? | Memory tip: Picture glancing at a clock and going "jee! d'you-en(d) luh-late?" — asking nervously what time it is because you might be late.

点 (diǎn)

Pinyin: diǎn | Say it: "dyen" | Meaning: O'clock | Memory tip: Picture a clock's hour hand "denting" ("dyen") into place each hour — that's o'clock.

分钟 (fēn zhōng)

Pinyin: fēnzhōng | Say it: "fen-jong" | Meaning: Minute | Memory tip: Picture a "gong" ("jong") ringing once every "fen" (minute) — a minute-by-minute gong.

天气 (tiān qì)

Pinyin: tiānqì | Say it: "tyen-chee" | Meaning: Weather | Memory tip: Picture looking up at the sky ("tyen," like heaven/day) and the air ("chee," like chi/energy) — sky-air = weather.

热 (rè)

Pinyin: rè | Say it: "ruh" (sharp, falling) | Meaning: Hot | Memory tip: Picture touching something hot and yelping "ruh!" sharply, like a quick burn reaction.

冷 (lěng)

Pinyin: lěng | Say it: "lung" (dipping tone) | Meaning: Cold | Memory tip: Picture cold air filling your "lungs" ("lung") on a freezing morning, making you shiver.

下雨 (xià yǔ)

Pinyin: xià yǔ | Say it: "shyah-yoo" | Meaning: Raining | Memory tip: Picture rain falling and you going "shyah!… you're soaked" — shyah-yoo, rain has got you.

大 (dà)

Pinyin: dà | Say it: "dah" (sharp, falling) | Meaning: Big | Memory tip: Picture a baby pointing at something huge and excitedly going "dah! dah!" — pure big-thing excitement.

小 (xiǎo)

Pinyin: xiǎo | Say it: "shyao" (dipping tone) | Meaning: Small | Memory tip: Picture something tiny and cute making you go "aww, shy-oh" — small and shy.

多 (duō)

Pinyin: duō | Say it: "dwoh" | Meaning: Many / much | Memory tip: Picture a pile of "dough" (duo) so big there's way too much of it — many, much dough.

少 (shǎo)

Pinyin: shǎo | Say it: "shao" (dipping tone) | Meaning: Few / little | Memory tip: Picture only a "shy" small handful left — barely any, just a few.

好 (hǎo)

Pinyin: hǎo | Say it: "how" (dipping tone) | Meaning: Good | Memory tip: Picture someone asking "how (good) was it?" and you nod approvingly — how = good, easy direct link.

不好 (bù hǎo)

Pinyin: bù hǎo | Say it: "boo-how" | Meaning: Not good / bad | Memory tip: A ghost ("boo") interrupts "how good" to say no, actually it's bad — boo-how.

新 (xīn)

Pinyin: xīn | Say it: "shin" (flat, high tone) | Meaning: New | Memory tip: Picture a brand "new" pair of shoes hurting your "shin" because they're stiff and unworn.

旧 (jiù)

Pinyin: jiù | Say it: "jyoh" (sharp, falling) | Meaning: Old (of objects, not people) | Memory tip: Picture an old, creaky "yo-yo" toy falling apart — old and worn. Careful: don't confuse with 九 (jiǔ, "nine") — same sound, different tone, totally different word.

什么 (shén me)

Pinyin: shénme | Say it: "shun-muh" | Meaning: What | Memory tip: Picture squinting in confusion and mumbling "shun… muh…?" — the universal sound of "what?"

谁 (shéi)

Pinyin: shéi | Say it: "shay" (rising tone) | Meaning: Who | Memory tip: Picture someone introducing themselves as "Shay" and you asking "who? Shay who?"

哪里 (nǎ lǐ)

Pinyin: nǎlǐ | Say it: "nah-lee" | Meaning: Where | Memory tip: Picture calling out "nah, Lee — where ARE you?" to your friend Lee who's hiding (same Lee from "where is it" earlier).

为什么 (wèi shén me)

Pinyin: wèishénme | Say it: "way-shun-muh" | Meaning: Why | Memory tip: Combine "way" (direction) with "shun-muh" (what) you already know — "which way, what…?" becomes "why."

怎么 (zěn me)

Pinyin: zěnme | Say it: "dzen-muh" | Meaning: How | Memory tip: Picture a "zen master" mumbling "muh…" while trying to figure out HOW to solve a puzzle calmly.

怎么样 (zěn me yàng)

Pinyin: zěnmeyàng | Say it: "dzen-muh-yang" | Meaning: How is it? / How about it? | Memory tip: Same zen master from "how" above, now adding "yang" (like yin-yang) — "how is the balance of this?"

和 (hé)

Pinyin: hé | Say it: "huh" | Meaning: And | Memory tip: Picture connecting two things and going "and…huh, that fits" — a simple linking sound.

但是 (dàn shì)

Pinyin: dànshì | Say it: "dan-shrr" | Meaning: But | Memory tip: Picture your friend "Dan" interrupting with "shhh, BUT wait…" — Dan always has a "but."

因为 (yīn wéi)

Pinyin: yīnwéi | Say it: "yin-way" | Meaning: Because | Memory tip: Picture the "yin" half of a yin-yang explaining "way" (the reason) things balance — because of the yin.

所以 (suǒ yǐ)

Pinyin: suǒyǐ | Say it: "swoh-yee" | Meaning: So / therefore | Memory tip: Picture concluding an argument with a confident "so… yee-haw!" — so, therefore, done.

也 (yě)

Pinyin: yě | Say it: "yeh" (dipping tone) | Meaning: Also / too | Memory tip: Picture nodding along and adding an enthusiastic "yeah, me too!" — yě = also, just like "yeah, also."

还 (hái)

Pinyin: hái | Say it: "hi" (rising tone, like "hi" said with surprise) | Meaning: Still / also | Memory tip: Picture waving and saying "hi, I'm STILL here!" with surprise — hái = still.

很 (hěn)

Pinyin: hěn | Say it: "hun" (dipping tone) | Meaning: Very | Memory tip: Picture a "hun" (honey, term of affection) being VERY sweet — and remember 很 always goes before adjectives like "hěn hǎo" (very good), no extra "is" word needed.

非常 (fēi cháng)

Pinyin: fēicháng | Say it: "fay-chang" | Meaning: Extremely / very | Memory tip: Picture something so extreme it makes you "faint" ("fay") and need a "chang" (gong) to wake you up — extremely intense.

真的 (zhēn de)

Pinyin: zhēnde | Say it: "jun-duh" | Meaning: Really / truly | Memory tip: Picture insisting "I'm June, dude — for real, truly" — jun-duh, genuinely true.

的 (de)

Pinyin: de | Say it: "duh" (neutral, toneless) | Meaning: Possessive marker (like 's) | Memory tip: Picture a flat, unstressed "duh" that just glues two words together, like "my-duh-house" = "my house." It's grammatical glue, not a word with its own meaning.

吗 (ma)

Pinyin: ma | Say it: "mah" (neutral, toneless) | Meaning: Question marker, placed at the end of a sentence | Memory tip: Picture a kid whining "ma? ma?" at the end of every sentence, turning statements into pleading questions — that's exactly its job, turning "you're good" into "you're good, ma(?)" = "are you good?"

这个 (zhè ge)

Pinyin: zhège | Say it: "juh-guh" | Meaning: This one | Memory tip: Picture pointing right at something close and going "JUH-guh, this one right here!"

那个 (nà ge)

Pinyin: nàge | Say it: "nah-guh" | Meaning: That one | Memory tip: Picture pointing far away and dismissively going "nah, guh, that one over there" — nah meaning "that," not "this."

What is "Today" in Chinese?

今天 (jīntiān) — "jin-tyen"

What is "Tomorrow" in Chinese?

明天 (míngtiān) — "ming-tyen"

What is "Yesterday" in Chinese?

昨天 (zuótiān) — "dzwoh-tyen"

What is "Now" in Chinese?

现在 (xiànzài) — "shyen-dzeye"

What is "O'clock" in Chinese?

点 (diǎn) — "dyen"

What is "Minute" in Chinese?

分钟 (fēnzhōng) — "fen-jong"

What is "Weather" in Chinese?

天气 (tiānqì) — "tyen-chee"

What is "Hot" in Chinese?

热 (rè) — "ruh"

What is "Cold" in Chinese?

冷 (lěng) — "lung"

What is "Raining" in Chinese?

下雨 (xià yǔ) — "shyah-yoo"

What is "Big" in Chinese?

大 (dà) — "dah"

What is "Small" in Chinese?

小 (xiǎo) — "shyao"

What is "Many / much" in Chinese?

多 (duō) — "dwoh"

What is "Few / little" in Chinese?

少 (shǎo) — "shao"

What is "Good" in Chinese?

好 (hǎo) — "how"

What is "Not good / bad" in Chinese?

不好 (bù hǎo) — "boo-how"

What is "New" in Chinese?

新 (xīn) — "shin"

What is "Old (objects)" in Chinese?

旧 (jiù) — "jyoh"

What is "What" in Chinese?

什么 (shénme) — "shun-muh"

What is "Who" in Chinese?

谁 (shéi) — "shay"

What is "Where" in Chinese?

哪里 (nǎlǐ) — "nah-lee"

What is "Why" in Chinese?

为什么 (wèishénme) — "way-shun-muh"

What is "How" in Chinese?

怎么 (zěnme) — "dzen-muh"

What is "And" in Chinese?

和 (hé) — "huh"

What is "But" in Chinese?

但是 (dànshì) — "dan-shrr"

What is "Because" in Chinese?

因为 (yīnwéi) — "yin-way"

What is "So / therefore" in Chinese?

所以 (suǒyǐ) — "swoh-yee"

What is "Also / too" in Chinese?

也 (yě) — "yeh"

What is "Still / also" in Chinese?

还 (hái) — "hi"

What is "Very" in Chinese?

很 (hěn) — "hun"

What is "Extremely / very" in Chinese?

非常 (fēicháng) — "fay-chang"

What is "Really / truly" in Chinese?

真的 (zhēnde) — "jun-duh"

What is "Possessive marker ('s)" in Chinese?

的 (de) — "duh"

What is "It doesn't matter" in Chinese?

没事 (méishì) — "may-shrr"