Tuesday, September 24, 2013

RMB Banknotes and Coins

This article is trying to show you the main banknotes and coins that are used in mainland China and some surrounding Asian countries nowadays. There have been five series of different design of RMB banknotes and coins since the first series RMB was issued in 1948. The latest series of the RMB was introduced in 2005, so you will see the number of the year at the wrong side of the banknotes. Occasionally, you may see banknotes that were issued in 1999. The banknotes( include 100 yuan, 50 yuan, 20 yuan, 10 yuan, 5 yuan etc.) of year of 2005 and 1999 have the same design.

On the top left area of the right side of the banknotes, we will see 中(zhōng) 国(guó) 人(rén) 民(mín) 银(yín) 行(háng) , which means the People's Bank of China. The People's Bank of China (PBC or PBOC) is the central bank of the People's Republic of China with the power to control monetary policy and regulate financial institutions in mainland China.

On the right side of the banknotes, you will see the denomination printed in Arabic number and financial Chinese numeral characters. For example,

壹(yī) one 贰(èr) two 伍(wǔ) five 拾(shí) ten 佰(bǎi) hundred

圆(yuán) (the principal unit) 角(jiǎo) ( 1 jiao= 0.1 yuan)


First, the banknote with the biggest denomination is 100 yuan (yì bǎi yuán), which is written as ¥100.00.



Then here goes the banknote with the second big denomination, 50 yuan (wǔ shí yuán ) , which is written as ¥50.00


Next, the 20 yuan banknote (èr shí yuán), which is written as ¥20.00


Next, the 10 yuan banknote (shí yuán), which is written as ¥10.00



Next, the 5 yuan banknote (wǔ yuán), which is written as ¥5.00
or 

(notice that the second 5 yuan banknote was printed in 1980, so the chance you see it is not big)



next, the 1 yuan banknote (yì yuán), which is written as ¥1.00
or



next, the 5 jiao banknote(wǔ jiǎo), which is written as ¥0.50




next, the 1 jiao banknote(yì jiǎo), which is written as ¥0.10




Sometime, you may see the coins too:

1 yuan coin:

1 jiao coin:




More information about the RMB:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renminbi

http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2005-08/31/content_3425306.htm

Saturday, September 21, 2013

A Tang Poem -- Traveler's Song 唐诗-- 游子吟

Today I am going to introduce a very popular Tang poem -- Traveler's Song. 游子吟.



The following video will show you how to read and write this poem.





Explanation of this poem:


慈(cí) 母(mǔ) 手(shǒu) 中(zhōng) 线(xiàn),游(yóu)子(zǐ) 身(shēn) 上(shàng) 衣(yī)。

Thread in the hands of my loving mother, clothes for me, the child who would start a journey far from home.


慈(cí) 母(mǔ), loving and caring mother; 手(shǒu)中(zhōng), in the hand; 线(xiàn), thread; 游(yóu)子(zǐ), 外出旅行的孩子, the child who is traveling far from home; 身(shēn) 上(shàng), on the body; 衣(yī), clothes;

临(lín) 行(xíng) 密(mì) 密(mì) 缝(féng),意(yì) 恐(kǒng) 迟(chí) 迟(chí) 归(guī)。

Dreading that I would be away from home for a very long time, she was sewing so carefully.


临(lín), just about to, just before; 行(xíng), to travel, to go; 密(mì) 密(mì),reduplicate adjective used as adverb, closely, here means the stitch is very small; 缝(féng), sew; 意(yì), to anticipate;恐(kǒng), afraid, to fear; 迟(chí) 迟(chí), reduplicate adjective used as adverb, late; 归(guī), return;

谁(sheí) 言(yán) 寸(cùn) 草(cǎo) 心(xīn),报(bào) 得(dé) 三(sān) 春(chūn) 晖(huī)。

Mother's love for me is like the spring sun shine for a tiny grass, so warm and caring that I would never forget.


谁(sheí), who; 言(yán),say; 寸(cùn),a Chinese unit for length, about 1.3 inches;草(cǎo), grass; 心(xīn), heart; 报(bào),回报, recompense; 得(dé),to obtain, to get; 报(bào) 得(dé), here means to fulfill the wish of recompensing mother for her love; 三(sān) 春(chūn), the three months in spring; 晖(huī), sunshine.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Usage of 的 Part 1

In the following video, I will introduce the basic usage of 的, and how to write the character in two different writing style: regular script and semi-cursive script


Related post:
Usage of 的 part 2

Usage of 的 part 3

Usage of 的 part 4

Usage of 的 part 5

Usage of 的 part 6

Usage of 的 part 7 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Drunken Man Came Home 醉汉回家

A warm reminder: click the video in this post, you will see the pinyin and hear my reading.

笑话一则  醉汉回家

A Joke --  Drunken Man Came Home


大年三十晚,王小二喝醉了酒,跌跌撞撞 东摇西晃回到自家门前。他伸手“啪啪”敲门,并大声喊:“这是王小二的家吗?”
他的妻子在屋里说:“是啊,不过他不在家,你明天再来吧!”
王小二摇摇头:“真不凑巧,那我就明天再来吧。”说完便又摇摇晃晃地走了。

On the Chinese New Year Eve, Wang Xiaoer was drunk. He wobbled back home. 'Bang, bang',  he slapped the door and yelled, "Is this Wang Xiaoer's home?"
His wife answered in the house, "Yes, but he is not home. You'd better come over tomorrow. "
Wang Xiaoer shook his head, " Well, then I will come over tomorrow." So he wobbled away...



词汇
Vocabulary

大年三十晚                     Chinese New Year Eve ( also known as  除夕)
跌跌撞撞                         Literally means fall on the ground and hit something; stagger along
东摇西晃                         Literally means sway toward east then west; dodder
摇摇晃晃                         wobbly

This is an interesting thing about this joke that three different words are used to describe the wobbly steps of a drunken person. 
跌跌撞撞   can be used as a verb. 
一路上,他跌跌撞撞,摔了不少跟头。
On the way here, he staggered along and fell quite a few times.
跌跌撞撞 can also be used as an adverb.
受伤的士兵跌跌撞撞地走了过来。
The wounded soldier walked over with wobbly steps.

东摇西晃  can be used as a verb.
地震了,墙上的挂件东摇西晃,纷纷掉了下来。
There was earthquake. All the decorations on the wall swayed back and forth, then fell down.
东摇西晃  can be used as an adverb.
那个醉鬼东摇西晃地走进了房间.
That drunken person staggered into the room.

摇摇晃晃  is more often used as adverb.
他在雪地里摇摇晃晃地走着。
He is staggering across the snow field.