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First time in years reading an actual paper book in Chinese. It’s the Chinese translation of Malice by Keigo Higashino. Last time I tried reading a physical book, it was excruciating; now I can manage without a pop-up dictionary!
I'd heard of the term 美国时间 (meaning spare/leisure time) before, but I'd never actually encountered it until I was watching the Taiwanese show 忘了我记得, when one of the characters said:
对，有哪一个妈妈有这个美国时间来看演出？
對，有哪一個媽媽有這個美國時間來看演出？
Duì, yǒu nǎ yígè māma yǒu zhège měiguó shíjiān lái kàn yǎnchū
Yeah, what mom has the spare time to go watch a performance?
While I'm not sure what the origins of this term are, it seems to suggest that Americans have a lot of free time. Maybe that's true compared to East Asian work culture, but of course we Americans like to say stuff like Americans live to work, Europeans work to live.
Over the years, I've developed an appreciation for the humble particle 嘛 ma. In the dictionary you'll find 3 uses of this particle, but at least in my experience, I only learned the first one in my Chinese classes. But the other 2 are super useful, and I encounter them often!
(1) Marks a pause in a sentence, to call the listener's attention
用在句中，表示停顿，引起对方注意
Ex: 这个计划嘛，应该可以执行。
Ex: 学生嘛，主要任务就是学习。
(2) Indicates something is obvious (declarative)
用在陈述句末尾，表示理所当然
Ex: 有什么话就说嘛。
Ex: 这是我的家嘛，我当然要回来。
(3) Expresses a hope or advice/persuasion (imperative)
用在祈使句末尾，表示期望或劝阻
Ex: 别生气嘛！
Ex: 留下来吃饭嘛！
Ex: 动作快一点儿嘛!
If the last 2 uses are new to you, I bet you'll start noticing them now!
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I saw a post featuring this Chinese Handbook for International Visitors on Reddit, and it looks like an incredible resource for those traveling/moving to China! It includes useful vocabulary, sample sentences, and mini dialogues.
I’ve always wanted to learn hiragana and katakana, but it’s been a lot harder than learning hangul. After 2 failed attempts—using Duolingo and printed worksheets—I finally found a better way for me! I’m using the website Kana Pro (I assume it’s known in Japanese-learning circles).
You can select exactly which categories you want to practice, and then the site takes you through 4 stages.
Stage 1 shows you a kana, and you select the correct romaji. Stage 2 is the reverse. As you progress, correct answers fill up the blue bar, and incorrect answers subtract from it. You move to the next stage when the bar is full.
Stage 3 displays a kana and has you type the romaji. Stage 4 also has you type, but it shows a random sequence of 3 kana.
Since I have no need to write Japanese, this works well for me. But ugh, the シ (shi) vs. ツ (tsu) thing is killing me. Way worse than 茶 and 荼 or whatnot.
With 2025 almost over, it’s time for my annual writeup of Chinese-language shows and movies I watched throughout the year! You can read last year's list here.
I do my best with content warnings, but it’s possible I’ve forgotten things. I only include warnings for shows/movies I’ve completed.
Shows/series:
《异人之下之决战！碧游村》 I Am Nobody S2
Tasked with locating rogue NDT operative Chen Duo, Zhang Chulan, Feng Baobao, and the rest of the gang journey to the mysterious Biyoucun and clash with Ma Xianhong, the village's charismatic leader. Season 2 was tonally much darker than season 1, but there were still many humorous moments. Wen Qi as Chen Duo was a real standout. Just wish this season had been longer!
Content warning: Gore
《我的阿勒泰》 To the Wonder
After struggling to make it in the city, Li Wenxiu moves in with her mother in rural Xinjiang province. There she meets Batay, a Kazakh boy, and learns about his family's way of life. I decided to watch this show after hearing about how beautiful the scenery and cinematography were. And it did not disappoint! It felt like a breath of fresh air—truly unlike any other drama I’ve watched.
Content warning: Harm to animals
Watch on YouTube
《莲花楼》 Mysterious Lotus Casebook
Ten years after his supposed death, Li Xiangyi lives as a miracle doctor named Li Lianhua. Together with his (unwanted) companions Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng, he travels the jianghu solving mysteries and encountering figures from his past. This drama is highly-rated and talked about for a reason. I don't watch a lot of wuxia or costume dramas, but I really couldn't get enough. Totally lived up to the hype!
Content warning: Depictions of torture, (mild) horror & creepy scenes
Watch eps 1-5/40 on YouTube
《变成你的那一天》 The Day of Becoming You
A freak accident causes entertainment reporter Yu Shengsheng and idol Jiang Yi to switch bodies. As they try to survive in each other's shoes without slipping up, they also fall in love. This show was beyond hilarious, especially Zhang Xincheng’s acting. If you want a fun, feel-good show, definitely check it out. I wish there were more cdramas like this.
Watch eps 1-5/26 on YouTube
《滤镜》 Filter
A series of hilarious misunderstandings unfold after Su Chengcheng comes by a mysterious bracelet that can change her appearance, and her former schoolmate Tang Qi crosses paths with her new personas. This drama is very much in the same vein as The Day of Becoming You. The hijinks during the first half had me cracking up. Tan Jianci needs to do more comedic roles!
Watch on YouTube
《书卷一梦》 A Dream within a Dream
After being sucked into the world of her new drama's script, actress Song Xiaoyu attempts to save her character, Song Yimeng, from a tragic marriage to the main antagonist, Nan Heng. I don’t watch a lot of costume dramas, but I heard so many good things about this one. It was pretty funny and bingable, though sometimes it got a little frustrating, and I think it could have been a tad shorter.
Content warning: Childhood trauma/neglect
Watch on YouTube
《我的反派男友》 Mr. Bad
Aspiring author Nan Xing lands her dream job as assistant to her favorite author, but her life is turned upside down when the villain of her fanfiction webnovel, Xiao Wudi, crosses over into the real world. Another funny, fluffy drama I watched during a rough patch in 2025. I got a little bored towards the end though. Also, the name is kind of a lie because he’s really not much of a villain/bad guy.
Content warning: Depiction of panic attacks
《漫长的季节》 The Long Season
In the 1990s, a gruesome murder shocked Hualin and led to the death of Wang Xiang’s son. 20 years later, Wang Xiang is convinced his son’s killer has returned. This show had been on my watchlist for ages. Be warned, it’s a pretty grim watch, gets confusing with 3 different timelines, and was hard for me to understand without English subs. But it is truly a masterpiece.
Content warning: Sexual abuse, sexual assault, references to suicide, gruesome murder
Watch on YouTube
Variety/reality:
《火星情报局7》 Mars Intelligence Agency S7
Despite starting multiple variety shows this year, I only managed to complete one, this celebrity comedy/storytelling show. I know that description doesn't sound that interesting, but it's actually hilarious! If a celebrity you're a fan of came on the show, I highly recommend checking it out. I watch it for 薛之谦 Xue Zhiqian, my favorite singer who is also a hysterical and kooky guy.
Watch on YouTube
Movies:
《哪吒之魔童闹海》 Nezha 2
Now sharing the same body, mischievous Nezha and his friend Ao Bing must work together to pass a series of heavenly trials. I saw this one during my China trip, which was a neat experience. Not having seen the first movie from 2019, I was a little confused at first, but this didn’t get in the way of my enjoyment at all. The visuals are amazing, and you don't feel the 2+ hour runtime at all.
《英雄》 Hero
I knew I had to see this film after I saw a clip in a exhibit about use of color in filmmaking at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA. It’s probably the most visually striking film I’ve ever watched. It also has an all-star cast (Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Donnie Yen) and is only 99 minutes long. I think this would be a great first wuxia film for the uninitiated.
Abandoning:
《影后》 Born for the Spotlight
I really liked this drama on paper, but after 2 episodes, it wasn’t what I expected, so I dropped it.
《折腰》 The Prisoner of Beauty
I read rave reviews for this drama and enjoyed the first couple episodes, but it just couldn’t hold my attention after that.
On my watchlist:
《十二封信》 Twelve Letters
This has been on my radar since it was first announced back in 2024. I've heard good things about it, so I'm excited to give it a watch!
《新闻女王》 The Queen of News
I recently learned this series has a Mandarin dub, so I'm thinking of giving it a try. I've seen a lot about it on social media.
《忘了我记得》 Forget You Not
I saw some funny clips from this show on Instagram, and they totally convinced me to watch it. Hsieh Ying-xuan is great!
《他为什么依然单身》 Why Is He Still Single?
I've heard this is an amusing show, and I'm familiar with both actors yet have never seen their acting work.
I just realized last night that 威亚 wēiyǎ (as in 吊威亚 diào wēiyǎ) is borrowed from wire in English...
I remember when I first encountered 威亚, I had no idea what it was. I eventually realized from context that it meant wires/tethers for aerial or stunt work. Still, I wondered why it was called 威亚, two characters with no relevant meaning. But last night it suddenly hit me that wēiyǎ sounds kind of like wire. I can't believe I never put two and two together until now!
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If you like cpop music and are traveling to Taipei in 2026, I highly recommend you visit the Music Island Stories exhibit at the Taipei Music Center!
The exhibit is across the street from the main concert hall, conveniently located in Taipei's Nangang District near the Kunyang stop on the Bannan (blue) line.
The exhibit combines music, memorabilia, videos, projections, and audio recordings to showcase the evolution of Taiwan's music scene. Your journey through each room (with themes like campus folk music or hip-hip) is narrated by the voices of artists like Leehom Wang and Cheer Chen. And at the end, an immersive concert hall plays concert footage from artists like Mayday and JJ Lin.
I spent about 2 hours at the exhibit, and I definitely could have spent more! Here are some of my photos:
Do you use Readibu to read Chinese webnovels? I love it, but as a dark mode person who often reads at night before falling asleep, I hate how Readibu's "dark mode" doesn't recolor the dictionary pop-up! The white pop-up feels blinding at night. Then one day I realized I could use color invert to achieve a better dark mode experience.
Steps:
In Readibu, open a webnovel, click Style, and set the background color to white. You could also choose cream, but it will have blue tint when inverted.
iPhone: Open your phone's Control Center. Press and hold, then click Add a Control. Under Vision Accessibility, select Classic Invert. Don't use Smart Invert--it won't work.
Android: Open Quick panel and click the pencil to edit. Under Available buttons, find Color inversion.
**I tried this on a family member's Samsung phone. Unfortunately I couldn't fully test it because their version of Android didn't support the Readibu app.
After adding, click the Classic Invert/Color inversion button. Tada, now Readibu has a black background and black pop-ups! Just turn off Classic Invert/Color inversion when you're done reading.
(I actually had to invert this screenshot because it turns out when you use inverted mode and take a screenshot, the screenshot shows up with normal colors.)
Like I said, I couldn't download Readibu on Android to fully test this solution, so hopefully it works for Android users🤞
Update: I ended up using the iPhone Shortcuts app to create an automation to invert Readibu for me! Not sure if Android has this or not. I only just learned how to do it on my iPhone.
Just wanted to share that the developer of Readibu has recently updated the app, which is really exciting!
This hack is no longer needed because the app now detects whether your phone is on dark mode or light mode. You still have to manually set the background color, but the dictionary popup will match your phone settings!
Everyone felt that it was similar to the bread on the market at the time, coupled with the fact that there was no protruding trunk/engine in the front and back, just like a mini bus. The pronunciation of "Minibus" is also similar to "mianbao", so it was nicknamed "mianbaoche"
If you've ever wondered what a bandaid wrapper looks like in China...
创口贴（創口貼）chuāngkǒutiē - band-aid
创口 （創口）chuāngkǒu - wound; cut
You may know 创 as chuàng (4th tone). For this other meaning of wound, it should be 1st tone. But I'm pretty sure I've heard people say chuàngkǒu, so don't sweat it.
高弹舒服
高弹（高彈）gāotán - high elasticity or stretch
舒服 shūfu - comfortable
不得二次使用
不得 bùdé - must not / may not / not to be allowed / cannot
二次 èrcì - second time / twice
使用 shǐyòng - to use / to employ / to apply / to make use of
弹力透气型
弹力（彈力）tánlì - elasticity / stretch
透气（透氣）tòuqì - to ventilate / to breathe (of fabric etc)
型 xíng - type / style / model
已消毒
消毒 xiāodú - to disinfect; to sterilize
为避免创口贴破损 请如图撕开包装
避免 bìmiǎn - to avert / to prevent / to avoid / to refrain from
破损（破損）pòsǔn - to become damaged
如图（如圖）rútú - as illustrated / as shown
撕开（撕開）sīkāi - to tear or rip open
包装（包裝）bāozhuāng - packaging
由此撕开
由此 yóucǐ - from here
I bought these bandaids in China, but I forgot the word and asked for a 绷带 bēngdài, which is like a wrap-around style bandage. When the pharmacist brought me a long roll, I said something like, "No, I need the little sticky ones." She looked at me like I was a bit of a fool 😬
In (at least my dialect of) English, bandage is ambiguous: it could be either type. If someone asked me for a bandage, I'd probably reply, "Which kind?" But my understanding is that in Chinese, 绷带 and 创口贴 are totally different categories.
As you may or may not be aware, most Korean names have corresponding Hanja, aka hanzi. As a learner of Chinese, it can be tricky to tell if a name is Korean or Chinese. But with experience and exposure, you can start to make educated guesses.
Surnames
If you see the surname 朴, it's almost certainly a Korean name. This is the very common surname Park 박.
The following surnames are more common in Korea than in China, so while it's not 100%, it's a strong sign:
金 Kim 김
崔 Choi 최
尹 Yoon 윤
申 Shin 신
权 Kwon 권
柳 Yoo/Ryu 유
全 Jeon/Chun 전
But be warned that there is a lot of overlap of surnames!
Given names
A lot of Korean names use rare characters or characters that are less commonly used in Chinese names.
I put together this (non-exhaustive) list of common characters that signal a name may be Korean. To be clear, there are Chinese people whose names have these characters too. But from what I've seen, they're more common in Korean names, so it's big indicator.
A/Ah 아：娥
Bin 빈：彬
Chae 채：彩
Chan 찬：灿
Da 다：多
Eun 은：银
Geun 근：根
Gi/Ki 기：基
Gyu/Kyu 규：奎
Hee 희：熙、姬、希
Ho 호：镐
Hoon/Hun 훈：勋
Hwan 환：焕
Hye 혜：惠
Hyo 효：孝
Hyuk 혁：赫
Hyeon/Hyun 현：炫、贤、铉、玹、玄、泫
Hyeong/Hyung 형：亨
In 인：仁、寅
Jae 재：在、宰
Ji 지：智、知、地
Jin 진：珍、真
Jong 종：钟
Joo/Ju 주：柱、周、珠、主
Joon/Jun 준：准、濬
Jeong/Jung 정：贞
Min 민：珉、旻、旼、闵、玟
Na 나：娜
Seo 서：叙、序
Seok/Suk 석：锡
Seung 승：承、昇
So 소：昭、素
Soo/Su 수：秀、洙
Seon/Sun 선：善
Seong/Sung 성：成、晟
Won 원：元、媛
Woo/U 우：佑、祐
Ye 여：叡
Yeon 연：演、妍
Yoon/Yun 윤：允
Yeong/Young 영：英、瑛
Yoo/Yu 유：有、裕
Here's some examples of names that read very Korean to me:
娜英 Nayoung 나영
素妍 Soyeon 소연
珉镐 Minho 민호
智贤 Jihyun 지현
俊锡 Junseok 준석
Here's some names that (for me at least) could go either way:
佳恩 Jiaen or Gaeun 가은
志源 Zhiyuan or Jiwon 지원
艺彬 Yibin or Yebin 예빈
永浩 Yonghao or Youngho 영호
慧静 Huijing or Hyejung 혜정
Further reading:
只看名字，你就知道ta是韩国人？你可别天真了~
韩国最受欢迎名字列表
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A while ago I bought something online from Taiwan, and it occurred to me that I didn't know how to leave a review for a seller in Chinese! So I gathered some reviews on the site Shopee 虾皮 to learn how.
Vocab
包装（包裝）bāozhuāng - to pack / to package / to wrap / packaging
卖家（賣家）màijiā - seller
出货（出貨）chūhuò - to ship goods
品质（品質）pǐnzhì (pǐnzhí) - quality (of a product or service, or as in "quality of life", "air quality" etc)
回购（回購）huígòu - buy again / repurchase
划算 huásuàn - value for money / cost-effective
Packaging
商品包装很仔细（商品包裝很仔細）
包装非常用心（包裝非常用心）
卖家包装得很好（賣家包裝得很好）
包装很完整（包裝很完整）
Shipping
我已经收到货了（我已經收到貨了）
出货速度非常快（出貨速度非常快）
迅速出货（迅速出貨）
Seller
谢谢卖家（謝謝賣家）
卖家主动联络（賣家主動聯絡）
好卖家推荐（好賣家推薦）
卖家服务很好（賣家服務很好）
推荐大家跟他交易（推薦大家跟他交易）
Buy again
下次有机会一定会回购的（下次有機會一定會回購的）
有需要的话会再回购的（有需要的話會再回購的）
Quality
产品的品质也不错（產品的品質也不錯）
保持状态很好（保存狀態很好）
很划算的
Full reviews
You can basically stitch any of these together, like so:
Simplified Chinese characters vs. Japanese shinjitai
I had always heard that Japanese has simplified kanji, kind of like how Chinese has simplified characters. They are called shinjitai (新字体). When I traveled to Japan (knowing Chinese but not knowing any Japanese), I instantly began noticing shinjitai and comparing them to simplified characters.
It was fascinating how I was able to understand some shinjitai instantly, whereas others took more time to decode. Some are actually identical to simplified Chinese characters. Below are all the shinjitai I noticed on my trip. This has been in my drafts for ages...!
Simplified in Japanese only
(Order: traditional / shinjitai)
冰-氷
乘-乗
舍-舎
拜-拝
窗-窓
Same simplification in both languages
(Order: traditional - simplified/shinjitai)
萬-万
來-来
寫-写
區-区
醫-医
國-国
學-学
當-当
淺-浅
會-会
體-体
Different simplifications in each language
(Order: traditional - simplified - shinjitai)
兩-两-両
單-单-単
傳-传-伝
價-价-価
兒-儿-児
勞-劳-労
營-营-営
團-团-団
圖-图-図
圍-围-囲
賣-卖-売
處-处-処
實-实-実
廣-广-広
從-从-従
對-对-対
檢-检-検
樂-乐-楽
氣-气-気
滿-满-満
龜-龟-亀
麵-面-麺
發-发-発
經-经-経
總-总-総
藥-药-薬
觀-观-観
讀-读-読
豐-丰-豊
轉-转-転
鐵-铁-鉄
藝-艺-芸
關-关-関
險-险-険
齒-齿-歯
廳-厅-庁
鹽-盐-塩
For more, you can refer to these Wikipedia/Wiktionary pages:
Shinjitai
Differences between Shinjitai and Simplified characters
Category:CJKV characters simplified differently in Japan and China
