Latest Posts by logophile101 - Page 2

10 Mistakes When Studying

1. “I Don’t Know where to Begin.”

Make a list of all the things you have to do. Break your workload down ito manageable chunks. Prioritize. Schedule your time realistically. Begin studying early, with an hour or two per day, and slowly build as the exam approaches.

2. ‘I’ve Got So Much to Study…And so Little Time"

Preview. Survey your syllabus, reading material, and notes. Identify the most important topics emphasized, and areas still not understood. Previewing saves time, by helping you organize and focus in on the main topics.

3. “This Stuff is so Dry, I can’t Even Stay Awake Reading It”

Get actively involved with the text as you read. Ask yourself, “What is important to remember about this section?” Take notes or underline key concepts. Discuss the material with others in your class. Stay on the offensive.

4. “I Read It. I Understand It. But I Just Can’t Get it To Sink In”

Elaborate. We remember best the things that are most meaningful to us. As you are reading, try to elaborate upon new information with your own examples. Try to integrate what you’re studying with what you already know. You will be able to remember new material better if you can link it to something that’s already meaningful to you.

Chunking: Example: to remember the colors in the visible spectrum, Rog G.Biv –> reduce the information the three “chunks”.

Mnemonics: Associate new information with something familiar.

5. “I Guess I Understand It”

Test yourself. Make up questions about key sections in notes or reading. Examine the relationships between concepts and sections. Often, imply by changing section headings you can generate many effective questions.

6. “There’s Too Much to Remember”

Organize. Information is recalled better if it is represented in an organized framework that will make retrieval more systematic.

Write chapter outlines of summaries; emphasize relationships between sections.

Group information into categories or hierarchies, where possible.

Information Mapping. Draw up a matrix to organize and interrelate material.

7. “I Knew It A Minute Ago”

Review. After reading a section, try to recall the information contained in it. Try answering the questions you made up for that section. If you cannot recall enough, re-read portions you had trouble remembering. The more time you spend studying, the more you tend to recall. Even after the point where information can be perfectly recalled, further study makes the material less likely to be forgotten entirely. How you organize and integrate new information is still more important than how much time you spend studying.

For more follow How To Study Quick!!

Hi, I’ve been getting messages about how to get motivated/sustain motivation in school. However, I was not sure about how to answer them because I’m a certified Lazy Ass™ whose motto in school is “SLEEP WHEN YOU CAN”. I  tried my best to come up with a decent answer, though, and I hope this post will help someone ^_^ Soooo, here it goes:

1. Understand the concept of motivation.

Motivation is the drive to do something. It is important, because it helps a person (re-)focus their goals. Through (re-)examining the forces that drives a person to achieve, one can uncover one’s reasons for achieving something.

There are two kinds of motivation: extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is motivation that comes from outside forces, as in, one is motivated to get high grades to make their parents proud. On the other hand, intrinsic motivation is motivation that comes from within, as in, one is motivated to answer math problems because one feels satisfaction in solving those problems. Different instances necessitate different kinds of motivation, and one person’s motivation may not really be effective for another.

“Motivation” is so much more complex than that, though, so here are some readings on the topic: x x x x x

Personally, I believe that motivation can only take a person so far, because what happens when you literally have no drive to do anything? My banner says “discipline outlives motivation”, because I’ve learned that there’s something better than to wait for peak motivation to hit, which is to:

2. Develop good study habits.

Turn studying into a behavior. The goal is to make studying a natural part of one’s routine, as natural as, say, opening Tumblr or Instagram. (Because you don’t need much (or any) motivation to check social media).

Here’s a long answered ask on how to make a study plan in three easy steps and another answered ask on how to balance tasks.

3. Discover how you best study.

Every person learns differently. For example, I’m a visual learner, and I learn best by seeing and arranging information on a page. I rewrite notes to make them pretty, and I doodle all the time. Audiobooks and lecture recordings don’t really work for me (but they can work for you). Discovering how one studies would tremendously help anyone, since it can be frustrating to study without retaining information. Conversely, it is motivating when one understands what one is studying.

Learn what kind of learner you have by taking this quiz or answering these questions, then take a look at these posts to see some studying tips based on how you learn:

Learning styles

Types of learners

Four types of learners

Study methods and what suits you better

4. Surround yourself with people who support what you’re doing.

Studying is difficult enough as it is, and you don’t really need to make it more difficult by having people around you telling you that you don’t really need to study for that test. I was really lazy in college, and I would rather sleep than study, but I was able to get good grades, because I lived with people who persevered in their studies. Because they were studying late into the night, I also got into that habit (albeit grudgingly at first). We all inspired each other, made cups of coffees for each other, and even took naps together. Having supportive people around will make you realize that you are not alone in this struggle to study, and that you’re all going to make it out alive.

5.  Do things apart from studying.

You’re a person, not a studying machine. Studying is only a part of life, not your whole life itself. Find a hobby, stay true to your art, volunteer at a dog shelter—it’s your call. Just keep being passionate about something else other than studying. This “something else” can help you release stress as well as motivate you. You must also understand that millennials, more than any other generation, mix work and play, sometimes to the point where the two are indistinguishable. Playing is not a crime, millennials. It’s only natural. (Remember it’s okay to take a break. Alexander Hamilton was asked to take a break, he refused to, and you all know what happened to him >_>)

Whew, that was a mouthful uwu I really hoped I made sense. Feel free to add to this post! :)

Me when I get a 5/10 on a science test: oh well shit happens

Me when I get a 8/10 on a language test: I’m a disgrace to my family shame on me do I dare to go home with this I will forever be an outcast of this society

the best language learning thing is when you learn a really simple grammar rule and it completely transforms your vocabulary

8 Body Language Tricks To Instantly Appear More Confident

If you’re not as confident as you’d like to be, some slight modifications to your body language can have a huge impact. 

Learn to fake it until you make it with these eight tricks:

Continue reading

100 days of languages: day 2

so chemo hit me really hard this time and I needed a few days for adjustment which is why there’s such a gap between day 1 and 2. Im gonna try to be more consistent now but well just have to see sorry

day 2: learn 10 new words

护照 hùzhào passport 你申请新护照时，必须交出旧护照。

检查 jiǎnchá to inspect, to examine X光被医生用来检查人体内部的骨骼和器官。

邻居 línjū neighbor 你应该和邻居搞好关系。

满意 mǎnyì satisfied, pleased 大部分人都不满意国家的一些制度。

其实 qíshí actually, in fact 我说过，我其实并不喜欢当代音乐。

起飞 qǐfēi (of an aircraft) to take off 不到一个小时，直升机获准起飞。

请假 qǐngjià to request a leave of absence 生病是请假的一个正当的理由。

提高 tígāo to raise, to increase, to improve

水平 shuǐpíng level (of achievement) 我们必须提高写作水平。

司机 sījī driver, chauffeur 接班的司机还没到。

100 days of languages: day 5

day 5: memorize a poem

我坐在这里 by 刘霞

(I Sit Here by Liu Xia, translation by Ming Di and Jennifer Stern)

我坐在这里

I sit here

看天色由明到暗

watching the sky go

倾听最后一缕阳光

from light to dark,

发出呻吟

listening to the last of the sun

等待等一滴泪

groan, waiting for the first drop to

敲响敞开的窗户玻璃

knock on the open window.

.

一个词等待另一个词

One word waiting for another–

永不相遇

they will never meet.

一滴雨

A drop of rain

使天地浑然一体

makes the sky and earth one piece.

在静止的时间里

In stilled time,

雨的灵魂

the soul of rain

悄悄的降临

quietly comes down.

Hey everyone! I’m really excited to (formally) introduce my first real “big” project / post here on tumblr! It’s called the “Reasons to Learn a Language” Project, and it’s something that everyone can be involved in!

What is it?: This is a community project where tumblr users can send in their  “reason(s) to learn a foreign language” to my blog (@cactii-studies) via ask. The reasons can be long or short, and as in depth (or not) as you’d like them to be. The reasons that I’ve received will then be compiled into one large post with the sender’s username by the reason. The final setup will be similar to @study-well‘s “100 Reasons to Study” post. 

Why?: My hope is that this will serve as a motivational list of reasons for taking up foreign language studies. I personally think that foreign language studies are incredibly important, and I’d like to compile everyone’s thoughts in one place for people to look at, and hopefully inspire others to take the leap into learning a new language. 

Who?: Everyone! I’m not kidding! You don’t have to be a langblr to send in a reason. This is a community project that is open to everyone who has a tumblr account, no matter the content of your blog. Whether you’re learning Arabic, German, Japanese,  Afrikaans, or American Sign Language, you’re welcome to participate. This project is not language specific. Therefore, it would be nice if your reason did not include a specific language. (Perhaps those of you in other language communities would be interested in making posts like “Reasons to learn (insert language here)”? That’s up to you guys though, and would be a separate project!) Also, you don’t have to be learning a foreign language to participate! Just send in a reason why you want to start learning one! 

When?: This project starts November 19, 2017, and will end on December 27, 2017. I will be using December 28-31 to compile the final list, which will be posted on January 1, 2018, in order to kick off a new year of language learning! 

I’m going to tag some blogs that showed interest when I initially mentioned this idea in order to get the word about this project out there. That being said, most of my connections are to Japanese langblrs or studyblrs, so please please please spread this around! 

@uni-venture | @yoimosezu | @languagesque | @hinodestudies | @lovelybluepanda | @the-notegarden | @peraperagengo | @ccstudys | @the-delusion-polyglot | @worldapprentice | @jpnstudynet | @milkastudies | @fuckstudy | @mochiilang | @therenoplaceforus | @emmastudies | @phctcsynthesis | @studyquill | @studyflwr | @smallstudyblrsunite | @equaticns | @focusign

If you have a question, please ask, and I’ll answer as quickly as I can! I hope that this project is something that people are interested in, and will participate in! 

Oh, all posts regarding this project with be tagged with #rtlalproject

HOW TO TEACH YOURSELF LANGUAGES SUPER EFFICIENTLY

I write this bcz I’m a huge language enthusiast and I’m frustrated about the way most methods and language classes/courses approach the process of learning. I’m not a professional but I have a lot of experience in studying foreign languages: I have taught myself Lithuanian and reached the upper intermediate level (B2) in 4-5 years without much help from others, and in Spanish reaching the same level took me only 2 years bcz I simultaneously studied it at school and already knowing French helped me a little. I want to help everyone who wants to start a new language, does not have the possibility to join a language course or just feels frustrated of the stagnation they might experience in the early phase of learning a foreign language.

So, if you want to learn a new language, I suggest following tips:

• Immerse yourself from the beginning! This is really important so that you can get yourself familiar with the intonation and pronunciation of the language. Listen to radio or tv and try to read whatever you can (ingredient lists from the food packages, newspaper articles, whatever!) it doesn’t matter if you can’t understand much yet, it will come! If you start a language with a new alphabet learn the alphabet really well first thing.

• Get an overview of the grammatical structure of the language! This is often not properly done in language courses where you learn some vocabulary and greetings but after 60 pages of the textbook you still have no idea how many verb tenses or noun cases the language has. Take a look even at the “hardest” topics, bcz they might not be that hard after all. (for example the Spanish equivalent of past perfect is much easier than the present tense) 

 • With that being said, learn to recognise past tenses even when you are still learning the present tense! I find it absurd that most courses expect you to master present tense _perfectly_ before even taking a look at other tenses. Most of the time, in everyday communication, past tenses are used more frequently than the present tense + in some languages mastering the past tense can also help you to form the conditional. So, learn the past tense earlier than most ppl would recommend!

 • In general, study the easiest things first! If you find something particularly difficult you gain more confidence and knowledge if you first focus on what you find more interesting (however, you can’t postpone studying boring topics eternally, especially if you are preparing or hoping to prepare for an exam at some point) In Lithuanian, I taught myself a lot of grammar before learning how to tell the time… and it was ok.

• For material: usually the country’s universities have a reading list on their website which proposes what books one could use to study the language. These are often preferable to handbooks aimed for tourists and some language methods for beginners because those mostly focus on useless vocabulary you might only need when you rent a car or book a room in a hotel. The grammar is often also relatively poorly explained in those “tourist language books”, whereas books that are aimed at immigrants or university students usually focus more on the efficient language acquisition and are written by professors and specialists. If you are persistent enough and google all possible search words in both English and the target language,  you can probably find whole textbooks in PDF format, which you can then save on your laptop.

• Don’t get stuck on vocabulary! Remember that grammar is the skeleton of the language and that vocabulary is the muscles hair and eventually the clothes you use to dress up and embellish your apperance. Vocabulary is useful once you know how to use it. For me, learning vocab is the hardest part of a new language, especially bcz I like starting languages that are not really similar to any other languages I know (consider Lithuanian and Greek when I previously knew Finnish, English, French and Spanish) ofc you need to learn some of it to be able to form sentences but most traditional methods focus on that too much. My suggestion is to read a lot: start by children’s books and comics and gradually get more advanced material. When you read them, make notes!! Look up the words you don’t know and don’t be afraid of using unconventional, seemingly challenging ways to learn, such as buying a bilingual poetry collection and trying to decipher what the original poem says and compare it to the translation. 100% recommend, even for the beginner level + it’s a nice way to connect to the culture but still focus on the language itself, not on the way ppl make breakfast in that country. (That’s something that irritates me a lot in most Youtube’s language videos where ppl are just discussing the traditions of the country in English when you had come there to look for the explanation of grammatical structures or just to hear the language being spoken. smh.)

• A really important thing about vocabulary is to learn all the abstract words, such as conjunctions, really soon! For example, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to use the words therefore and otherwise,  it is almost impossible to try to explain those words without first translating them to another language. 

• Make vocabulary learning more interesting and deep by learning about the etymology of the words you learn. It can be mind-blowing and it helps you to remember the words better.

That’s it!

I hope these tips inspire you in pursuing your interest in foreign languages and facilitate your learning process. I might add more to this if I remember I have forgotten something of great importance. 

We’ve all been there: You have stuff you need to get done, you know you need to get it done, but no matter what you do you just cant get yourself to take out your stuff and do your work. 

I have this problem quite a lot, so here’s a post to help some of you out!

Articles

Read this to get some quick motivation (tw: curse words) It’s sure to get your blood pumping and give you the vigor you’re lacking!

Harvard’s solutions on how to stop putting stuff off

7 helpful study tips 

8 helpful study tips

Manage your time studying

How to seriously study

Detailed article on how to get motivated to study

10 study motivation quotes for all types of students

3 scientific backed study motivators

Videos

Unbroken

Dream (EXTREMELY INSPIRING)

Be Phenomenal

Why Do We Fall

Mindshift

Be Hungry

Stop Killing Time

Destiny

Vision

You Will Win

Study Spotify Playlists

Deep Focus

Peaceful Piano

Intense Studying

Productive Morning

Electronic Study Music

Study Time Starts Now

White Noise

Epic All Nighter

Focus Now

Late Night Focus

Genius Time

Nice and Easy Workflow

Motivating Study Blogs

@elkstudies, @getstudyblr, @minimaliststudies, @nehrdist, @tbhstudying, @highschoolering, @saturdaystudying, @stxdybug, @dangostudy, @raavenclaw, @academla

There are so many more studyblr’s, but those are just some I can think of off the top of my head!

I hope this helps motivate some of you guys, and good luck with all of your studies!  (੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭*:･ﾟ✧

Heart: let’s learn all the languages!

Brain: it would take years!

Heart: let’s learn all the languages!

不要因为失败而觉得丢脸，从中学习，重新再来。

Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.

理查布兰森 Richard Branson

小王子 vocab (mandarin) pt. 1

描写 miáoxiě to describe

原始 yuánshǐ primitive, first, original

幅 fú classifier for textiles or pictures

扣人心弦 kòurénxīnxián  exciting, thrilling, to thrill

书名 shū míng book title

叫做 jiàozuò to be called

丛林cónglín jungle

奇遇 qíyù adventure

吞吃 tūn chī to devour

野兽 yěshòu beast, wild animal

蟒蛇 mǎngshé python, boa

复印件 fùyìn jiàn duplicate, photocopy

囫囵 húlún complete, whole

猎物 lièwù  prey

躺 tǎng to lie down

消化 xiāohuà to digest

种种 zhǒngzhǒng all kinds of

奇事 qí shì marvels

产生 chǎnshēng to come about, to arise

小幸运的词汇

as usual if there’s any mistakes in this just tell me. also i put the lyrics to the song under the cut with each word listed here bolded

雨滴 yǔdī raindrop

呼唤 hūhuàn to call out (a name, etc.)

离别 líbié to part from sb.

刻骨铭心 kègǔmíngxīn lit. carved in bones and engraved in the heart; etched in one’s memory

遇见 yùjiàn to meet

生命 shēngmìng life

追逐 zhuīzhú to chase, to pursue vigorously 

流星 liúxīng shooting star

理所当然 lǐsuǒdāngrán as it should be by rights, proper and right

守护 shǒuhù to protect

原地 yuándì the place where one currently is, place of origin

留住 liú zhù to ask sb. to stay

曾经 céngjīng once, already, former

淋 lín to sprinkle, to drip

幕 mù curtain, screen, act (of a play)

一尘不染 yīchénbùrǎn lit. untainted by even a speck of dust; selfless and incorruptible, spotless

真心 zhēnxīn sincere

相遇 xiāngyù to meet, to encounter

失去 shīqù to lose

眼流满面 yǎn liú mǎnmiàn cheeks streaming with tears

权利 quánlì power, right, privilege

但愿 dàn yuàn if only (sth. were possible)

天际 tiānjì horizon

翼 yì wings

注定 zhùdìng to be destined to

跌跌撞撞 diédiézhuàngzhuàng to stagger along

拥有 yǒngyǒu to have, to posess

来不及 láibují there’s not enough time (to do sth.)

Keep reading

And things are not always okay but even from rock bottom I can still see the sky I can still see the stars.

Michelle K. (via thelovejournals)

生活是一场漫长的旅行，不要浪费时间，去等待那些不愿与你携手同行的人。

Life is a long journey. Don’t waste your time waiting for people who are not willing to walk with you.

being a responsible adult (or even college student) in chinese

appliances：

洗衣机 xǐyījī washing machine

烘干机 hōnggānjī dryer

洗碗机 xǐwǎnjī dishwasher

吸尘器 xīchénqì vacuum cleaner

冰箱 bīngxiāng refrigerator/fridge

炉子 lúzi stove

烤箱 kǎoxiāng oven

热水器 rèshuǐqì hot water heater

微波炉 wēibōlú microwave

加湿器 jiāshīqì humidifier 

热水壶 rèshuǐhú kettle

面包机 miànbāojī toaster

chores：

洗衣服 xǐ yīfu to wash clothes

烘衣服 hōng yīfu to dry clothes

叠衣服 dié yīfu to fold clothes

挂衣服 guà yīfu to hang clothes

打扫 dǎsǎo to sweep

收拾房间 shōushi fángjiān to tidy up a room

吸地 xīdì to vacuum the floor

擦地 cādì to mop the floor

铺床 pūchuáng to make the bed

摆桌子 bǎi zhuōzi to set the table

擦窗户 cā chuānghu to clean the windows

洗碗 xǐwǎn to wash the dishes

喂狗／猫 wèi gǒu/māo to feed the dog/cat

other stuff：

脏 zāng dirty

乱 luàn messy, sloppy, disorderly

干净 gānjìng clean

整齐 zhěngqí neat, tidy, in order

正式 zhèngshì formal, official

随便 suíbiàn casual, informal

简单 jiǎndān simple

不行 bùxíng won’t do, be out of the question, be no good

洗衣房 xǐyīfáng laundry room

用 yòng to use

铺 pū to spread, to extend

愿意 yuànyì to be willing to, want to

每一個故事都會結束，但是生活中，每一個故事的結束同時也是一個全新的開始。

Every story has an end, but in life, every ending is a new beginning.

如果你不花时间去创造你想要的生活，你终究得被迫花更多时间去应付你不想要的生活。 If you don’t make the time to work on creating the life you want, you’re eventually going to be forced to spend a lot of time dealing with a life you don’t want.

空儿 /kòngr/ -  free time, spare time

有空儿  /yǒu kòngr/ - free

没空儿 /méi kòngr/ - busy

抽空儿 /chōukòngr/ - to manage to find time to do something

明天下午你有空儿吗？/ míngtiān xiàwǔ nǐ yǒu kòngr ma / - Are you free tomorrow afternoon?

两点以前没空儿，两点以后又空儿。/liǎng diǎn yǐqián méi kòng er, liǎng diǎn yǐhòu yòu kòngr./ - Before 2PM, I’m busy, after 2PM I’m free.

如果一个梦想幻灭，就在做一个梦。如果你被打倒，就站起来继续前进。

If one dream dies, dream another dream. If you get knocked down, get back up and go again.

不要在畏惧中失去自我。

Don’t lose yourself in your fear.

《冲突》 “Conflict” 他们都说 They all say 我是个话很少的孩子 I’m a child of few words 对此我并不否认 This I don’t deny 实际上 But actually 我说与不说 Whether I speak or not 都会跟这个社会 With this society I’ll still 发生冲突 Conflict

许立志 (Xu Lizhi)

This comes from an article “The Poetry and Brief Life of a Foxconn Worker” which you should definitely look at the rest of, it’s really heartwrenching. Xu Lizhi was a 打工者 (dagongzhe), a factory worker who’d come in from his rural home in Guangdong to work in Shenzhen. He committed suicide when he was 24.

Shenzhen has a Special Economic Zone, so there is more or less a capitalist “bubble” where these huge factories are. Factories are supposed to mainly hire people in the same province because of China’s 户口 system of essentially population control, but in reality huge numbers of people come to try and get work since China has one of the largest rural/urban income divides. As you’ve probably heard, they work in terrible conditions—the whole system is a tangle of bringing in bodies and controlling them. If you’d like to learn more, Made in China: Women Factory Workers in a Global Workplace is a good book I’ve been reading for class (the vast majority of workers are women), or a crash course movie version Mardi Gras: Made in China (the narrator is clearly going for guilt but the actual footage is good). It’s easy to see these things and brush it off as sort of inevitable, but no, this shit wouldn’t fly in the states, how can we make that true everywhere. You can’t look at these individual stories and just decide that’s ok. 

(via tiantianxuexi)

每天都是提升自己的机会。

Everyday is a chance to improve yourself.

用爱心互相宽容。

Bear with one another in love

两个人之间最坏的距离就是误解。

The worst distance between two people is misunderstanding.

15 Common and Useful Chinese Idioms (Chengyu) ✨

🌷 脚踏实地 (jiǎo tà shí dì) 脚踏实地 literally means “to step on solid ground.” It means that you work hard, focus on the fundamentals, and proceed in a steady and stable fashion. It’s an extremely positive chengyu. Here’s an example : “现在我们要继续脚踏实地”   “xiànzài wǒmen yào jìxù jiǎotàshídì”   “Right now we need to continue staying grounded and pushing ahead”   

🌷 九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yì máo) 九牛一毛 literally means “9 cows and 1 strand of cow hair.” It indicates something that’s so small that it’s like one strand of cow hair among 9 cows. Here’s an example: “电子商务的盈利在中国整体商业环境中简直是九牛一毛.”   “diànzǐ shāngwù de yínglì zài zhōngguó zhěngtǐ shāngyè huánjìng zhōng jiǎnzhí shì jiǔniúyìmáo.”   “In the entire Chinese commercial environment, the profits from E-commerce are simply just a drop in the bucket.”  

🌷 一无所有 (yìwúsuǒyǒu) 一无所有 means to have absolutely nothing at all. It’s basically being penniless. Here’s an example: “他无家可归，一无所有”   “tā wújiākěguī， yìwúsuǒyǒu”   “He was homeless, and didn’t have a penny to his name.”  

🌷 一见钟情(yí jiàn zhōng qíng) 一见钟情 means “love at first sight.” It’s generally used for people, but you can also use it for other physical objects. Here’s an example: “她就是我的一见钟情 “   “tā jiùshì wǒ de yíjiànzhōngqíng“   “She is my love at first sight.”  

🌷 自由自在 (zì yóu zì zài) 自由自在 means that something is free and easy. It can be used to describe someone’s personality, how someone behaves, or how a place makes people feel. For example: “这是一个自由自在的地方。”   “zhè shì yī gè zì yóu zì zai de dì fāng”   “This is a free and easy place”  

🌷 莫名其妙 (mò míng qí miào)  莫名其妙 literally means that it’s hard to articulate the profoundness or mystery or something. It basically means that something is baffling. For example: “他说了几句莫名其妙的话。”   “tā shuì le jī gōu mò míng qí miào de huà”   “He said some mysterious words. ”  

🌷 半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi) 半途而废 means to start doing something, only to give up halfway. Literally, it means to walk half the road and give up. Here’s an example: “我不是半途而废的人”   “wǒ búshì bàntúérfèi de rén”   “I’m not someone who gives up halfway”

🌷 抛砖引玉 (pāo zhuān yǐn yù) 抛砖引玉 (pāo zhuān yǐn yù) basically means you’re “just tossing an idea out there.” It literally means “to cast a brick to attract jade.” You’re basically saying, “this idea I’m tossing out there is garbage, but perhaps it will lead one of you to make a better contribution.” It’s a humble way to contribute to a conversation. Here’s an example: “我的建议还不够成熟，算是抛砖引玉吧 “   “wǒ de jiàn yì hái bú gòu chéng shú, suàn shì pāo zhuān yǐn yù ba “   “My suggestion is still half-baked — you could see it as just me tossing an idea out there“  

🌷 豁然开朗 (huò rán kāi lǎng) 豁然开朗 (huò rán kāi lǎng) has two meanings which are linked. The first meaning is the refreshing and liberating feeling you get when you see a beautiful, open area. Typically, immediately before this moment, the beautiful area is not visible and you might be feeling a little stuffy. Second, it’s also used for the feeling you get when you achieve an “aha” or “eureka!” moment. Here’s an example: “大学时期，乔尼开始有机会用Mac做设计，那是一种豁然开朗的体验“   “dàxué shíqí, qiáoní kāishǐ yǒujīhuì yòng Mac zuò shèjì, nàshì yīzhǒng huòránkāilǎng de tǐyàn”   “During college, Jony began to have opportunities to use a Mac to design, and that was a refreshing, eye-opening experience”  

🌷  津津有味 (jīn jīn yǒu wèi) 津津有味 means to eat something deliciously. Also, it can be used for activities beyond just eating, as long as the person doing the activity finds it engaging. It’s not something that people typically use to describe themselves, but you can liberally use it on your friends as it has a positive tone. Here’s an expressive example: “津津有味地看报”   “jīnjīnyǒuwèi de kànbào”   “to devour the newspaper”  

🌷  理所当然 (lǐ suǒ dāng rán) 理所当然 sounds like “to go without saying” or “as a matter of course,” but literally means that “according to reason, it should be the case.” Here’s an example: “Some things which are obvious or natural in the course of a marriage…”   “。。。在婚姻中的一些～的事。。。”   “。。。zài hūnyīn zhōng de yīxiē ～de shì 。。。”  

🌷  全力以赴 (quán lì yǐ fù) 全力以赴 basically means to give it your all (literally “exert all your strength”) for a goal. It has a positive tone, and is somewhat formal but can still be used in everyday speech. It’s important to note that 全力以赴 is typically used for actions that haven’t finished yet, rather than actions that have already been completed. Here’s an example: “无论考生的笔试成绩如何，都要全力以赴准备面试”   “wúlùn kǎoshēng de bǐshì chéngjì rúhé ，dōuyào quánlìyǐfù zhǔnbèi miànshì”   “No matter how the student’s written test score is, he/she needs to give 100% to prepare for the interview”  

🌷  心血来潮 (xīn xuè lái cháo) 心血来潮 basically means “spur of the moment” or “on a whim.” Literally, it evokes the image of blood rushing to your heart (of course in English we’d say head). It’s a perfect chengyu for when you’re telling a story a friend. For example: “某日他们心血来潮，决定比拼一下各自的脚法“   “mǒu rì tāmen xīnxuèláicháo,juédìng bǐpīn yíxià gèzì de jiǎofǎ”   “One day, on a spur of the moment, they decided to compare and compete to see whose footwork was best”  

🌷  乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) 乱七八糟 means that something is a total mess. You can use it to describe tangible things like messy rooms, or more abstract things, like a messed up life. For example: 是谁弄得乱七八糟的？   “shì shéi nòng de luàn qī bā zāo de?”   “who made this mess?”  

🌷  不可思议 (bù kě sī yì) 不可思议 means that something is noteworthy or amazing in an unexpected way. It can be used for things which are really amazing (eg. magic or larger phenomena) but also for unexpected, everyday occurrences. For example: “真是不可思议，我的名字跟你一样！”   “zhēn shi bù kĕ sī yì wŏ de míng zi gēn nĭ yī yàng”   “It’s incredible, I have the same name as you!”  

人们需要知道他们的行为会影响其他人。所以谨言慎行，不只是为了你自己。

People need to learn that their actions do affect other people. So be careful what you say and do, its not always just about you.