Language Study - Blog Posts

75 essential single-character verbs (单字动词)

When I started consuming more native Chinese content, I quickly discovered an area in which my knowledge was lacking: single-character verbs. In my experience, it’s very easy to focus on learning words consisting of two or more characters and overlook single-character words.

Driven by curiosity, I went through my Anki deck (and also wracked my brain) to generate a list of characters/words that I have learned over the past couple years (roughly). Then I selected 75 verbs that are fairly common and important to know. They skew towards intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Definitions are from MDBG. For characters with additional meanings that I am not yet familiar with, I have bolded the meanings I want to share.

(1) 抢 qiǎng - to fight over / to rush / to scramble / to grab / to rob / to snatch

(2) 救 jiù - to save / to assist / to rescue

(3) 扶 fú - to support with the hand / to help sb up / to support oneself by holding onto something / to help

(4) 催 cuī - to urge / to press / to prompt / to rush sb / to hasten sth / to expedite

(5) 夹 jiā - to press from either side / to place in between / to sandwich / to carry sth under armpit / wedged between / between / to intersperse / to mix / to mingle / clip / folder / Taiwan pr. [jia2]

(6) 咬 yǎo - to bite / to nip

(7) 砸 zá - to smash / to pound / to fail / to muck up / to bungle

(8) 毁 huǐ - to destroy / to ruin / to defame / to slander

(9) 嚷 rǎng - to shout / to bellow / to make a big deal of sth / to make a fuss about sth

(10) 塞 sāi - to stop up / to squeeze in / to stuff / cork / stopper

(11) 贪 tān - to have a voracious desire for / to covet / greedy / corrupt

(12) 拆 chāi - to tear open / to tear down / to tear apart / to open

(13) 掏 tāo - to fish out (from pocket) / to scoop

(14) 跪 guì - to kneel

(15) 摘 zhāi - to take / to borrow / to pick (flowers, fruit etc) / to pluck / to select / to remove / to take off (glasses, hat etc)

(16) 拎 līn - to lift up / to carry in one’s hand / Taiwan pr. [ling1]

(17) 扛 káng - to carry on one’s shoulder / (fig.) to take on (a burden, duty etc)

(18) 拽 zhuài - to pull / to tug at (sth)

(19) 愣 lèng - to look distracted / to stare blankly / distracted / blank / (coll.) unexpectedly / rash / rashly

(20) 搂 lǒu - to hug / to embrace / to hold in one’s arms

(21) 垮 kuǎ - to collapse (lit. or fig.)

(22) 撑 chēng - to support / to prop up / to push or move with a pole / to maintain / to open or unfurl / to fill to bursting point / brace / stay / support

(23) 甩 shuǎi - to throw / to fling / to swing / to leave behind / to throw off / to dump (sb)

(24) 围 wéi - to encircle / to surround / all around / to wear by wrapping around (scarf, shawl)

(25) 愁 chóu - to worry about

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Chinese Time of Day Vocabulary

I’ve been keeping a list of words/characters related to times of day since last year. You probably know basic words like 早上, 上午, 晚上, etc. But there are so many other words and characters you may encounter in your language journey! Note: this list isn’t meant to be complete.

Sunset (I think) by Tian’anmen Square about 3 years ago.

Dawn/early morning

天亮 tiānliàng - dawn / daybreak

日出 rìchū - sunrise

早 zǎo - early / morning / Good morning! / long ago / prematurely 一大早 yīdàzǎo - at dawn / at first light / first thing in the morning 早上 zǎoshang - early morning

旭 xù - dawn / rising sun

昕 xīn - dawn

晓 xiǎo - dawn / daybreak / to know / to let sb know / to make explicit 破晓 pòxiǎo - daybreak / dawn

晗 hán - before daybreak / dawn about to break

晞 xī - dawn / to dry in the sun

晨 chén - morning / dawn / daybreak 凌晨 língchén - very early in the morning / in the wee hours 早晨 zǎochén - early morning 晨曦 chénxī - first rays of morning sun / first glimmer of dawn 清晨 qīngchén - early morning

朝 zhāo - morning 朝阳 zhāoyáng - the morning sun

黎明 límíng - dawn / daybreak

The single characters above can be found in Chinese names. Some are quite common.

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Best language learning tips & masterlists from other bloggers I’ve come across

(these posts are not my own!)

THE HOLY GRAIL of language learning (-> seriously tho, this is the BEST thing I’ve ever come across)

Tips:

Some language learning exercises and tips

20 Favorite Language Learning Tips

what should you be reading to maximize your language learning?

tips for learning a language (things i wish i knew before i started)

language learning and langblr tips

Tips on how to read in your target language for longer periods of time

Tips and inspiration from Fluent in 3 months by Benny Lewis

Tips for learning a sign language

Tips for relearning your second first language

How to:

how to self teach a new language

learning a language: how to

learning languages and how to make it fun

how to study languages

how to practice speaking in a foreign language

how to learn a language when you don’t know where to start

how to make a schedule for language learning

How to keep track of learning more than one language at the same time

Masterposts:

Language Study Master Post

Swedish Resources Masterpost

French Resouces Masterpost

Italian Resources Masterpost

Resource List for Learning German

Challenges:

Language-Sanctuary Langblr Challenge

language learning checkerboard challenge

Word lists:

2+ months of language learning prompts

list of words you need to know in your target language, in 3 levels

Other stuff:

bullet journal dedicated to language learning

over 400 language related youtube channels in 50+ languages

TED talks about language (learning)

Learning the Alien Languages of Star Trek

.

Feel free to reblog and add your own lists / masterlists!

倒序词：Inverted/Palindromic Words

I’m sure you’ve noticed in your Chinese studies that there are some words for which you can switch the order of the characters and get a new word! In Chinese these can be called 倒序词. I’ve put together a list of 20 倒序词 pairs, most of which I’ve stumbled across over the past couple years. It’s so interesting to see the relationships between the words! Most example sentences are via Pleco.

牙刷 yáshuā - toothbrush 一把牙刷 刷牙 shuā//yá - to brush one’s teeth 我每天睡觉前刷牙。

开放 kāifàng - to bloom / to open / to be open (to the public) / to open up (to the outside) / to be open-minded / unrestrained by convention 图书馆从上午9点开放到下午6点。 放开 fàng//kāi - to let go / to release 妈妈放开了女儿的手。

喜欢 xǐhuan - to like / to be fond of 你喜欢不喜欢中国音乐？ 欢喜 huānxǐ - happy / joyous / delighted / to like / to be fond of 她心跳加速，满心欢喜。

著名 zhùmíng - famous / noted / well-known / celebrated 我们的中文老师是一位著名的小说家。 名著 míngzhù - masterpiece, famous book, celebrated work 我最近读的名著有点太多了。

犯罪 fàn//zuì - to commit a crime / crime / offense 听到她的犯罪历史，我大吃一惊。 罪犯 zuìfàn - criminal 警察还没有抓到那些罪犯。

事故 shìgù - accident 事故的原因还在调查之中。 故事 gùshì - old practice || gùshi - narrative / story / tale 这是一个真实的故事。

女儿 nǚ'ér - daughter 他们的三个孩子都是女儿，没有儿子。 儿女 érnǚ - children / sons and daughters 儿女有赡养老人的义务。

蜜蜂 mìfēng - bee / honeybee 一只蜜蜂 蜂蜜 fēngmì - honey 一罐蜂蜜

Keep reading

Something great happened!!

Yesterday I was in an online lecture about qualitative research, everything was pretty normal until I noticed that I was writing in English instead of Spanish. I'm so excited because I finally reach the point where I can think in English.

Nominication for study?

For those unfamiliar with the expression 'nominication,' it is a Japanese portmanteau of the words 'nomu' meaning to drink and 'komyunike-shun' or communication in English. It refers to the phenomenon of enjoying communication over a drink and is a large part of Japanese culture.

Sometimes people I have met have mused over the idea of a lesson held while drinking to enjoy English communication. Overall my instinct has always been that this is an ineffective way to study, as the best way to take away results from an English lesson is through active involvement. This includes speaking and asking questions which we will achieve in a nominication- based lesson, but it also involves writing notes and clarity of mind to put together information and new language usage opportunities. I typically chuckle and say, 'good idea' because I know these spontaneous ideas rarely come to fruition.

That opinion is formed from the core of what I believe and how I plan my language lessons, but the problem is that there actually may be some benefit to such sessions. As a student of Japanese, early on I spent time making word lists, reviewing grammar points and writing out the same kanji (Japanese version of Chinese written characters) but I could barely communicate. Part of that problem was fear, but the other half was a lack of practice. It wasn't until I joined the local festival and a Bon Odori (traditional Japanese dance to honor the recently departed) called Enshu Dainenbutsu that I started to get some practice and grow my speaking skills. On top of this, my son started soccer and I took care of driving him and cheering for him, so I had many chances to interact with other parents. I discovered that after a couple of beers I was able to communicate more and it helped me make bigger steps in my speaking ability. A Time magazine article cites a research done by British and Dutch scientists where they concluded that there is a positive influence on foreign language skills after a few drinks (not too many!)

The reason is simple enough to imagine. When we are under the influence, we worry less and we speak more freely. By eliminating the overthinking factor, I found I could have longer conversations and activate words that I had thought I had forgotten. There is also room to experiment and, if we manage to ensure that we don't drink too much, we can stay aware of people's reactions and grow. I feel a reason why this can help is that language is more than math, more than science, there is an artistic element to it as well. The brain needs to grow on many different plains to increase our aptitude and confidence, which is such an important factor in reaching the next steps in communication.

So does this sway my hardliner opinion? A little. I still think structured lessons and practice are essential, especially in a business context. However students could separately enjoy the occasional session with a private teacher or language group which may help give the students a judgement free environment in which to practice their speaking capabilities. Even some classes I have taught like to have a seasonal party to relax and enjoy English communication, but a class still needs to be centered in a classroom with a pen or pencil in your hand.

I decided I want to either start with Japanese or Korean for self studying languages again. Help me out!!

I've self studied Japanese on and off for years but I consume more content in Korean on a daily basis.

Thank you lovelies <3

Daily Check-in: August 26th, 2024 🎀

first Monday of classes and it was a good day! It was super content packed so I was really tired as of like 2pm, but I managed to finish an assignment, and do some textbook reading and note taking. Didn't do as much as I wanted but I'm glad I did something. I booked a Japanese trial lesson on Italki to motivate myself to start studying Japanese again too!

🩷 What I Accomplished:

completed acct II assignment + submitted it

took notes + read (most of) chapter 1 for acct II

booked an italki lesson for japanese

requested an appointment with a study abroad advisor regarding summer study opportunities

picked up my new headphones (my old ones broke)

helped a friend who got really overwhelmed in our chem lab

drank lots of coffee without getting anxious

cooked a yummy, healthy breakfast

made a grocery list

purchased italki credits for future lessons

made a small payment towards my rent

morning skincare

morning journaling

wore a super cute outfit

💔 What Could've Gone Better

my friend didn't feel well, so no gym in the morning

drank lots of caffiene

spent more money then intended

didn't study japanese like I wanted

was super tired throughout the day

no night skincare

forgot to night time journal

💗 Stuff For Tuesday (August 27th)

study abroad appointment with advisor

study japanese minimum of 15min

attend acct II class at 9am

complete chapter 1 reading and notes for acct II + start chapter 2 (hopefully)

morning workout ✅️

look at intro to business class stuff

make new grocery list

work an ~8 hour shift

morning + night journal

morning + simple night skincare

I'm hoping Tuesday is a good, productive day for me! I love having good days so much, I'm so happy to be back to a sort of routine!

til next time lovelies 🩷

What's The Best Way To Split Up Language Learning When Learning 2+ Languages At The Same Time?

For example, I'm currently studying Spanish and Korean and will be re adding Japanese in a few months. I currently try to do specific days for specific languages but find myself doing a little of both a day.

I have a bit of a dilemma and I need some outside opinions.

I have the chance to take the next five weeks off of work (somewhat, they’d need help with some things maybe six days I know for sure in the next five weeks). During this time, I’ll receive a paycheck near the end of May, and I can file for unemployment benefits until I go to Colorado in mid June. I wanted to take this time initially to continue studying Spanish, work on my health, and build some good lifestyle habits.

however, I’ve been contacted by a different branch of my company on the university campus to help with dorm cleaning for the summer until I leave. All I know for now is that I’d work ten hours on Monday, from 7am to 5pm, and then I’d find out the schedule going forward. I don’t drive or have a car so I’m a little worried about traveling around campus for cleaning, especially since my friends aren’t going to be working with the dorm cleaning either.

part of me says take the break from work, enjoy life a little bit until you go to Colorado, and file for unemployment. (I’d work 40 hours a week for 8 weeks in Colorado). The other part of me says that I should keep working and make the money because it’ll be decently more then unemployment would give me. Mentally and emotionally, I am a bit burnt out from my semester of work and really do want some time off. But the financial aspect of it is what is keeping me torn.

what should I do?

Spanish Langblr Side Blog <3

Hello lovelies!

I want to get some more practice in my Spanish studying, specifically my writing and reading skills. I want to start posting some writing in Spanish on Tumblr but I'm a bit wary of doing so on my main profile because I feel like it's going to throw off the vibe and aesthetic of my blog. That being said, I am going to create a Spanish side blog! I hope you guys will give me a follow over there and help me out with my sentence structure, vocabulary, grammar, and just how I'm doing in Spanish overall!

Username: @ros3ybabespanish

follow the side blog if you love language learning content <3

Daily Check-in: April 7, 2024 🎀

Today was such a good, productive day. I woke up early, had my entire room and bathroom reorganized and clean before 12noon, did homework, and started my depop shop (which I'll link below!) super happy with today, has to be one of the best Sundays I've had so far!

🩷 What I Accomplished:

completed pre class stuff for chem that was due today

completed pre class stuff for chem that was due tomorrow

reorganized bedroom

cleaned bedroom

reorganized bathroom

deep cleaned my bathroom

started my depop shop + uploaded some listings

called my dad to come help donate the stuff I'm not selling (he's gonna help me tomorrow)

planned out some more stuff for this week

got an extension on the Lab report that was originally due last Wednesday but my friend has my lab book (by accident) so the profesir extended the precious extension

did dishes

cooked a yummy dinner

washed my comforter

washed my sheets + pillowcases

washed all my towels + robe

washed all my laundry and put it away

threw out a bunch of trash from my room/bathroom

decluttered my closet

did some reflecting on the previous week

🩷 Good Things That Happened:

got the extension for my lab report

got a lot done after waking up early

my dinner was really good

my depop listings are getting likes

a rental house i really want to get is back on the market

🩷 Things That Could've Been Better:

my boyfriend and I got into an arguement, so not doing that would've been better

did not drink enough water

🩷 Stuff to do tomorrow:

reading quiz for psyc

study Spanish

update depop shop a bit

financial aid meeting with advisor

work an 8 hour shift

not the worst day. It's definitely been a good day.

check out my depop shop! will be uploading listings regularly!

til next time lovelies 🩷

Daily Check-in: April 5, 2024 🎀

Friday was a decently good day! I managed to get some stuff done despite extremely fatigue (thank you womanhood), a 6.5 hour class, and crying my eyes out on zoom with my boyfriend (again, thank you womanhood). I hate having a functional female body, but I love being a woman? ughh, the confliction

🩷 What I Accomplished:

completed Chapter 9 of Spanish on Busuu

Created an excel spreadsheet to track scholarship applications that I am going to begin working on soon

watched a short YouTube interview in Spanish for some passive/active-ish learning

took a peak at the pdf Spanish textbook I'm going to begin using

read the first chapter of Essentialism (not sure if I'm going to keep reading that for now)

caught up on hand written psyc notes from the last two lectures

created a list of things for my excel spreadsheet for hosting rent options near my campus (I am moving out of my current place soon)

made my brain dump list for the week

planned out my upcoming week loosely

contacted a financial peer mentor from my university for help learning about budgeting and saving better

🩷 Good Things That Happened:

my position in my restaurant class barely changed, so I'm happy

met most of my prioritized goals

decorated one of my tracking journals with cute stickers

got confirmation that my friend is taking me to work on Saturday

had a really good day overall

got to zoom call my boyfriend twice

talked to my dad on the phone twice

my grade in one of my classes went up from a 79 to an 83

🩷 What Could've Been Better:

my friend and I accidently swapped chem lab notebooks on Thursday so I wasn't able to do my report with the extension

got told I was talking to loud during my restaurant class :(

found that I'm working with a girl I'm not too fond of (due to her controlling and "authoritative" tendencies) for my restaurant class

cried on zoom with my boyfriend because this time of year is hard for me

lots of back pain and low stomach cramping

drank a soda after having a coffee and had waayyy too much energy

didn't drink enough water or eat enough protein/vitamin-richs foods

🩷 Stuff To Do Tomorrow:

work shift 8am to 3pm

complete small Spanish study tasks

read a chapter of a book

update my brain dump list

create excel spreadsheet for renting options near the campus

look into savings template for my goals

find out how many hours I've worked to guesstimate my pay for this upcoming paycheck

complete assignment for chemistry

Saturday is going to be a good day! I am going to make sure I have a good day on Saturday because even if bad things happen, it doesn't mean my day itself was inherently bad. Gotta stay optimistic

til next time lovelies 🩷

Daily Check-in: April 4, 2024 🎀

What a good day! I swear I hadn't had a day so good in so long, but this day was absolutely amazing!

🩷 What I Accomplished Today:

reviewed chapters 8 and 9 of Spanish on Busuu

Studied my Spanish flashcards 1x all the way through

listened to three podcast episodes in spanish

read a chapter of Deep Work, the last chapter of Atomic Habits, and a section from 101 Essays to Change The Way You Think

discovered and listened to "A Better You" podcast by Fernanada Raamirez

Went to my make up chemistry lab

took a make up psyc quiz

met with my psych doctor

had a therapy session

had a meeting with the director of the Dietetic program for my university

filled out an application to become an SI instructor (just not to turn it in to the head SI guy now)

Caught up on my chemistry notes

opened a savings account for my university

searched for nearby places to rent/live (I'm moving out soon, sometime this year)

🩷 What Went Good Today:

Got encouraged to add a 2nd major in Finance

Created a list/schedule of classes for next semester that I'm really excited about

learned about other on-campus job opportunities in case SI doesn't work out

felt confident about my psyc quiz after I took it

the director of the Dietetic program was the absolute sweetest and most helpful, and I am so glad I met with her because she answered all of my questions and gave me some great encouragement

finished my chem lab very quickly

didn't need extra money to open a savings account so a savings account got opened

🩷 What Could Have Gone Better:

I felt like I bugged my dad a lot, but I was just so excited to tell him how good everything was going

Need to re evaluate how much I can realistically save per paycheck at the moment for my housing situation AND the college savings account

got a bit emotional with my boyfriend over some past stuff

did not eat the best or the healthiest

psych doc ordered an EKG because she is concerned that I may have an arrhythmia (had an EKG done in the past for the same reason, but was told it was because of my exercise habits at the time ~4 years ago) and having an arrhythmia will limit the mental health medication I am able to take

Overall, not a bad day whatsoever! I was in a really good mood all day because of how awesome everything was and I'm super grateful that I was able to have such a good day!

til next time lovelies 🩷

Nine People I'd Like To know Better

@alby-noted tagged me so I figured why not!

Last Song I Listened To: Too Sweet by Hozier or Pink Venom by Blackpink, I don't necessarily remember

Currently Watching: My Demon, Avatar The Last Airbender (Live Action), and I want to start watching Shogun and a Spanish tv show soon!

Sweet/Savoury/Spicy?: Savory and Spicy!!! (my favorite indulgent meal is spicy cheesey ramen!)

Relationship Status: about to hit 2 years with my man that I've been long distance with for the last...8 months? I love my boyfriend <3;

Current Obsession: watching study/productivity youtube videos, specifically studyquill, The Bliss Bean, Study To Success, Mikayla Mags, Lindie Botes, etc (and also being efficiently productive)

No pressure to anyone I tag! much love 🩷

@mystudyrecords @study-diaries @tokidokitokyo @gretheresa @zzzzzestforlife @slavic-roots-western-mind @winryrockbellwannabe @wonyoungismind @alcnek

I tagged people I'm mutuals with since I don't really know anyone here (besides maybe my accountability buddy zesty!)

Daily Check-in: April 3rd, 2024 🎀

Today was a weird day. My anxiety was off the walls, and I think it's because that time of the month decided to occur, which is throwing me way off. Birth control has made that not happen for 2 years so, I was definitely caught off guard. (omg I hope that's not tmi, it's just something I gotta deal with again as a woman)

🩷 What I Accomplished Today:

Reviewed Spanish Busuu Chapters 6 and 7

Reviewed all flashcards once fully through

listened to one podcast episode in spanish

completed question set about renal nutrition from my dietitian mentor

met with an advisor regarding adding a 2nd major in finance

met with my advisor and got some good advice before adding the 2nd major

emailed the director of the Dietetic program at my college to schedule a meeting

wrote chemistry notes (need to finish and catch up with this week - I've missed both lectures)

completed a chemistry homework assignment

planned tasks for tomorrow

met with dietitian mentor

scrubbed my toilet clean

🩷 Good Things That Happened:

got an extension on my chem lab report

got confirmation of taking a make up quiz for my psyc class

took an hour nap

got excused from lecture and lab today (going to make it up tomorrow)

met most of my goal tasks

my meetings with the advisors went really well

got to talk to my dad per usual, and he was supportive of the 2nd major stuff

my boyfriend was supportive of my 2nd major stuff

met a super cute blue heeler puppy that was so cute and friendly, tho she did cut my thumb slightly but it's okay cause she's just a puppy

got 7k steps in today

🩷 What Could've Been Better:

could've managed my anxiety a bit better

could've been more productive instead of doing my "productive procrastination"

need to stop trying to do academic things while sitting in bed

need to stop trying to stay awake when I randomly wake up at 4am

need to drink more water, for sure

need to work on better nutrition

Today was a weird day. But that's okay. Weird days do happen. I know now what made it weird, and I'll adapt.

Til next time lovelies 🩷

Spanish Media/Input Recommendations?

Can you guys comment me some good media/input recommendations for someone learning Mexican/Spain Spanish? I' talking about any and all that you guys find interesting, whether you learned Spanish on your own or it's your native language!

Books

Podcasts

Tv Shows

Movies

Youtube channels

Songs/Musical Artists

Favorite Spanish teachers/tutors on Italki

Literally anything!

Thank you guys <3

What classes are you taking?

For this semester,

fitness for health and sport

psychology - experimental methods

anatomy one lab

life cycle nutrition - online

personal finance

culinary class

Total of 17 credit hours

For the next semester

retaking general chemistry II + Lab

supplemental chemistry course to help me pass chem

psychology of emotion

medical terminology - online

yoga (for 1st and 2nd half of the semester)

food production class

Total of 17 credit hours

I'm studying Nutrition (major), Psychology (minor), Exercise Science (minor), and am going to add business Management (Small Business and Entrepreneurship) as a 2nd major for the next year!

I'm pretty much not graduating within 4 years as I'm adding things a little late plus I switched majors after freshman year. <3

can anyone recommend a good textbook for learning Spanish? I really like studying using textbooks and I have two from when I took Spanish classes but they are the most unhelpful textbooks ever and I absolutely despise using them unless I have no other choice.

preferably I’d like a textbook that focuses on grammar as vocabulary is pretty easy for me to pick up given how widely Spanish is spoken in my city.

I’m also open to any music, song, movie, book, tv show, and any other spanish language learning material! I want to be able to speak spanish with some of the people I work with and I think it’s a great and beautiful language for me to learn overall, and definitely will be the most helpful!

*I am still going to self study Japanese during my six week break from classes, but I am going to try to divide my time between spanish and Japanese with a stronger focus on spanish! May even start a six week language challenge during my break to keep me motivated and accountable!

so if you guys have any recommendations for someone learning spanish (and even Japanese) , please comment/reblog this!

thanks in advance <3

Language learning is so damn attractive. Like, who wouldn't look good when they spend hours understanding a language's illogical grammar and twisted vocabulary and have mental break downs because of it?

15th April 2024

I've been ignoring my language course for the past 7+ months and my final exam for it is coming closer day by day T-T

Overall a productive day...

Today I :

Completed 5 lessons with grammar in Arabic

Attended my Arabic class

Finished my homework

Read 100+ pages (still counting)

Completed a novel

Total study time: 1 hour 30 mins