Jìng yè sī 静夜思 (In a Quiet Night), a classical Chinese poem composed by Tang poet Li Bo, creates a beautiful moonlight picture in your mind. The moon is always a poetic source in Chinese literature all the time, the moon festival is another evidence too. When you have departed from home for a long time, the moonlight often makes us homesick. That’s why this poem is so popular for Chinese people for thousands of years. You can learn to understand this poem today with ChineseHour teachers here online.

Jìng yè sī 静夜思 In a Quiet Night

李白Li Bai(Tang)

chuáng qián míng yuè guāng
床 前 明 月 光，
yí shì dì shàng shuāng
疑 是 地 上 霜。
jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè
举 头 望 明 月，
dī tóu sī gùxiāng
低 头 思 故 乡。

【New Words】
静夜思 jìng yè sī, homesick in a quiet night
疑 yí, suspect 举头 jǔ tóu, raise one’s head

【English Translation】
Before my bed shine bright the silver beams,
It seems the autumn frost on the ground so gleams.
I gaze upwards toward the moon in the skies,
And downwards look when a nostalgia does arise.

【Chinese Interpretaion】
宁静的夜晚，撒满了明月的月光，我怀疑是地上的白霜。抬头看到天上的明月，低头思念起那久别自己的故乡。

【Famous Quotations】
举头望明月，低头思故乡。
I gaze upwards toward the moon in the skies,
And downwards look when a nostalgia does arise.

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Any problems in this Chinese Tang poem, please turn to our teachers online at http://www.chinesehour.com/. ChineseHour is your first place to learn Chinese online from native Chinese teachers at the comfort of your home or workplace.

Dēng Guàn-què-lóu 登鹳雀楼 At Heron Lodge

王之涣Wang Zhihuan (Tang)

bái rì yī shān jìn
白 日 依 山 尽，
huáng hé rù hǎi liú
黄 河 入 海 流。
yù qióng qiān lǐ mù
欲 穷 千 里 目，
gèng shàng yī céng lóu
更 上 一 层 楼。

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【New Words】

鹳雀楼 guàn què lóu, a pavillion name
白日 bái rì, sun 依 yī, beside 穷 qióng, end

【English Translation】

Mountains cover the white sun,
And oceans drain the golden river;
But you widen your view three hundred miles
By going up one flight of stairs.

【Chinese Interpretaion】

太阳靠着山坡渐渐落下去，黄河向着大海滔滔奔流。你若想看到无穷无尽的美丽景色，就要不断地向上攀登，登上更高一层高楼。

【Famous Quotations】

欲穷千里目，更上一层楼。

If you want to widen your view three hundred miles, you must go up one flight of stairs.

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Relevant tags: learn Chinese, learn mandarin,learn Chinese online, Chinese course, Chinese class, Chinese lessons, Chinese teachers, Chinese characters, Chinese idioms, Chinese conversation, Chinese songs, Chinese culture, travel in China, Chinese food, Chinese Tang poem, ChineseHour.

Any problems in this Chinese Tang poem, please turn to our teachers online at http://www.chinesehour.com/ . ChineseHour is your first place to learn Chinese online from native Chinese teachers at the comfort of your home or workplace.

China’s manned spacecraft Shenzhou-7 will be launched at an appropriate time between Sept. 25 and 30 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province. The information was revealed at a meeting held by the headquarters of the mission, which will accomplish the first spacewalk by Chinese astronauts.

As you know the English word “taikonaut” comes from Chinese language out of the space program in 2003, today ChineseHour selects more hot Chinese words and expressions for your Chinese learning about China’s lunnar exploration program.

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神舟七号飞船 shénzhōu qī hào fēichuán, spacecraft Shenzhou-7

载人航天工程 zǎirén hángtiān gōngchéng,manned space program

嫦娥工程 cháng-é gōngchéng, Chang’e project, China’s Lunar Exploration Project (CLEP)

太空行走 tàikōng xíngzǒu, space walk

长征运载火箭 chángzhēng yùnzǎi huǒjiàn, Long-March rocket

航天服 hángtiān fú, space suit

伴飞卫星 bàn fēi wèixīng, a satellite accompanying the fly

发射 fāshè, launch

发射场 fāshè chǎng, launch site

测控通信 cèkòng tōngxìn, communication for test and control.

着陆场 zhuólù chǎng, the landing site

酒泉卫星发射中心 jiǔquán wèixīng fāshè zhōngxīn, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

推进剂 tuījìn jì, propellant

中国时间 zhōngguóshíjiān, Chinesehour

宇航员 yǔháng yuán, spaceman, taikonaut (taiko - taikong, space)

杨利伟 Yáng Lìwěi, China’s first citizen in space (Shenzhou-5, 2003 )

“这是个人迈出的一小步，但却是人类迈出的一大步。” (Neil Armstrong)

zhèshì gèrén màichū de yī xiǎo bù, dàn quèshì rénlèi màichū de yī dà bù.

“That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”

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Any problems in these hot Chinese words and expressions, please turn to our teachers online at http://www.chinesehour.com/ . ChineseHour is your first place to learn Chinese online from native Chinese teachers at the comfort of your home or workplace.

Relevant tags: learn Chinese, learn mandarin,learn Chinese online, Chinese course, Chinese class, Chinese lessons, Chinese teachers, Chinese characters, Chinese idioms, Chinese conversation, Chinese songs, Chinese culture, travel in China, Chinese food, lifestyle in China, ChineseHour.

Do you want to invite your Chinese friends to have fun together, such as having a meal, going shopping, or asking for a dance? Let’s learn to speak Chinese with ChineseHour’s teachers online. The pattern for an invitation goes like this:

Gēnwǒ …, hǎo ma?
跟我…, 好吗？
May I invite you to … with me?
跟我 gēnwǒ, with me
好吗？hǎo ma? = OK? It is a kind way to ask permission.

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Words and phrases:

跳(个)舞 tiào (gè) wǔ, dance

吃晚饭 chī wǎnfàn, have dinner

玩 wán, play, have fun

逛街 guàngjiē, go shopping

Let’s practise now:

-May I have a dance with you?
跟我跳个舞，好吗？hǎo ma?
gēn wǒ tiào gè wǔ, hǎo ma?

-May I invite you for dinner with me?
跟我吃晚饭，好吗？
gēn wǒ chī wǎnfàn, hǎo ma?

-Could we go out for fun together?
跟我出去玩，好吗？
gēn wǒ chūqù wán, hǎo ma?

-Could you go shopping with me?
跟我去逛街，好吗?
gēn wǒ qù guàngjiē, hǎo ma?

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Relevant tags: learn Chinese, learn mandarin,learn Chinese online, Chinese course, Chinese class, Chinese lessons, Chinese teachers, Chinese characters, Chinese idioms, Chinese conversation, Chinese songs, Chinese culture, travel in China, Chinese food, lifestyle in China, ChineseHour.

Any problems in this Chinese video lesson, please turn to our teachers online at http://www.chinesehour.com/ . ChineseHour is your first place to learn Chinese online from native Chinese teachers at the comfort of your home or workplace.

Xiǎo Yàn Zi 小燕子 Little Swallow

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Learn Chinese from Chinese songs, play the MP3 file here:

Xiǎo yàn zi chuān huā yī
小燕子,穿花衣
nián nián dōng tiān lái zhè lǐ
年年春天来这里
wǒ wèn yàn zi wèi shá lái
我问燕子你为啥来
yàn zi shuō zhè lǐ chūn tiān zuì měi lì
燕子说: “这里的春天最美丽”
Xiǎo yàn zi， gàosù nǐ
小燕子,告诉你
Jīnnián zhèlǐ gèng měilì
今年这里更美丽
Wǒmen gài qǐ le dà gōngchǎng
我们盖起了大工厂
Zhuāng shàng le xīn jīqì
装上了新机器
Huānyíng nǐ
欢迎你
chángqī zhù zài zhèlǐ
长期住在这里

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English translation:

Little Swallow, wearing a floral dress.
She comes here every spring.
I asked her what she comes here for,
She said:”The spring here is most pretty.”
Little Swallow, let me tell you something:
This year here will be even more pretty,
For we’ll set up a big factory and install new machines.
You are welcome to live for long time in our city.

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Any problems in this Chinese children song, please turn to our teachers online at http://www.chinesehour.com/ . ChineseHour is your first place to learn Chinese online from native Chinese teachers at the comfort of your home or workplace.