Look again – there’s been a man in the middle staring at you the whole time!

It’s the work of renowned Chinese artist Liu Bolin. 

He meticulously paints himself so that he can blend into his surroundings unnoticed.

This isn’t your everyday art – you could say it is 别出心裁(bié chū xīn cái).

别出心裁(bié chū xīn cái) is a Chinese idiom that means something is original and creative. It’s usually used for things involving creativity, like art or marketing. 

Here’s a breakdown of the characters in 别出心裁(bié chū xīn cái):

别 (bié): other

出 (chū): it means “out” and here it could be considered to be shorthand for 想出来 (xiǎng chū lái), which means “think out”

心裁 (xīn cái): a plan or design

Here are examples 别出心裁(bié chū xīn cái) of in the wild:

Usage 1) As a Verb.

Example 1 A)

“英国公司别出心裁，电梯墙壁上贴饼干 ”

“yīng guó gōng sī bié chū xīn cái, diàn tī qiáng bì shàng tiē bǐng gān”

“This British company is original – they’ve stuck crackers on elevator walls”

Example 1 B)

“他的艺术充满特色，别出心裁，引人注目 ”

“tā de yì shù chōng mǎn tè sè, bié chū xīn cái, yǐn rén zhù mù”

“His art is filled with style – it’s original and attracts attention”

Example 1 C)

“开发商别出心裁，以抽奖活动、节目表演等形式吸引买家驻足 ”

“kāi fā shāng bié chū xīn cái, yǐ chōu jiǎng huó dòng, jié mù biǎo yǎn děng xíng shì xī yǐn mǎi jiā zhù zú “

“The developers are original — they use things like lotteries, programs, and performances to attract buyers to stop and watch”

Usage 2) 别出心裁 + 的 + Noun.

Example 2 A)

“…一种别出心裁的礼物 ”

“…yī zhǒng bié chū xīn cái de lǐ wù “

“.. a kind of present that is original“

Example 2 B)

“…一种别出心裁的宣传手法 ”

“… yī zhǒng bié chū xīn cái de xuān chuán shǒu fǎ “

“…an original kind of marketing technique”

Example 2 C)

“法国上周六举行了一次别出心裁的选美比赛 ”

“fǎ guó shàng zhōu liù jǔ xíng le yī cì bié chū xīn cái de xuǎn měi bǐ sài “

“France held an original kind of beauty pageant last Saturday”

Usage 3) 别出心裁 + 地 + Verb.

Example 3 A)

“设计师别出心裁地将红色辣椒印上连衣裙 ”

“shè jì shī bié chū xīn cái de jiāng hóng sè là jiāo yìn shàng lián yī qún “

“The designer unconventionally put red peppers on the dress”

But if a Chinese netizen has his way, it may also be known for the world’s biggest parking lot.

To solve Hangzhou’s traffic problem, Jiang Biao conceived of a parking lot that would be 28 stories high and be able to house 11,200 cars.

Jiang Biao’s post (replete with 3D drawings) has attracted over 100,000 hits and nearly 1,000 comments, which range from positive to critical.

My take? I think they’re some great drawings, but the whole idea is 异想天开 (yì xiǎng tiān kāi).

异想天开 (yì xiǎng tiān kāi) means that an idea is fanciful and unrealistic. Literally, it more or less means “a strange thought, like the sky being split open.” It can also be used to refer to a person in terms of they’re thinking.

Here’s a breakdown of the characters in 异想天开(yì xiǎng tiān kāi):

异 (yì): weird, bizarre (eg. 奇异 – qí yì)

想 (xiǎng): to think

天 (tiān): the sky

开 (kāi): to open (eg. 打开 – dǎ kāi)

Here are some examples of how Chinese people use 异想天开(yì xiǎng tiān kāi):

Usage 1) As a Verb.

Example 1 A)

“别异想天开了，那一天应该不会很快到来 “

“bié yì xiǎng tiān kāi le, nà yì tiān yīng gāi bú huì hěn kuài dào lái”

“Get your head out of the clouds, that day won’t arrive soon”

Example 1 B)

“很多人认为我异想天开。。。 “

“hěn duō rén rèn wéi wǒ yì xiǎng tiān kāi…“

“Many people think I have my head in the clouds…“

Usage 2) 异想天开 + 的 + Noun.

Example 2 A)

“这对于大部分人来说简直就是异想天开的问题 “

“zhè duì yú dà bù fen rén lái shuō jiǎn zhí jiù shì yì xiǎng tiān kāi de wèn tí “

“For most people this is a fanciful question”

Example 2 B)

“。。。那些令人惊叹、甚至是异想天开的概念车。。。”

“…nà xiē lìng rén jīng tàn, shèn zhì shì yì xiǎng tiān kāi de gài niàn chē…”

“…those concept cars that make people sigh, and are even a bit fanciful…“

Usage 3) 异想天开 + 地 + Verb.

Example 3 A)

“还是别异想天开地认为愿望必然会实现吧 “

“hái shì bié yì xiǎng tiān kāi de rèn wéi yuàn wàng bì rán huì shí xiàn ba “

“You shouldn’t fancifully assume that your wishes will necessarily become realized”

Example 3 B)

“我异想天开地以为她在通过她的家人向我暗示什么 “

“wǒ yì xiǎng tiān kāi de yǐ wéi tā zài tōng guò tā de jiā rén xiàng wǒ àn shì shén me “

“I fancifully imagined that she was hinting something at me through her family members”

What do you think of that parking lot?

It’s scientifically proven to be the best way to memorize anything.

So why hasn’t spaced repetition learning gone mainstream – in language learning and elsewhere?

How come people are still studying words in the order they wrote them down in their notebooks?

In case you’re unfamiliar with SRS (spaced repetition learning systems), it’s based on the basic premise that there is an ideal time to review anything – right when you’re about to forget it. Too early and you’re over-reviewing something you know. Too late and it’s like you’re starting from scratch. (The problem with studying words in the order they appear in your notebook is that the order is arbitrary; you overstudy some words will understudying other words).

The promise of SRS is that you can memorize more efficiently by letting computers handle the “ordering” part.

So if it’s so good why isn’t everyone using SRS? I think there are a few reasons:

1. SRS now involves text-based flashcards — not the most engaging content
2. SRS now often entails creating your own decks — tracking things down and copying and pasting — who has time for that?
3. SRS programs now are directed toward the power user — typical users can get bogged down by all the functionality

1. iron will
2. technical savvy
3. organized (some would say “anal”) personality

And this suggests that SRS adoption could be improved by:

1. Using interesting content (eg. video clips)
2. Making it easier for users to fill decks
3. Simplifying the process so that users are hardly aware that they are using SRS

With FluentFlix, we’re working on an easier, simpler, and more fun way to do SRS. Stay tuned!

Just make a 9 minute video where you imitate 12 different people — with accents ranging from Chinese, French, Russian, Japanese, to American. Worked for an American in China named Mike Sui!

We have a chengyu for a chameleon like this: 千变万化 (qiān biàn wàn huà).

千变万化 (qiān biàn wàn huà) literally means “one thousand changes and ten thousand transformations,” and it basically means that something is constantly changing. 

Here’s a breakdown of the characters in 千变万化 (qiān biàn wàn huà):

千 (qiān): a thousand; here it just represents a large number

变 (biàn): to change (eg. 改变 – gǎi biàn)

万 (wàn): ten thousand; here it just represents a large number

化 (huà): to transform (eg. 变化 – biàn huà - a change or transformation)

Here are some real examples of how to use 千变万化 (qiān biàn wàn huà).

Usage 1) As a Verb.

Example 1 A)

“股票市场千变万化 “

“gǔ piào shì chǎng qiān biàn wàn huà“

“The stock market is constantly changing“

Example 1 B)

“魔术师帽的形状一般不会有太大的变化，但材质可以千变万化 “

“mó shù shī mào de xíng zhuàng yì bān bú huì yǒu tài dà de biàn huà, dàn cái zhì kě yǐ qiān biàn wàn huà “

“Magicians’ hats are typically not that different in terms of shape, but the material can be of all kinds“

Example 1 C)

“大自然千变万化，不同季节景色各异 “

“dà zì rán qiān biàn wàn huà, bù tóng jì jié jǐng sè gè yì”

“Nature changes constantly, and different seasons have different scenery”

Example D)

“随着生活条件越来越好，我们的饮食也在千变万化 ”

“suí zhe shēng huó tiáo jiàn yuè lái yuè hǎo, wǒ men de yǐn shí yě zài qiān biàn wàn huà “

“Along with the improvement of living conditions, our food is also constantly changing“

Usage 2) 千变万化+的+Noun.

Example 2 A)

“瓷砖的神奇在于可以拥有千变万化的色彩 “

“cí zhuān de shén qí zài yú kě yǐ yōng yǒu qiān biàn wàn huà de sè cǎi “

“The magic of porcelain is in that it can possess ever changing colors”

Example 2 C)

“在这个千变万化、丰富多样的世界中…”

“zài zhè gè qiān biàn wàn huà, fēng fù duō yàng de shì jiè zhōng…”

“In this ever changing, abundant, and diverse world…”

Example 2 D)

“音乐以它千变万化的形式，承载着各种各样的情感 “

“yīn yuè yǐ tā qiān biàn wàn huà de xíng shì, chéng zài zhe gè zhǒng gè yàng de qíng gǎn “Thr

“Music, through its ever changing forms, carries with it many different kinds of emotions.”

A zookeeper at the Beijing zoo was cleaning up after the ostriches, and overheard a passing woman telling her son “if you don’t study hard, then you’ll have to do this!”

“不好好学习就得干这个！”

“bù hǎo hǎo xué xí jiù děi gàn zhè gè!”

“If you don’t study hard, then you’ll have to do this!”

Chinese netizens saw this and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry — being a zookeeper requires a master’s degree! And they went on to poke fun at their own professions.  They’ve been writing their responses under the hashtag: #不好好学体#

Here are our 4 favorites:

4. “My dad told me ever since I was little that if I didn’t study hard I’d do tough manual labor… I studied hard and I don’t even have a job…”

“老爸从小教育我不好好学习就会就做苦力，后来我好好学习了，连工作都没了……”

“lǎo bà cóng xiǎo jiào yù wǒ bù hǎo hǎo xué xí jiù huì jiù zuò kǔ lì, hòu lái wǒ hǎo hǎo xué xí le, lián gōng zuò dōu méi le ……”

3. “There are often parents who say the same things about us mechanics — it’s because I studied hard that I was able to do this!

“也经常有家长指着我们机车师傅这么说！我就是因为好好学习，才干上这个的。”

“yě jīng cháng yǒu jiā zhǎng zhǐ zhe wǒ men jī chē shī fu zhè me shuō! wǒ jiù shì yīn wèi hǎo hǎo xué xí, cái gàn shàng zhè gè de.”

2. “IT: don’t try hard when you’re young, and you’ll end up doing IT when you’re old.”

“IT：少壮不努力，老大搞IT。”

“IT: shǎo zhuàng bù nǔ lì, lǎo dà gǎo IT.”

1. “Media: Before my dad said if I don’t study hard then every day I’ll be tired as hell.. and then I decided to be a media major…”

“传媒：以前我爸说不好好学习就得每天累死，后来我选了传媒专业……”

“chuán méi: yǐ qián wǒ bà shuō bù hǎo hǎo xué xí jiù děi měi tiān lèi sǐ, hòu lái wǒ xuǎn le chuán méi zhuān yè ……”

Do you have any to contribute?

So, our Top 10 Tweets of April based on re-tweets and general awesomeness are as follows:

10. 白手起家 - 4/23
(bái shǒu qǐ jiā): to start from scratch and build one’s fortune.
要想白手起家，就必须能吃苦，而且还要有毅力。

9. 叫嚣 / 叫囂 - 4/13
(jiào xiāo): to clamor; to cry out in protest.
他驾车在路上撞伤了人，不仅不道歉，反而叫嚣道：“我爸是公安局长，我不怕！”

8. 逗 - 4/6
(dòu): to tease; to play with.
下班回家，他都要逗一会儿他刚出生的儿子。

7. 一念之差 - 4/2
(yī niàn zhī chā): a momentary slip; a bad decision made in a moment of weakness.
他落到今天的地步，完全是由于当初的一念之差。

6. 炒鱿鱼 / 炒魷魚 - 4/4
(chǎo yóu yú): to be fired from one’s job.
由于经常迟到，他被老板炒鱿鱼了。

5. 独一无二 / 獨一無二 - 4/5
(dú yī wú èr): unique; unlike anything else.
这块钻石是世界上独一无二的。

4. 有助于 / 有助於 - 4/10
(yǒu zhù yú): to be conducive to; to be helpful to.
这样做有助于别人更好地了解你的动机。

3. 吃软饭 / 吃軟飯 - 4/11
(chī ruǎn fàn): to live off of a woman; to rely on a woman for financial support.
他什么事情都要靠他老婆，同事们都笑他，说他是吃软饭的。

2. 想得美  - 4/26
(xiǎng de měi): “you wish”; “nice try”.
你想跟我谈恋爱？想得美！

And our number 1 tweet of the month is…

放电 / 放電 - 4/3
(fàngdiàn): to attract or seduce a person with a look (lit. to give off electricity)
你看，对面那男的在对你放电啊！他是不是对你有意思？

There were quite a few good ones in there, (especially number 2) but 放电 / 放電 takes the cake for us. You’re not going to find 放电 / 放電 in most dictionaries just yet because it’s a relatively new term. It’s fun because a) it equates electricity to attraction and seduction –  which is not only an interesting visual, but one we think most people can relate to (That girls electric! …No?), and b) it describes something that’s otherwise only describable as ‘that look’, which just isn’t as cool of a way to say it.

What about you? Have you bumped into any of these terms? What’s your favorite?

To get our tweets as they come, follow us on Twitter at @FluentFlix!

Instead of going to see the doctor, how about going to the ATM to find some money to count?

Chinese netizens are buzzing over an award-winning scientific finding by researchers at Zhongshan University that counting money can relieve pain. You can read their comments under the hashtag: #数钱可以缓解疼痛#(shǔ qián kě yǐ huǎn jiě téng tòng).

数 (shǔ): to count

钱 (qián): money.

可以 (kě yǐ): can

缓解 (huǎn jiě): to relieve

疼痛 (téng tòng): pain

The finding earned the researchers this year’s Pineapple Science award in the field of psychology. Despite it’s name, the Pineapple Science award seems to be a real award and not a joke. Organized by the Zhejiang Science and Technology Museum and Guokr.com (a science learning site), the award is given to scientific achievements that are funny, real, and can get people curious and passionate about science.

It’s not clear whether any scientists will come out of this, but netizens are having fun with it.

Here are our 4 favorite comments:

4. “Let’s exchange 10,000 RMB worth of change so we can count it”

我们去换一万块的零钱来数吧。

wǒ men qù huàn yī wàn kuài de líng qián lái shǔ ba.

3. “If you keep counting it over and over, it’s still the same amount of money — isn’t that sad?”

如果数来数去，还是这么些钱，那不是悲剧了吗？

rú guǒ shǔ lái shǔ qù, hái shì zhè me xiē qián, nà bú shì bēi jù le ma?

2. “Does this mean bank tellers are the happiest?”

是不是银行的出纳员是最幸福的啊？

shì bu shì yín háng de chū nà yuán shì zuì xìng fú de a?

1. “Then does remembering money you spent increase your pain?”

那回忆花出去的钱，会增加疼痛感吗？

nà huí yì huā chū qù de qián, huì zēng jiā téng tòng gǎn ma?”

 Hope you liked this one!

If this is the first time you’re hearing about FluentFlix, FluentFlix helps you learn Chinese through the web’s best online videos — anything from music videos and movie trailers, to news and inspiring talks.

We made FluentFlix to improve on traditional tools for language learning, which too often are boring, stiff, and not personalized.

We think you’ll like it because FluentFlix is based on many principles related to this blog:

• that it’s best to learn languages in the wild
• that it’s best to learn through authentic video content
• that learning words in context is essential

Another way to put it is that FluentFlix helps you learn Chinese by actually engaging words through memorable experiences.

Sign up now at our homepage if you’re interested in getting free, early access during our beta!

• The earlier you sign up, the earlier you get access (official launch will be near the end of this year).
• When you sign up, you will get a referral link – the more people you refer, the earlier you get access.
• You have free access during the duration of the private beta.
• Your feedback will have a major impact on the development of the site. Tell us what you want and there’s a high chance we’ll make it.

Though it’s still early, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive (this is real feedback from strangers, not our moms):

• “Alan – as you know, first impressions are massive. In only 10 seconds I realized FluentFlix is a fantastic product! Seriously, I’ve never seen anything like it and would strongly consider using it”
• “I am impressed with the creative thought that went behind developing the website and the quality and functionality of what is still a beta product.”
• “I love it!   I think you really have something here!”

We’ve got a lot planned. Stay tuned!

How about the differences between them?

They might sound similar but they’re actually different – don’t get them mixed up!

The best place to start is with 好笑 (hǎo xìao). 好笑 (hǎo xìao) is the most basic, vanilla way to say “funny.” It’s a neutral / positive word and you can use it in most situations that you find funny.

Example 1)

“当他演给你看的时候你会觉得很好笑“

“dāng tā yǎn gěi nǐ kàn de shí hou nǐ huì jué de hěn hǎo xiào ”

“When he acts, you’ll find it really funny“

Example 2)

“这是一个看上去很好笑的故事 ”

“zhè shì yí gè kàn shàng qù hěn hǎo xiào de gù shi “

“This looks like a very funny story”

But don’t confuse 好笑 (hǎo xìao) with 可笑 (kě xiào) – you might insult the people around you and that might not be very funny!

Unlike 好笑 (hǎo xìao)， 可笑 (kě xiào) is usually used for people or incidents that are especially stupid or ridiculous. To put it another way, if you call someone 好笑 (hǎo xìao) then you are usually laughing with them. But if you say they’re 可笑 (kě xiào) then you’re laughing at them. So typically, when you’re talking to someone, you use 可笑  (kě xiào) to refer to a 3rd party so that you and your friend can laugh at them together. But in many situations 可笑 can be used interchangeably with 好笑 (eg. Example 3).

Example 3)

“某些国家说朝鲜准备发射导弹是非常可笑的事情 “

“mǒu xiē guó jiā shuō cháo xiǎn zhǔn bèi fā shè dǎo dàn shì fēi cháng kě xiào de shì qíng “

“Some countries say that North Korea preparing to fire a missile is a really ridiculous thing”

Example 4)

“回忆当时的滑稽情形，于德翔自己都觉得可笑 ”

“huí yì dāng shí de huá jī qíng xíng, yú dé xiáng zì jǐ dōu jué de kě xiào  ”

“Thinking back to comical situation, even Yu Dexiang himself thought it was ridiculous“

Example 5)

“。。。苹果公司遇到的一些非常可笑的法律诉讼 ”

“…píng guǒ gōng sī yù dào de yì xiē fēi cháng kě xiào de fǎ lǜ sù sòng “

“…some very ridiculous lawsuits encountered by Apple”

好笑 (hǎo xìao) and 可笑 (kě xiào) are also different from 幽默 (yōu mò), which means “humorous.” Like “humorous,” 幽默 (yōu mò) sounds more sophisticated. You can think Mark Twain or the awesome and amazing Joe Wong for 幽默 (yōu mò).  A related word is 幽默感 (yōu mò gǎn), which means “sense of humor.”

Example 6)

“他的幽默感染了每一个人 ”

“tā de yōu mò gǎn rǎn le měi yí gè rén “

“His sense of humor infected everyone”

Example 7)

“西方科学家，有的多才多艺，有的诙谐幽默 ”

“xī fāng kē xué jiā, yǒu de duō cái duō yì, yǒu de huī xié yōu mò “

“Some western scientists are multi-talented, and some are humorous“

 Hope you enjoyed this post!

Chris is a great example of someone who’s taken language learning into their own hands. After coming to Taipei to learn Chinese, Chris started out at a local university’s language learning program, but quickly found the  learning environment stifling. After finishing the program and starting to work full-time, he was still determined to learn Chinese with the little time that he had. With books, music, movies, language partners, and a newly formed self-directed approach, Chris’s Chinese started progressing and he’s been on an upward journey ever since.

Chris was kind enough to share some details about his personal experience, methods, opinions, and of course – valuable advice. Enjoy!

What’s your approach to learning Chinese?

Since I work full time, my approach is to use what time I have, to do what I can – but not place a ton of pressure on myself to learn too fast. The minute I start pressuring myself or comparing myself with others is when I start getting frustrated and stop enjoying the learning process. I’ve accepted that this is a long term journey that I chose to go on, and so I’m allowed to travel at my own pace.
What methods have been the most useful to you along the way?

I think the method that I’m currently using has been quite effective for someone in my situation. Basically, I study in my textbook for an hour a day, meet with a tutor for a few hours on Fridays, and use flashcards and game apps during the week to help solidify what I’m learning. I also try to go out a least a few times a week and just speak Chinese to people, either in the markets or the bars, and watch some Chinese movies during the week.

Also, some months ago I decided to start doing language exchanges again. This time though, I wanted to structure them differently. In the past, I found language exchanges to be pretty awkward. It felt really hard to find things to talk about, and they would always just degrade into speaking English the whole time anyways. So, I decided that I wanted something more like a tutor exchange. I would bring a list of about 10 words I was trying to add to my vocabulary and ask the person to focus just on these words – helping me to fully comprehend their use. Most people weren’t expecting this of course and it seemed to throw people off (particularly those who I felt just wanted to sit around and chat with me in English, or be on a date with me.) But, the technique worked really well for me. It not only helped me fully learn my new vocab, but it also helped me quickly find people who were good language exchange partners for me.

On a related note – any tools you’ve found particularly useful or just plain essential? 

The Anki flash card app is pretty essential for me and I use it almost daily. But, I do have to say that there seems to be a lot of room for new and interesting language learning apps. I found that while using a text book and flash card app is effective for learning new vocab, it gets boring really quickly for someone like me. I’m a visual person and actually hate just sitting around memorizing things. I’m constantly trying to find new ways to keep myself motivated.

I also recently discovered one of the best language learning game apps I’ve seen so far. It’s called MindSnacks. Although it has its own kinks to be worked out, it’s one of the best of its kind. It’s fun to play and will help you learn new words as well. For me, an app like this works well when I know I should be studying but I’m just sick of it. I can play this MindSnacks app and it feels more like entertainment than education.

I also watch a lot of Chinese movies and listen to lots of Chinese music. This is entertainment too, and I find that if I can turn my entertainment into learning experiences at the same time, then I’ll learn more fully.

If you could go back and talk to yourself when you were just starting to learn Chinese – what would you say to yourself?

Don’t expect it to all happen overnight. For most of us, the learning takes a lot of time, and a lot of effort. Sure, if you can afford a full-time one-on-one tutor and spend your days just speaking chinese, you’ll learn quicker. But for those of us who’s time and money is more limited, it’s going to be a longer process – but, that’s OK. Don’t stress out about it. Do what you can and don’t worry about making a fool of yourself. Think of yourself as being at a certain age in the language. I’m currently speaking like a six-year-old in Chinese, so it’s OK if I mess up. I’m six for crying out loud!

What’s your favorite thing about learning Chinese?

My favorite thing about learning Chinese is the new doors it opens up to you while living abroad. The better I get, the better and more interesting my quality of life seems to be while living here. I have the opportunity to meet more types of people. I’m not just limited to the English speaking communities anymore. I also enjoy the pure challenge of it. For me, learning a second language is a journey with a whole different array of challenges that change dramatically overtime and as you progress. One week I’ll feel as if I’ve made a lot of progress, and the next I’ll feel as if that progress wasn’t any real progress at all because I’ve realized a whole new set of obstacles – but, it’s interesting and something to continually work on. I always thought about learning a second language but never did anything about it, and now that its actually happening. It feels great.

Chris writes at From Here to Over There where he blogs about his life and times in Taipei, Taiwan.