My Favorite Poetry Books (free PDF Or Epub)

©AirRabbitYan

Moonlight At Suzhou ,China   -  Elizabeth Keith , 1924.

Scottish, 1887-1956

Woodblock , 17 -¼ x 13 -½ in.

Whisper of the Heart 耳をすませば 1995 | dir. Yoshifumi Kondō

reading web novels/articles for traditional chinese mandarin language learners

if you’re like me and want to eventually make reading your primary way of learning chinese characters, you’ll notice that a lot of the resources online are using simplified characters. new tong wen tang (chrome; firefox) is a browser extension that will help you convert webpages between simplified and traditional chinese. and regardless of the writing system, another helpful extension to have is zhongwen (chrome; firefox), which adds the ability to hover over a chinese character and see a pop-up containing the pinyin and english translation of a word.

before enabling the two extensions (notice how everything is in simplified!):

after enabling new tong wen tang and zhongwen (text has been converted to traditional chinese and doesn’t interfere with zhongwen’s pop-up dictionary):

Roadtrip snacks and essentials

Some language learning exercises and tips

These are some of the activities I do. Maybe you'll find them helpful:

Write a mock dating profile for yourself. Describe yourself, list your hobbies and interests, hopes for the future, likes and dislikes, and the qualities you're looking for in a partner. Enjoyed it? Write one for your favourite character/OC.

Try to find a Youtuber who plays your favourite game and does commentary in your target language. I watch this guy a lot.

Describe locations in your favourite books, games, movies, TV shows etc. I like to wander the Hitman maps and write about the different areas, NPCs, and situations I observe.

Write a mock interview with your character/influential figure of choice.

Choose a fairy tale and write your interpretation of it in your target language.

When you're cooking, say what you're doing out loud as if you were talking to a studio audience.

Imagine your mutuals are coming to your city for a visit. Write up a lil guidebook for them describing places of interest. Write an itinerary to practice using the future tense and "first", "then", "after that", etc statements.

A chalk marker might be useful to you. I write important words and phrases that I'm having trouble remembering on my bathroom mirror. I just wipe them away with a damp cloth later.

Review books, albums, movies etc in your target language. Either write down your review or record yourself talking about it.

Hello! Do you happen to have a master post of all of your asks/posts anywhere? Just to help me navigate! ^^

Hi, thanks for the question! (Image via duitang)

For all my own posts, please see my China tag (that’s the tag I use for my original posts).For navigation via tags, my Tags page has links to common & useful tags on my blog. I’ll be updating the Tags page and this Masterpost as needed ^^.

Ziseviolet’s Replies Masterpost, Part 1 (Part 2):

Hanfu Terms:

What is Hanfu?

Guide to the different types of Hanfu

Hanfu names

My favorite Hanfu style - Part 2

Top 10 most popular Hanfu styles of 2018

Unisex Hanfu

Formal Hanfu

Difference between Ru & Shan

Banbi (half-sleeve jacket)

Bijia (sleeveless jacket)

Zhaojia (men’s Bijia)

Difference between Bijia & Banbi

Daxiushan (large-sleeve robe) - Pt 2

Difference b/w Beizi/Daxiushan/Dachang

Yuanlingpao (round-collar robe) - Pt 2 / 3

Difference b/w Tang & Ming Yuanlingpao

Hezi (chest undergarment accessory)

Weichang (short outer skirt)

Doupeng (cloak/cape)

Parallel/straight collars

U-collars (Tanling)

Aoqun & Pipa Xiu (pipa sleeves)

Jian Xiu (arrow sleeves)

Winter Hanfu - Part 1, Part 2

Casual/adventurer type Hanfu (Shuhe)

Hanfu sleepwear

Mourning Hanfu (Sangfu)

Burial Hanfu (Shouyi)

Waist-high Ruqun from Wei/Jin dynasties

Identifying Hanfu in a photoset

Chinese armor

What does Dunhuang style mean?

Hanfu History:

Did Hanfu exist after the Han dynasty

Comparison/charts of Hanfu from different dynasties

“Left-over-right” rule of crossed-collar Hanfu - Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4

Children’s Hanfu - Part 1, Part 2

What type of Hanfu would old women wear

Commoner’s Hanfu - Part 2

Poor people’s Hanfu

Hanfu and cleavage - Part 2

Han dynasty Ruqun & footwear

Three Kingdoms period Hanfu

Northern & Southern dynasties Hanfu

What Mulan would’ve worn

Tang dynasty emperor’s Hanfu

Was Daxiushan restricted to royal ladies

What Hanfu did people wear in winter

Song dynasty Hanfu styles

Ming dynasty skirts

Ming dynasty summer Hanfu

Yuan/Qing dynasty Hanfu - Part 1, Part 2

Symbolism of Orange-Red and Turquoise color combination

Hanfu for empress/noblewoman

Differences b/w contemporary & historical Hanfu

Books & magazines on Hanfu - Pt 2, Pt 3

Wedding Hanfu:

What are the colors of wedding Hanfu?

Wedding Hanfu recs

Pictures of wedding Hanfu

Wedding Hanfu accessories

Manchurian vs Han wedding attire

Why couples both wear red even when it’s not the traditional color for certain styles

Modernized/Modified Hanfu:

Incorporating Hanfu styles in a modern way 

Combining Hanfu & modern styles

Modified Hanfu shops recs - Pt 2

Men’s modified Hanfu shops recs

Websites that sell modernized Hanfu

Where to buy modernized Hanfu

Modified Hanfu shops in the West

Identifying Chi Xia’s modernized Hanfu

Hanfu Accessories:

Pibo (long scarf) - Part 2

Tuanshan (rigid fan) - Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4

Difference b/w Tuanshan & Folding fan

Jinbu (waist ornament) - Part 2

Hebao (purse) - Part 2

My tag for Chinese hats/headgear

Weimao (veiled hat) - Part 1, Part 2

Weimao (veiled hat) Taobao Recs

Tiger hats

Douli (conical hat)

Yingluo & Xiangquan (necklaces) - Pt 2

Traditional Chinese earrings

Meaning & History of Jade

Bangshoudai (hand wraps) & Huwan (wrist guards) - Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4

Panbo (strings to tie up sleeves)

Miansha & Mianlian (Veils) - Part 2

Nail guards - Part 2

Hanfu Shoes

Hanfu boots (xue)

Hu Ban (ritual tablet)

Hanfu Hair Accessories:

Names of Chinese hair ornaments

Shop recs for hair accessories

Hanfu hair accessories

Fabric flower hairpins for Hanfu

Ronghua (velvet flowers) - buy & make

Hair accessories for fine hair

Phoenix crowns (Fengguan)

Lotus crowns

Miao silver hair accessories - Pt 1, Pt 2

Huasheng (forehead ornament)

Hairpin styling question

Fasheng (hair rope) & fakou (hair buckle)

My tag for Chinese hats/headgear

Jewelry boxes for hair accessories

Hanfu Hairstyles:

Hanfu hairstyle tutorials

Traditional hairstyles

My favorite hairstyle

Pre coming-of-age ceremony hairstyles for Han girls

Looped hairstyles in “The Empress of China”

Tang dynasty pinned peony hairstyle

Ming dynasty hairstyles

Dynasty with long loose hairstyle

Did ancient Chinese people have bangs

Half-up half-down hairstyles

Short hair and Hanfu

Simple hairstyles for shoulder-length hair

Makeup:

Huadian (forehead decoration) - Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4, Pt 5

Did men wear Huadian

Traditional Chinese makeup ingredients

Tang dynasty lip makeup

What makeup is used to replicate traditional makeup styles

Men’s Hanfu:

Hanfu styles for men

Men’s formal Hanfu

Types of men’s Hanfu

Resources for men’s historical hanfu styles

Pictures of men’s Hanfu

Dachang (open-fronted robe)

Zhiduo vs Daopao

Yesa/Yisan vs Tieli

Yichang vs Yesa/Yisan

Men’s Hanfu blog recs

Men’s Headwear/Hairstyles:

Historical hairstyles for men

Did men wear ponytails

Men’s hair accessories

Where to buy Xiao Guan

Men’s hairstyles & Guan

Guan (headdress) - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Guan & Mianguan

How bald men put up hair with a Guan

Fangjin (four-cornered flat cap)

Hanfu Undergarments:

Hanfu undergarments guide - Pt 2, Pt 3

Children’s Hanfu undergarments 

Hanfu petticoats - Part 1, Part 2

Emperor’s undergarment for Mianfu

Dudou (chest undergarment)

Lower body Neiyi (underwear)

Zhongyi & Neiyi

Wearing Hanfu:

Tutorials on wearing Hanfu

How to put together a Hanfu outfit

Mixing hanfu from different dynasties

Plus-sized Hanfu - Part 1, Part 2

Girl wearing men’s Hanfu

Wearing Hanfu made for a gender you are not part of

Chest-high Ruqun for big-chested figures

Chest-high Ruqun skirt slippage

Is Hanfu hard to wear/sew

Is Hanfu comfortable to wear

Are chest-high styles restrictive for the chest - Part 1, Part 2

Hanfu renting/dressing up

Photo studios for renting Hanfu and taking pictures in Shanghai

Do people in China still wear Hanfu - Pt 2

Events in present-day China where people wear Hanfu

Making Hanfu:

Resources for sewing Hanfu - Pt 1, Pt 2

Hanfu sewing patterns - Pt 1, Pt 2

Buying Hanfu sewing patterns

Making Hanfu by hand - Part 2

Making Chest-high Ruqun

Making Hanfu with patterned cloth

Using shiny brocade fabric

Young people learning to sew Hanfu

Buying Hanfu & Hanfu Accessories:

My recs for places to buy Hanfu - Part 2

Where to buy Hanfu & Chinese hair accessories  - Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3

Recs for places to buy hanfu accessories that aren’t based in China or have an English website

How to buy Hanfu on Taobao

International shipping on Taobao

Using a Taobao agent

Posts with links to where to buy Hanfu

Recs for non-Taobao Hanfu shops

Buying Hanfu in US/Washington DC

Hanfu shops in Shanghai

Where to buy Hanfu in Hong Kong

Hanfu shops in Singapore

Recs for colorful & flowy Hanfu

How to search for large-sleeved crossed-collar Ruqun on Taobao

Taobao shops that regularly carry larger sizes for men’s Hanfu  

Shops that sell Hanfu w/natural fabrics

Where to find Hanfu for pageants

Hanfu from Aliexpress with right side over left

Hanfu brand Qinghuige’s Taobao page

Where to buy crane-print skirts

Where to commission high-quality screen-accurate Hanfu

How to find Hanfu for BJDs

Hanfu in films/dramas/animations, Pt 1 (more in Pt 2 of Masterpost):

Hanfu in television dramas

Q&A on cdrama “The Empress of China” is in Pt 2 of Masterpost!

Q&A on cdrama “The Rise of Phoenixes” is in Pt 2 of Masterpost!

Q&A on donghua “Modaozushi” & cdrama “The Untamed” is in Pt 2 of Masterpost!

Q&A on Mulan (including Disney’s animated & live-action Mulan films) is in Pt 2 of Masterpost!

Hanfu Revival Movement:

What direction I think the Hanfu Movement will take

The motivations for the Hanfu Movement

How I feel about the inconsistency of the Hanfu Movement

Comparison with Kimono and Hanbok:

Comparing Hanfu & Kimono (padding)

Comparing Hanfu & Kimono inspired figure skating costumes

Comparing Hanfu & Hanbok (resources)

Reviewing tones as an intermediate in Chinese

As a beginner it takes a bit of time to become accustomed to be able to hear the difference in tones, yet alone pronounce them very correctly. By the time you get to intermediate you probably can hear the difference in tones but you may still have trouble pronouncing every single word correctly. However you most likely have a number of words that you have heard so often that you do pronounce correctly. For example 中国 zhong1 guo2, I bet most intermediates pronounce this is the correct tone as it is a word occurring so often that our brains automatically imitate pronunciations. However, when we encounter a new word we may have difficulty getting the tone just right, and then you need to remember it too.

I have two bits of advice that may help with this, that I myself am using to improve my tones over time:

As soon as you learn a new word, repeat at least 10 times in the correct tone.

As I said when speaking Chinese, you are speaking at a speed that you don’t have time to remember which tone the word is, you say it how you remember it. So when you learn a new word you want to try to cement the correct ‘rhythm’ (or tone) of the word in your head. If you remember the incorrect one it may be difficult to undo this. (i remember I pronounced 文化 as wen2 hua2 for the longest time and it was difficult to change this to wen2 hua4 in my head when i discovered i had been saying it all wrong!)

Memorise a few ‘tone pairs’ to remember the ‘rhythm’ when you learn a new word.

Hacking Chinese ( https://www.hackingchinese.com/focusing-on-tone-pairs-to-improve-your-mandarin-pronunciation/ ) has a great article on tone pairs and it’s merits. Recently when i learn a new word I recall the 'model’ word that I have for that particular tone pair, say it a few times to remember the 'rhythm’ of the word, the n say the new word I want to learn in that same rhythm, therefore it will help saying the word in the correct tone.

For example, lets say I learnt the new word  生活 sheng1 huo2, this has the same tone pair as 中国, therefore when i learn 生活 i can easily recall how 中国 is pronounced and imitate the same rythym when i said 生活. I created a table for myself with the tone pairs and so each time I encounter, for example any word that is first tone-second tone (such as 中国), then i can recall the rythym easily in my head.

This table has a list of words that I subconsciously pronounce with the correct tones as a result of hearing them so many times, there are however too many words that i don’t pronounce in the correct tone, hence i use this method to help :P

(ignore my terrible handwriting!)

Please try this out and let me know if you try this out and how it works for you??

Some language learning exercises and tips

These are some of the activities I do. Maybe you'll find them helpful:

Write a mock dating profile for yourself. Describe yourself, list your hobbies and interests, hopes for the future, likes and dislikes, and the qualities you're looking for in a partner. Enjoyed it? Write one for your favourite character/OC.

Try to find a Youtuber who plays your favourite game and does commentary in your target language. I watch this guy a lot.

Describe locations in your favourite books, games, movies, TV shows etc. I like to wander the Hitman maps and write about the different areas, NPCs, and situations I observe.

Write a mock interview with your character/influential figure of choice.

Choose a fairy tale and write your interpretation of it in your target language.

When you're cooking, say what you're doing out loud as if you were talking to a studio audience.

Imagine your mutuals are coming to your city for a visit. Write up a lil guidebook for them describing places of interest. Write an itinerary to practice using the future tense and "first", "then", "after that", etc statements.

A chalk marker might be useful to you. I write important words and phrases that I'm having trouble remembering on my bathroom mirror. I just wipe them away with a damp cloth later.

Review books, albums, movies etc in your target language. Either write down your review or record yourself talking about it.

Crafting a language self-learning curriculum (sort of)

In my experience textbooks aren’t really the best way to learn after you’ve passed a certain level. They’re incredibly useful for beginners to learn grammar and vocab but after that they don’t offer a lot of activities that help you implement your learning in a way that reflects how you will actually use it. 

It’s also near impossible to learn a language without help. Don’t isolate yourself just because you are self-learning rather than taking lessons. You NEED to talk to native speakers, both through text messages and actual verbal conversations. Colloquial conversations will differ greatly to formal an ‘correct’ ones spoken in a classroom. 

1. The first step I suggest when creating a curriculum is to know what your goal is. Are you planning to move to the country the language is spoken in? Do you want to study as a way to better understand and appreciate the culture? 

2. The next would be to gauge what level you are at through taking a language competency test. This is mostly so you have an idea of what you do know and what is considered the universal “next step” to give yourself a general direction to head towards. 

3. Write down topics that interest you. For me these would be my career (marketing and digital media), my interests (video games, ttrpgs, fashion, history, horror novels), and important parts of my identity (my religion, my sexuality, my partner, my disability) etc. I didn’t bother writing down anything I already know such as how to talk about my family, how to talk about my country of birth, or hobbies commonly written in textbooks such as reading, swimming, camping. 

4. Now come up with a list of general activities to cover your listening, writing, reading and speaking skills. Some examples are listed below: 

Listening: 

Watch 5 minutes of the news - recaps or weekly rundowns are great for this 

Listen to an audio book for half an hour whilst cooking, cleaning, commuting etc. 

Create playlists of music you actually like in your target language - you can further this by watching interviews about the artists or watching any live performances/streams they have done. 

Writing:

Write 1-2 paragraphs about a chosen topic without any dictionary or vocab list aid, any words you cannot remember or do not know just write in your native language. Return with a dictionary to fill in these missing words after and ask a native speaker to make any corrections they can spot and finally rewrite everything with all the corrections (taken from Lindie Botes). 

Write practice professional emails, blog-posts, product reviews, leave comments under Instagram posts etc. Make sure to learn how to write in different situations: how does writing an email to your boss differ from writing to your colleague? How are businesses addressed on review sites? What changes when writing a blog for fashion from one about politics? Learn these nuances. 

Text your native speaker friends - simple but necessary 

Reading: 

Read and summarise a key news article from this week 

Read a page from a book in your target language, highlight any unknown words to return to. Write out the sentences these words occurred in then the words on their own with their definition and create a new sentence using them. My key tip for this is not to be too ambitious with what you are reading. Don’t try to read an epic fantasy, instead focus on short stories and books for children aged around 5-10. As you improve you can read more complicated plots but just because you are familiar with the book in your native language does not mean you will understand what is going on. 

Speaking 

Record yourself leaving fake voice mails. This can be for a doctor’s appointment, inquiring about a job, asking to hangout with a friend etc. Keep it short and tone appropriate. This also gives you the opportunity to research phone etiquette in that culture. 

Talk. To. Native. Speakers.

5. Combine your topics of interest with activities to give you something that should resemble almost a lesson plan. 

Example: