Literal Translations
Invented in China? (True or False)
Fact or Fiction
Character Combos
100

熊猫: "bear + cat"

Panda

100
Fireworks
True. Bamboo stalks were thrown in fire to pop and scare off evil spirits, and gunpowder came later.
100
You can see the Great Wall from the moon with your own eyes.
Fiction. It's long but too narrow.
100
木 means "tree." What does 林 mean?
Forest (two trees)
200
火车: "fire + vehicle"
Train
200
Pizza
False. Italy
200
All of China uses just one time zone, even though it's as wide as the U.S.
Fact
200
火 means "fire" and 山 means "mountain." What is 火山?
Volcano
300
电脑: "electric + brain"
Computer
300
Toilet paper
True. Recorded in China by the 500s AD. Emperors later had soft, perfumed sheets.
300
Giant pandas spend about half of every day eating.
Fact. About 10 to 16 hours, mostly bamboo
300
木 means "tree" and 林 means "forest." What does 森 mean?
Big, thick forest (three trees)
400
长颈鹿: "long + neck + deer"
Giraffe
400
Fortune cookies
False. Made popular in California in the early 1900s, likely by Japanese immigrants
400
In China, the number 4 is unlucky because it sounds like the word for "death."
Fact. Some buildings skip the 4th floor.
400
人 means "person." What does 众 mean?
Crowd (three people)
500
电影: "electric + shadow"
Movie
500
The bristle toothbrush
True. 1498, made with hog hair on a bamboo or bone handle
500
China's first emperor is believed to have died from pills that were supposed to make him live forever.
Fact. Historians think they contained mercury, which is poisonous.
500
人 means "person." What does 从 mean?
Follow (one person walking behind another)
M
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