Things related to the http://tiandi.info, Links News, and Mandarin Expression of the Week blogs; information for Mandarin field language learnershttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mz7s53alfr2y"Let us not allow ourselves to be shanghaied or manipulated into glorifying worldly Chinese culture by those who love this merely human culture for its own sake, or by those who are irrationally attached to…Chinese characters." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/10/26/shanghai/ #MEotW01 Nov 2026 02:45 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz7s53alfr2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mz7ryv4esz2yShànghǎi (Shàng·hǎi Upon · {the Sea} → [Shanghai] 上海) How did "shanghai" come to mean "to induce or compel (someone) to do something, especially by fraud or force"? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/10/26/shanghai/ #MEotW01 Nov 2026 02:43 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz7ryv4esz2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mz4tjjjoag2e_Good News_ Br. ‪_Pīnyīn_+ Material Matching the 2019-08 Printing Added Covering Up to the End of Lesson 8 ‪(proofread, mobile-friendly, adjustable text size, integrated flashcards, human-translated, Simp, Trad, offline use, video links…)‬ https://linksnews.blogspot.com/2026/10/good-news-br-pinyin-material-matching.html30 Oct 2026 22:32 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz4tjjjoag2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mylau44wvu24In the _"Sing Out Joyfully" (sjj)_ _Pīnyīn_ Plus / _Pīnyīn_+ web resource, proofread musical notation 🎼 with _Pīnyīn_ lyrics is now available for song 164, which was recently added to the songbook. https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/sjj/Pinyin_Plus/23 Oct 2026 22:43 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mylau44wvu24https://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3myl2qtozcw2b"In the Mandarin language field, we need to as a matter of principle focus first on *understandable Mandarin speech*, since Jehovah himself made *speech* to be the original form of any human language." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/10/18/yuanze/ #MEotW23 Oct 2026 20:53 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3myl2qtozcw2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3myl2ofo2x22syuánzé (yuán·zé original · rule → [principle] 原则 原則) For Mandarin field language learners, why is it better to follow basic principles of linguistics than it is to just follow Chinese cultural traditions regarding Chinese characters? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/10/18/yuanze/ #MEotW23 Oct 2026 20:52 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3myl2ofo2x22shttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3my3wveyfbf2a"Obviously, the Mandarin syllables in this expression were chosen because of how much they sound like 'El Niño', not because of the *meanings* of the supposedly ideographic Chinese characters used to write them out." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/10/11/eer%e2%80%90ninuo/ #MEotW17 Oct 2026 20:34 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3my3wveyfbf2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3my3wtezv4a2eÈ'ěr (El 厄尔 厄爾)‐ Nínuò (Niño 尼诺 尼諾) Why are almost all names from other languages translated into Mandarin by sound and not by meaning? What can we say to Mandarin-speaking people about El Niño? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/10/11/eer%e2%80%90ninuo/ #MEotW17 Oct 2026 20:33 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3my3wtezv4a2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mxx6nctiu62h"Xiang believes Chinese society is at a 'turning point', where people are searching for meaning while making sense of rapid social and economic change. He sees contradictions – uncertain youth in a powerful, assertive country; disillusionment despite huge advancement" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq70dgdndr46o15 Oct 2026 23:10 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxx6nctiu62hhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mxmqtgtzrk2xIn the _"Sing Out Joyfully" (sjj)_ _Pīnyīn_ Plus / _Pīnyīn_+ web resource, proofread _Pīnyīn_+ lyrics are now available for song 164, which was recently added to the songbook. https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/sjj/Pinyin_Plus/11 Oct 2026 19:36 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxmqtgtzrk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mxfirjv3n72i**New Resource:** _Lasting Peace_ Br. _Pīnyīn_+ Web Material (2009 Printing, proofread, mobile-friendly, adjustable text size, integrated flashcards, human-translated English, Simp. & Trad. Ch., offline use…) https://linksnews.blogspot.com/2026/10/new-resource-lasting-peace-br-pinyin.html08 Oct 2026 22:23 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxfirjv3n72ihttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mxcty674zd2p"This is powerful evidence that the earth's natural cycles like the water cycle…are products, not of subhuman blind chance and evolution, but of a Creator who is far *more* intelligent, farsighted, and capable than us small-minded, imperfect humans." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/10/04/jinghua/ #MEotW07 Oct 2026 21:06 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxcty674zd2phttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mxctu3gzhz25jìnghuà (jìng·huà {to be clean/pure} · transform → [cleanse; purify; purge] 净化 凈/淨化) What can we say to Mandarin-speaking people about the cleansing effects of the earth's natural cycles? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/10/04/jinghua/ #MEotW07 Oct 2026 21:03 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxctu3gzhz25https://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mwxdthkopn2i"Not only is the above use of '_bǎihé‐huā_' in harmony with Jehovah's standards, it obviously also long predates the worldly symbolism mentioned earlier." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/09/28/baihe%e2%80%90hua/ #MEotW03 Oct 2026 07:17 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwxdthkopn2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mwxdkcwmdd2zbǎihé (bǎi·hé {hundred (things)} · {closed → [joined]} → [lily] 百合)‐ huā (flower 花) Why is the Mandarin word for "hundred" in the Mandarin word for "lily"? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/09/28/baihe%e2%80%90hua/ #MEotW03 Oct 2026 07:12 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwxdkcwmdd2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mwk243fxxt2q"The _Enjoy Life Forever!_ book in every format is designed to engage and involve people more than past Bible study textbooks did. It indeed qualifies as 'interactive', or as we say in Mandarin, '_hùdòng‐shì_'." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/09/20/hudong%e2%80%90shi/ #MEotW28 Sep 2026 00:19 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwk243fxxt2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mwjzxswa4u2ghùdòng (hù·dòng {each other} · moving → [interactive] 互动 互動)‐ shì (type 式) How does the Mandarin expression meaning "interactive" work to express this meaning? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/09/20/hudong%e2%80%90shi/ #MEotW28 Sep 2026 00:16 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwjzxswa4u2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mw32staij72u"*Speech* is primary, not writing, regardless of how those who repeat the Ideographic Myth erroneously claim that Chinese characters are awesome because they supposedly represent meaning visually without relying on speech sounds." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/09/15/lisu%e2%80%90ren/ #MEotW22 Sep 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw32staij72uhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mw32jt6lle26Lísú‐rén ((Lí·sú {Apart from} · {Vulgar → [Secular] (World)} 离俗 離俗)‐(rén people | person[s] | man/men 人) → [Nazʹi·rite[s]]) Many believe the Ideographic Myth…, but are Mandarin versions of names from other languages generally based on meaning or sound? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/09/15/lisu%e2%80%90ren/ #MEotW22 Sep 2026 01:16 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw32jt6lle26https://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mvg5isv3kd27"The '_kè_' in '_kèchéng_' may be familiar to those who have used the Mandarin versions of publications like the _Good News_ br. and the _Enjoy Life Forever!_ br./bk., since that is the Mandarin word used to correspond with the English word 'lesson'." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/09/07/kecheng-2/ #MEotW13 Sep 2026 17:44 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvg5isv3kd27https://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mvg5bwacra2pkèchéng (kè·chéng lessons · {journey → [procedure]} → [course; curriculum; (Bible) study] 课程 課程) As we offer the _Enjoy Life Forever!_ brochure to Mandarin-speaking people, what can we say to them about the Bible study course that's available? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/09/07/kecheng-2/ #MEotW13 Sep 2026 17:40 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvg5bwacra2phttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3muvhzz7j4j2aAvailable for the Mandarin Bible Reading for the week of 2026-09-07 (next week!) (Jer.32:6–18): Proofread _Pīnyīn+_ material (mobile-friendly, adjustable text size, integrated flashcards, human-translated English, Simp. & Trad. Ch. …) https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/nwtsty/Pinyin_Plus/1-Heb-Aram/24-Jer/Jer-32.html07 Sep 2026 02:37 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3muvhzz7j4j2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3muvb6hiado2a"If you as a Mandarin field language learner have come to know some of these [language learning] truths, what are you going to do about it? Are you 'on the side of the truth' regarding these matters?" https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/08/30/zhenli/ #MEotW07 Sep 2026 00:34 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3muvb6hiado2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3muvawjr6l723zhēnlǐ (zhēn·lǐ true · reasoning; logic → [[the] truth] 真理) What truths do we know about Mandarin and learning Mandarin? If we know some of these truths, what are we going to do about it? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/08/30/zhenli/ #MEotW07 Sep 2026 00:30 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3muvawjr6l723https://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mu6kbo67w52p"The tiny yet exquisitely complex and functional biological molecular machines that inspired humans to create artificial molecular machines similarly *must* have had an intelligent Creator." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/08/23/weixing-jiqi/ https://youtu.be/bee6PWUgPo8?si=H9d3XBjvxGq1eI3U #MEotW28 Aug 2026 23:46 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu6kbo67w52phttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mu6k52s3uj2ewēixíng (wēi·xíng tiny · {mould → [type]} → [tiny] 微型) "jīqì (jī·qì machine · device → [machine] 机器 機器)" What can we tell Mandarin-speaking people in the field about the tiny machines inside our cells? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/08/23/weixing-jiqi/ https://youtu.be/bee6PWUgPo8?si=H9d3XBjvxGq1eI3U #MEotW28 Aug 2026 23:43 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu6k52s3uj2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mtndrhsmmi26_Enjoy Life Forever!_ Br. _Pīnyīn_+ Web Resource Now Available (proofread, mobile-friendly, integrated flashcards, human-translated English, Simp & Trad Ch, video transcripts, adjustable text size, offline use, icon…) "Next month…a worldwide campaign" https://linksnews.blogspot.com/2026/08/enjoy-life-forever-br-pinyin-web.html22 Aug 2026 03:34 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtndrhsmmi26https://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mtmiywhpcc2l“Overall, the people of China have long viewed their nation as *central* to the world that they knew, or cared most about, to the point that ‘China was the only culture to use the concept for its name’.” https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/08/16/zhongguo-2/ #MEotW #PīnyīnPlus [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Aug 2026 19:35 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmiywhpcc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mtmiw5hcuc2lZhōngguó (Zhōng·guó Central · Nation → [China | Chinese] 中国 中國) How has the worldly nation of China long viewed itself? https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/08/16/zhongguo-2/ #MEotW #PīnyīnPlus [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Aug 2026 19:34 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmiw5hcuc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/tiandilinksnews.bsky.social/post/3mtasawonrl2s"'The [English] word "gospel" is derived from the old English _godspel_, which means "good news; good tidings".' Looking at the morphemes in '_Fúyīn‐Shū_', we see that the first one, '_Fú_', is the fairly well-known one that means 'blessings'." https://troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw/2026/08/09/fuyin%e2%80%90shu/ #MEotW17 Aug 2026 03:49 +0000at://did:plc:fseg3js4tbfymqma6llrhdfd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtasawonrl2s