Saturday, March 28, 2026

NWT Bible Study Edition (nwtsty) Pīnyīn Plus Web Resource Revised to Match the 2026 Official Mandarin Version on the WOL

[NOTE: For spiritual food (which is for you yourself to learn spiritual things from, and which ideally should be in your own mother tongue), please go to jw.org.


The supplementary language-learning material mentioned in this post is for helping you to learn about how the Mandarin language is used in an official publication, so that you will be better able to help others in the Mandarin language field.]


The latest, greatest version of the official Mandarin New World Translation Bible is now the 2026 Mandarin version of the Study Edition (nwtsty).


The existing Pīnyīn Plus web material resources based on the 2001 Edition, 2007 Printing (bi12) and the 2019 Edition, 2020 Printing (nwt) of the Mandarin NWT Bible will continue to be available, but they will not be significantly further developed. Instead, further development re Mandarin NWT Bible Pīnyīn Plus web material will be focused on the below resource that is based on the previous resources. This resource is in the process of being revised to match the latest 2026 Study Edition (nwtsty), with notes on each related page indicating where any material still based on older source material remains:

  • NWT Bible (nwtsty)
    (Pīnyīn Plus, Web)

    (rich information about the Mandarin speech
    used for Bible scriptures,
    as represented by the text of the
    Mandarin NWT Bible, 2026 Study Edition (nwtsty),
    proofread, mobile-friendly, unofficial,
    incomplete but with many often-used scriptures,
    “flashcards” integrated with the text
    (tap/click on a Pīnyīn expression
    to reveal its
    “flashcard”,
    tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn expression
    to hide the
    “flashcard”),
    Pīnyīn (Pinyin) used as the default writing system,
    carefully done human-translated
    context-appropriate English translations
    with literal & effective meanings,
    Simplified & Traditional characters,
    📖 Reveal All, 📄 Reveal Advanced, and
    📘 Reveal None controls
    for all the “flashcards” in a
    chapter, paragraph, etc.,
    extensive links for getting around, audio links,
    Dark mode selectable with the
    dropdown control at the top right,
    adjustable text size)
    (Info re offline viewing and printing)
  • Short Links:
    Links > Publications >
    New World Translation Bible Links (tiandi.info/bi)

In the above resource, fully proofread Pīnyīn Plus web material is now available that matches many often-used scriptures in the current 2026 Study Edition (nwtsty) of the Mandarin NWT Bible.


The material in the above resource with a grey background has not yet been fully proofread, and may be based on an older version of the Mandarin NWT Bible. Pīnyīn material in the above resource with a golden-hued background has been proofread to ensure that it is correct Pīnyīn that matches the current version of the Mandarin NWT Bible, but not all of its “flashcards” have been added and proofread.


More existing material will be revised and more new material will be added in the above resource as time allows, e.g., as part of the process of producing Pīnyīn Plus web material for scriptures for other publications.


[NOTE: While the organization expresses valid general concerns here about posting copies of official publications to the Internet, there are good legal and spiritual reasons for concluding that those concerns do not apply to this particular material, since such material should NOT be considered to be infringing on copyright, and since such material is specifically designed to be, NOT SPIRITUAL FOOD, but rather, material FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING. See this disclaimer for more information.]


Monday, March 23, 2026

MEotW: zài‐suǒ‐bùxī

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

Why should we not balk when faced with the Great Wall of Characters, or when faced with the alternate Pīnyīn ways past it?


“zài‐suǒ-bùxī” _Pīnyīn_ Plus info, Song 161 (music+_Pīnyīn_), on iPhone 13 mini (landscape orientation)

This week’s MEotW in the unofficial Pīnyīn Plus resource “Sing Out Joyfully” Bk. (Pīnyīn+Music, Pīnyīn Plus, Web)



The Great Wall of China

Do we balk when faced with the Great Wall of Characters?


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Monday, March 16, 2026

MEotW: Gōngyè‐Dǎng

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

In the grand scheme of things, how important is technology?


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Sunday, March 08, 2026

MEotW: Yēsū Xīshēng Jìniàn Jùhuì

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

How can we benefit from avoiding unnecessary ceremony?





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Sunday, March 01, 2026

MEotW: Zhōngdōng

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

How can we talk to honest-hearted ones in the Mandarin field about the fighting in the Middle East?


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Wednesday, February 25, 2026

MEotW: Lǎhé

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

Is a character like “喇” really less ambiguous than a Pīnyīn expression like “lǎ”?


Joshua 2:1 in the Mandarin _NWT_ Study Bible, in the JW Library app

Joshua 2:1 in the Mandarin NWT Study Bible, in the JW Library app



Joshua 2:1 in the PDF for the old printed _Pīnyīn_ _NWT_ Bible

Joshua 2:1 in the PDF for the old printed Pīnyīn NWT Bible


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Sunday, February 15, 2026

MEotW: jìjiào

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

How do some nitpick about Pīnyīn while ignoring a huge issue about characters?


Screenshot of “_jìjiào_” in 1 Co. 13:5 (nwtsty, CHS+_Pīnyīn_ WOL)

Screenshot of “jìjiào” in 1 Co. 13:5 (nwtsty, CHS+Pīnyīn WOL)



Lego diorama of people pushing a cart with square wheels, when the cart is filled with round wheels

The problem is not that Pīnyīn is like training wheels, because Pīnyīn is actually like regular wheels. The real problem is that characters are like square wheels!


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Monday, February 09, 2026

MEotW: Mòrì Shízhōng

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

How can we talk to honest-hearted ones in the Mandarin field about the Doomsday Clock?


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Sunday, February 01, 2026

MEotW: yǔzhòu

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

How can we get Mandarin-speaking people thinking about whether the universe was designed?


Chart: Languages by First-Language Speakers—2019

The worldwide Mandarin field is by far the largest language field in the world, and it’s likely that it is the largest language field ever in history.



The Great Wall of China

In addition to the inherent technical difficulty of the subject of creation/evolution, Mandarin field language learners also face the Great Wall of characters.


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Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Learn From the Bible Bk. Pīnyīn Plus Web Resource Updated to Match the 2025-03 Printing

[NOTE: For spiritual food (which is for you yourself to learn spiritual things from, and which ideally should be in your own mother tongue), please go to jw.org.


The supplementary language-learning material mentioned in this post is for helping you to learn about how the Mandarin language is used in an official publication, so that you will be better able to help others in the Mandarin language field.]


The following language-learning resource for the Learn From the Bible book (currently being studied at Congregation Bible Study meetings) now matches the 2025-03 Printing of that publication, and all the scriptures in it from the Mandarin New World Translation Bible now match the nwtsty 2024 version of that Bible:


Lesson 65 in _Learn From the Bible_ Bk. (Pīnyīn Plus, Web), on iPhone 13 mini (Landscape, Light Mode)

Lesson 65 in _Learn From the Bible_ Bk. (Pīnyīn Plus, Web), on iPhone 13 mini (Landscape, Dark Mode)
  • _Learn From the Bible_ Bk. _Pīnyīn_ Plus web icon
  • Learn From the Bible Bk.
    (Pīnyīn Plus, Web)

    (rich information about Mandarin speech
    for discussing Bible lessons and accounts,
    as represented by the text of the
    Mandarin Learn From the Bible book,
    2025-03 Printing, proofread, mobile-friendly,
    PWA Logo can be used offline in supporting browsers,
    PWA Logo icon can be added to the home screen
    with supporting browsers,

    “flashcards” integrated with the text,
    (tap/click on a Pīnyīn expression
    to reveal its
    “flashcard”,
    tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn expression
    to hide the
    “flashcard”),
    Pīnyīn (Pinyin) used as the default writing system,
    carefully done human-translated
    context-appropriate English translations
    with literal & effective meanings,
    Simplified & Traditional characters,
    📖 Reveal All, 📄 Reveal Advanced,
    and 📘 Reveal None controls for
    all the “flashcards” in a lesson, paragraph, etc.,
    links for getting around,
    picture thumbnails & links, audio links,
    JW Library app scripture links,
    Dark mode selectable with the
    dropdown control at the top right,
    adjustable text size)
    (Info re offline viewing and printing)
  • Short Links:
    Links > Publications > Books >
    Learn From the Bible Book Links (tiandi.info/lfb)

In the above resource, the following web material is now available for the Mandarin Learn From the Bible book:

Proofread Pīnyīn Plus material:

  • Beginning to Lesson 4

Partially proofread Pīnyīn and Pīnyīn Plus material:

  • Lesson 5 to Lesson 75
  • Material with a grey background has been partially proofread. Pīnyīn material with a golden-hued background has been proofread, but not all of its “flashcards” have been added and proofread.

Proofread Pīnyīn and partially proofread Pīnyīn Plus material:

  • Lesson 60 to Lesson 62
  • Pīnyīn material with a golden-hued background has been proofread, but not all of its “flashcards” have been added and proofread.

Lessons with Partial Coverage

  • Lesson 76 to Lesson 86
  • Material with a grey background has been partially proofread. Pīnyīn material with a golden-hued background has been proofread, but not all of its “flashcards” have been added and proofread.

Note that like other Pīnyīn Plus web material resources, the above resource can be used offline. Also, an icon can be added to the home screen with supporting browsers.


On the iPhone, the iPad, and in WebKit-based web browsers (e.g., Safari, Orion) on the Mac, scripture links labelled as “JW nwtsty” will go to the indicated scripture in the Mandarin New World Translation Study Bible in the JW Library app, if those are downloaded and installed. (I have not yet been able to test these links on Android or Windows. If you have been able to do so, email me to let me know the results!)


While incomplete, this material can help Mandarin field language learners—especially, but not only, those who can read English—to get past the Great Wall of characters and supercharge their efforts to prepare for and participate in Mandarin discussions using the Learn From the Bible book, such as those now scheduled for the Congregation Bible Study sections of our Life and Ministry meetings.


[NOTE: While the organization expresses valid general concerns here about posting copies of official publications to the Internet, there are good legal and spiritual reasons for concluding that those concerns do not apply to this particular material, since such material should NOT be considered to be infringing on copyright, and since such material is specifically designed to be, NOT SPIRITUAL FOOD, but rather, material FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING. See this disclaimer for more information.]


Sunday, January 25, 2026

MEotW: hélí

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

How can the beaver’s impressive industriousness and construction ability help us to reach the hearts of people in the Mandarin field?


Screenshot of article “The Beaver’s Construction Ability” on jw.org

A screenshot of the article “The Beaver’s Construction Ability” on jw.org


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Sunday, January 18, 2026

MEotW: chénggōng

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

Is “just” learning Chinese characters “the hard way” the key to success in the Mandarin field?


“To Jehovah, for whom ‘a thousand years is as one day’, Chinese civilization has only been around for a few days.… “…we should boast in Jehovah, not in needlessly and self-indulgently complex knowledge relating to a mere worldly human culture” troubadourworks.com/tiandi/meotw... #MEotW #PīnyīnPlus

[image or embed]

— tiandi, Links News (@tiandilinksnews.bsky.social) Dec 2, 2024 at 3:40 PM

The Great Wall of China

Does Jehovah see Chinese characters as a successful writing system? Or does he see characters as a Great Wall obstructing his vital preaching and teaching work in the worldwide Mandarin field?


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Sunday, January 11, 2026

MEotW: bìyào

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

Are Chinese characters really indispensable? Is it really true that the Chinese languages cannot be written alphabetically?


汉字 / 漢字? Pīnyīn?


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Sunday, January 04, 2026

MEotW: pútao

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

Does each Chinese character really represent a one-syllable word?


A bunch of grapes hanging on a vine

Creative Commons Public Domain logo Michael Pardo [source]


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