Questions about the cultural side of China and Chinese.
14
votes
6answers
391 views
How polite is too polite?
I've noticed in China that people don't tend to use as many 'polite' words as we do in western languages, like 'please' or 'thank you'. I want to make it clear that I'm not complaining about this; I ...
8
votes
4answers
356 views
How do I say “damn!” or “bloody hell” in Chinese?
The phrase 他妈的 has been explained in this question. Since I'm a no-expletives guy, I don't feel comfortable so close to the f-word. :) I was wondering what would be the correct way to use some of the ...
8
votes
3answers
569 views
How do native Chinese greet each other on daily basis?
I have read somewhere that "你好" and "你好吗？" are mostly textbook greetings and are not used by native Chinese, at least not on daily basis. I would also find it hard to believe that two friends who know ...
8
votes
6answers
387 views
Are there word games in Chinese?
Do Chinese characters make it a lot harder to create or play word games in Chinese than it is in English? I have seen a few Chinese crosswords, but it seems like they aren't as densely cross-linked as ...
7
votes
1answer
90 views
When not to use 厕所 when asking for the toilet?
I've noticed sometimes when in polite company or in the company of strangers some people will saying they are going to wash their hands 去洗手 (qù xǐshǒu) instead of going to the toilet 去上厕所 (qù shàng ...
6
votes
2answers
169 views
Neverending 你好 exchange, is it normal?
When should exchanges of the phrase "你好" end? I regularly see a Chinese person who greets me with "你好". If I respond with "你好" he immediately says "你好", and so on. I normally end it with "Yes, I'm ...
6
votes
2answers
801 views
Why do the names of some Chinese companies consist of “repeated” words?
I'm referring to the repetition of names such as "Dangdang" and "Renren." Why is this the case?
5
votes
3answers
222 views
“小王” 和 “老王” how to determine which to use?
This is something I still haven't mastered and still just go with the flow.
If I wanted to call someone a nickname, say for Mr. Wang, which one should I choose? What defines whether I should call him ...
5
votes
2answers
137 views
他在工厂住了半年/living in factories
This was an example sentence in Practical Chinese Reader 31. Do people actually live in factories, or is there some cultural context I'm missing? In previous chapters, people are constantly visiting ...
5
votes
1answer
95 views
How to cope with classical references?
It seems like references to classical literature are unavoidable in virtually all materials enjoyed by native speakers - I was watching an episode of 蚁族的奋斗 where a group of young men are talking ...
4
votes
5answers
183 views
Why do Chinese “extend” the last word when speaking?
I've hear on many occasions that Chinese prolong the last word in a sentence, for example:
ni hao ma ?
becomes
ni hao maaaaa ?
(I'm not sure that's clear enough but can't think of a better way ...
4
votes
1answer
275 views
Use of Honorifics
In Chinese films I've often heard characters refer to each other using some of these honorifics:
大姐 dàjiě (big sister; auntie)
大哥 dàgē (big brother)
师傅 shīfù (master)
In what kind of ...
4
votes
2answers
179 views
What words are used to express the sincerity when texting your friends in festival period,such as the Spring Festival?
In the Chinese New Year period, many people will send text messages to their friends on the phone(via the SMS). I will also do that. When writing English letters, you may use "Yours," or "Sincerely," ...
1
vote
3answers
72 views
What is 猫舅 in the following sentence?
I assume this is a cultural thing that I am not aware of, but a friend just updated their status to say:
希望猫舅变成天使守护全家
Xīwàng māo jiù biàn chéng tiānshǐ shǒuhù quán jiā
Who or what is 猫舅?
1
vote
2answers
85 views
What is the significance of the phrase “二十五，糊窗户”？
The phrase “糊窗户” refers to the practice of pasting paper cutouts (similar to the one seen here) on one's windows. There's a common larger saying, “二十五，糊窗户”, which I assume means that this is usually ...
