Questions concerned comprehension and understanding the finer aspects of individual words or phrases, with or without a context in which they are expressed.
11
votes
4answers
699 views
Are 明白 and 懂 synonymous?
Are 明白 and 懂 synonymous? If not, could anyone please elaborate on the difference along with some examples of usage?
10
votes
7answers
296 views
Sheep or goat? 一只羊跑过来
In the sentence:
一只羊跑过来
Would a Chinese person typically assume this is a goat or a sheep?
10
votes
1answer
214 views
Why use 非 and 亚 for continent names?
Why was 非 chosen for 非洲 (Africa) and 亚 chosen for 亚洲 (Asia)?
I can't find a particular reason to use these characters.
9
votes
5answers
420 views
How offensive is 他妈的?
How offensive is the expression 他妈的? What is an English expression with a similar degree of offensiveness? In what situations is this expression appropriate / not appropriate?
9
votes
6answers
684 views
What's the meaning of 缘分 in English?
I asked a similar question on English Language & Usage site, but no one seems to come up with a good answer for me. I have decided to give our Chinese site a try.
Bonus: how will you describe the ...
8
votes
2answers
131 views
Specifics of the idiom “四海一家”
There are several sayings and idioms similar to 四海一家 which reference "四海".
Does the 四海 actually refer to 4 specific oceans such as the Indian, Pacific etc. or is it more of a metaphor for all of the ...
8
votes
3answers
208 views
What is the difference between 通常，经常，and 常常？
What is the difference between 通常，经常，and 常常？
I hear them a lot in conversational Chinese, but I can't pick out the difference in meaning. The dictionaries I've checked don't seem to agree on their ...
7
votes
5answers
914 views
Special meanings applied to numbers 0 - 10
From what I understand:
4 or 四 means death
8 is similar to 发 as in 发财
9 is somehow related to the emporer or is the emporer's number
Can someone please provide the meanings (if they exist) for ...
7
votes
2answers
156 views
Why does 有机 as in 有机食品 mean organic?
有 and 机 are some of the first characters we learn in Chinese, but I only recently found out that they mean "organic" when put together. Can anyone explain why this is?
7
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the exact meaning of 吃豆腐, and where does the expression come from?
I'm not talking about eating tofu, but the expression that means something more like taking advantage of someone. What exactly does 吃豆腐 mean, and where does this expression come from?
6
votes
4answers
261 views
What does the expression “孤男寡女” mean?
What does the expression "孤男寡女" (gū nán guǎ nǚ) mean, exactly? Does it have inherently negative connotations?
As an aside, why does Google translate it as "Needing"?
6
votes
2answers
208 views
Is there a literal meaning of 对不起?
对不起 is one of the first phrases any student learns.
We learn it as a set phrase, and don't question why it has this meaning.
But we also learn the phrases;
听得懂 - "hear and understand"
听不懂 - ...
6
votes
5answers
219 views
What is the meaning of 真是的
What is a meaning of 真是的. I heard for many times in context something like 你真是的！ And yet I have doubts about proper meaning of this expression.
6
votes
2answers
118 views
中东 - “Middle East” or “Eastern China”?
The dictionary lists both Middle East and Eastern China for 中东. Is one of these meanings more common? What would be a native speaker's first impression of the word? Does the meaning vary from ...
5
votes
2answers
171 views
What is the difference between 人民 and 民族？
What is the difference between 人民 and 民族, for example in 中华人民 vs. 中华民族?
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
2answers
104 views
How did 舆论 come to represent Public Opinion?
How did the word 舆论 come to represent the concept of Public Opinion? I know the meanings of the individual characters but I just don't quite see how the combination of these two meanings leads to the ...
5
votes
1answer
131 views
How to say the term “招” and “式” in English?
It's used as a classifier, like this:
"亢龙有悔"是"降龙十八掌"中的*一招*.
and
*一招一式*他都记得清清楚楚.
So how to say it in English?
5
votes
2answers
99 views
Difference between 对 and 双
For a pair of rabbits there is:
一对兔 yī duì tù
And for a pair of shoes there is:
一双鞋 yī shuāng xié
And for twins there is:
双胞胎 shuāngbāotāi
How can I be sure when to use 对 and when to ...
5
votes
1answer
96 views
Correct usage for 跟。。。过不去
This question has two parts:
What's the precise meaning of this expression?
What is the correct usage?
Question (1) I understand it to mean that the person referred to (eg, 跟她过不去) is uncomfortable ...
4
votes
4answers
174 views
What is the meaning of 相声?
Today I read a blog post talking about a Canadian guy called Mark Rowswell (aka 大山) that appears on Chinese TV shows and who is able to do 相声. This 相声 is referred to as "the art of language".
What ...
4
votes
3answers
159 views
Why is 土著人 used for Aboriginal people in Australia?
In Australia it is quite common to talk about Aboriginal people as they feature quite often when talking about sports, Olympics or politics.
The word that is used to describe Aboriginal people by ...
4
votes
9answers
477 views
Is 我很对不起你 a unique sentence structure?
I'd never seen or heard this before until I recently watched a TV series and had to ask my wife to explain.
My initial guess was that it meant "I feel sorry for you" when in fact it means something ...
4
votes
4answers
150 views
太: Meaning in 灰太狼
灰太狼
灰太狼 (A character in a TV show) is translated in English as "Grey Wolf".
What has happened to the 太, wouldn't 灰狼 be enough to mean "Grey Wolf"?
4
votes
2answers
215 views
Who exactly is a 干妈
This dictionary translates 干妈 as "Godmother", and my pocket dictionary also gives "nominal mother".
In English, "Godmother" and "Godfather" are very specific titles - Your Godparents are the people ...
4
votes
4answers
221 views
What does 厉害 mean, and in what context does it mean what?
This has to be one of the more ambiguous words I have struggled with.
厉害 can be:
very well performed = 玩得很厉害;
harsh = 骂得很厉害;
severe = 生病得很厉害;
probably a bunch of other stuff...
Can anyone give a ...
4
votes
3answers
218 views
What's the main difference between 为 and 是?
It seems like both 为 and 是 mean "to be". In which cases is one used but not the other? Is it something like the difference between "estar" and "ser" in Spanish and Portuguese? (In the sense that one ...
4
votes
1answer
85 views
What is the meaning of 不同而不同?
This is taken from the phrase:
口感依成分不同而不同
Sounds like it means "manifold" or something like that?
4
votes
1answer
98 views
Meanings behind “吹牛” and “拍马屁”
I would like to find out more about the two sayings "吹牛" and "拍马屁".
How these sayings come about and get their current meaning?
吹牛 chuīniú meaning to brag
拍马屁 pāimǎpì meaning to excessively flatter ...
4
votes
1answer
115 views
What does 触控 mean in this sentence?
I was busy reading about Apple's new textbook announcement on Engadget China, and I came across the following sentence:
使用者将可轻松地以触控的方式浏览教科书内容.
What is the meaning of 触控 in this sentence? (My ...
4
votes
6answers
223 views
How to parse 没得 + Verb constructions
I've heard phrases of the form 没得V, where V is a verb. Sometimes, the 没得 appears to function like 没, e.g.,
我没得选: I don't have a choice.
Sometimes, it appears to function like a softer, ...
4
votes
2answers
88 views
Is the difference between and saying 有时 and 会偶尔 very big?
Does one imply a much greater frequency? What about register? Is the difference between and saying 有时 and 会偶尔 very big, or is it in all cases quite close?
3
votes
5answers
235 views
Another meaning of 同志
Is it true that 同志 have some different meaning. Like gay (as in homosexual) or something. I know that during the XX century in China and communist Russia it was very common to call people 同志(товарищ). ...
3
votes
5answers
158 views
3
votes
2answers
148 views
How to translate 'hyper-','super-' and 'ultra-' exactly?
The prefixes hyper-, super-, and ultra- seems all has meaning 'transcend' or 'upper class' and can all be translated to '超'. But they have a bit difference, e.g. hypergiant is larger than supergiant; ...
3
votes
1answer
61 views
Why is 相 pronounced with a fourth tone in some cases?
I notice that 相 is pronounced xiang1 in most cases, but xiang4 in a few, mostly less-common words and phrases. The most commonly-used examples seem to be 照相 zhàoxiàng 'photo'; 照相机 zhàoxiàngjī ...
3
votes
3answers
114 views
Are 改正 and 纠正 interchangeable?
Both 改正 and 纠正 mean "to correct" or "to make right."
What is the difference between these words? Do they have different connotations? Are both words acceptable in sentences like the following?
...
3
votes
2answers
73 views
What exact breed of animal is a 金丝熊?
The 金丝熊 is easily available from local animal markets in my wife's home town. We asked the owners of different stores and they say it is not a mouse.
So what exactly is it, is it just a fancy name ...
3
votes
1answer
134 views
When is it proper to use 托您的福?
I think it means that I succeeded in part because of your luck?
I've heard this used when I was in Beijing a few times.
2
votes
4answers
154 views
What is the pronunciation of 行 according to its context?
行 can be pronunced háng or xíng.
As far as I have seen, it means "OK, to go, profession", and many more other meanings.
Could you briefly summarize the usage of it and its corresponding ...
2
votes
4answers
188 views
Meaning of 我知道的就这么多了 [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Translation of “this much and no more”
I found this sentence on Tatoeba:
我知道的就這麼多了。 (Simplified Chinese: 我知道的就这么多了。)
Beyond this I know nothing.
I ...
2
votes
3answers
98 views
做 as the verb “to be”
Can someone please clarify how and when 做 is used to mean "to be" e.g.
不愿做奴隶人们
I am familiar with 做 meaning "to do" or "to make", and I would expect that if I was saying "I am a slave", “我是一个奴隶“ ...
2
votes
3answers
113 views
What is the meaning of 报 here?
A chinese friend asked me:
你有报语言培训班吗?
I understand what she means, but I wonder what meaning 报 carries here.
Anyone could help me?
2
votes
2answers
182 views
Why does the word 萌 mean “cute”?
A friend of mine said in a photo of me, my eyes looked very 萌(meng2).
你的眼睛很萌
My dictionary defines 萌 as;
萌 méng （动）
sprout;
bud;
germinate
But apparently in this context it means ...
2
votes
2answers
101 views
Does anyone know what is the characters means (丁財貴寿)?
Does anyone know what is written on the image? I tried to find out what is it, and got 丁財貴寿 (丁财贵寿), but not quite sure enough. I tried to find the meaning of the words but seems can't find it or I ...
2
votes
2answers
192 views
The use of 上 (shàng) “on/above/over” in Mandarin and English
I'm interested in the the differences between English and Mandarin when they are talking about spatial preposition.
Can i assume that in Mandarin, they use the preposition 上 for most of the times ...
2
votes
4answers
214 views
清淡 (qing dan) usage: any food, or from a diet?
I ate with a Chinese who mentioned the soup was 清淡 (qing dan): clear, and bland. On Google all I found were acupuncture and "macrobiotic diet" websites.
Is 清淡 (qing dan) an adjective commonly applied ...
2
votes
1answer
163 views
Does 给你 mean “Here you go?”
I found a very short sentence on tatoeba.org. All it says is, "给你。"
That literally means "Give you," but what does it really mean? My best guess is that I could say it as I give something to you, ...
2
votes
3answers
623 views
Does 危机 really mean both crisis and opportunity?
A lot of people, mostly those who haven't studied Chinese, like to claim something along the lines of
"In Chinese, the word for crisis 危机, also bears the meaning of opportunity."
This is usually ...
2
votes
1answer
130 views
Does anyone recognize the characters written here?
Does anyone recognize the characters written here? I've tried to figure it out but still can't understand what is written there, since I've just recognized the rightmost character, 天. It's a carving ...
