Questions tagged [usage]

Questions about the use of expressions, parts of speech, words, verbs, etc.

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5 votes
8 answers
443 views

Why is 上下 used in 这套房子是上下两层的?

I am confused by the use of 上下 in the sentence: 这套房子是上下两层的,楼下是客厅,楼上有三个房间。 This house has two floors, the living room is downstairs, and there are three rooms upstairs. I understand 上下 as up and down,...
7 votes
1 answer
19k views

The slang meaning of "Seven/七" in Cantonese

I have heard a few Hongkongers saying seven in a similar, likely identical, context. I assume they are addressing a person because when they say it, they make the L hand gesture. I could be wrong, but ...
0 votes
3 answers
107 views

Does this phrase 斩草除根 exist in dramas only?

So, I have been watching quite a bit of 古代 dramas。 I will say most if not all of them have the situation where this phrase comes up. Does this phrase exist in the dramas only or did this actually ...
2 votes
3 answers
139 views

using 值得 in a phrase

I have seen the usage of 值得 (deserving) in the following way (Cantonese, colloquial) 值得一來 值得買 I wanted to ask why there is a '一' in the first phrase, and not 值得一買? What other alternatives are there to ...
0 votes
4 answers
161 views

How would you translate "for just a moment" in Chinese?

I am wondering if there's a more accurate way to say "for just a moment", or "if not for just a moment" in Chinese? I am not certain because the translations I found sounds ...
0 votes
3 answers
81 views

The usage of 於 in this title

May I ask what function does the word 於 have in this title: 台北兩日兩夜「帶於媽遊台北」. I get the general idea of this title: Two Days and Two Nights in Taipei // Bringing my mum to travel around Taipei. Please ...
17 votes
7 answers
4k views

Is 下个星期三 (xiàge xīngqīsān) = "next Wednesday" ambiguous like in English?

In English, we tend to avoid saying "next Wednesday", etc., because it's ambiguous. It humorously arises in a Seinfeld quote: Sid: No, next Wednesday, [the] week after this Wednesday. ...
0 votes
1 answer
71 views

The use of the particle de

How to answer this question 这是你弟弟?(朋友) Is this correct or we should omit 的?“不是。这是我的朋友。”
-1 votes
1 answer
95 views

What is the difference between 暍 and 热? [closed]

大家好 What is the difference between 暍 and 热 and when they are used ? 谢谢
18 votes
7 answers
5k views

Addressing women as "小姐" in Northern China

I heard that it is not appropriate to call women or girls "小姐" in northern China. That it is considered rough and has a meaning close to "hooker". So I never address girls or women as "小姐" in the ...
12 votes
4 answers
3k views

Quotation Marks ("") and Angle Quotation Marks (《》)

Based on my recent observation, most people use "" to enclose a quote and use 《》 to enclose the name of a book (or a movie?). However, since I began my Chinese study, I have been learning to use 「」 as ...
0 votes
2 answers
92 views

"總會" to mean "definitely", is this usage proper?

In the lyrics to 《寂寞寂寞就好》 there is a line which reads: 我總會把你戒掉 From context, I gather that “總會" means definitely, in other words: 我一定會把你戒掉 I have never seen this usage before, is this proper ...
2 votes
3 answers
436 views

向 vs 对 to express the coverb 'towards'

I made a formulation along the lines of "他向你害怕着" and was told that 向 cant be used with 害怕 in this way. I felt that I was correct in this usage and tried to find instances on the internet ...
2 votes
4 answers
150 views

What is the use of 前面 in 那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么?

That depends on what you're using the computers for. 那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么 Why do we use 前面 in this sentence. I thought 前面 was infront, why is there a location in a sentence involving use of something? Could ...
3 votes
2 answers
715 views

Difference in meaning: 多了 vs 极了

I don't grasp the difference between 极了 and 多了. In what context are both to be used? Is 极了 a sort of superlative compared to 多了 ? All help is appreciated.
6 votes
1 answer
5k views

What is the difference between 比如 and 例如

I know both can mean "for example/such as/for instance". They are most likely synonyms but even synonyms have slight subtle differences in precise meaning and usage. I know that 例 can be used alone: (...
2 votes
1 answer
132 views

Contranyms in the Chinese language

Some words in the English language are called 'contranyms', where depending on the context, the same word can have very opposite meanings. For example: leave - to go away from a certain place, but ...
0 votes
4 answers
209 views

淦 as a swear substitute for 幹?

Just came across this comment on Reddit: Basically use more swear words. And the official hanzi. -official/more rude (replaced to be more pg) 幹 (淦) Calming that 淦 is a swear substitute for 幹. I can'...
2 votes
2 answers
113 views

是 assessing an overall situation

This is the title of a paragraph in the book "Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar", by Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington, whose content I find really hard to understand. The explanation: 是 shì ...
1 vote
1 answer
97 views

Is 今天的锻炼打卡了 correct usage of the phrase 打卡?

I've asked a question about the phrase 打卡 before. Today I was moving house and I walked in and out of the house with big boxes and bags for 3 solid hours. When I was finally done I thought to myself ''...
2 votes
3 answers
234 views

Does the character 大 make a name seem "Unsophisticated"

Recently, I had someone from Taiwan help me create Chinese name for myself to use when writing/communicating with those in Chinese speaking areas. In our discussion, I had suggested 大恩 as a given/...
1 vote
3 answers
65 views

Can 形象 be used as a verb?

In this definition “丑陋:难看。多形象人或事物的相貌、样子。”, 形象 seems to me functioning like a verb, but I can't find such a usage in MDBG, Wenlin, dict.baidu.com. Do I get it wrong or does it indeed function like a ...
1 vote
2 answers
110 views

Is the use of 她 here unusual?

Do you find the use of 她 here unusual? 历史文化名城以她曾经有过的辉煌和今天日新月异的繁荣向世人表明, A famous city, in history known for its culture, uses its (her) former glory and today's ever-increasing prosperity to make clear ...
1 vote
3 answers
144 views

Use of 是 and 很 to express "I am not well"

Dear Chinese Language community users, I have the following question. During my learning I encountered the answer 我不是很好 in response to 你好吗?I was puzzled because I thought the correct negative answers ...
0 votes
2 answers
148 views

The necessity of 的 and 是

Recently, I have been made aware of the following sentences: 这太棒了! 这是太棒了! 这真是太棒了! A native Chinese friend told me that the middle one is incorrect, but that seems very odd to me, because 是 is the “be ...
3 votes
4 answers
254 views

Why add 左右 ("approximately") to the precisely stated time 25日17时15分左右?

当地时间25日17时15分左右,…… I was reading a newspaper, and stumbled upon the above. I'm puzzled as to why someone would state a time as precisely as 25日17时15分 then add 左右 (= "approximately") ...
3 votes
3 answers
982 views

Etymology of 奇 and 怪

I am going through the word 奇. Mandarin Temple had mentioned, learning hint as “a person riding a horse”. Is this only learning hint? Or is it also etymologically correct? What is the exact etymology ...
1 vote
3 answers
199 views

How the meaning is derived for 得意忘形?

How the meaning is derived for 得意忘形? 得意忘形 déyìwàngxíng grow dizzy with success; be carried away by one's success so pleased as to lose one's sense of measure
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

之 grammar and usage

Reading through the text as below. The zhi below is used to modify 路 of 人生? (way/road/path of life)? what exactly 之 in the two places? “每个人都有自己的人生之路,只有把握时间,勤于奋斗,不畏艰辛的人才能走好这条路。要走好人生之路,首先要懂得珍惜时间。” ...
6 votes
6 answers
8k views

你好啊? or 你好吗? Which is more common?

I have recently come across the phrase 你好啊 and I was curious about its usage. It was in the FSI Chinese course with a meaning of 'How are you?', but I have only heard 你好吗 on other courses and when ...
2 votes
3 answers
919 views

When to use ’啦‘ and "嘛‘?

I've learned two question ending: 吗 in 你好吗? and 呢 in 你呢? But my question is When to use ’啦" and "嘛"?They seem to be question ending also, are they common in Chinese?
0 votes
1 answer
84 views

profanities in written cantonese blurred out

I was watching a youtube video published by a famous populist news channel from Hong Kong. The topic was about food and featured comments from viewers saying that it "was F***ing delicious". ...
22 votes
8 answers
15k views

Difference between 如果 and 要是?

In the Pimsleur Mandarin course it uses 如果 (rúguǒ) to mean 'if', but the dictionary shows 要是 (yàoshì) to have a similar meaning: 如果: if; in case; in the event that 要是: if Are there any ...
1 vote
1 answer
106 views

Why 看 is used in 我看得目瞪口呆?

Going through this sentence. 我看得目瞪口呆。I was stunned/dumbfounded. 看 means see, why see in this sentence?
2 votes
2 answers
7k views

Is "Big Nose" really used for Westerners?

Neutral Terms for "White People" got me thinking about someone (who knows less Chinese than I do) telling me that "Big Nose" is the Chinese term for westerners. Is that true, and if so, is ...
1 vote
3 answers
645 views

Where can the phrase 给点面子 be used? I was wondering if it has a cultural element that I’m missing

我在抖音上看到一部视频说这段话的意思是“Cut me some slack”但是我觉得有点我尚未不知的文化精神,而英语翻译不完全掌握那个感觉。请说明一下这段话是否有什么特殊!谢谢~
8 votes
4 answers
949 views

冰雪聪明... only for girls?

Is the expression 冰雪聪明 (bīng xuě cōng míng) really only used for girls? The literal translation is "snow smart" and I understand it means something along the lines of "extremely smart" but the times I'...
4 votes
5 answers
822 views

The difference between : 日 vs 号

I was reading a conversation and came to these sentences : 爸爸 :双十一是什么? 妈妈 :就是11月11号的网上购物节,在网上买东西很便宜。 I was wondering why it's 号 instead of 日. I then checked it on the dictionary and found out that 号 ...
2 votes
2 answers
142 views

Why is 来 used in "因为‘东西’一般不能用来表示人"?

Why is 来 used in the following sentence? For some context, this is a line from a text used in the second workbook of the New Practical Chinese Reader series (pg. 93). In the text a teacher is ...
1 vote
2 answers
219 views

What is the point of 的 in '你也是大学生?你是什么专业的'?

I'm trying to understand 是。。。的 constructions. The page on such constructions at Chinese Grammar Wiki explains one way to use 是。。。的: This is the most simple way to use 是 with 的: you drop the noun and ...
5 votes
5 answers
712 views

Difference between 生气 and 愤怒

I can't find the difference between 生气 and 愤怒. Oxford Dictionary says angry means 生气, but I found 愤怒 in the online dictionary. Both have more than 20 million hits on Google, both have pictures of ...
1 vote
1 answer
298 views

What to reply to "祝你好运" (I wish you good luck)?

Does "祝你好运!" expect any "predefined" reply? Which one? If not, what should be replied? Would just "谢谢" be appropriate?
1 vote
3 answers
219 views

In the novel 猫城记, why does 老舍 use 的 (instead of 地) for adverbs?

From the first chapter of 猫城记 by 老舍, we see examples where 的 is used where I would expect to use 地 (to indicate an adverb): 我应当先去挖坑,但是我没有去挖,只呆呆的看着四外,从泪中看着四外。 动是我自己不能负责的,现在想来,这或者是最近情理的解释与自恕。 鸟儿下来一只。...
2 votes
2 answers
337 views

多大 or 多少?Which should be used when and where?

多大 or 多少? Could these two terms be used interchangeably, and if not what is the difference between them? When should they be used?
0 votes
2 answers
106 views

Why is there a 去 in 我们需要确保社交距离去保护您和我们的员工?

My friend took a photo of this Chinese sign in Australia: (click to enlarge) It's a formal, long-winded way of saying "stay 1.5 meters apart". Specifically it says: 亲爱的顾客: 根据澳洲政府规定,...
2 votes
4 answers
178 views

Is the term 有色人种 ("colored races") normally used by Chinese people?

和奥巴马一起帮民主党候选人拉票的还有佐治亚州前州长候选人艾布拉姆斯。拜登能在此次大选中让佐治亚州“翻蓝”,艾布拉姆斯功不可没。她在2018年的州长选举中惜败,之后一直在佐治亚州多个地方组织动员新选民,特别是鼓励有色人种选民投票。此外,拜登表示他将参与佐治亚州参议员的竞选活动,但没有指明具体时间。 美两党为控制参议院再战佐治亚,2020年12月07日 I was reading the ...
1 vote
3 answers
530 views

Is the 了 in 你几岁了? a change-of-state 了?

There's a simple question we ask kids: 你几岁了? How old are you? It's possible to ask it without the 了, i.e., 你几岁?. This makes me think this 了 is a change-of-state 了. It may just be a kind of "...
2 votes
5 answers
94 views

How do you ask "How old is it?"

When commenting on a used article for sale, how do you simply ask how old the item is? Is "它多大了?" Correct?
2 votes
2 answers
160 views

Is "贪得无厌" the best choice for this sentence?

This is the original text: Drifters of this world are the collectors of forgotten knowledge, lost technologies and broken histories. Our Drifter is haunted by an insatiable illness, traveling further ...
0 votes
1 answer
72 views

Is "毁灭" the best word to use here?

I am trying to translate this sentence: Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with dangers and lost technologies. After consulting Google Translate, this is what I came up with: 探索一个美丽,...

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