Questions about what word fits better in a certain context or situation.
15
votes
5answers
301 views
How to differentiate between “On Top” and “Above”
If I wanted to translate the prepositional phrase "on the bed" to Chinese, I know to say "床上", but I don't know what the translation would be for saying "above/over the bed".
From what I can gather, ...
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 ...
13
votes
2answers
287 views
How do I decide whether to use 還是/还是 or 或者
還是/还是 (háishì) and 或者 (huòzhě) seem to have very similar meanings:
還是/还是: or; still; nevertheless
或者: or; possibly; maybe
When I want to say 'or', how to I choose which to use, and are there ...
13
votes
1answer
177 views
What is the difference in use between 以及, 和 and 与?
I have a book with the following lesson titles:
中文以及中国
聚会和饮食
交通与环境
Why are these terms connected with 以及 / 和 / 与, why not always use 和 for example?
Are there any rules for proper use of these ...
9
votes
5answers
196 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 ...
9
votes
5answers
293 views
When should you use 尽管 (jǐnguǎn) instead of 虽然 (suīrán)?
虽然 and 尽管 can both be translated as "despite" and "although". I've been familiar with 虽然 for a longer time already but I recently came across 尽管 for the first time. Is 尽管 a more formal or poetic term? ...
8
votes
5answers
296 views
Translation for “sorry” as in “I am sorry to hear that”?
In English we can say "sorry" as an abbreviation for "I am sorry to hear that"/"I feel sorry for you" to express sympathy. Is there a Chinese word or phrase that bears the same meaning?
I know one ...
8
votes
2answers
110 views
Beginning of the week / end of the week
It is possible to say:
三月初 (the beginning of March)
三月底 (the end of March)
Example：
我三月底要回国
You can also refer to:
年初 and 年底
But is there something you can use to convey the beginning or end of ...
8
votes
1answer
69 views
Chinese for “vote-up”, “vote-down” and “vote to close”
What is the correct Chinese words to use for the following:
Vote-up
Vote-down
Vote to close
I assume these will have been included in certain social platforms in China.
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
291 views
What's the difference between 学 and 学习?
I know both mean "to study" and I also know that while 学 (xué) is transitive, 学习 (xué xí) can be both intransitive and transitive, for example:
我学中文。 (I study «what?» Chinese) = transitive;
我在大学学习。 ...
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 ...
7
votes
2answers
116 views
Using 一样 instead of 同一 for “the same school”
In my study software, I recently had the following sentence:
我想我们会上一样的学校.
The context (a girl speaking to another girl who had just moved into the neighborhood) made it seem like the correct ...
7
votes
4answers
164 views
Equivalent expression to: “I don't give a f***”
Is there something in Mandarin like "I don't give a f***", something that expresses the same sense of "I don't care" but with more force.
6
votes
3answers
299 views
Difference between 与，和 and 跟?
Do the following three sentences mean the same thing, that is, can they be used interchangeably?
她的父母就来我们家与我的家人见面了。
她的父母就来我们家和我的家人见面了。
她的父母就来我们家跟我的家人见面了。
6
votes
2answers
169 views
Difference between 许多 and 很多
What's the difference between 许多 and 很多?
For example, in this sentence I found on Jukuu both terms are used:
After years of teaching, I have many memories to dwell on in idle moments.
...
6
votes
2answers
284 views
Difference between 接受 and 接收
The first one (接受 jiēshòu) seems far more general and frequent:
我接受邀请。 I accepted the invitation.
他将接受口试。 He will take an oral examination.
他拒绝接受治疗。 He refused treatment.
The second one (接收 ...
6
votes
3answers
265 views
What is the difference between 一只狗 and 一条狗?
I've been told by native speakers that the former refers to little dogs while the latter is for bigger dogs. I also have been told that the latter has a negative connotation. I'm wondering:
how ...
6
votes
4answers
139 views
Why 又 is used there instead of 再?
In this dialogue:
A: 现在恢复得怎么样了？
B: 没问题了，又可以爬山了。
Why is 又 used there and not 再?
As far as I know (I might be wrong), both 再 and 又 are used for describing recurring actions, but 又 refers to ...
6
votes
6answers
286 views
What is the status of 什么来的 and 什么来着 in standard and colloquial Mandarin Chinese?
When I first moved to the south of China, I was surprised to hear the phrase "什么来的" used to mean "what," as in
这是什么来的？: "What is this?"
As far as I could tell, in many cases there was no ...
6
votes
2answers
193 views
How widespread is the use of 妳?
When addressing a female person, do I have to use 妳 instead of 你?
How common is the usage of 妳?
6
votes
5answers
168 views
What are some ways that I can be self-deprecating about my Chinese speaking ability?
I live in an area where there are many Chinese so I get plenty of opportunity to use my language skills including shopping, eating at restaurants and meeting new people.
The Chinese people I meet are ...
6
votes
3answers
180 views
了解 vs 明白 vs 知道 - what is the difference, and when should I use each one?
了解, 明白, and 知道 seem to be fairly synonymous in Mandarin, but there does seem to be some subtle differences between them.
What exactly is the difference? When should I use each one? Could you give me ...
6
votes
2answers
150 views
How to express a date in Chinese (lunar) calendar?
Many traditional festivals are observed on a given date on the Chinese (lunar) calendar(Actually, the Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar). For example, the Spring Festival falls on the first day ...
5
votes
7answers
350 views
What is the difference between using 光 vs using 只?
What is the gramatical difference between 光 and 只?
光剩下2毛钱 does not have the same meaning/context as 只剩下2毛钱
It seems there is more emphasis to the part that comes after 光. When is the right time to ...
5
votes
3answers
188 views
Writing “Please Recycle” in Mandarin
How can one write "Please Recycle" in the context of an office paper room?
I have tried: 请回收利用 but my friend says this is only for recycling batteries
5
votes
4answers
311 views
What is the correct way to say: “I thought you were somebody else.”
In English if you mistake someone for another person it is common to say "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else".
How should this be said in Chinese?
5
votes
3answers
138 views
Difference between 曾经 and 已经
In this question I was asking about 曾经 and one answer says it means 'already'.
What's the difference between 曾经 and 已经?
Do the two sentences below have the same meaning?
他曾经在北京学过两年汉语。
...
5
votes
3answers
292 views
Can 下次 mean “again”?
I found a sentence on tatoeba that isn't quite the translation I would expect.
I will not do it again.
Is translated as...
下次我不做了。
I checked mdbg.net to be sure, and 下次 is only translated ...
5
votes
2answers
111 views
What are the differences between 男女, 公母, and 雄雌?
In what situations would you use one of the following instead of the others?
男女 nán nǚ
公母 gōng mǔ
雄雌 xióng cí
Is it a matter of formality or is each term confined to a particular ...
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
3answers
168 views
Difference between 想 and 要?
I know both of them mean "want to" but have usage in differente contexts. When should I use each one?
For example:
我要厺上海市 and 我想厺上海市
What's the difference in the meaning between them?
Also, ...
5
votes
2answers
258 views
What is the difference between yǐqián (以前) and zhīqián (之前)?
I'd like to have some way to differentiate between yǐqián (以前) and zhīqián (之前), in order to help with memorising them both. Referring to Modern Mandarin Grammar (Claudia Ross, Routledge 2006), it ...
4
votes
3answers
116 views
Idiomatic expressions for attitude (agreement or disagreement)
I have recently seen two phrases which, in my understanding, looked very similar to each other:
再看吧 [zài kàn ba]
考虑考虑 [kǎo lǜ kǎo lǜ]
However, I've been told that the first one means almost ...
4
votes
3answers
188 views
What is the difference between 做番 vs. 做返?
A friend (Mainland Chinese, living in Hong Kong) recently posted the following sentence on Facebook:
聖誕節買禮物?做番中國人啦!
As I had never seen the "做番" construction before, I asked if perhaps she had ...
4
votes
2answers
151 views
What's the difference between 房子 and 屋?
It seems like "house" is usually translated to 房子 (fáng zi) in standard Chinese, although 屋 (wū) is also a common translation, especially in Cantonese.
Is there a difference between the two? When ...
4
votes
2answers
199 views
Errors and Unnatural Language in a Translation Challenge
I was recently challenged to translate the following sentence from English into Chinese:
You should stay away from that bar. A friend of mine went there before, and he ended up in the hospital after ...
4
votes
2answers
149 views
What's the difference between 証 and 證?
I realized 证 could be 証 and 證. Is there any difference between them?
4
votes
2answers
80 views
How to use 凭 as a preposition
I understand 凭 as a verb to mean rely. But I often read it and the seemingly related 凭着 in familiar contexts but still do not know what function it serves. Seeing example sentences doesn't make it any ...
4
votes
4answers
162 views
For all I know
There is an expression in English:
"For all I know, ...."
The following clause often has a modal expressing uncertainty or the hypothetical nature of the assertion, like "might", "may", "could", ...
4
votes
2answers
176 views
Difference between 两个都 and 我们俩
Pimsleur's Mandarin course teaches 'both of us' as 我们两个都 (wǒ men liăng ge dōu), but in another question I asked here I recently found that 我们俩 (wǒ men liă).
Are these always interchangeable, or are ...
4
votes
3answers
183 views
Questions ending with 么
I was chatting online with a Chinese person and he sometimes added 么 at the end of questions:
你觉得汉语难么？
是因为声调掌握不好么？
Can 么 and 吗 be used interchangeably? Do they have the exact same meaning?
4
votes
1answer
159 views
Difference between 别 and 不
I know that a typical way to negate a verb is to stick 不 in front of it. But I learned some phrases that use 别 instead: 别担心, 别客气 and so on, all of them in short polite fixed phrases. I know that I ...
4
votes
1answer
130 views
When is it appropriate to use 亲爱的?
In English it perfectly fine in a business context and for someone you have never met before to use Dear XXXX at the beginning of a letter or email.
This causes some difficulty when moving to another ...
4
votes
4answers
197 views
Difference between 合适 and 适合
Both 合适 and 适合 mean to fit/to suit.
I know the grammatical form needed for each one is different:
在这个情况下，你在穿的衣服就不合适。
我在找一个适合我的女孩子。
Aside of that, I have been told they cannot be used ...
4
votes
2answers
98 views
Replacement for “他一个人” when used in a sentence about an animal
In the sentence:
他一个人在搬东西
Which could be translated as "He is moving it by himself", the important information is 'by himself' (他一个人).
In English we could point to an ant and say "Look, he is ...
4
votes
3answers
82 views
Is there any difference between 汤 and 羹?
Are 汤 and 羹 used to refer to different kinds of soup or is 羹 merely a part of the full word for soup (汤羹)? For example, is one used to refer to light soups while the other is reserved for heavy ...
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?
4
votes
2answers
56 views
Do 衣服 and 衣饰 carry different connotations or are they synonyms?
衣服 and 衣饰 both mean "clothing"; but are they truly synonymous or is the use of each term confined to its own specific context? Or is it simply a difference between colloquial and formal speech or ...
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 ...
