Questions about what word fits better in a certain context or situation.
3
votes
2answers
152 views
Difference between 清水, 淡水 and 自来水
My main aim is to try and find the best word to use when describing a freshwater lake.
But what if any is the difference between the following: 清水, 淡水 and 自来水
3
votes
2answers
174 views
“If you say so”: Dismissive agreement
I would like to know some ways to agree in a non-committal or dismissive way. For instance, in English, we have:
If you say so.
Is that so? (with a flat intonation)
Really? (flat ...
3
votes
5answers
422 views
What's the difference between 了解 and 理解？
I've asked some of my Chinese friends what the difference was. Most couldn't explain. Some said that you 了解 people but you 理解 things. What's the difference?
3
votes
4answers
193 views
What's an appropriate conversational response to 这是什么？
In English, if someone points to a book and says "What's that?", "A book" is a sufficient reply. In Chinese, if someone points to a book and says "这是什么？", can you say "书" or maybe "一本书"? What's the ...
3
votes
3answers
66 views
Difference between 继续 and 接着
I learned 接着 a while ago, and the CEDICT definition is as follows:
to catch and hold on / to continue / to go on to do sth / to follow / to carry on / then / after that / subsequently / to proceed ...
3
votes
3answers
226 views
Translating the idiom “thinking outside the box”
I normally hate overused catchphrases in English, like "paradigm shift" and "out of the box thinking". But I was recently chatting (in Chinese) with a friend about an earlier situation in which ...
3
votes
1answer
94 views
Example of using 吧 in conversation
My textbook explains that 吧 is a modal particle, but I'm not a linguist and the "modal particle" article on Wikipedia didn't help. Can you give examples of using 吧 in conversation?
3
votes
5answers
180 views
What is the most common way to say 'indecisive' in Mandarin?
I have heard a range of different terms meaning 'indecisive' in Chinese - I'm not sure if they were in dialect, or there are several options for saying it in Mandarin, and so I'm curious to learn what ...
3
votes
3answers
139 views
What's the difference between 词典, 辞典, and 字典?
I don't think they are necessarily different kinds of dictionaries, but is there a subtle distinction? Or maybe their etymologies?
3
votes
2answers
138 views
一起 vs 一块 - what's the difference?
一起 vs 一块, are these two expressions the same in Chinese, or is there a certain situation where one is more appropriate than the other? Can anyone explain what the difference might be?
For example, ...
3
votes
2answers
46 views
How can I express the concept “There's nothing of which I'm absolutely sure” in Chinese?
Scientists and philosophers have at various times been quoted as saying:
"There's nothing of which I'm absolutely sure" or "I'm not absolutely sure of anything". (Richard Feynman, for example.)
How ...
3
votes
1answer
66 views
What is the difference, if any, between 即使 and 無論？
Is a big difference between 即使 and 無論?
I was working on a couple of fill-in-the-blanks exercises and the following sentence came up:
你的畫很有特色，（blank）是畫家也不一定能畫德比你好。
I think the right answer ...
3
votes
2answers
100 views
Why can't 了 be used to complement 到?
I have been taught that the sentence 我刚到了 (wǒ gāng dào le) is not correct because 了 cannot be used as a complement of 到. Is this true? If so, why?
3
votes
4answers
73 views
Differences between 蝉 and 知了?
What are the main differences between 蝉 (chán) and 知了 (zhīliǎo) both meaning cicada.
Do they both refer to the same species?
Will saying either be understood by a majority of native speakers?
Is ...
3
votes
2answers
90 views
Use of 蓝 (Blue) in a Specific Context?
There is a song sung by William So whose title is 《有人喜欢蓝》 (Yǒurén xǐhuan lán - There are people who like blue.)
What does 蓝 (blue) mean in this context? Is it a reference to the sky, sea, a mood, or ...
3
votes
1answer
76 views
馅饼 in Cantonese
In the Dim Sum place I usually go to (in the U.S), they call the pan-fried bun stuffed with Chinese chive and shrimp 韭菜馅饼. I came from Northern China and the shape and size of that bun are, by any ...
3
votes
2answers
267 views
Difference between 喜乐 and 快乐？
Dictionaries lead me to understand 快乐 as happy. Whereas 喜乐 as delighted, happiness, joy. In English joy denotes a stronger, deeper emotion. Is the difference in meanings of 快乐 and 喜乐 great enough to ...
3
votes
2answers
60 views
Correct word to use for a suburban fence?
What should I be using to describe a suburban fence?
Here is an image of what I am trying to find the right word for:
Author: Greg O'Beirne - source
I guess I might go with 篱笆 or 栏杆. Could I get ...
2
votes
7answers
312 views
Can I use 我的腿累了 for “My legs are tired”?
I play soccer with a bunch of Chinese friends regularly and I want to say "my legs are tired".
I already know 我跑不动了 and 我的腿很酸, but I'm not sure what is the best fit for the Chinese equivelant of "my ...
2
votes
3answers
125 views
Proper translation of the word “confidence”
What would be the proper way of translating
I don't have confidence in myself to dance on stage.
I understand that this isn't a translation service, but my difficulty arises from the many ...
2
votes
3answers
81 views
Ways to say “more”
I know a few ways to say "more" or "in addition", and I'm wondering which to use when translating this sentence. I came across the following English sentence and its Chinese translation on ...
2
votes
1answer
214 views
What's the difference between 舅舅 and 叔叔?
My favorite short story in modern Mandarin, 2015 by 王小波, is basically a long, humorous digression about the author's 舅舅:
...
2
votes
1answer
131 views
What's the difference between “问一下”，“查询”， “询问”？
In the context of phone conversations with vendors I often default to either:
我想问一下…
请问…
I'm looking for a possibly more appropriate way to address someone in this context. Would it be appropriate ...
2
votes
6answers
1k views
What shoud I use to say “I love you”: “wa ai lo” or “wo ai ni”?
Some of my chinese friends speak Chinese. I asked them how to say "I love you" in their language, but most of them said "wa ai lo" not "wo ai ni", how can this be?
I look for google translate, it ...
2
votes
3answers
84 views
What is the difference between 演奏, 弹 and 奏?
There are several words that seem to be related to playing musical instruments (specifically 演奏, 弹 and 奏), and I would appreciate an elaboration on the nuances between them. Are some used in specific ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
What are the differences between the different words for mammoth? 猛犸和毛象有什么区别？
I often pick up relatively esoteric animal names, and I got looking at mammoths one day... I found two words for mammoth: 猛犸 and 毛象. What is the difference between these two words?
2
votes
3answers
191 views
Tonal difference between 浪费 and 糟蹋
Both 浪费 and 糟蹋 mean "to waste." (I'm not really concerned with the other uses of 糟蹋 right now.)
I've seen the collocations 糟蹋粮食 and 糟蹋人才, and 浪费 is very common in phrases like 浪费时间 and 浪费水.
Are ...
2
votes
4answers
158 views
Correct terms for a roadside gutter and gutter on a roof
What is the correct terms for both a roadside gutter and a gutter on a roof?
For the sake of making me look bad, my guess would be 水沟 but I've seen that applied to a large canal so not sure if it the ...
2
votes
3answers
86 views
Which tone is it (in pinyin)?
Following on from this question Asking for "transcription"
I've had difficulty previously asking native speakers which tone I should use for a particular character if I can't pick it by ...
2
votes
2answers
133 views
How to describe a puppet show
I want to describe a puppet show we saw. It was in a theatre and performed by professional puppeteers. I found three terms for puppet: 人形, 木偶, and 傀儡. I couldn't find anything for puppeteer.
Here's ...
2
votes
1answer
61 views
Is 搏杀 used in jest in this sentence?
In December, I read this as a social network post:
今年剩下一个星期了，继续努力搏杀！
In English slang, one might say "killing it" to mean performing well. Is this use of 搏杀 figurative, literal, or humorous?
2
votes
2answers
99 views
How to translate “doesn't lift a finger” and “without lifting a finger”?
I recently same across this stumbling block in conversation; in one case I wanted to say "doesn't lift a finger" and in another "without lifting a finger". These phrases mean that someone is extremely ...
1
vote
4answers
106 views
Can 窝 be used for grouping any zodiac animal?
I have heard the saying 一窝猪 Yī wō zhū when describing a family or group of people who are all 属猪 (have pig as their zodiac sign).
Is this something that can be applied to other animals e.g. 一窝龙 or ...
1
vote
4answers
175 views
How to say “I can't help but…”
From a lesson in a Chinese text book was the following sentence:
他不由得哭 (Tā bùyóude kū)
He could not help but cry
I've never heard 不由得 used in a sentence, and I want to know if it is common and ...
1
vote
3answers
148 views
Translating the word “feelings” for conversational use
When I look for a dictionary translation of "feelings", I see two translations: 情怀 and 情面.
Which of these two would be better suited to translate the following sentence
The woman rhetorically ...
1
vote
2answers
142 views
Does 外行的想法 mean “rookie mistake”?
I found this sentence and its translation on tatoeba.org. Is there a better way to translate it into English?
這是外行的想法。
That's a layman's idea.
I looked up 外行, and it does mean amateur or ...
1
vote
2answers
88 views
Why is 语 used so much when describing the language media is presented in?
It seems that the "language" descriptor on a movie, tv show, or comic is always listed using 语 instead of 文. (国语, 英语, 德语, etc) instead of 英文. This is common even when listing the subtitles (although ...
1
vote
3answers
147 views
How to say incoming president (国家主席)?
Strangely the Wikipedia article for president 中华人民共和国主席 doesn't mention 习近平 anywhere.
I also asked my mother in law just now if she spotted any articles where it mentions him as the incoming ...
1
vote
4answers
148 views
很 and 最 - Questions of The Context
很 means very. 最 means truly, really. I was wondering in which context they would be most appropriate.
我最喜欢去组约。- I'd really like to go to New York.
So 最 can be used as a descriptor in this ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
(Literally) Seeing Through Things
Earlier today, I ended up in a discussion which somehow involved people who were (literally) transparent. I was somewhat at a loss for how to say "Can you see through him?".
After some research, I've ...
1
vote
1answer
72 views
What are the uses of 什会 and from which area?
In restaurants in Australia we quite often have Chinese dishes which are combination for example Combination Satay or Combination Fried Rice. These contain several types of meat as opposed to ...
1
vote
4answers
205 views
Expressing “Fair enough”
The English expression "fair enough" can be used to concede a point in an argument, or acknowledge the other person's position, without expressing complete agreement. To take an example from ...
1
vote
4answers
147 views
Better translation for 春节联欢晚会 than New Year's Gala
On the night of New Years Eve in China many people watch the annual New Year's Gala. This in Chinese is called 春节联欢晚会 in English this is translated as New Year's Gala.
So what exactly is a 联欢晚会? Can ...
1
vote
1answer
113 views
What are the corresponding titles for “Dr.” (in the sense of MD and PhD) in Chinese?
The prefix Dr. in English refers to both medical doctors, and PhD graduates. What are the correct titles for these in Chinese? I believe that 医生 is correct to use as a title for a medical doctor, but ...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
Chinese equivalent of the English word candid
I was just reading this news article and I'm interested to know which word or phrase would have been translated from Chinese to English as "candid":
China's foreign ministry described Tuesday's ...
1
vote
1answer
169 views
In what instances can use you use 干嘛 over 干吗 (and vice versa)?
I noticed that 干嘛 appears used in various forms of media, such as newspapers, magazines, and movie subtitles.
From a pronunciation standpoint, 嘛 and 吗 are different (neutral tone vs. second tone, ...
1
vote
2answers
83 views
Does the use of 就 and 便 vary by region?
就 and 便 are synonymous in many sentences:
这儿（就、便）是我们的学校。
我看了报纸（就、便）扔了。
如果你去，我（就、便）不去了。
I believe that 便 is more formal than 就; I've seen it in writing but never heard it in speech. However, ...
1
vote
1answer
110 views
What's the difference between 蝦 and 鰕?
I found there are two characters for "xia1" (ghra as in Middle Chinese), 蝦 and 鰕.
Could someone explain what the difference is?
1
vote
1answer
104 views
How to say “I live at the bottom of a hill”?
I've only ever people say something like 我住在山坡上 but to me 山坡 sounds like the side of a mountain. Google translate gives me 我住在山脚下.
In English we use, I live at the bottom of a hill, not I live at the ...
1
vote
2answers
108 views
How do you say “preferences” as opposed to “demands”?
I encounter many situations where I want to ask someone what they would like as opposed to what they need. For example, I wanted to find a restaurant for our class to have an end of the semester ...
