All Questions
0
votes
1answer
30 views
When writing pin yin, should you use a question mark in sentences using “ma”?
Ni xiang chi fan ma ?
Is it redundant to use ma and a question mark? Doesn't ma make it a question in of itself? I am unclear on the correct approach here.
2
votes
2answers
124 views
Can someone verify the meanings and age of these ancient Chinese characters?
I came across this interesting article which attempts to support the Christian Genesis story by showing the meanings in some ancient Chinese characters. I would like to verify the meaning of these ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
What does this text on a vase mean?
We have recently received this vase as a gift from a business partner. I am very curious what this text on it means but am not in a position to ask them.
I wasn't able to use Google Translate ...
-1
votes
0answers
61 views
Pinyin Tone Rules [closed]
I am looking for some help with pinyin. I can't find a list of rules on how tones should be applied. For example, I watched a video, which said if two syllables with the 3rd tone are used in a row, ...
6
votes
1answer
159 views
Do 和 and 及 refer to two different kinds of “ands?”
At one level, they both mean "and." At another level, 和 also means "peace," while 及 means "to extend." This suggests different usages.
Is one used to connect nouns, while the other is used to connect ...
1
vote
2answers
138 views
5
votes
1answer
155 views
Fast-written forms of 草书 characters
Are they frequently used? Which one of the three is applied more often: is it the 章草, the 今草 or the 狂草?
Are they different in comparison with the 行書?
Are there any online resourses to learn more ...
1
vote
4answers
128 views
Can whether a character is simplified or traditional depend on the context it is used in?
Are there any characters which are considered simplified in some contexts (where there would be a corresponding traditional character), and traditional in other contexts?
2
votes
2answers
150 views
Differentiate 不错 and 没错 in these situations [duplicate]
I have been having problems knowing when to use either 不错 or 没错. I think 不错 means 'great'; and 没错 means no mistake.
Which should be used to:
(a) praise somebody's work?
(b) indicate nothing wrong ...
0
votes
1answer
94 views
What is the difference between 們 and 们 for marking plurals?
I've seen native speakers refer to "we" as both 我们 and 我們, so I was wondering if there's any difference in meaning or when to use one plural marker or the other.
-1
votes
2answers
88 views
Need to know how to type specific kanji found in image
I am making a website for a friend. He has a (very) low quality logo for me to use. I want to remake the logo but it contains kanji. I do not know how to read kanji so I do not know how to remake ...
0
votes
2answers
93 views
Was there ever a “Xijing?” Could it have been “Xi An?”
"Beijing" means "northern capital," and "Nanjing" means "southern capital."
There is even a "Dongjing" or "eastern capital" that is WAY east of China. It's the city that the Japanese call "Tokyo."
...
2
votes
5answers
227 views
Can I use a rare character like 飂 in a name?
I am trying to find a new Chinese name for myself. Before, I simply used a transliteration of my western name. Now, as my Chinese progressed, I would like to find something that does not immediately ...
1
vote
2answers
179 views
What does 亮黄灯了 mean?
Can someone please tell me what 亮黄灯了 means in this sentence:
我承认，应该是运动量过大，身体*亮黄灯了*
And why is the colour yellow (黄) used?
2
votes
1answer
117 views
Semantic radical and dictionary header for 将
The Unihan standard, just like virtually every online dictionary, lists 寸 as the 部首 for 将.
The 部首归部 reference published in 2009 ...
2
votes
2answers
190 views
Why is 的 used in these sentences?
I have the following sentences:
你是哪一天出生的？ (sentence 1)
I'm trying to understand why 的 is being used in this sentence. I know it is used to express possession, but I'm not sure that's the case is ...
2
votes
2answers
127 views
Is there a Chinese equivalent of the German “Mut zur Lücke”?
In German, we have the expression "Mut zur Lücke", in English something like "courage to have a gap" - a knowledge gap. It is used between students, when they skip to learn something for an exam.
...
3
votes
2answers
86 views
How to use 了 as a modal particle?
I'm having a hard time understanding when to use 了 as a modal particle (instead of as an aspect particle).
For example, what is the difference between the following two sentences.
现在几点？
现在几点了？
...
3
votes
5answers
260 views
webpage loading.. 加载 vs 载入
What words should we use when we want to say "a webpage is loading"?
In Gmail, when I change my settings to simplified Chinese, Google says "正在加载".
However, when I change my settings to traditional ...
0
votes
2answers
101 views
When should 吧 be used?
I understand that it is used at the end of a sentence to indicate suggestion, but I want to know what kinds of everyday situations warrant its use. I'd appreciate two or three examples. Also, does it ...
-1
votes
1answer
72 views
Can you help me to understand the technical text translated from Chinese to English? [closed]
I am translating the user manual to Russian. It is in English but translated from Chinese and about Chinese video security system (chinese software and hardware).
Probably the native Chinese ...
0
votes
1answer
79 views
What are some well-known, online news sources that are worthy of language study?
I'm thinking along the lines of
NPR - has both (audio) news and talk radio that can be accessed online
Time Magazine, The Economist - current events and issues, etc
New York Times - daily newspaper
...
3
votes
2answers
107 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
74 views
How to say properly translate “circulation”?
I know that 通风 means to ventilate, but how does one say circulation? Two specific sentences I'm having trouble translating are:
He wanted to save energy, so he turned on the circulation fan ...
2
votes
2answers
227 views
How do I call for a male waiter?
For female waiters, my dad taught me to use the phrase "小姐 ".
But for male waiters, my dad doesn't know how to properly call them. I discussed the possibility of using "da ge", "小ge", "da di", "小 ...
0
votes
2answers
96 views
what is the equivalent of 冒昧打扰 in English?
I apologize if this question is not appropriate for here, but I think it is more probably to find people who know the answer to this question here :)
In Chinese, we have the expression 冒昧打扰.
To put ...
4
votes
1answer
195 views
Did a king ask for a ball? How did 王 + 求 become 球?
The character 球 means ball and is composed of
王 meaning king and
求 meaning demand.
Where does this composition come from? Did a king ask for a ball?
1
vote
3answers
202 views
How to translate “读书好 好读书 读好书”?
A famous Chinese writer whose pen name is Bingxin once remarked, "读书好 好读书 读好书", which is used to encourage Chinese students to read books.
In this sentence, there are altogether 3 "好"s. The first and ...
1
vote
1answer
78 views
Why don't these questions have the “ma” particle at the end?
I've been using this site to get my basic foothold in Mandarin. If you scroll down you'll see a section entitled "WHAT", including some questions like "What's the matter?" and "What did you say?" and ...
0
votes
2answers
104 views
Politeness in Mandarin
I like to say please sometimes when I want to be polite to someone when asking them for something. Is this customary in Mandarin?
For example, if I wanted to ask for some water, I might ask my ...
1
vote
1answer
145 views
When is it appropriate to use 先生?
I'm trying to figure out when the title 先生 is used. Is it used for Mr., husband, honorary person, or something else? 谢谢
1
vote
2answers
124 views
How is pronunciation discussed in Chinese?
Here's an English example:
Learner: Wait, how is cow pronounced?
Native: COW, like a K sound, and ow.
But in Chinese there are no phonetic letters. So how are children taught how to pronounce ...
2
votes
4answers
228 views
How do we describe a “sophisticated person”?
Is there a word for "sophisticated" in Chinese?
"Sophisticated" here will mean of a person or their thoughts, reactions, and understanding, being aware of and able to interpret complex issues:
...
0
votes
1answer
107 views
Why is 真都不错 used here instead of 都真不错?
中国的风景都真不错。
A native speaker told me that the above sentence was wrong, so the corrected version should be:
中国的风景真(的)都不错。
Is the first sentence's grammar wrong or it just sounds unnatural? ...
2
votes
2answers
98 views
Learn the characters at the same time as the language?
Should I learn Mandarin basics first through pinyin and worry about the characters later, or should I learn them together? Pros and cons?
4
votes
3answers
293 views
What does it say on the stamp?
I was requested by a friend to find out what this stamp is. Do you know what it says on the stamp?
0
votes
1answer
67 views
Included or Not Included As In “以後” “以來”, etc
Check out the references below, we see that Japanese has the same problem as Chinese: Does "以X" include the word itself, eg. is 1 included in "1以上"?
As what I have seen, in old Chinese books, there ...
1
vote
1answer
159 views
Are tones sometimes glossed over?
To elaborate, although ni3 hao3 has a double third tone, when I hear native speakers say it, it's said so quickly that they definitely are not using that tone, nor is there feasibly time to use the ...
-1
votes
1answer
76 views
how to translate 大脑迅速转动起来?
When I first came across the phrase "head starts spinning", I thought it meant 大脑迅速转动起来 in Chinese, which means "you start processing a lot info in your head in order to figure out something quickly". ...
2
votes
1answer
69 views
What is the difference between 依偎 and 偎傍？
I looked them up and they both have relatively the same meaning. So what's the difference between the two?
2
votes
4answers
149 views
What is the difference between 餐馆 and 饭店? Is 饭店 used for restaurant or hotel?
饭店 and 餐馆 can both mean restaurant. My Chinese friend here in Dongguan tells me 饭店 is not commonly used to mean hotel. I want to understand in what contexts both of these words are used. 谢谢.
3
votes
2answers
120 views
Correct usage of “behind schedule”
What I would like to know is the proper way to say "I am behind schedule" in the general sense similar to "I am running two hours late for the meeting", or "This project is two weeks overdue".
When I ...
-5
votes
1answer
64 views
发一首陈奕迅的歌词试试，看有没有什么问题？ [closed]
陈奕迅 - 信任
作曲： Eric Kwok / Jerald
填词： 小克
编曲： Swing
监制： Swing / Eason Chan
你无谓迫我 打开刚才那一版
早前便讲过 旧友聚餐
你擒住不放 相中痴缠那一挽
平凡活动社交也要防范
肯相信我未 肯体恤我未
双方要靠信任还是放饵
请相信我哋 请珍惜我哋
为何总不留余地
你无谓偷看 手机中号码一闪
似邮和短讯 逐个查验
我门外经过 ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Meaning of these signs
Could someone please tell me what these signs mean, the OCR couldn't read them.
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Missionary Romanization?
I'm interested in the romanization system, or similar systems to, the one that produced translations such as "Confucius" and "Mencius". These names are very easy for non-Chinese speakers to pronounce. ...
3
votes
2answers
254 views
What is the correct pronunciation of 垃圾?
The word 垃圾 is sometimes pronounced laji, but other times I've seen it pronounced as lese, which pronunciation is deemed to be more correct? Are they both interchangeable?
2
votes
1answer
137 views
Comparing 朝 vs. 向 vs. 往
In talking about physical/geographical directions, I'm pretty comfortable using 朝 and 向 and 往 for the meaning of "to" or "toward". But I would be hard put to describe to a Chinese language learner any ...
2
votes
3answers
288 views
Why do native speakers often say a character has “no meaning”?
Many times I will know all the characters in a name but one & I'll ask what that one character means. 9 times out of 10 the response is, "That character has no meaning".
While it might be true ...
1
vote
1answer
125 views
How would you translate 细腻 into English?
My Chinese coworkers were describing Korean drama TV shows & said that the actors faces are "细腻" xi4ni4. When I look this up in my dictionary, I get 2 definitions "fine & smooth" or ...
3
votes
5answers
377 views
Why do you say 我没有错 instead of 我不错 to say “I'm not wrong”? When should I use 没有?
I'm trying to understand when 没有 should be used instead of 不 when negating a sentence.
Consider the example "I'm not wrong."
Why is it 没有错?
How can I know when to use 没有 when negating a sentence?
...
