All Questions
3
votes
1answer
77 views
Character layout in calligraphy e.g. with respect to a quotation from Confucius
I recently attended a brief introductory workshop about calligraphy at a Confucius Institute. The instructor, who also teaches at the local university and is both a calligrapher and painter from ...
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? ...
3
votes
2answers
143 views
How to explain the structure of “将在外，军令有所不受。”
In my own opinion, this sentence should be "将在外，军令不受".
I can hardly imagine any use of "有" and "所" here. Could someone explain the structure of this sentence?
1
vote
5answers
201 views
如果你不介意 : appropriate translation from English?
I recently heard, 如果你不介意 (literally: "if you do not mind."). Is the literal translation from English also a correct, native one? Or is there a more common way to prefix such a question?
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", ...
7
votes
2answers
126 views
Difference between 生前 and 死前
Literally, 死前 means before death while 生前 means before life. They seem to bear the opposite meaning. However, in most cases, they actually mean the same thing, i.e., when someone was still alive. ...
5
votes
1answer
128 views
9 Questions from the movie Red Sorghum (红高粱)
My friend bought me a set of four Zhang Yi Mou movies. I watched Red Sorghum (红高粱) today, and there were a few sentences which, after looking up the meanings, I still couldn't quite understand. I'll ...
3
votes
5answers
158 views
2
votes
2answers
100 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
123 views
Difference between 特色、特點、特性、特質、特徵
Looking up these five words in dictionaries give results that are almost identical. In Chinese-English dictionaries, I find explanations identical or very close to:
a characteristic; a ...
0
votes
0answers
85 views
Chinese learning - Mandarin? Simplified? other? [closed]
I'd like to learn an Asian language. I was initially interested in Japanese but after some research I switched to Chinese because of its wider audience and economic growth projections.
However, I am ...
5
votes
2answers
247 views
How did 外国人 become 老外?
From Baidu:
老外，是中国人对国外人的一种俗称，类似与老张、老王、老李之类的称呼。称呼中加“老”显得亲热，比如“老乡”“老表”，称呼你老外，就像称呼老张老李那样，大大咧咧，随便亲切。过去中国人对外国人的称呼都是用在第三人称上，只有“老外”可以用于第二人称。
To translate, it says laowai is a colloquial term for ...
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?
3
votes
2answers
350 views
What are the connotations of the word 拳拳?
I chose 拳拳 as my own Chinese name, having the meaning of my name in mind. I got it from an online dictionary, so I would like to know what native speakers "get" from it, as in what are the ...
3
votes
5answers
214 views
How is the pinyin 'iu' pronounced?
How does one pronounce the 'iu' sound (as in liu4 = six)?
I have always said it and heard it to end in an [joʊ] sound, as in 'low', 'go', and 'sew'.
But once I was told that it should actually be a ...
1
vote
2answers
119 views
Difference between 最高领导人 and 主要领导人之一?
I've just been looking at the wikipedia entry for Xi Jinping and the word used for the position he will be taken on Wikipedia is incumbent "paramount leader" with paramount leader pointing to this ...
2
votes
1answer
129 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
88 views
Which dictionaries reveal the commonly mistaken usage of a word (i.e. how NOT to use a word)?
I encountered a very useful dictionary eight years ago, but have never been able to find a copy of it because I don't know what it's called. It not only gave examples in context of how to use the ...
1
vote
4answers
183 views
How to translate “I wonder…”
How can I translate something like the below sentence into Chinese:
I wonder how many people are going to the party?
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?
4
votes
3answers
198 views
Meaning of 一不小心
I read a story where a child dropped a berry into a bucket full of berries and then tried to take it back. When she reached in to pick up her own berry, she grabbed a handful of the other berries. In ...
3
votes
4answers
128 views
What is the subject in this sentence part 有时间到我家去
there is this sentence in a dialog: 好 , 我走了 , 有时间到我家去 . 再见 ! (from my beginner text book)
I do understand the translation. Well, I'm going, if you have time, come to my home. Goodbye.
However, ...
1
vote
1answer
76 views
How can I distinguish between Western style spirits and Chinese style spirits (liquor)?
I have tried to have this conversation a few times in China. The problem is when trying to explain the difference between beer, wine and spirits.
People assume that spirits means something similar to ...
3
votes
1answer
99 views
What is etymology for 沙龙?
I've noticed that hairdressing shops are usually called 沙龙 [shā-lóng].
Obviously, it's not a "sand dragon", but a direct transliteration of English "salon" instead.
What is the reason for using a ...
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; ...
0
votes
7answers
185 views
Learning/remembering Chinese
I lived in China for a few months and picked up quite a bit of Mandarin. Now that I've moved back to the US, I have forgotten the Chinese I knew and spoke while there. Other than actually living where ...
2
votes
4answers
153 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 ...
5
votes
2answers
80 views
Antiquated honorifics
Are any of these honorifics still in use today? If not, might they be used and understood (as a joke) by regular Chinese in, say, a period film, much as English speakers would recognize someone using ...
5
votes
3answers
166 views
How to add emphasis to sentences
Last week a kid wrote on the office white board "Give me all your cheese now!" and I attempted a translation into Chinese (mostly to practice my handwriting). I wrote 马上给我你的奶酪。 I felt like this ...
3
votes
2answers
108 views
Difference between 佈 and 布
Can anyone help me clarify the difference between 佈 and 布? If I'm not mistaken, this is only relevant for traditional characters since 佈 has been simplified to 布. A dictionary lookup for 佈 shows that ...
0
votes
0answers
20 views
How can I study chinese by listening? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Resources for learning Mandarin Chinese
I have 2 hours of driving everyday and I would like to strat studying Chinese.
Do you have a free sessions to study by ...
1
vote
3answers
155 views
How to translate/use 一巧
All of a sudden in my course we've started using "一巧" everywhere, and I really do not understand it at all.
example:
尽管我很喜欢这张唱片，可是我一巧也开始喜欢它，想到以后可以跟一巧一起听音乐，我决定把这张唱片给他。
which I understand all of, ...
5
votes
2answers
85 views
Methods/resources for improving formal/business Chinese?
I'm returning to China early next year to manage a business, and will be dealing with a variety of Chinese clients in that environment.
I want to ensure my formal/business Chinese skills are up to ...
4
votes
1answer
109 views
Why one -> many mapping between IPA and Pinyin?
I am referring to Origin of zhuyin symbols table on wikipedia.
Under Rhymes and Medials following 3 entries confuse me:
Zhuyin IPA Pinyin
ㄧ i i/y
ㄨ u u/w
ㄩ y ...
2
votes
4answers
249 views
How to express “same shit, different names” in Mandarin?
I was recently discussing computer games with a friend and realised that I don't know how to express "same shit, different names" in Chinese. We were talking about DotA, LoL and similar games. If I ...
2
votes
3answers
163 views
Is there more than one way to pronounce “knee” in Chinese?
My daughter's preschool has a Mandarin language immersion program and the teacher (from Fuzhou, Fujian province) seems to pronounce "knee" (膝盖) as qīgài instead of xīgài.
Is qīgài a correct ...
3
votes
1answer
123 views
What is a “Babu cream”?
I am working in a Chinese pharmacy & have a product with the English name "Compound Methylsalicylate cataplasma". This is supposed to be a translation from the Chinese "复方水扬酸甲酯巴布膏".
As far as I ...
2
votes
2answers
148 views
Placement of Pinyin in relation to characters
I recently wrote a short article discussing the use of Pinyin and Zhuyin. One of the sentences I wrote, without thinking too much about it, was that Pinyin is normally written below the characters (in ...
2
votes
1answer
211 views
Where can I find more cartoon videos like BBC's Muzzy for a young child to learn Mandarin? [closed]
I'm not talking about instructional videos and bi-lingual videos. Just Mandarin cartoon videos which a young child, with the ability to naturally absorb a new language, can use to learn Mandarin.
2
votes
2answers
201 views
Language Learning Software That Teaches Mechanics (Not Phrases)
I've tried out various language learning software (Rosetta Stone, Tell Me More, Transparent), and I've been severely disappointed by the fact that not one of them actually teaches you the LANGUAGE, ...
5
votes
2answers
139 views
Are there more special numerals like 廿?
In Hong Kong herbal tea shops, you will see a tea called "廿四味" (24 flavours)
(you will also hear "廿蚊" to mean "20 dollars" in small shops)
In this case 廿 (niàn or pán) has the meaning "20".
Are ...
11
votes
4answers
149 views
How to Find Characters in a Dictionary?
In English we would look words based on their alphabetical order.
But how are Chinese dictionaries ordered to allow you to find what you are looking for - is it based on the radicals, number of ...
4
votes
2answers
143 views
Etymology of 其他
In Chinese, one uses the phrase 其他 when refering to other things. In Japanese one uses a similiar phrase: 其の他 (Sono ta), where 其 is often written in Hiragana: その他. Since the meaning is identical, I ...
2
votes
2answers
166 views
What is the correct measure word for 问题 (question)?
I'm not sure if I should say 一件问题 or 一项问题. I know I can get away with 一个问题, but I'd like to know the "correct" measure word.
Note: I would like to use the tag measure-word, but I can't. I used ...
3
votes
4answers
226 views
What is the most common word in use to describe 'DVD' and what is its measure word
I've heard the Chinese are fine to use the English word DVD, rather than the chinese word. What is more common, and what measure word do they use with it?
2
votes
1answer
269 views
Why 福 is often used upside down?
On Chinese houses, people often place scriptures for luck, health, wealth, etc.
Often, they use the word 福 [fú] turned upside down, like this:
What is the reason for it?
3
votes
1answer
71 views
How to parse this phrase?
The radical 囗 is sometimes described as 圍字框. This phrase is a little bit ambigous to me. Does this mean
«the frame of the character 【圍】» (圍字的框子)
or «the frame that surrounds characters»? (包圍文字的框子)
6
votes
2answers
176 views
How to explain 讲 in 讲礼貌 and 讲卫生
In my understanding 讲礼貌 translates as 'be polite' and 讲卫生 is something like 'be clean', but how should I explain the 讲 to a new speaker? I take this as a set phrase, but is there a way to translate ...
5
votes
1answer
95 views
How to cope with classical references?
It seems like references to classical literature are unavoidable in virtually all materials enjoyed by native speakers - I was watching an episode of 蚁族的奋斗 where a group of young men are talking ...
0
votes
0answers
126 views
Could you please explain more to me about 'of' in my example? [closed]
For example:
1.1
The OSGi Service Platform provides the functions to change the composition dynamically on the device of a variety of networks, without requiring a restarts.
I only know the 'of' ...
