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Apr
29
comment How would you translate 细腻 into English?
The 4 character phrase "细腻入微" translates as "nuanced" via Google translate. That seems like the perfect word to me! Is "细腻" used by itself as shorthand for this? Is it safe to say the 2 characters have the same meaning as the 4 characters in some contexts? Thanks for your help!
Apr
8
comment Translation of Chinese word is not an English word?
Strange. Only the ADS definition appears when I search for it in my phone. I'm using only the free version, do you have purchased dictionaries?
Apr
8
comment Translation of Chinese word is not an English word?
I'm pretty sure that it is not a real English word. I'm curious where Chinese came up with it & how it has come to be used so broadly (over 96,000 hits on Google).
Apr
8
comment The origin of 鸡贼
I tried this in Japan last week & they just gave me less of the drink, plus it was lukewarm!
Aug
26
comment Tips for multiple-pronunciation characters (多音字)
Looks like you're right after all. A Google search for "define:heteronym" only mentioned spelling, but on Wikipedia they say: "In linguistics, heteronyms (also known as heterophones) are words that are written identically but have different pronunciations and meanings." Since 多音字 are written identically, I'd say they fit the bill.
Aug
26
comment Tips for multiple-pronunciation characters (多音字)
Can you call them that in Chinese? There's no spelling so they can't really be spelled the same. I mean characters that are written the same but have different pronunciations depending on the context, meaning, etc.
Aug
26
comment Tips for multiple-pronunciation characters (多音字)
Ah, very interesting! I had no idea it was 2 characters merged into 1.
Aug
25
comment Tips for multiple-pronunciation characters (多音字)
Good point about the interchangeability. I asked 3 of my Chinese coworkers & they repeatedly said that 尽快 is pronounced "jin4kuai4" while my dictionary says it should be jin3kuai4. This reminds me of the controversy surrounding 下载.
May
24
comment How can I translate “非语言表达方式”?
Not at all James, I appreciate your input!
May
24
comment How can I translate “非语言表达方式”?
I used 思想 in a conversation with a Chinese friend and she said, "Don't use that, Chinese people don't say that." So I asked my teacher and she said 想法 is thoughts but 思想 is a special kind of thought, like the sort of thing people will quote 100 years from now. So for example, 孔子 had 思想 but I don't have 思想 regarding what I should eat for dinner, I have 想法. Does that mesh with your understanding?
May
23
comment How can I translate “非语言表达方式”?
Thanks for your input. Maybe next time I should specify, I am not translating to make it sound like English or to make it seem beautiful, but just to verify my understanding. I think studying Chinese has corrupted my English grammar to the point where my English is sometimes unwieldy. I understand the distinction you're making by separating language as an umbrella topic & spoken language (or words, as you translated it). I guess I was mostly just confused by the dictionary, which does not make that distinction.
May
22
comment How can I translate “精神需要”?
What do you think about translating it as "non-material"? This clarifies that it isn't a physical need like housing, clothing, etc. but also leaves it broad enough that I can understand what the Chinese is getting at. The word "spiritual" is just confusing to me, I'm not even certain what it is supposed to mean in English, and I'm a native speaker.
Mar
18
comment What syntax is acceptable for classifier + noun + adjectival phrase
I know when you are writing a notice for a lost item, you invert the order of the MW and the noun, so you would say something like: "丢失了眼镜一副”
Mar
18
comment How to differentiate moods, characters, temperaments, etc?
Maybe my question was unclear. I know these words above are all nouns. I want to know how to know what adjectives they can take. For example, my teachers have said "性格很实在” can I also use the other nouns in that group, for example, "脾气很实在”?Is the meaning identical?
Mar
18
comment What does “整块的时间” mean?
We can also say a block of time in English. It sounds like they are using it to refer to a relatively long period of uninterrupted time, as opposed to a short period of time.
Mar
15
comment How to differentiate moods, characters, temperaments, etc?
Thanks very much for your answer. Is there any way to know what adjectives can be used for which group or do you just have to memorize them?
Mar
8
comment What does “整块的时间” mean?
This is from a book by Beijing University Press, which as far as I know is a trusted and thoroughly Chinese publishing company. Maybe this is something you would not hear in spoken Chinese but may be used in written language? Is that what you meant?
Mar
7
comment What does “整块的时间” mean?
@Alenanno thanks for the heads up.
Mar
7
comment What does “整块的时间” mean?
Yikes. I will try. Here is some more context: "爬山当然不能算是高消费,可是山都在郊外,交通不是很便利不说,还需要整块的时间,一年中能悠闲地爬那么一两回,已经算是十分的心满意足了。"
Mar
7
comment How to pronounce 儿 in conjunction with other characters
I tried downloading them, but they seem to be chopped off short.