What does 一个泡子 really mean ? my teacher had asked our class to do some assignment about our names in chinese and find the meaning too. I use chinese simplified in google translate to find my name. but I do not know how to find the meaning.
5 Answers
Finding the implicit meaning can be sometimes be a tough chore. Instead of just Google Translate you should also look for a Chinese-English dictionary for your computer or tablet (search this website questions/answers for dictionary resources or see this resource if you have a Mac OSX). I will say that the context is also not clear to me on the question you've asked because the phrase you've provided seems to have no relative common name (i.e. if the phrase you've presented was supposed to reference your name, the characters do not appear to make sense in that context).
I asked a native speaker and she points out that the typical pattern seen is "一个泡沫" (Yīgè pàomò, 一個泡沫) meaning a bubble as in the bubble a child blows or it can be used in the phrase 经济泡沫 (Jīngjì pàomò, 經濟泡沫) meaning an economic bubble. There are many other resources that show up in answers here on the website, which can help you with individual interpretation of characters but to get the proper context, one should always seek out a native language speaker.
It means "a bubble". But usually we say "一个泡" instead of "一个泡子", because "泡子" sounds a bit weird (maybe it's common in some area of China).
A "泡" can refer to a soap bubble, water bubble, or blister. Like "I spill some boiling water on my arm by accident, and I got a blister(一个泡) now"
or "My little sister is blowing bubbles(吹泡泡) with soap water"
ps: "泡" is more often referred to blister on human body
"泡泡" is more often to soap bubble or bubble gum's bubble.
"气泡" is more often to water bubble (like bubbles in soda water)
I could mean quite a few things, I think more context is needed.
pàozǐ
汉语大词典
Opium bubble
KEY
light bulb
pond
young boy kept by a man for sexual pleasure; a homosexual
{Changsha dialect} froth, foam
pāozi
ABC
pool of water
Oxford
small lake
个 doesn't really make it clear, as it can be used as a measure word for bubbles, ponds, light bulbs and even young boys.
You translated your English name, and Google gave you "一个泡子".
I can tell you the meaning of your name is 100% not the meaning of "一个泡子".
You'd better pay more attention to your Chinese class or ask your tutor about it. Google translate is bad in some cases.
"一个泡子" by itself does not make sense in Chinese (at least, not in modern Mandarin Chinese). The closest thing is "一个气泡" or "一个泡泡", which means "a bubble".
I understand some people might search dictionaries and find "explanations" but the I have never seen/heard anybody use the word "泡子".