Questions tagged [colloquialisms]
The colloquialisms tag has no usage guidance.
38 questions
1
vote
2
answers
187
views
More logical expressions of "爸爸把你生下来"
I get stuck by the "生" in expressions like these two:
闺女，爸爸把你生下来，却有很多的无奈
世界上有爸爸生孩子的吗？还真有！
More examples like the first one can be found here:
为何大多数爸爸想生儿子
准爸爸怎么样可以生男孩
Can a father 生 a ...
- 159
2
votes
3
answers
196
views
How can I express "off the top of my head"?
In English, we often use the phrase:
Off the top of my head: from the knowledge you have in your memory.
E.g. we might say:
Off the top of my head, I don't know the answer.
I can think of one ...
- 17.1k
1
vote
3
answers
251
views
Why is 黄河 used in the saying 不到黄河心不死?
In Chinese, there's a saying along the lines of "it's not over until the fat lady sings":
CC-CEDICT: 不到黄河心不死: lit. not to stop until one reaches the Yellow River (idiom) / fig. to persevere ...
- 17.1k
4
votes
3
answers
499
views
Function of 行 in this statement (cantonese)
I am reading a Cantonese statement: 我日日都開行冷氣。 What is the function of 行? For me, it would have been perfectly fine as 我日日都開冷氣。 As in, I turn on the a/c everyday.
Please give insights. Thanks
- 1,052
4
votes
4
answers
742
views
What is the function of 埋? (Cantonese)
In this sentence: 做乜唔叫埋我? What is the function of 埋?
I understood this sentence to be: "why didn't you call me?" (perhaps to an outing or a party). What is the difference with the sentence &...
- 1,052
0
votes
1
answer
612
views
Is there a Chinese saying, ''even mosquito legs are meat''?
Is this the correct saying/correct wording of the adage? I've seen this a lot in machine translated novels so i'm not sure of the actual wording or if this is entirely a mistranslation, but i imagine ...
2
votes
5
answers
366
views
Slogan “澀得起，就係我”
This is the slogan of a popular lemon tea drink in Hong Kong.
I wanted to ask what 澀 is. I searched it and it meant “astringent” and a bunch of other negative adjectives.
I think calling your lemon ...
- 1,052
1
vote
2
answers
104
views
Does this 希望能帮得你 have the same meaning as 希望有帮上你的忙?
Within the context of this:
谢谢你，你真是帮了大忙。 This line was from a native speaker.
不客气， 希望有帮上你的忙。 This line was also from a native speaker.
不客气， 希望能帮得你。 This is the one I formed.
- 509
2
votes
1
answer
341
views
What is 貼地 and 離地
This is perhaps a colloquialism that i have seen many times in Hong kong youtubers eating and tasting food. My guess is that 貼地 means local? As in 地道？ what, then, is 離地？
May i also know the “etymology”...
- 1,052
3
votes
2
answers
249
views
Borrowed cantonese word for “normal”
I have been watching local Hong Kong food reviews and have been hearing the word “lo1mou2” being said again and again.
I have been wondering for a very long time what this word could have meant. A ...
- 1,052
2
votes
3
answers
152
views
using 值得 in a phrase
I have seen the usage of 值得 (deserving) in the following way (Cantonese, colloquial)
值得一來
值得買
I wanted to ask why there is a '一' in the first phrase, and not 值得一買?
What other alternatives are there to ...
- 1,052
3
votes
2
answers
584
views
'it cant be helped' translation in cantonese
I was looking for a colloquial Cantonese translation of 'It can't be helped' or 'We can't do anything about this (situation)'. The context is we are left to resign to the fact that we are helpless ...
- 1,052
1
vote
1
answer
80
views
question about the usage of 返 (Cantonese)
In the sentence 我已經做咗好多日，而家想放返幾日假, I would like to ask about 返. What is the difference between just saying 放幾日假 and 放返幾日假. What is the function of 返?
Thanks
- 1,052
0
votes
1
answer
88
views
profanities in written cantonese blurred out
I was watching a youtube video published by a famous populist news channel from Hong Kong. The topic was about food and featured comments from viewers saying that it "was F***ing delicious". ...
- 1,052
0
votes
2
answers
162
views
What is the meaning of 提提大家？
What is the meaning and usage of 提提大家？please give an example sentence or phrase.
I have seen that the meaning of 提提 is to keep calm, but putting these two in google translate gives me “mention ...
- 1,052
2
votes
6
answers
1k
views
How do I express the notion of "drama" in Chinese?
If you have housemates or a romantic partner, you might (unfortunately) encounter what we call "drama" (n.):
A way of relating to the world in which a person consistently overreacts to or ...
- 17.1k
3
votes
1
answer
173
views
What does this mean? Colloquial interviews
I was watching a local hong kong show when an interviewer (I) asked a lady (L):
I: 40歲未呀？
L: 點止呀！三個嫲嫲⋯⋯
What did the lady answer? The subtitle was in standard written Chinese and i couldn’t make out ...
- 1,052
4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What is 'hea' (in Cantonese conversations)?
I have been seeing this word 'hea' in YouTube transcriptions involving 'relaxing' or travelling. What is the original word and how has it evolved to 'hea'? (I know it must sound similar to anglicised '...
- 1,052
2
votes
1
answer
233
views
New idiom related to surveillance: People do things, the sky watches
I'm trying to find information (including the original Chinese) on an idiom that seems to be gaining popularity recently, related to surveillance (unsure whether this is a traditional phrase or not). ...
- 151
3
votes
2
answers
195
views
Is there a chengyu to describe small-time thieves or scoundrels with a playful connotation?
I'm looking for a chengyu or an idiom to colloquially describe small-time criminals, but without excessive negative connotation.
There are already words both in Chinese and English that come close:
...
- 5,462
4
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Why does "I go" also mean damn it? (我去)
According to MDBG, 我去 is slang, meaning "shoot" or "dang." But obviously, it also means "I go."
Does anyone know the etymology of this? Did it arise from people angrily saying that they're so upset ...
- 153
1
vote
2
answers
215
views
Where does this quote come from? “How can you say you have no clothes? I’ll share my robe with you”?
Where does it come from? Google can’t help me
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
84
views
和这个白人女子, 在鸟不下蛋的地点. Hanging out in the middle of nowhere with this white girl
Does anyone know if this colloquial phrase "鸟不下蛋的地点" is always taken as "middle of nowhere"?
Also I have started a fun sort of instagram account to try to learn how to write Chinese that I would ...
- 143
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What are Chinese terms for 'androgynous', 'gender neutral', 'non binary' etc. to imply gender neutrality?
I’m currently working on a textiles project for University inspired by Asian streetwear subculture and my main focus is androgyny and gender fluidity with the aim to create a collection of unisex/...
- 31
0
votes
1
answer
88
views
Do people say 一下 as a very colloquial "just a sec"?
Usually my Chinese is a good enough to recognize people saying new phrases I haven't learned yet.
Just now in a convenience store in Chiayi I'm sure the busy server just told me 一下 and I thought that ...
- 4,057
4
votes
6
answers
8k
views
Difference between 晚安， 晚安安，安安, and 晚安啦
I have some friends in China and I started to learn Chinese. Nothing serious but a few phrases here and there. Due to the time difference the conversation usually ends in one of us saying good night ...
- 143
3
votes
4
answers
419
views
What famous word or phrase can I use to tell people my surname is 袁?
I know in Chinese people sometimes use other common words or phrases to tell people what characters their Chinese name has.
My Chinese name is Yuan Li Heng (袁禮恒)
For Li I can say Li Wu 禮物 and for ...
- 321
4
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What phrases in Cantonese are thought to be colloquial but are actually used in Mandarin?
I only learnt HK Cantonese from my mother, and did not have the environment to speak or use it otherwise. She would tell me that certain Cantonese words are only spoken colloquially, but would not be ...
- 51
2
votes
1
answer
5k
views
What's the origin of the Hong Kong colloquialism "I go to school by bus"?
I've seen this phrase being used frequently on social media amongst the youth of Hong Kong.
I go to school by bus
Would anyone kindly explain how this phrase came to be and what it means?
From my ...
- 923
0
votes
2
answers
74
views
Usage of 对峙 in colloquial Chinese.
Since I have recently seen 对峙 used a few times in the Chinese shows that I watch, I decided to look it up and Baidu.com says it means"两山相对耸立" (two mountains standing and facing each other or at a ...
- 43
3
votes
8
answers
9k
views
How do I say 'excuse me'?
So, I just found myself in a spot of bother. I decided to go to learn how to make some Chinese knots, but everything there was Chinese, so I had to speak Chinese. I understood the instructions that ...
- 348
2
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Insults in Chinese [closed]
Please answer in simplified characters.
I've studied Chinese for quite a few years but I still don't know how to insult anyone. I've got to bring it to them hard and fast, strong, relentless. I'm ...
- 348
3
votes
2
answers
187
views
Usage of 的 to refer to a generic class of things
I'm wondering if this idea is correct: that 的 can generally be appended to and adjective in order to refer to the entire class of objects satisfying that adjective.
Example:
好吃的 (delicious things); ...
- 428
6
votes
3
answers
4k
views
The meaning of 牛气 and 很牛
I have seen one of my language partners use 牛气 and 很牛, but he couldn't explain it to me. The context suggested it meant something like "bullshit" or "you are kidding me", a sign or disbelief, but the ...
- 983
2
votes
3
answers
280
views
Is there a more colloquial way of saying “vegan” than “纯素食者”?
Like a more laypersons way of understanding what veganism means. Kinda like "我吃素的" as a vegetarian.
0
votes
1
answer
125
views
What is the most commonly used way to say "thank you" in Chinese promotional and marketing materials?
I may appear in my company's marketing materials that will cater to a more international base and it was requested that I simply say "thank you" in Mandarin in a way directed at our Chinese client ...
- 305
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How and when to use 不见不错 vs. 不见不散?
Could someone please explain me how and when to use these expressions? Is there any difference between the two of them? Is it something like "see you later/see you there/see you soon"?
- 555
0
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Colloquialisms: "(Please) Take a Seat"
English has take the weight off your feet or cop a squat as a colloquialisms meaning take a seat. I've heard Canadian-French has the expression to grab some wood, or more literally to pull oneself a ...
Mou某♦
- 36.3k