Questions tagged [difference]
For questions about differences or comparisons between two or more words, lexical nuances, characters, pronunciation, syntax, etc.
720
questions
4
votes
3
answers
201
views
Are the words "stamp", "seal", and "chop" synonymous (all meaning 印章)?
I see these the three words "stamp", "seal", and "chop" used to refer to what seem to be almost the same thing.
Image source: ThoughtCo.
I'm not sure if there's any ...
- 14.9k
0
votes
1
answer
314
views
Do 谢 and 写 sound different (ignoring the tones)?
I'm aware that 谢 (xiè) and 写 (xiě) are theoretically meant to sound the same (ignoring tones):
谢 has the bopomofo/zhuyin ㄒㄧㄝˋ
写 has the bopomofo/zhuyin ㄒㄧㄝˇ
But, to my ear at least, when people ...
- 14.9k
1
vote
3
answers
198
views
Why is it 放学 and 下班, instead of 放班 or 下学?
I know that there is also the variant 放工 but I don't think this is typical usage.
The use of 下 is so common, but yet in the instance of a school we use 放 instead.
- 51
5
votes
2
answers
125
views
Differences with 呢度，喺度，and 喺呢度
Can anyone explain any differences in usage between the three ways of saying 'here' in Cantonese?
I anticipate that in many cases, these will be exchangeable. I'm looking for examples of sentences ...
- 243
4
votes
3
answers
423
views
Usage: ”没关系“ vs ”没问题”
What are the fundamental differences between ”没关系” and ”没问题“ in usage and meaning? I know they both could be translated as a colloquial “no problem”, but how do they differ in usage?
- 171
0
votes
3
answers
125
views
我听不懂的 vs 我听不懂 meaning
As a response to this:
老师说：“我们的学校下学期来开始用英语上课”
学生说：“我们听不懂”
What would be the difference in meaning/nuance if “我们听不懂的” were said instead?
- 147
1
vote
2
answers
203
views
Difference between 一下(儿) and 一下子
The Commercial Press' 现代汉语词典 and many places on the internet say that 一下 and 一下子 are the same thing/meaning. But that's false, since the biggest use of 一下 is as a measure word and 一下子 is an adverb. ...
- 2,519
2
votes
2
answers
160
views
What is the difference between "连忙" and "马上"?
What is the difference between "连忙" and "马上" in Chinese?
- 21
2
votes
5
answers
516
views
What is the difference between 地 and 土?
Based on some dictionaries, the former seems to be more physically relating to the soil, earth; with the latter being more relating to soil or territory. I'm not sure how correct this is.
- 171
3
votes
3
answers
93
views
What, if any, are the different usage cases for 就像 vs. 正如
I have always used 就像 when trying to say "just like" but recently came across 正如 while studying the various ways to use 如. According to the dictionary definition and some of the examples, it ...
- 131
2
votes
5
answers
578
views
What is the difference between 互相 and 彼此
I was told they were interchangeable except in few cases. What are they?
- 145
1
vote
2
answers
198
views
Why do 蓝 and 篮 look so similar?
Is there a reason why 蓝 (as in 蓝色 = blue) and 篮 (as in 篮球 = basketball) look so similar, or is it just a coincidence?
- 121
3
votes
3
answers
253
views
Grammar on 给 Gei x Ji 给
Does anybody know what is the rule for using 给 (gěi) or 给 (jǐ)？
I’m a HSK level 4 student and only now I’ve met “jǐ” in a sentence:
有的时候这只猴子给自己和其他人找了很多的大麻烦！
At first I read 给 as “gěi” but both the ...
- 259
-1
votes
1
answer
93
views
What is the difference between 暍 and 热? [closed]
大家好
What is the difference between 暍 and 热 and when they are used ?
谢谢
- 27
1
vote
2
answers
72
views
Are 煤碳 and 煤炭 the same thing ("coal")?
此前，船舶经纪公司Braemar ACM Shipbroking珀斯分部的分析师阿比那·古普塔（Abhinav Gupta）向ABC确认，42万吨澳大利亚煤碳在今年7月、8月卸货，另外5.5万吨在今年5月装船的煤碳在7月清仓，但他无法确认这些煤炭的用途。
中国今年前三季度对澳洲进口额突飞猛进意味着什么？
Sometimes I encounter 煤炭 = "coal" ...
- 14.9k
0
votes
4
answers
363
views
What is the difference between 创造，创作，制造，制作，and 创建？
Hello good people of Chinese Stack Exchange! Hope you're doing well.
It seems like the words 创造，创作，制造，制作，and 建造 are similar in that they mean "make" or "create," but from what I've ...
- 69
3
votes
2
answers
991
views
Difference of 青 and 黑
My dictionary tells 青 can mean black.
My questions are:
Is 青 generally used to mean black? In other words, is it always ambiguous to some extent whether it means blue or black?
When it means black, ...
- 133
1
vote
1
answer
107
views
What are difference betweeen the Quotation marks " " and「」? And How do we use them?
I have recently come across the quotation marks " " and「」in the texts of video games. I am wondering what situations suit for the use of each quotation mark, because I felt like I saw them ...
- 91
0
votes
3
answers
102
views
What is the difference in 一点儿都不贵 with and without the 都?
What is the difference if we say:
一点儿都不贵
or without the 都 (i.e., 一点儿不贵)?
- 3
0
votes
5
answers
158
views
What is the difference between 做 vs. none in 这是我妈妈(做)的菜?
What is the difference if we say:
这是我妈妈做的菜 and 这是我妈妈的菜?
With\without (做)
- 3
4
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Is 不争气 same as 没出息?
These two phrases are often seen in everyday conversations,for example,这孩子真没出息,这孩子真不争气, roughly meaning this child is useless, this child is not good, but I am not sure whether these two phrases are ...
- 1,960
0
votes
1
answer
64
views
Precisely what do 净入学率 (~"net enrollment rate") and 毛入学率 (~"gross enrollment rate") mean?
I'm reading about literacy in China, and encounter the terms 净入学率 and 毛入学率, but I'm unclear on their precise meaning:
CC-CEDICT: 净 (jìng) ... / net (income, exports etc) / ...
CC-CEDICT: 毛 (máo) ... ...
- 14.9k
1
vote
2
answers
104
views
"发言" 和 "演讲" 有什么区别？Do both of these words mean "speech" or "make a speech"?
“发言” 和“ 演讲”有什么区别？
I know they both mean "speech" and to make a speech or lecture, but I can't tell the full difference.
Thanks so much for helping!!
- 259
1
vote
1
answer
43
views
the difference between 出价 发价 报价 提价
Anyone know the the difference between 出价 发价 报价 提价？
I want to know the detailed different meaning about those words.
thank you for answering my question.
- 11
3
votes
5
answers
269
views
Is there any difference in meaning between 世间 and 世界上?
As far as I understand, 世界 means world or the world.
And these two words 世间 and 世界上, I think they both mean the same: in the world. But I am not sure if I interpret them correctly.
Is there any ...
- 589
1
vote
2
answers
243
views
Comparison of 稻 with 米饭, 白饭 or even 米 and 饭 individually
I just stumbled on 稻, and can't find more context, comparing it with other ways of calling rice. The main difference seems to be it is often used as part of "rice paddies" (稻田).
But other ...
- 207
0
votes
4
answers
89
views
Purpose of 了 except completion marker
What is the purpose of 了 in these sentences:
1:找到你了。(If it is completion marker, why doesn't it come right after the verb?)
2:我最喜欢看篮球比赛了.
- 1,261
2
votes
2
answers
107
views
是 assessing an overall situation
This is the title of a paragraph in the book "Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar", by Yip Po-Ching and Don Rimmington, whose content I find really hard to understand. The explanation:
是 shì ...
- 43
2
votes
3
answers
650
views
警察 vs 武警 difference
So I'm trying to understand the first sentence from the book 三体.
The original:
汪淼觉得，来找他的这四个人是一个奇怪的组合：两名警察和两名军人，如果那两个军人是武警还算正常，但这是两名陆军军官。
My translation:
Wang Miao thought the 4 men coming to him ...
- 19
2
votes
2
answers
91
views
What is the difference between 但 and 只?
I see that 但 means "only" besides its typical meaning "but". So what is the difference between 但 and 只 and when do you use 但 with the meaning "only"?
- 21
1
vote
2
answers
173
views
What is the difference between 赞赏, 欣赏 and 佩服?
These are the meanings in the MDBG.net dictionary (based on CC-CEDICT dictionary)
赞赏 to admire / to praise / to appreciate,
欣赏 to appreciate / to enjoy / to admire,
佩服 to admire.
So all of them ...
- 293
0
votes
2
answers
117
views
Difference between 司 and 施
Words like 司机，司令，司仪，司炉，司法，司线（员） have the core 司, which, if deemed to be a verb, can form a verb-object group with the subsequent noun to mean one is acting on the object, so 司机 means the man is doing ...
- 1,960
2
votes
2
answers
358
views
What is the difference between 有时 and 有时候? How are they used differently in context?
大家好！
I noticed that in Chinese, there are two similar words for "sometimes": 有时 and 有时候. Are they any different from each other? For example, is one more formal than the other?
Thanks! :)
- 153
0
votes
2
answers
116
views
Difference between zhongshu and zaishu and zhishu?
大家好！
1.可以说种树，植树，栽树，为什么植树节只能说植树？
2.为什么说栽秧，种秧，而不说植秧？
Thanks! :)
- 153
0
votes
2
answers
85
views
Difference between 課 and 軌
I would like to learn the equivalent translation for course in Cantonese, as in "I am taking a course online". For this reason I entered this word in the dictionary CC-Canto and received ...
- 115
1
vote
2
answers
311
views
The difference in meaning between 俺 and 我
I stumble upon the word '俺' when my mom was talking to someone from a different region of China but the dialect was still the same. 俺 and 我 both mean the same thing right?
- 131
1
vote
1
answer
44
views
Explanation for 感 in 感叹词
While beginning to learn Chinese, I encounter 叹词 (tàncí) and 感叹词 (gǎntàncí) for the equivalent meaning of interjection in English. I would like to know why the symbol 感 (gǎn) meaning 'to feel' is ...
- 115
1
vote
3
answers
391
views
干 / 做 / 作 / 办/ 弄/ 搞 / what are the differences and how are they properly used in a sentence?
For the first four sentences I think these words are interchangeable, except for the second sentences i think ^^
小明在家里（ ）作业。（做 作 弄 ）
我刚（ ）好了一个手艺品。（做 搞 ）
我要把这件事（ ）明白。（弄 搞 办 干）
你事情（ ）好了吗？（办 弄 做 搞 干 作 ）
...
- 153
1
vote
3
answers
137
views
Pronunciation difference between 绿, and 陆。
你们怎么样 ？
I cannot find the right pronunciation for words like 绿. The pronunciation of 绿 in my mind is too similar to words like, 陆 。
Help me differenciate between the two and study more about that ...
- 37
4
votes
1
answer
503
views
What's the difference between etymology and glyph origin?
Askers, including me, often seem to confuse the two terms, and understanding the distinction between the two is so critical to advanced study of Chinese characters and words.
The question can probably ...
- 5,432
0
votes
2
answers
98
views
What is the difference between 小路，小道？I normally use 小路, as in 从小路走。
I hear them a lot in conversational Chinese, but I can't pick out the difference in meaning.
What does “小径” mean used in the sentence below ? Why is it used?
从这条小径走过去。
- 153
2
votes
2
answers
192
views
Expressing knowledge or skill: 认识 vs 会 vs 知道
I came across several verbs meaning knowledge or skill about something.
I guess that 会 (simplified) / 會 (traditional) is used specifically to imply a skill, as in "他会说中文" - He can speak ...
- 169
1
vote
3
answers
336
views
忍不住 vs 忍不了 vs 受不住vs 受不了 - what is the difference, and when should I use each one?
忍不住 ，忍不了 ，受不住，受不了seem to be fairly synonymous in Mandarin, but there does seem to be some subtle differences between them.What exactly is the difference? When should I use each one? Could you give me ...
- 153
1
vote
1
answer
109
views
What's the difference between 遭到 and 遭受?
The verbs 遭到 and 遭受 both mean to suffer harm. Which one is the most commonly used?
Are these two sentences both correct?
生态平衡遭到破坏。
生态平衡遭受破坏。
What's the difference between this two sentences? Can I use ...
- 153
0
votes
2
answers
132
views
What suffix of location is more natural in Standard Mandarin : 头, 面 or 边?
when I use 上 /下 /东/ 南 /里 etc. how do I know If I have to use 边 /面 /头？
I normally use 面, as in 书在桌子上面, but I want to be sure I'm right.
- 153
1
vote
3
answers
194
views
Are there some differences between 信 and 讯？
Are there some differences between 信 and 讯？
such as
新华社讯（why not 信？）
通风报信（why not 讯？）
It seems they are always the same. Are there some cases where we need to use 信 and 讯 selectively?
- 153
0
votes
2
answers
171
views
are these words commonly used？：很好 、极好 、非常好 、相当好 、特别好 、十分好、极其好
I am wondering what the differences are between these and how they could be used (example sentences would be awesome!). Thank you!
- 153
0
votes
2
answers
73
views
What is the difference of 犯不着 用不着 and 犯不上？
why in this sentence is 犯不着?
e.g.
犯不着为这点小事生气。
when you use it? why not “用不着”“犯不上”?
it's idiomatic ?
can you give me example sentences?
THANK YOU
- 153
0
votes
1
answer
216
views
Difference between 位于, 处在, 地处 and 处于？
They are the same, they all mean “be located in (at)...”
Is there any difference between 位于, 处在, 地处 and 处于? Are they interchangeable?
- 153
0
votes
2
answers
108
views
Please show me example sentences with 如、若、像、似
How often are 如、若、像、似 used in Chinese?
Please show me example sentences with 如、若、像、似.
- 153