Questions tagged [difference]
For questions about differences or comparisons between two or more words, lexical nuances, characters, pronunciation, syntax, etc.
720
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大大大！ 重大 vs 严重， 广大 vs 大型 vs 巨大
So, having had a look into the HSK5 vocab which involves the character 大, I have come across a few instances where I am not sure what is used in which circumstance.
重大 vs 严重 - these both mean ...
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了 with two verbs: What's the difference between 我去厨房找了饮料喝 and 我去了厨房找饮料喝?
In one of my stories I wrote:
我去了厨房找饮料喝。
A student at Nankai changed this to:
我去厨房找了饮料喝。
Question: What's the difference between 我去厨房找了饮料喝 and 我去了厨房找饮料喝?
I just want to say something like "I ...
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Establishing the difference between 综合, 结合 and 组合
So, I am trying to work out the difference in usage between 综合, 结合 and 组合. I have written out my current understanding of them based on internet searches. If anyone feels I got it wrong, it'd be great ...
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Talking about things in the past - 曾经， 从前，以前
So, I am trying to establish the difference between these words and when you would use one over the other. Here are a few things that I have established so far:
only 以前 can be used with a period of ...
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1
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What is the difference between 赶紧, 连忙 and 赶快?
赶紧, 连忙 and 赶快 (in addition to 马上, 立刻 and 立即) seem to mean 'immediately', 'forthwith'.
However, I don't really understand where their meanings overlap or if they are somehow different in a particular ...
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How do we distinguish a bopomofo symbol from a similar character?
For example, 丫 is a character while ㄚ is a bopomofo symbol. I find it very difficult to tell the difference (especially if they are hand-written), unless from the context.
Other examples:
幺andㄠ; ...
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What's difference between 国籍 and 民族?
I'm revising vocabulary for HSK4 and I found many words with similar meanings. A pair I found today was: 国籍 and 民族. What's the difference between them?
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In traditional Chinese, when should one write 台灣 and when should one write 臺灣?
I have seen both even in the same context. For example:
May I know the difference and when should one use which?
Thank you!
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Expressing "Both A .. and B"
I came across the following sentence:
我既是一个语言的从教者，也是一个语言学习的爱好者。
I understand that "既 A , 也 B" is a sentence structure for expressing "both .. and ..".
I was wondering about what effect 既 has on ...
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What examples highlight the difference between 感情 (gǎnqíng) and 情感 (qínggǎn), meaning "emotion" [noun]?
Both 感情 (gǎnqíng) and 情感 (qínggǎn) are nouns that mean "emotion". Some examples:
这复杂的情感使埃拉想起了自己的丈夫。[src]
These complex emotions cause Ella to think of her own husband.
最后这种感情再也抑制不了。[src]
...
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What examples highlight the distinction between 产生 and 生产, both meaning "to produce"?
产生 (chǎnshēng)
病毒是怎样产生的?[src]
How are viruses produced
导体中就会产生电流[src]
[The] conductor will produce electric current.
生产 (shēngchǎn)
操作人员对自己生产的产品要做到自检[src]
workers regarding their own produced goods ...
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一张网页 or 一个网页 ("a webpage"): which is the better choice of measure word, and why?
I just want to say "a webpage", and the two natural options are
一个网页
一张网页
It's not hard to find examples of both:
访问一个网页的全过程[src]
我的第一张网页范例[src]
It seems natural to use the measure ...
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2
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What's the difference between 记录 and 纪录, both pronounced jìlù, and both meaning "record"?
记录 and 纪录 are both pronounced the same, and mean "record". It looks like both can be used as nouns and verbs.
Question: What's the difference between 记录 and 纪录?
I'm using Zhongwen Chinese Popup ...
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4
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Is there a difference between 回转 and 掉头?
Is there a difference between 回转 and 掉头? I have heard them both used to describe a U-turn, so are there any subtle differences between the two words?
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Is there a difference between 连朋友都没告诉过 and 即便是朋友也没有告诉过?
Comparing Toosky Hierot's answer to my original attempt in Writing critique request: Zhou Ziwang loses weight, just like everyone else nowadays, we have:
me: ...连朋友都没告诉过...
Toosky Hierot: ......
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1
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When to Add 了 in the 太....了 Structure
The grammar structure for expressing too much is 太.....了according to my grammar book.
And to express anymore...
Eg. I don't like you anymore.
I don't live there anymore.
...You also use 了 at ...
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What is the difference between 需 and 須? [duplicate]
I am wondering what the difference between 需 and 須 is. They seem close enough while 需 slightly hints to me that it is an "optional" kind of want, while 須 is a "demanding" want. Is this correct and is ...
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Is 让 more [make] than [let]?
Based on someone’s answer on question regarding how to state unpleasantness in Chinese:
让 (to make) implies "to force/ to order". If something has to be
forced upon you, that something is most ...
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How to state unpleasantness in written form? let becomes make
In English, unpleasantness can be stated by changing let to make.
Classmate sharing pleasant things to classmate:
My parents let me eat chocolates.
我父母让我吃巧克力
Classmate complaining to classmate: ...
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4
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Let and Make, how to differentiate the two in Chinese
"Mama! Papa don't let me watch TV, he's making me do house chores first"
Both are translated as 让 in Chinese, e.g.,
I even added more context on the sentence, with the hope that Google might be able ...
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8
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Is there any distinction between 二倍 and 两倍?
Both 二倍 and 两倍 mean "double". I'm wondering if there's any distinction between the two, e.g. with respect to grammar, or when to use which. (There is ordinarily a difference in usage between 二 and 两....
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What's the difference between 校园 (meaning "campus") and 校院? Is 校院 incorrect?
It seems like 校院 is infrequently used, while 校园 is normal. I'm not sure if this is because 校院 is incorrect, or because it's less common.
It's possible to find examples of 校院 being used online, e.g. ...
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As verbs, what’s the difference between 经历 and 通过?
I saw both of them translated as ‘go through’... But do they have any more specific use or meaning difference?
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What’s the difference between 符合, 适合 and 适应?
They are all vocabulary from HSK 4. They are all verbs, and they are translated as “adapt”, “fit”, “suit”.
Is there any difference in use or meaning between them?
Thank you so much!
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What’s the difference between 实在 and 确实?
I know both are adverbs and mean ‘indeed’, confirming the veracity of some condition or situation.
I can’t find any difference in the way they are commonly used.
Does anyone know what the difference ...
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What's the difference between 一份工作 and 一家工作?
I just encountered in the HSK4 book 一份工作 while I'm accustomed to 一家工作. Judging from Baidu (一份工作; 一家工作), both are grammatically correct and widely used.
I am unsure if they're different or not. My ...
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3
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What's the difference between 因为什么 and 为什么?
Usually when first learning Chinese we learn that 为什么 means "why". However, I recently encountered 因为什么, and I'm wondering if it's different.
你因为什么给关进去?
Why were you put in?
(玛帝尔达 (Matilda), ...
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Usage of the word 用
So I was watching a show and they say,
你不用留爸爸
And I got confused as to why they used 用 in it.
Is it the same when you don't use 用 in that sentence? Like,
你不留爸爸
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The difference and usage of 正在 and 在 [duplicate]
What is the difference between 正在 and 在 when using in sentences?
For example,
我正在看电视
And
我在看电视
Don't they accomplish the same thing?
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What's the difference between 蓓 (bèi) and 萌 (méng), both nouns that mean "bud"?
蓓 n. bud (part of 蓓蕾 (bèilěi))
萌 n. bud; vt. sprout, germinate (part of 萌芽 (méngyá))
I asked a student (who happens to have the name 萌) if 蓓 and 萌 are the same, but she said they're different. I'm ...
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4
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What's the difference between 互相 (hùxiāng) and 相互 (xiānghù), both meaning "mutual"?
I learned my early Chinese from ChinesePod, and they talked about 互相 (hùxiāng), but I just learned that 相互 (xiānghù, reversing the characters) also has a similar meaning, namely "each other" or "...
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The difference and usage of 刚才 and 刚刚
What is the difference between 刚才 and 刚刚?
For example, 我刚才起床 and 我刚刚起床? Don't the both accomplish the same thing? 刚刚 means now and 刚才 means just now, right? Or does 刚刚 just less formal than 刚才?
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The usage of 该 in sentences
I still do not get how to use 该 in a sentence. For example,
就该吃饭了, you can just say 就吃饭了, can't you?
How do you use 该 properly in a sentence because I don't get its purpose.
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Difference between 的 and 个
Does it make sense to say 我个心? I suppose its meant to be 我的心. I still cannot distinguish when to use it. Maybe it to do with the fact that I am a Cantonese speaker?
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What's the difference between 大哥 and 大哥哥?
I know them both means big bother. Though there are differences somehow.
小明，谢谢这位给你让座的大哥哥。
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What is the difference between 王 and 皇?
If I understand correctly, 王 means "king", "monarch" or "sovereign." I also see that 皇 means "emperor", "sovereign" or "ruler."
So is 皇 higher than 王?
Also, in the case of female monarchs (...
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Is 家婆 the term for a woman's "mother in law" in Mandarin too?
In Cantonese, a woman would call her mother in law her "家婆" or her "奶奶", and address her only as "奶奶".
My understanding of the same terms in Mandarin is, a woman would call her mother in law her "婆婆" ...
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遮 versus 捂 versus 盖 in terms of usage
Let's say I want to cover my ears. Is it 捂住耳朵, 遮住耳朵 or 盖住耳朵? And then if I want to say cover up a situation, is it 遮住事情 or 遮盖事情?
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Differences between 细腻, 细致, 精细 and 深入
All 4 words listed above all in some way have the meaning of fine, exquisite, detailed. So what are the differences between them? Please provice some examples
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What's the difference between 受到 and 产生 when used with 影响, 兴趣, etc
So, I'm struggling to see the difference between these two verb-noun collocations.
In your opinion, is there are a difference between:
受到影响 and 产生影响 to (be) influenced
受到兴趣 and 产生兴趣 to (become) ...
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Are there distinctions between the various terms for "Confucius" (孔子, 孔丘, 仲尼)?
There seems to be at least three ways of saying "Confucius" in Chinese:
孔子 (Kǒngzǐ)
孔丘 (Kǒngqiū)
仲尼 (Zhòngní) with some variants:
字仲尼 (Zì Zhòngní)
孔仲尼 (Kǒng Zhòngní)
(There's possibly more I'm ...
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What's the difference between 缺乏 and 缺少?
Is there a meaningful difference between these two?
I have seen that 缺少 tends to be used with towns (这个城市缺少一个泳池), while 缺乏 seems to be more on the small-scale (你缺乏合适的经验).
But I'm not sure if this is ...
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119
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敢于 vs 勇于 difference in usage
may I ask if 敢于 and 勇于 are interchangeable words? In English, both of them mean dare to, have the courage to do something. I looked up some sentences involving both words and it seems to be used in a ...
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Difference between 给 and 跟 (e.g. in 我给你讲 and 我跟你讲)?
What is the difference between 我给你讲 and 我跟你讲? These two phrases both seem to translate to I told you. But when would one be preferable to another?
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Difference between words that mean "take by force": 抢 and 夺
They are defined in a similar way. What is the difference in usage?
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What is the difference between words that mean "to throw": 摔, 扔, 投
They seem to be defined identically in this usage case (though 摔 has other meanings). Is there any difference in usage?
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孤单 vs 孤独 vs 寂寞 usage
so far I went through a few forums to look at existing questions on 孤单 vs. 孤独 vs. 寂寞 usage. The answers from each person have a bit of difference so I would like to check if what I understood so far ...
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What is difference between 吃 and 在吃?
Both of them mean eat/eating etc. So I am trying to find out purpose of the 在. Lingodeer app uses it almost in every sentence but Duolingo almost never uses it. So what is the right way or what is the ...
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Various uses of the English "for" to indicate purpose
The sentences below all use the word "for" to indicate purpose. I tried to think of a few sentences that may use "for" a little bit differently. Can you help me understand how to use "for" in Chinese?
...
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why 对 and not 关于？
In an Essay I wrote:
费先生关于「焉有稼」所说的仿佛有道理。这样的观念让上者成为了「五谷不分」的人。但他关于孟夫子写的略有偏见
My teacher corrected the second (bold) 关于 to 对。 Is this presumably to avoid repetition, or are there subtleties creating a ...
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