Questions tagged [expressions]
Questions about more or less fixed expressions.
160
questions
29
votes
2
answers
87k
views
Informal ways of beginning/ending an e-mail
I have been writing quite a few e-mails recently and I feel that I want to expand my vocabulary regarding acceptable phrases to use both at the beginning and end of an e-mail. When I say informal, I ...
- 3,038
22
votes
7
answers
2k
views
How should I say "I feel very good/I'm very fine" in response to 你好吗?
I've read that when asked the simple question 你好吗? ("How are you?"), answering 我很好 is the standard form, while 我好 is simply not used.
很 means "very", but 我很好 is simply translated as "I'm fine." and ...
- 6,485
15
votes
5
answers
15k
views
Which website/service can give good example sentences in Chinese? [duplicate]
Often when learning new words, I want to see them in context. It helps my learning process, and understanding how to properly use new vocab makes it stick in my mind that much more.
Does anyone have ...
14
votes
7
answers
2k
views
Why do people say 慢点儿阿("man dianer a") when you leave their shop?
When you leave a shop, you often hear the shopkeeper saying something like "man dianer a", which sounds like 慢点儿阿 (something parents say to their kids to get them to walk more slowly [even if they ...
- 15.9k
14
votes
8
answers
32k
views
Take away (when ordering food): is it 带走 or 打包?
I was told that when you are ordering food you can say either 带走 or 打包.
However, when you are not ordering food and you mean "take this away", then you use 拿走。
Is there a difference in context or ...
- 509
14
votes
7
answers
3k
views
What is the status of 什么来的 and 什么来着 in standard and colloquial Mandarin Chinese?
When I first moved to the south of China, I was surprised to hear the phrase "什么来的" used to mean "what," as in
这是什么来的？: "What is this?"
As far as I could tell, in many cases there was no ...
- 3,223
14
votes
5
answers
17k
views
Various ways to say "nice to meet you"
When I first started learning Chinese I knew the in order to say "Nice to meet you" or "Pleased to meet you," I had to use the following expression:
很高兴见到您。
But recently I've come across other ...
- 6,485
13
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What's the difference between 遇到 and 碰到?
Both 遇到 and 碰到 can be translated to "come across/run into" in those sentences:
遇到大学同学了。
碰到大学同学了。
What's the difference between 遇到 and 碰到?
- 2,633
12
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why does the construction of 要是…的话 mean "if"?
I know other words like 如果 also mean "if", but why would 要是...的话 mean "if"?
An example sentence:
要是你喜欢汉语（的话），你该听中国的音乐。
If you like Chinese, you should listen to Chinese music.
- 171
12
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Why are intermediate cardinal directions read differently in Chinese?
I am referring to the fact that in English, we say "northeast", whereas in Chinese, the equivalent direction is called 东北, which literally translates to "east-north". One could say the same about "...
- 2,513
11
votes
4
answers
3k
views
What does the expression "孤男寡女" mean?
What does the expression "孤男寡女" (gū nán guǎ nǚ) mean, exactly? Does it have inherently negative connotations?
As an aside, why does Google translate it as "Needing"?
- 1,841
11
votes
3
answers
767
views
Asking "what's the pinyin/character for X?"
How do we ask someone to "translate" a character or some pinyin into the other one? The expressions I'm referring to are:
What's the pinyin for this/that (character)/... ?
What's the character ...
- 6,485
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
角/毛 (10 cents) for money: why?
from: List of historical Chinese currency terms
角 (litterally a corner / a horn of an animal) = 毛 (litterally "a feather of a bird") = 1/10 the main unit.
Why use 角 and 毛 for, what we might call ...
Mou某♦
- 35.7k
11
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Are these two form of "I live in..." both correct? 我在意大利住 and 我住在意大利
While studying I came across a useful expression to say "I live in..." which is "...在...住" such as in this sentence:
我在意大利住。= I live in Italy.
Wǒ zài Yìdàlì zhù.
But then I saw a different one ...
- 6,485
11
votes
1
answer
4k
views
V + 到。。。。头上来: Exact meaning and how to use?
I know that the abovementioned formula expresses a negative result, but I am not exactly sure how to translate it. Some questions:
1 How to translate it well into English?
2 Can I use it ...
- 421
10
votes
9
answers
418
views
Chinese equivalent of "I can honestly say..."
Is there a Chinese equivalent of "I can honestly say".
It's a rather colloquial expression, and I was wondering if there were something equivalent in Chinese to convey the same earnestness of the ...
- 957
10
votes
4
answers
446
views
Which expressions should I choose to say “thanks for your help”?
If I want to say "Thanks for your help", which sentence is correct and which one is more commonly used?
谢谢你的帮忙
谢谢你的帮助
It seems that the first one is more uncommon but I'm not really sure.
- 2,633
10
votes
6
answers
31k
views
How to say "hope you'll have a great day"?
I was writing a card to a friend and wanted to finish with "Hope you'll have a great day" but realised what I could think of wasn't quite the same meaning, or just sounded odd/weird.
What I wrote in ...
- 644
10
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Is it okay to ask 你的电话号码是什么?
Is it ok to ask:
你的电话号码是什么? (What is your telephone number)
Or do I have to say:
你的电话号码是多少? which is the translation on Duolingo.
Also, can I just say:
"你的电话是多少?
because 电话 already means ...
- 101
10
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Correct usage for 跟。。。过不去
This question has two parts:
What's the precise meaning of this expression?
What is the correct usage?
Question (1) I understand it to mean that the person referred to (eg, 跟她过不去) is uncomfortable ...
- 257
9
votes
5
answers
1k
views
What is the meaning of 相声?
Today I read a blog post talking about a Canadian guy called Mark Rowswell (aka 大山) that appears on Chinese TV shows and who is able to do 相声. This 相声 is referred to as "the art of language".
What ...
- 462
9
votes
5
answers
1k
views
What are the common ice-breaker sentences in Chinese?
There are sentences in English like "What's up?" "What's going on?" "how have you been?" to begin a conversation with or to greet people (friends or relatives)
So what are the common ice-breaker ...
- 2,671
9
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Difference between 曾经 and 已经
In this question I was asking about 曾经 and one answer says it means 'already'.
What's the difference between 曾经 and 已经?
Do the two sentences below have the same meaning?
他曾经在北京学过两年汉语。
他已经在北京学过两年汉语。
- 2,633
9
votes
6
answers
18k
views
What does 厉害 mean, and in what context does it mean what?
This has to be one of the more ambiguous words I have struggled with.
厉害 can be:
very well performed = 玩得很厉害;
harsh = 骂得很厉害;
severe = 生病得很厉害;
probably a bunch of other stuff...
Can anyone give a ...
- 1,428
9
votes
6
answers
1k
views
What's the role of 好了 in 你叫我(name)好了?
In this sentence
你叫我马丁好了。
what's the role of 好了?
I understand this sentence as "You can call me 马丁."
- 2,633
8
votes
4
answers
17k
views
How to say "thank you for ..."?
In order to say "thank you", I can say 谢谢 or 谢谢你. What if I want to be more specific and say "thank you for (something)"?
As an example, suppose I was invited for dinner at someone's place, and I ...
- 429
8
votes
4
answers
3k
views
What's the title for addressing an unknown young person the same age as you?
For example, you are a 20 year old male/female. You are walking on the street, then you see a male stranger who seems to be the same age as your. He is in hurry, you see him drop his wallet. You pick ...
- 570
8
votes
3
answers
530
views
How old is the expression “老百姓”？
I have searched on line text bases, especially for 三国志 since the 2010 television version of that is what made me wonder. But I do not seem to get reliable results that way. Perhaps if I understood the ...
- 3,283
8
votes
1
answer
56k
views
How do we wish someone to get better?
When we know somebody is sick, how can we wish them to get better? What are the best ways and also the standard ones to do that?
I'd like you to differentiate among some things, if and when ...
- 6,485
7
votes
5
answers
1k
views
How do I express "I don’t envy you" properly in Chinese?
It's basically translated to
我不羡慕你。
My Chinese colleague has a difficult task, and maybe have to work overtime. When I consoled him,
我不羡慕你 (I don’t envy you)。
He asked back,
为什么要羡慕我？
I realized ...
- 859
7
votes
3
answers
434
views
Meaning of 一人付一半 in 车费我们俩一人付一半，怎么样？
In this sentence:
车费我们俩一人付一半，怎么样？
I don't fully understand the meaning of 一人付一半.
I have found that 付一半 can mean "pay half", but 一人 confuses me (if it refers to one person, why is that form used ...
- 2,633
7
votes
3
answers
252
views
Why is 面熟 used after 人 in 常常看着一个人面熟却叫不出名字来?
In my textbook I found this sentence:
常常看着一个人面熟却叫不出名字来。
If 面熟 is an adjective, why is it used after 人 (to indicate a "familiar-looking person")?
Can 一个人面熟 be rewritten to 一个面熟人 without modifying ...
- 2,633
7
votes
7
answers
6k
views
How did 东西 come to mean "something" in the expression "吃东西"?
I was chatting with a Chinese penpal recently and when I asked "what are you doing?", I received the following answer:
吃东西，你呢？
Now, "东西" means "east and west" and so "吃东西" literally means "eat/...
- 6,485
7
votes
1
answer
550
views
Why is tofu used in 心急吃不了热豆腐？
Why is tofu, among all foods that can be enjoyed hot, used in the expression "心急吃不了热豆腐"? Why not "心急吃不了热饭" or "心急吃不了热牛肉"？
- 947
7
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Difference between 好累 and 很累
我很累。
我好累。
What's the difference between those sentences? Both seems to mean "I'm tired".
- 2,633
7
votes
1
answer
5k
views
"A pair of mandarin oranges" as a homophone of "the gold"
image courtesy of
Today, when Chinese people celebrate the New Year, there's a tradition to offer each other Mandarin oranges. As many sources say, the Mandarin oranges should be offered in pairs, ...
- 1,011
7
votes
4
answers
763
views
The mysterious role of 占 in 对占人口绝大多数的民众来说，还是觉得有钱应该省着花
I know that 占 means "to occupy/to take up".
But in this following sentence, I can not figure out what it adds to the meaning as a whole:
"对占人口绝大多数的民众来说，还是觉得有钱应该省着花"
If I take "zhan" away, would ...
- 421
7
votes
2
answers
6k
views
What is the best Chinese equivalent for "passion" or "to be passionate about something"?
In English, it is common to say you are "passionate about something" or "something is your passion" (e.g. My passion is rockclimbing).
This use of 'passion' is different to 'passion' as in ...
- 644
7
votes
1
answer
136
views
Is the expression 学识渊博 usually used in a pejorative sense?
For example, as a sarcastic remark in the sense of "pedantic" or "know-it-all"?
- 171
6
votes
8
answers
14k
views
How should one translate "祝你年年有今日，歲歲有今朝" into English?
On my birthday a friend wished me "祝你年年有今日，歲歲有今朝". I can understand each of the individual words in this phrase, but the overall meaning is somewhat less clear to me (although I have some ideas about ...
- 105
6
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Saying "I have to go" in chat
Today I was chatting online with a Chinese person. I wanted to say "I have to go" to end the conversation and disconnect, so I wrote this:
我得走了
but I don't know if there is a better sentence. Or ...
- 2,633
6
votes
6
answers
7k
views
你好啊？ or 你好吗？ Which is more common?
I have recently come across the phrase 你好啊 and I was curious about its usage. It was in the FSI Chinese course with a meaning of 'How are you?', but I have only heard 你好吗 on other courses and when ...
- 128
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to say "politically correct" or "political correctness" in Chinese?
A lot posts online use 政治正确 to mean "politically correct" or "political correctness" in English and I can say it is wrong. A few posts use 政治委婉语, but it doesn't sound good to me either, because 政治 in ...
- 4,079
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is the "shh" expression of silence used in Chinese?
Do Chinese people put a finger on the lips and use the expression "shh" to ask for silence? According to this answer in the English Language Stack Exchange, this expression originated from English ...
- 161
6
votes
3
answers
698
views
Does Chinese have an adage saying “It is better to hit to kill than to hit and injure”?
In "Driven to Kill - Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit", it's claimed that there's an adage in Chinese of “It is better to hit to kill than to hit and injure.”
Does ...
- 723
5
votes
5
answers
2k
views
“哩勒公蝦毀” what does this mean?
What does “哩勒公蝦毀” mean? A Taiwanese guy said that to me after I had, accidently, mistyped two words in an idiom I used on him.
He also used an expression of surprise (I presume) which went like “蛤？！” ...
- 361
5
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Do 看一看 and 瞧一瞧 have the same meaning?
Is 看一看 equal to 瞧一瞧 in meaning?
Are they interchangeable?
- 2,633
5
votes
4
answers
1k
views
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Meaning of "不了" in "忘不了/喝不了/..."
I know that 了 after a verb means a completion or termination of a certain action, such as:
吃飽了
(I am) full.
開始了
(It) has started.
不動了
(It) is not moving anymore.
But what about 了 ...
- 3,297
5
votes
3
answers
525
views
Meaning of 这么多好吃
I want to get the correct meaning of this sentence:
我恨不得一下子把这么多好吃的都吃完。
I understand this sentence as "I wish to eat up all those delicious things, all at once". I don't fully understand the ...
- 2,633