Questions tagged [mandarin]
Question specifically about the Mandarin dialect. (Not for arbitrary questions that happen to involve Mandarin.)
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What is the meaning of 萝图荟萃?
《萝图荟萃》 is the title of the catalogue of the imperial map collection from 1760.
However, according to various dictionaries, 萝 means "radish" which makes no sense in this context.
Some ...
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Hearing the difference between 他 vs 大
When listening to normal conversation or fast spoken Mandarin chinese, can native speakers still hear the aspiration in 他 vs 大, particularly if relying only on sound or what is heard?
As an English ...
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Can「文化」replace 「學歷」in a sentence?
I watched a Chinese documentary program, a woman told the interviewer:「我父母都沒什麼文化，所以祇能做一些低薪的勞力工作」
My reaction was "She couldn't really mean to say her parents are uncultured". Judging from ...
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Hearing difference between 那里 and 哪里
Of course it is the fate of any native speaker of English to struggle with tones. And I suppose I should be happy I have begun with Mandarin, which is far less extravagant in its tone system than are ...
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Are there any patterns for which tone is used for each Mandarin character?
From both a practical learning perspective and an interest in linguistics, I want to know whether there are any common patterns or "rules of thumb" that influence which tone is assigned to ...
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的 at the end of the sentence (ex: 蠻有趣的)
這篇文章蠻有趣的。
Why is there a 的 at the end?
Could anyone explain the grammar to me?
Thanks!
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Understanding how natives speak with multiple subjects (Mandarin)
In English, if I wanted to say: "Today I practiced Chinese with an employee" the other subject (employee) can properly come last in the sentence. Of course I can also say "Me and an ...
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Use of 空降兵 in net language
This particular word has been a sore spot for me.
空降兵
I know it literally translates as Paratroopers. like Air raiders or smth.
but I heard its also an internet slang.
Id love to know what it means.
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How to understand 之所以
I’m reading Randall Munroe’s “What If 2” in Mandarin. (It’s the author of the popular cartoon xkcd.com)
There’s a chapter about placing a house-sized Jupiter in the middle of a neighborhood.
The ...
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usage of 几乎 vs 几乎要
I just spent an hour of class trying to figure out the difference between： "这辆车几乎 撞 到我了" and "这辆车几乎 要撞 到我了". The only differnence is 几乎要 and not 几乎. The teacher kept saying ...
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Does Chinese have idiomatic equivalents of "a regular" and "the usual"?
In English there is an idiomatic noun sense of "regular" for a regular customer. Somebody who regularly dines/drinks/etc at the same café/restaurant/bar/etc:
That guy is a regular, he comes ...
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Is 林心鹭 a good Chinese name?
I’ve been looking to find a Chinese name and I found somewhere on a website the name “心鹭”. I instantly loved it because herons are my favourite birds so it’s meaningful for me, but I’m not sure if it ...
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Can anyone help me check if the translation I made is correct?
Guy 1: Good morning, everyone. I’m News Anchor (name), and welcome to Weather Weather Lang. Today is April 6, 7AM and we’ll look at the city weather forecast. Reporter (name), how’s the weather today?
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Does translate actually have it backwards - 别人在睡觉时的我?
Google translate looked at this:
别人在睡觉时的我
And said it means:
me while others are sleeping
is that correct or should it be:
Others while I am sleeping.
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What is the difference between shénme 什么 and nǎ 哪?
I can not really understand the difference and found no article about it.
Example :
你叫什么名字？Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
他们是 哪 国人？ Tāmen shì nǎ guó rén?
Thanks !
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How is the pronunication of 为什么呀?
I was watching this youtube lesson
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LHOX4m2ToiI
And shortly into the video the boy says: 为什么呀
But it certainly sounds more like: "wei r meya"
Did I hear that ...
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Does this sentence make sense? 我打算工作在一个网站会完了在四月十五
I thought something like: 我打算工作在一个网站会完了在四月十五.
Pinyin Wǒ dǎsuàn gōngzuò zài yīgè wǎngzhàn huì wánliǎo zài sì yuè shíwǔ.
English: I'm working on a website that will be finished by April 15th.
Even ...
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Pronoun for human babies in Mandarin?
In English we can use the impersonal pronoun "it" for babies:
She gave birth to a baby, but unfortunately it died to illness shortly after
What pronouns are appropriate to use in Chinese? ...
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How do I ask for more meat or rice?
Friendly auntie at more workplace only knows Mandarin. Was wondering how do I ask for more meat/rice. Thanks!
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那透明的心 - transparent heart?
What is a transparent heart in the context of the chorus lines of the song 致你 by 苡慧?
Transparent in the sense of being visually transparent or some other sensory perception?
The chorus lines are:
...
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Use a car as a scooter? 作为代步车?
Google translate tells me that 作为代步车 means "as a scooter".
Is that what it means in this sentence:
我想买一辆二手的马自达作为代步车
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What is with the characters 覆, 復, 複, 复? Are they all the same ? They appears to have overlapping meanings in dictionaries but not 100% equivalent
What is with the characters 覆, 復, 複, 复? Are they all the same? They appears to have overlapping meanings in dictionaries but not 100% equivalent for some reason.
Normally characters may have 1 ...
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Main utilisation of 过
I'm working on a lexicon for the main Chinese characters, and I only have a few words to give a meaning. I am wondering about the two main significations of the character 过.
All dictionaries online ...
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Can anyone explain the sentence structure for prepositions and using adjectives/numbers and measure words?
It's hard to remember where 有，在 and prepositions go. I'm also not sure how I would add adjectives to do with colour/size/numbers would go in the sentence.
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what is the meaning of 都不甘于平庸 in the song 致你 by 苡慧?
The line 都不甘于平庸 seems to be speaking of a degree of confidence, and a will to demonstrate it.
But the lines before and after it, don't seem to support this interpretation.
How is it best to read this ...
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Which verbs allow time words to come after?
I notice some verbs like 会 and 将 among some others can be placed before time words.
Like in my sentence below, an example:
我将在十一点半给你打电话, 好的? - Pinyin: (Wǒ jiàng zài shíyī diǎn bàn gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà, ...
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Use of 儿话 in Mandarin
I've noticed recently that the use of 儿 differs depending on the dialect but I'm not too sure why. It is present in 普通话 (Standard Chinese) and some gov docs, as well as taught to L2 learners, but ...
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Is there statistics on the frequency of individual pinyin syllables in real texts?
I'm interested in the frequency of pinyin syllables (both when including tones and toneless). This implies the usage in real text, weighted by the occurrences in the corpus, not by parsing a ...
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Translation of the sentence 我向我的女朋友学习
I wanted to say, I've been learning (Chinese) from my girlfriend.
I thought it would be something like: 我在学习从我的奴朋友 (Pinyin: Wǒ zài xuéxí cóng wǒ de nú péngyǒu)
Which Google Translate funnily ...
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How can I install Shuangpin in Rime for Traditional Characters only?
I am on a Windows 10 PC.
I have installed the Zhengma method on RIME and have been using it for the past few months.
But I want to try practicing with Shuangpin (aka Double Pinyin) since its easier on ...
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Help translating this sentence: "They're speaking a different language"
I've run this through Google translate, and received this: 他们说的是不同的语言
Pinyin: Tāmen shuō de shì bùtóng de yǔyán
I would have expected it to be something like: 他们说不同的语言
Pinyin: Tāmen shuō bu tóng de ...
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Need help with sentence structure/style: 当时, 我学习了更多关于中国的文化.。
Basically, I'm trying to say: "At that time I learned more about Chinese culture."
Google Translate told me: 那时我对中国文化有了更多的了解。
Pinyin: Nà shí wǒ duì zhōngguó wénhuà yǒule gèng duō de liǎojiě.
...
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Would this make sense when approaching a customer? 你需要帮助吗? 好的, 如果你需要某物, 告诉我
Let's say the customer is shopping in a furniture store and they only speak Chinese.
If I approached & said 你需要帮助吗? 好的, 如果你需要某物, 告诉我. would it sound natural? (Assuming tones/etc are good).
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HSK5 writing exam
i am going to be taking the HSK5 exam soon, and i was wondering if there are any tips regarding the writing part, how to study for it, as far as characters go i can write them, but to make a paragraph ...
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Using 那 particle similar to how 所以 is used when asking series of questions?
I watch a lot of Mandarin Corner on YouTube and the style of her videos are to basically interview subjects in Mandarin dialect.
I notice when she goes from questions to question, she will use 那 and ...
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erhua in loanwords — 模特兒 mótèr?
OK, so I was browsing Wiktionary — as one does — and found out about the word 模特兒 'model', which is apparently pronounced mótèr, with just 2 syllables. there's also an alternative pronunciation, mótè'...
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Is there a "w" sound in 谁 like Shwéi or is it just Shéi?
When I listen to native speakers I can sometimes hear a "w" sound in 谁
Like it was "shwei". Or is it just "Shéi"?
Which is correct?
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What are some free eBooks to help my kids learn Chinese?
My son, who is 6 years old, really loves learning Chinese now.
I want to find some free Chinese teaching e-books for my children. What resources did you use if you learn Chinese?
Please share it, ...
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How to translate website moderator?
What's the proper translation for "moderator"? As in website moderator, e.g. Chinese.SE moderators.
Some dictionaries suggest 版主, however this appears to be more suitable to "(live) ...
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Simplified Chinese and compatibility with spoken Chinese language: How it works with iOS (VoiceOver) and Android (TalkBack)
I'm designing a Multi-language app and a major user group is Chinese speaking people with disability. The app will be on both iOS and Android. I don't speak or read any chinese language.
The app ...
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Is the i sound in chī (吃）and chǐ (尺）a sound not found in English?
I noticed recently that the Hanyu pinyin "i" in chī 吃 and chǐ 尺, aren't the same as the "i" in zi 子 or si 四. I speak English with a standard American accent (grew up in New England)...
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What does 飄過 mean in this context?
Was playing some game that usually has a decent amount of Chinese speakers and at the beginning of the match somebody spammed this:
What would 飄過 mean here? I know it can mean to float but otherwise ...
user31212
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What is the appropriate equivalent for "irreverent" in Mandarin/Cantonese?
The word "irreverent" is often used to describe someone who can be sarcastic or biting but in a positive, humorous way. For instance, David Letterman is considered an irreverent comedian.
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How many Cantonese speakers who don't speak Mandarin exist? [closed]
I wonder how many Cantonese speakers (either native or L2 learners) who don't speak Mandarin exist in the world. At least in mainland China, as far as I know almost all people born in 1980 or later ...
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Honorifics used by students the same age
Can anyone tell me honorifics that would be used by high school aged students who are the same age? More specifically, is there any honorific that would be used by a student being extremely polite to ...
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The readings of 栅
What is the deal with the readings of 栅 (柵) and how do they appear?
According to modern dictionaries (such as the 漢語大字典 2nd Ed.), there are three readings for 栅?
zhà, in the meaning of "fence, ...
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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?
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How would "Sinophile" be translated into Mandarin Chinese?
The word isn't in my physical dictionary, and online I can only find "親華派", "親中家", and "中國迷". Are any of these accurate translations? What would they all accurately ...
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Has anyone done an english translation for the song 致你 by yihuik 苡慧
I found a translation of the chorus of the song online and it seems to be just a google translate, and so I wonder if there is perhaps a better way to understand the meaning of the song. Anyway, I ...
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What is the meaning of 磨了边?
While I was trying to read a Chinese novelette, I came across this sentence:
白色衬衫和褐色裤子，这是他唯一一套体面衣服，衬衫袖口磨了边，他把袖子卷到胳膊肘。
My initial guess was that 磨边 would mean something such as the edge of something, ...
