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Questions tagged [meaning]

Questions about understanding the meaning of words, phrases, etc. For in-context meaning, use [meaning-in-context].

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Best phrasing vertically

I am practicing Chinese style painting and I would like to integrate Chinese lettering into my art, the goal being to make complete traditional pieces with a poem vertically written included. My first ...
Kon's user avatar
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Is there any proverb/idiom about "climbing over the wall at night"?

Yes, even I find this question rather funny ;) But trying to translate a beautiful Chinese song titled "我對自己開了一槍" there's this part: 反正世事無常 沒必要在夜裡翻牆 And I'm cracking my mind wondering if it'...
Zai's user avatar
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What is written on these paintings and does it have any meaning?

Someone I know has a small business in buying/selling things. She asked if I know what the painting says as I know a limited amount of Japanese. while I couldn't read it even if it was Japanese, I ...
user36173's user avatar
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1 answer
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Can anyone help me with the identification of this mark which is located on the bottom of my porcelain bowl?

This underglaze mark assumed to be Chinese is located beneath a fine porcelain bowl that I own. I have no clues as to the actual translation. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
AOD's user avatar
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5 votes
10 answers
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I want to know the meaning of 还 which is used inside 你使过的东西别乱放,还放回原处。

你使过的东西别乱放,还放回原处。 My translation : Don't letting the stuff(on the ground?)which you've used in disordered manner. Return them to corresponding original places. So what is the meaning of 还 here ?? &...
TG24's user avatar
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1 vote
4 answers
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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 ...
Xue's user avatar
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3 answers
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meanings of 就 inside 学校内就有银行,很方便

学校内就有银行,很方便 As I remove 就 from above, then the corresponding translation could be The school has a bank within its premise and it is very convenient. I guess that "already" can be used to ...
TG24's user avatar
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1 answer
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Can anyone help with these markings?

I have bought this bowl in an auction and I'm looking for help with these markings. I've used Google lens but it keeps coming up with allsorts. Many thank
Dinger's user avatar
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2 answers
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Seeking help in translation lyrics from the Chinese song

I'm trying to translate 光年之外 [Light Years Away] by G.E.M. (mostly from English though...) and in the first verse there's a line which I'm really curious about. 感受停在我发端的指尖 如何瞬间 冻结时间 记住望着我坚定的双眼 也许已经 ...
Zai's user avatar
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What does 大洞套小洞,洞洞相通 mean

can anyone please tell me this sentence’s translation from Chinese to English 我说欢迎你们下次再来,那个时候十八洞开发出来了,大洞套小洞,洞洞相通,保证你们比这次玩得还开心! What does 大洞套小洞,洞洞相通 mean here exactly
engy yasser's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
113 views

What does 坚持下来 mean?

What does it mean in the sentence - 取得成功的人往往都经历过许多失败,他们和普通人的区别就是他们都坚持了下来 ? I know that 下来 is the "it's going down", but i don't know what meaning it has here.
Tatiana's user avatar
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Can anyone decipher this (2)?

Is this one read from right-to-left or left-to-right? I can't tell. Is the rightmost one 八卦穿衣 or 穿衣八卦? Either way, it doesn't make sense to me. Is the leftmost one 富貴開運 or 開富貴運? Each individual ...
joehua's user avatar
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1 answer
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Please help with translation of inscription on a bone (?) tablet and purpose. Thank you

Chinese characters Man riding on a Bull
derek lee's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
65 views

Can anyone decipher this (1)?

The following is what I found on the door of a shop. I can recognize some of them but not all of them. I think the first four are 國舅手執陰陽板、湘子瑤池品玉簫, the fourth one is 品玉簫, and the sixth 長生酒.
joehua's user avatar
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4 answers
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What kind of function does 了 have here? 不让我送就以为我没办法了

I think that it is a change of situation, but then I can't understand what the change is here. Please, explain to me
Tatiana's user avatar
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3 answers
74 views

What about the meaning "actually" for 所 mentioned in many dictionaries?

Many online dictionaries (dictionary.writtenchinese.com, yellowbridge.com, chine.in/mandarin/dictionnaire/, app.ninchanese.com/search, etc...) mention the meaning "actually" ("en ...
faure's user avatar
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1 answer
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What's the difference between 为 and 来?

Sometimes i see them in the same position . I think they both mean "for".. Please explain to me .. For example: 结力量来捍卫和平 ; 每到换李或者节假日的时候,各大商场都会举办一些活动来吸引顾客。
Tatiana's user avatar
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3 answers
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在《恰似你的溫柔》這首歌歌詞裡面,什麼是「浪花的手」?

歌詞 但願那海風再起  只為那浪花的手  恰似你的溫柔 什麼是「浪花的手」? 我有初步研究過,似是指 海風 ,是只是為了掀起浪花的手,這海風,恰似是你的溫柔。但網上搜查,卻說浪花,恰似是你的溫柔。到底是海風還是浪花,並且加上「浪花的手」,是否有比較確切的意思? The question in English is, what is "wave / tide bubble hand&...
Stefanie Gauss's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
83 views

除了你我谁都不相信 or 除了你我谁也不相信 which is correct 都 or 也?

I read that when we have two different meanings in a sentence with 除了we should use 都 and not 也(还)。 So from the two sentences above correct is like this 除了你我谁都不相信 means I believe only you 除了你我谁也(还)相信 ...
robert's user avatar
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1 answer
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I would like to know what this says. Thanks in advance

Trying to find put what this seal means.
Gina's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
39 views

Does 纬哲/纬喆 mean 'threads of wisdom', 'weaving widsom' or something similar?

纬 seems to mean latitude or weft/woof but I am not sure if it would work in this way with the second meaning As an additional question, would 炜喆 mean brilliant wisdom? Is the character 炜 a character ...
Qwokker's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
47 views

What kind of feeling does this 烦恼 describes?

What's the difference beetwen 烦恼,担心,着急,难过,生气?
Tatiana's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
44 views

What's the difference between 穿 and 穿出?

I think I understand the difference, but I know that 穿 is passes through something (one of the meanings), but 穿出 is also..I saw the sentence: 看到喜欢的都想把它穿出来 (this is a phrase from a video where a girl ...
Tatiana's user avatar
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1 answer
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外卖 - Does this read as ( Take Away ) in regards to a meal?

I am trying to find symbols for a restaurant that does Asian Takeaway food. I want to know if this is the correct way to write "TAKEAWAY"
Sam's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
85 views

Can somebody please help me to parse the phrase, '挑起满满的一担...'?

Google translates, '挑起满满的一担粮食' [tiǎoqǐ mǎnmǎn de yī dān liángshi] as, '...pick up a full load of...', but when I attempt to translate this phrase manually, using the pinyin given in the source ...
user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
121 views

What's the meaning of this sentence 一会儿妈又该生气了?

isn't 又 used in the past tense? I can't understand the meaning here 该,了,又. I found two more sentences that are unclear to me: 1) 她是不是又在发神经了 2) 她又发神经了 which shows 在 in the first sentence ?
Tatiana's user avatar
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1 answer
60 views

Is 里 only very rarely used to mean "lining"?

I am forwarding on my lexicon for the main Chinese characters, and I only have a few words to give a meaning. Many dictionaries give the meaning of " lining " for 里, the interior layer of ...
faure's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
71 views

Is Wiktionary right that 女奴 meant "cat" in the distant past?

Wiktionary for 女奴: (archaic) cat I tried looking up it up in other dictionaries, but it's so old that I can't find any other dictionaries that list it?
Malady's user avatar
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0 votes
6 answers
146 views

What's the difference between 不能,买不到,不用?

Recently i saw such sentences as "火车站的东西真不能买” and " 以后的事,以后再说;而不能肯定的事不要说” 。 I know that 能 means " be able to... " but I'm confused in these sentences . Can you explain its meaning ...
Tatiana's user avatar
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1 vote
6 answers
171 views

Is there any difference between `你在哪?`, `你在哪儿?` and `你在哪里?`

Is there any difference between 你在哪?, 你在哪儿? and 你在哪里?? Because I feel like you can use any of these sentences at any time to ask: Where are you?
O Connor's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
82 views

What's difference between 受到 and 受?

I find it very difficult to understand the difference between them . For example in this sentence: 网上购物能够受到人们的喜爱。
Tatiana's user avatar
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1 vote
8 answers
395 views

What does "绝地" mean?

I am reading a novel and I have encountered this word "绝地", I thought the author made a mistake at first and meant "觉得" but I have been seeing "绝地" pop up more and more ...
Huy Nguyen's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
110 views

What is the chinese kanji for yin-hoa?

What is the kanji for yin-hoa (all the colors of the rainbow) and its prononciation ? It is used as a name for a person. And what would be a more complete or alternative meaning of it ? and its origin ...
Soleil's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
104 views

What exactly is a 祝版, and how is it used in ceremonies?

In the chengyu story behind 入木三分 (rù mù sān fēn), the emperor has a 祝版 created for a ceremony in which he makes sacrifices to his ancestors. I did some initial searches and found that a 祝版 is wooden ...
laowai-guide's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
82 views

得 in sentence 没有工作的那段时间,我穷得一天只吃得起一顿饭。

Can someone explain how I can translate the second part of the sentence? I don't understand the meaning of 得 and 得起。 Thank you。
robert's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
63 views

What's on this pendant?

I've ordered this item on famous chinese marketplace and now wondering what it actually means :) seller describe these characters as a 'mantra'. Google Translate and Papago extracted characters in ...
Boris the Spider's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
77 views

Writer looking for Chinese name for a character

I'm writing a novel and I have a character that is of Chinese descent. The story takes place centuries into the future on another planet with only a handful (few several thousand) humans left. Of ...
M.B.'s user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
73 views

What is a meaning of 一口 in 他会说一口标准的英语?

他会说一口标准的英语 He can speak standard English. So I think that 一口 can be omitted and still the sentence can make sense. How actually 一口 work in this sentence?
TG24's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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For a consensuel translation of the character 当

I'm working on a lexicon for the main Chinese characters, and I only have a few words to give a meaning. I stumble on this particular character used in the first tone, and the least I can say is that ...
faure's user avatar
  • 540
1 vote
1 answer
41 views

Please Help Translate Seal Script on Old stone carving , Thank you

Hello, Any help to translate would be appreciated , I have a very old stone carving and I think it relates to maybe a marraige . But I would love to know the words , Thanks ahead for any help.
hertzyinmn's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
85 views

What's the difference between 才 and 就?

I know one stands for "slow than expected" and the other for turnover "earlier". In some cases, I cannot explain to myself their position in sentences. Can you explain to me in ...
Tatiana's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
62 views

Caligraphy meaning

I’m a french man who bought a nice chinese caligraphy years ago. Unfortunately I’m not able to understand it and don’t even know which direction I should display Can anyone help me? What is the ...
nikau's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
84 views

What role does 一种 have in 一种似曾相识的感觉?

In 一种似曾相识的感觉, 一种 does not mean “one type of”. Removing 一种 does not seem to change anything. Comparing the following, I can’t tell any difference. 这是我第一次来苏州,却有一种似曾相识的感觉。 这是我第一次来苏州,却有似曾相识的感觉。 So what ...
LAMC's user avatar
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0 votes
3 answers
73 views

What is the difference between 把握and 掌握in Chinese

In college we were asked that questions and I couldn't get any answers till now
Habiba Rashwan's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
85 views

How to literally translate this: 小人书,是一种以书的形式出版的连环画?

小人书,是一种以书的形式出版的连环画。 This is the initial sentence of the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 20. Please help me make the literal translation of it. 小人书(comic),是(is)一种(a kind of)以(?)书(book)的形式(form)出版(...
Konstantinos's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
72 views

Historical background in 《亮剑》 relating to organization of National Revolutionary Army

I am trying to understand the exact meaning of the military terms used in the text at the very beginning of the first episode of the show 亮剑 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WAnpfEbR5s), and in ...
babu_babu's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
114 views

What is the meaning of 人们不是常说吗?

如今,美食家们对吃提出了更高的要求。他们不仅要观色、闻香、尝味、赏形,而且还要求食物具有养生方面的特色。我想,家乡的萝卜饼完全具备这几个方面的条件,人们不是常说吗——“鱼生火,肉生痰,青菜萝卜保平安”,养生的功能,让我更加喜爱它了。 This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 19. What is the meaning of ...
Konstantinos's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
60 views

What is the meaning of 方面的特色 in 而且还要求食物具有养生方面的特色?

如今,美食家们对吃提出了更高的要求。他们不仅要观色、闻香、尝味、赏形,而且还要求食物具有养生方面的特色。 This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 19. I don't understand the meaning of 方面的特色。Actually, I cannot make the need of both words ...
Konstantinos's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
67 views

What is the meaning or reference of 峡天昆仑和彼岸 为谁而撼

This is part of a song, but I have tried all the dictionaries and Google and can't figure what the 峡天昆仑和彼岸 is supposed to mean: 烽烟把 霜雪敲落 轻覆过 往日沉疴 你背着光 眸中有星河 我哼着歌 日月应我 没入眉心的灿烂 被尘埃熄灭又燃 峡天昆仑和彼岸 为谁而撼 昆仑 ...
HoaPhan's user avatar
  • 123
1 vote
3 answers
579 views

What is the meaning of 趁 in 萝卜饼要趁热吃?

...火最好用文火,等能闻到香味时,便可开锅了。萝卜饼要趁热吃,喜欢口味重的,还可以加少许酱油和醋。... This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 19. What is the meaning of 趁? 萝卜饼(radish cake)要(must)趁(you take advantage of that being)热(...
Konstantinos's user avatar

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