Questions tagged [meaning]
Questions concerned comprehension and understanding the finer aspects of individual words or phrases, with or without a context in which they are expressed.
999
questions
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What is the difference, if any, between 开心 and 快乐
Dictionaries will give "Happy" for both.
A Mandarin song has the title 你开心所以我快乐
https://youtu.be/Sb1ojccxvyw
Question therefore is whether there is any signifying difference in usage?
That is, ...
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votes
4answers
70 views
How would I translate “与君知”
Google translate his been giving me straight pinyin as a translation, and pleco doesn't have what I'm looking for. I got the definitions of each individual character, but I'm not sure how to put them ...
4
votes
3answers
76 views
“他们之间不再会有什么友谊”：在这个句子里"会“贡献什么意思？
我的问题就对于这个句子：
他们之间不再会有什么友谊。
我的英语翻译是：
There can no longer be any friendship between them.
为了了解“会”的贡献，我就试试删除它，后来翻译一下：
他们之间不再有什么友谊。
我的英文翻译成为：
There is no longer any friendship between them....
2
votes
4answers
64 views
Happen to (in questions)
I'm aware that you can use 正好 or 碰巧 to express low probability in statements, equivalent to English "happen to" .
我正好是有你要的那种啤酒。
我发现他碰巧就是我的一个远亲。
How can you use this same idea in a question?
"Do ...
0
votes
3answers
59 views
Which day is 周末
I and my friends disagree on what 周末 means. And to summarize all opinions, is it
周五, 周末 was used to describe 周六 when 周六 is workday (last workday in a week). And since 周六 is no longer a workday, we ...
0
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1answer
87 views
Unknown meaning of a carving on the back of a Buddha statue (Character identified: 朱)
I hope someone could help me understand if this is something. Its on a Budddha statue I purchased.
2
votes
2answers
67 views
Is 当做 and 看做 a synonym or not a synonym?
Is 当做 and 看做 a synonym? I looked at a few sample sentences on bkrs dictionary. They seem to be used in similar situations. But just to be sure, what do you guys think? Do they have any difference in ...
3
votes
3answers
158 views
What sickness was 瘦?
“Skinny” (瘦) is clearly written with a sickness radical (病字旁): 疒.
Outlier, also, writes the following in its definition:
FORM
瘦 shòu is composed of 叟 sǒu and 疒 “to be sick, not well,” pointing ...
2
votes
3answers
34 views
Are both 我家 and 我的 okay in 下班以后我去你家或者你来[我家/我的]，都可以?
In the this sentence,
下班以后我去你家或者你来我家，都可以。
Can I change it to;
下班以后我去你家或者你来我的，都可以。
Can I do this every time? If the context is clear then can I just say (sth.) 的？
Also does the second ...
4
votes
3answers
118 views
Understanding “話之”
CantoDict: 話之
regardless of; no matter what; "I don't care" | Std. Chin.: 不管; 無論 | Syn.: 唔理 | Usu. in the form of 話之你; 話之佢 etc.
~
粵典: 話之 / 話知
(yue) 唔理唔顧；無視
(eng) to ignore; to ...
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votes
6answers
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What does “你舒服吗” mean in a relationship context?
I was practicing speaking Chinese with a native-speaking learning partner and used the phrase “你舒服吗” while referring to whether one is stressed out or relaxed.
The partner told me that it's unusual ...
2
votes
2answers
45 views
Meaning of 点 in 你现在好点了吗？
In the following sentence, what is the meaning of 点?
你现在好点了吗？
Are you a bit better now?
I've only seen 点 used to note the hour. If I had to translate from the English, I would probably have guessed ...
1
vote
2answers
94 views
Why does 往前走 have a repetitive meaning?
往前 means "to move forward" and 走 means "to walk", "to go". Also, the former and latter characters have their own meanings related to a movement of "go".
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2answers
87 views
What is the hidden meaning of 来打我呀?
I saw a lot of people using "来打我呀" online, for example in video comments or WeChat stickers.
I was wondering what is the hidden meaning of this sentence (if there is one)? I guess it does not only ...
0
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0answers
66 views
Needing To Know Chinese Artists Full Name Translation Along With His Red Seal Stamp
This Artist I am Researching may be from the Ming Dynasty. I Possibly own a Painting by Him and need to more understand the meaning of his Full Name. His Full Name is: "SHIQUAN HE LIAN" and His "Red ...
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2answers
40 views
What is the significance or meaning of 筹 in 略胜一筹？
This text is talking about pearls.
另外，相比于淡水珍珠，海水珍珠多为有核珍珠，尺寸较大，表面更平滑，外观上更胜一筹。
更胜一筹， 略胜一筹：slightly better, a cut above.
Maybe, this comes from an ancient drinking game:
壶矢。古代投壶用的签子，形如箭笴[arrow]
You ...
3
votes
3answers
296 views
Breaking down meaning of 几句话
I came across this sentence:
我想对你说几句话。
Wǒ xiǎng duì nǐ shuō jǐ jù huà.
I'd like to say a few words to you.
My understanding is that 句 means sentence, and 话 means "words" in general (ie 我听不懂她说的话 or "...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
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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vote
2answers
65 views
原来你什么都不想要. Why 不想要, and not just 不要?
Title from a popular Mandarin song, 原来你什么都不想要
So, why 不想要 rather than 不要? What is the difference?
What is the 想 doing there?
I would like to hear from people here?
3
votes
1answer
170 views
What “斗” refers to in “正斗”
The Cantonese term "正斗" means "great" or "of high quality"
正斗
an exclamation that sth is "great!"
~
正斗
好，美，正牌，正規，地道，純正，漂亮，質量好
I can understand why 正(authentic) is used in "正斗" which ...
2
votes
3answers
247 views
What does 十天半月 (or 十天半个月) mean?
From the novel 活着 (p.8):
我长大以后喜欢往城里跑，常常是十天半月不回家。
I got no real idea what 十天半月 means. Baidu suggests 十天半个月 is more common. Literally it says "10 days; fortnight". The closest to an answer I ...
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votes
1answer
59 views
What does the lettering mean? [closed]
Thanks for your help <3
The sweatshirt has underneath the letters a weapon and underneath that "Paris" written so I´m a little concerned and confused on what it could mean... ^^´
2
votes
1answer
89 views
What is the difference between 词 and 汉字?
Does 汉字 refer to the actual written character while 词 refers to the meaning conveyed by that character? Or can they be used interchangeably?
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4answers
80 views
What is the difference between 能 vs. 会? [duplicate]
What is the difference between 能 and 会？
Don’t they both mean “could”? What is the difference between them?
4
votes
1answer
75 views
Are there Escher sentences in Chinese? [kinda technical]
I'm a linguist with an extremely superficial knowledge of Chinese, so I'd like to query some native speakers about a grammatical phenomenon I've been thinking about for some time.
In Indoeuropean ...
1
vote
3answers
69 views
Does 慢一点 mean “be careful” even in a general context?
I've been told by a native speaker that 慢一点 is functionally the same as 小心一点, which in english is essentially "be careful". Can someone else confirm?
I find it a little odd and would consider this a ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
What does “和尚撞了道士” mean?
In the song《掐死大象的蚂蚁》by Bridge and 二毛 there's a bar by twenty-cents(?) that goes:
咋个回事咋个回事
十点半还不晓得回家
问起咋子问起咋子
也不晓得打个电话
有事有事安啥子事嘛啥子事嘛
和尚撞了道士上房揭瓦你要造次
The part that is tripping me up is: ...
0
votes
2answers
86 views
Why does 兴奋 (excitement) not mean what I think it means?
I wrote this:
我觉得小夏后悔过去的比赛，小夏回忆没进球也也许让一个好机会错过。所以小夏在房间里老坐着。马克想帮助小夏带他去足球比赛再体验足球的兴奋，让小夏高兴点儿。
My teacher made the following corrections (my question relates to the 5-th item below):
she deleted the ...
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1answer
60 views
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3answers
68 views
Does 听说你去丽江玩儿了 imply they are still in 丽江?
From 标准教程HSK4上 (page 88):
A:听说你去丽江玩儿了？那儿怎么样？
B:那里特别美，空气也很新鲜。
If I'm not mistaken, the 了 is the change-of-state 了. But this gives two possibilities:
The change of state is B going from B's ...
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3answers
68 views
Why is Little Lin's nose bleeding? 还不习惯北方的气候，估计是天气太干。
This snippet is from 标准教程HSK4上 chapter 7 (my translation):
小李：你的鼻子怎么流血了？快用纸擦擦。
Little Li: Your nose is [how] bleeding? Quickly get a tissue and wipe [it].
小林：我还不习惯北方的气候，估计是天气太干。今天天气不是很冷，...
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3answers
56 views
Does 刚开始工作的时候… mean “when starting work” (each day) or “when entering the workforce”?
This is from HSK4上 (page 49):
刚开始工作的时候，什么最重要？
What is most important when I first started working? (Google Translate)
I'm confused here: I can't tell whether this means:
"when starting work"...
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3answers
79 views
What does this mean 什么时候我也会看到你们受这份罪的，你们两个?
I don't understand this sentence:
什么时候我也会看到你们受这份罪的，你们两个。
I'll be seeing you some time, you two.
(玛帝尔达 (Matilda), page 127; English version pdf page 111)
It doesn't seem too well matched ...
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1answer
61 views
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
2
votes
2answers
86 views
What's the meaning of “刀不长眼”? Is it proverb or something like that?
I was watching the movie "fearless (2006)" starring Jet Li and the character said to his friend "After all these years of friend ship, you still don't know me?" and then he goes with this phrase : "...
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2answers
74 views
What is the exact meaning of '能虐到我的只有没钱'?
I found this meme (?) on a group, and I'm not sure what is the exact meaning of this. Can someone help me ?
3
votes
1answer
79 views
What does 中 (zhōng) mean in 我哥哥是我认识的人中最沉着的一个?
我哥哥是我认识的人中最沉着的一个. I can understand the phrase but I don't see the meaning of 中 in the example. I have consulted in several places without success. Thanks
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2answers
54 views
What is the difference between 全部作品 and 完本?
I began learning Mandarin so that I could read Chinese fantasy novels (I've read several translated ones already). I'm a little confused because on Qidian's website I see several tabs at the top, one ...
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3answers
66 views
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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2answers
70 views
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.
4
votes
2answers
175 views
到 vs 至, what is the key difference?
As if them sharing a common appearance isn't enough, yabla shows that they can for the most part be used interchangeably. Since they mean nearly the same exact thing with a few caveats, what is the ...
0
votes
2answers
78 views
What is the meaning of “吃这一声”?
For context the entire sentence is, "吃这一声，周昂忽然一下子睁开了眼睛。" Is it supposed to be something allong the lines of, "[the sound of] eating, this single sound"? This sentence isn't making much sense to me.
1
vote
3answers
128 views
Is it ever ambiguous if 几 means “how many?” or “a few”?
I'm confused about hao to know if 几 is asking a question (how many) or making a statement (a few). If I heard the following sentence (not read), is there a way to hear the difference?
从上海到东京坐飞机要几个小时
0
votes
5answers
119 views
What does 足有 mean?
I found this in Matilda (p.13):
这本书的这一版本足有四百一十一页。
that edition contained four hundred and eleven pages. [original English (ref.)]
the book's [这本书的] edition [这一版本] has (?) [足有] 411 pages [...
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0answers
66 views
Translating seal stamp
I have recently been given some artwork and was looking for some help in translating the seal found on the art
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
2
votes
3answers
105 views
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?
3
votes
3answers
130 views
What is the meaning of 后 in ~分钟后?
What is the meaning of 后?
For example,
我二十分钟后应该就到了。
I believe 后 means behind? I still don't get how 后 should be placed in the sentence. I thought it made more sense when it was,
我二十分钟应该就到。
How ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Lost Postcard Shop
I travelled to Shanghai a long time ago and recently got to come back for CPhI. I returned to Tianzifang, where I bought these beautiful poscards, and though I can speak and read some Chinese, I ...
2
votes
1answer
152 views
Where did 𨷶 originate from?
I was looking up the Vietnamese word cửa hàng. Hàng Seems fairly straight forward as it used to be written with the Chinese character 行 and pronunciation is quite similar also. Cửa is not as simple; ...
3
votes
2answers
92 views
What is the concept behind 人不坏，没后代?
I've come across a few variations of the phrase:
人不坏，没后代
including:
猪不坏，没猪卖，人不坏，没后代！
男不坏女不爱，人不坏没后代
人不坏没后代鸡不坏没蛋卖
Perhaps it is the act of copulating itself that is considered bad? I'm not totally ...
