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 ...
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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'...
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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 ...
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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.
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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 ?? &...
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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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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 ...
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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
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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 ...
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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
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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.
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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 ...
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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
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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.
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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
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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 ...
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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。
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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&...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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"
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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 ...
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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 ？
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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 ...
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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?
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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 ...
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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?
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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。
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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。
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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?
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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 ...
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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.
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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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(...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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(...
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