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.
-1
votes
2answers
56 views
Difference between 马上，立刻，直接
What's the difference between 马上，立刻 and 直接? How do I use each word and in what situation is each word used?
2
votes
3answers
47 views
Meaning of 惹人嫌?
The full sentence is 唇上 唇下 留着 不长不短 但 总之 很 惹人嫌 的 髭须。 Which I've translated as 'His facial hair was not short or long, but overall the beard was suspicious. Is 'suspicious' a good ...
0
votes
3answers
34 views
Difference between 经常 and 时常?
When do I use 经常 and 时常? Can they be used interchangeably? If there is difference between the two words, what situation do I use each of them?
3
votes
2answers
362 views
我可不觉得 - agree or disagree?
I worked with dialogue of two persons:
A: 外边下雨. 挺有意思.
B: 我可不觉得. 上个星期我穿了新衣服出门, 忽然倾盆大雨. 我的衣服报废了.
可不 - vocabulary translation gives "1) that's just the way it is. 2) exactly".
But here Person B is ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Difference between 一共 and 总共 [duplicate]
The English meaning for 一共 and 总共 is "altogether, in total". Is there any difference in usage of both words? If there is difference, what situation must I use 一共 and when do I use 总共?
1
vote
1answer
44 views
Difference between 图画 and 绘画
The dictionary defines both 图画 and 绘画 as drawing & painting. Can both words be used interchangeably? Is there any difference in the words in terms of usage?
1
vote
1answer
60 views
What is the difference between 可是, 但是, 但, 而, 不过, and 然而?
What is the difference between 可是, 但是, 但, 而, 不过, and 然而?
All of these mean "but" and I can't find any information in my dictionary on what differentiates them.
1
vote
2answers
70 views
Meaning of “当鬼”
I really like this music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2311FZWoFQ
And not long before the beginning it says
"每个人都想当鬼"
The subtitle says it means "Everyone wants to give orders." But I don't ...
2
votes
4answers
101 views
How to understand “有理数贯逼近实数”？
In this article, the phrase “有理数贯逼近实数” is used (see the second last paragraph). How to understand this phrase?
3
votes
2answers
119 views
“学大汉，武立国”? Is it not “国立武汉大学”？
What is the point of "learning from the Grand Han Dynasty and Establishing the Nation by Military"?
2
votes
2answers
64 views
What is the difference between 真确 and 真实?
Is 真确 and 真实 used in different situations? Do provide some examples on their usage if possible. Thanks!
1
vote
1answer
49 views
What does it mean to be scratched or scraped?
I tried to translate these sentences from a convo and got a weird translation.
淺藍不戰爭會被瓜分的.
Light blue will not be divided by war.
綠國刮分結束.
The green country scrapes the end.
再來是淺藍.
Again, light ...
-1
votes
1answer
86 views
I have a tattoo, i wish to find the meaning
What is the meaning of these letters, and is it somehow connected to eachother?
3
votes
3answers
94 views
Difference between 到处 and 处处
Apparently 到处 and 处处 means everywhere in English. May I know if both words can be used interchangeably or there are some differences in usage?
1
vote
4answers
83 views
Is the meaning of 把人的牙笑掉 exactly the same as 'laugh your head off'?
香菱要学作诗，拜黛玉为师。然后和宝玉、探春、黛玉一起，探春说：“难道我们是认真作诗吗？我们的诗出了这原子，还不把人的牙笑掉！”
In English, if something was very funny, you might say:
"I nearly laughed my head off."
Is that exactly equivalent to: 把人的牙笑掉?
1
vote
1answer
69 views
Is “投个好胎” a proper set phrase/idiom? What does it mean?
I'm trying to understand it by finding the meaning behind each word but failed miserably.
What I got from MDBG:
投 (tóu): to cast / to send / to throw oneself (into the river etc) / to seek refuge ...
0
votes
2answers
77 views
Chinese paintings
In our family a set of four Chinese paintings were called something that sounds like «daitse» or «die-tse» but we cannot find out the actual word and its meaning. Can anyone help? The theme of the set ...
1
vote
3answers
507 views
What's the meaning of “氪金”? How to translate it?
I know the meaning of 氪 is krypton. But I find there are many people say: 这个游戏真好玩，我要氪金.
Now they have got the game and played it, so they needn't buy the game now, even sometime they say so when play ...
3
votes
4answers
124 views
Does the word 肉 always mean pork (unless preceded by another word which means a different animal) in Chinese menus?
红烧肉、回锅肉、芹菜炒肉，肉夹馍……
Without the name of a different animal mentioned before 肉 (such as 孜然羊肉), does the word 肉 always mean "pork" without any exception?
Edit:
I have found the following ...
2
votes
1answer
61 views
Why 250 is a rude word in Chinese? [duplicate]
In mordern Chinese, why is the number 250(二百五) a rude word? Why do people use this number for stupid person?
1
vote
4answers
64 views
How to use the phrase “尝一尝”?
Recently I encountered the phrase "尝一尝" in a sentence. I need some advice on the way to use it and when to use it. And is 尝一尝 similar to 试一试?
2
votes
2answers
65 views
Difference between 思想，心思 and 思维
Is there any difference between the words 思想，心思 and 思维? If possible, pls provide some examples on the usage and situation to use it. Thank you!
3
votes
4answers
77 views
What is the difference between 抓 and 捉?
Can the word 抓 and 捉 be used interchangeably? The English translations seems similar.
1
vote
1answer
123 views
What do the first 4 letter stand for? Are they company name that made the tool or something else? ( From history )
I was asked if the letters of the image are Japanese or not.
I answered they must be Chinese since Japanese does not have the first letter.
What would the first 4 letters stand for?
Thank you for ...
0
votes
4answers
139 views
What is 了 doing in the sentence 我出发了?
Consider the sentence
我出发了。
with the translation
I'm leaving.
This was given to me in a list of examples demonstrating the putting 了 after a verb expresses a completed action (perfect aspect, I ...
2
votes
2answers
77 views
Is the title “二寡妇” synonymous with prostitution?
There's this joke that talks about a womanizer who wants to hog a woman known as: 白二寡妇:
第四位是二流子，他说：“你们也品味台低啦。。。要是我做了皇帝，哼！我就派锦衣卫把白二寡妇家团团围住，只准我一个人进去！谁敢跟我争，就下大狱！！！”
I found another article on Jianshu ...
2
votes
2answers
130 views
Does '到现在' imply a recent change?
Chinese-to-English dictionaries seem to translate '到现在' as 'up to now' or 'until now'. In English this often implies a recent change in conditions rather than a continuation of conditions; however, in ...
3
votes
2answers
164 views
Does 再见 work for “goodbye forever”?
As a learner, when I see 再见 I see the literal "see you again" in the meaning of the characters. French has a similar expression for goodbye, "au revior", which also literally means "until (I) see you ...
2
votes
2answers
237 views
辩论 vs 吵架 - both mean to argue?
for some reason, I imagine the difference is quite significant, but in which two directions do these verbs (辩论 and 吵架) go? How do they differ?
Hashamyim
2
votes
1answer
58 views
Etymology/meaning of character 绍 and its relation to 介绍 [duplicate]
According to the dictionaries, the character 绍 means "to carry on, to continue". Looking at its etymology, I found nowhere saying nothing else from it being composed of silk (纟) and the sound 召 [zhao]....
3
votes
5answers
136 views
Difference between 很 and 挺
As far as I know, both means “very”. I would like to know if there are any further differences that exist between them
2
votes
2answers
93 views
Connotations of 兔子它爹/兔子的爹?
I was watching episode 2 of 戳锅漏 when I came across this sentence
兔子的爹跑得还快
This question on Baidu Zhidao also talks about something similar, asking:
我的团长我的团中 有一句话叫 王连胜 你就是兔子他爹 是什麽意思啊[？]
...
4
votes
2answers
211 views
What is the difference of use between 没空 and 没(有)时间?
As far as I can tell, they both have the same meaning: have no time, i.e.:
对不起，今天我没空帮你
对不起，今天我没（有）时间帮你
But the first one looks like a quasi-idiomatic expression (have no air?); is there a ...
3
votes
1answer
59 views
What is 汉白玉 and is it 大理石?
汉白玉 is translated to English as "White Marble".
Is that translation correct? Is it a form of 大理石?
And if it is a form of marble then is it a valuable, expensive form or a cheap form?
And is there ...
3
votes
3answers
562 views
Why does 要 mean “will” and not “want” in this sentence?
这个 星期五 晚上 我们 要 去 酒吧
Zhège Xīngqīwǔ wǎnshang wǒmen yào qù jiǔbā
is translated as:
We're going to a bar this Friday night.
What makes this future tense vs the verb want?
1
vote
5answers
86 views
2
votes
3answers
124 views
Difference between 厉害 and 利害
I see they have the same pronunciation but does they bear any differences. It seems like 利害 can be pronounced lìhài or lìhai while 厉害 can only be pronounced lìhai.
2
votes
2answers
54 views
What are the differences: 效果 vs. 效应
Which of the following sentence is correct, or are both correct? Why?
1.虽然学校采取了一些措施，但是没有什么效果.
2.虽然学校采取了一些措施，但是没有什么效应.
2
votes
3answers
186 views
What does my tattoo mean?
Sorry if my question is inappropriate, but I really need to know what this tattoo means. Thanks in advance!
7
votes
2answers
2k views
What is “qiou”?
Apparently this character has been dubbed the character of the year (2018):
It's pronunciation is said to be:
qiou
but a lot of people claim it should just be pronounced the same as:
我
I can'...
1
vote
2answers
93 views
The difference between 规范，规则，规章，规矩，规定，规律
After seeing in class these words (规定，规律，规范，规矩，规章）, I’m in trouble to recognize the difference between them. I’m aware that some are used for country law, some for rules in society etc but I need a ...
3
votes
1answer
63 views
What does 嫩主 mean?
There's this sentence in The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin:
“你看看，刚才你主动提这事儿，现在又说自己可能杀她，咱就是随便聊聊，你急着抖落这些干吗？一看就是个嫩主。”
Joel Martinsen translated the sentence like this:
“Look at you, bringing up the ...
0
votes
1answer
81 views
What language is this tattoo? what does it mean?
What does this tattoo mean? what language is this guys?
2
votes
2answers
100 views
What is the purpose of 一切信息 in this sentence?
Example sentence, from 青少年科学百科全书 （第一章：声音）
各种各样的声音能够使我们了解来自内部身体和外部世界发生的一切信息。
I've translated this as:
Various sounds can enable our understanding of events in the human body and the outside ...
2
votes
1answer
77 views
How to translate “and” to Chinese
I would like some clarification on translating 'and' into Chinese. I know 和 and 跟 can be used as 'and' with nouns, 也 can be used with verbs, and often 'and' isn't translated but a comma is used. But ...
3
votes
1answer
74 views
Meaning of 的 and 之 when both are used in the same sentence
I’m reading a text in which 的 and 之 are sometimes used in the same sentence, in seemingly equivalent or exchangeable function and position.
But I’m sure the author had good reasons to choose the ...
3
votes
2answers
73 views
一会 vs 一下 vs 一时 vs 一时半会 vs 片刻
I wanted to say "I'm going to take a nap for a while" and looked for the phrase "(for) a while" in Chinese and came across these 5 :
一会，一下，一时，一时半会，片刻。
Could you please tell me the difference between ...
6
votes
2answers
189 views
What is the difference between 吾 and 我 in 文言文？
For instance, in the phrase 「我善养吾浩然之气」
I notice both 我 and 吾 are used. Is there a reason for this?
1
vote
2answers
102 views
What is written in this Chinese painting?
Can somebody tell me what is written in this painting?
http://sino.ro/5976-thickbox_default/pictura-chinezeasca-simbolul-liniste-cod-b68-6.jpg
The Chinese people selling this painting told me it's ...
4
votes
2answers
92 views
What do the characters I've found on this old gun mean?
On an antique shotgun I was told had Korean origin I found the following (what I presume are Hanja?) characters†. Four out of five I believe I have correctly identified. One character I could not find ...
