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.
1,089
questions
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2answers
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What is 要 doing in 每天她都要慢跑?
In an exercise, I came across this sentence with the translation:
每天早上她都要慢跑一个小时。
Měi tiān zǎoshɑnɡ tā dōu yào màn pǎo yí ɡè xiǎoshí.
She goes to jog every morning for an hour.
What is the meaning of ...
0
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1answer
47 views
我在寻人启事上看见我身份证办好
I'm having really hard times understanding the sentence in the title. I found it watching a movie, this is some context:
A young guy gets mad to his parents and decides to go away leaving no traces (...
3
votes
3answers
656 views
What does it mean for a woman to be 贤惠 (xiánhuì)?
Judging from what I've read, Chinese culture honors women who are 贤惠 (xiánhuì), e.g. a man would want a 贤惠 wife (this actually arose in my recent question). However, I get the feeling there's not ...
2
votes
2answers
72 views
To make friends: 交朋友 vs 认识朋友?
I have come across some sentences where both 认识朋友 and 交朋友 were translated as to make friends (even though typically 认识 is translated in English as to know). Is there a difference between them?
...
2
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3answers
47 views
Difference between 告白 and 表白 as verbs
I don't understand the difference between the two, don't they both mean "to explain"? When would one be used over the other?
2
votes
1answer
66 views
What is the meaning of 元亨利贞 in the I-Ching?
Probably the most cryptic lines of the 周易 Book of Changes, it reads:
元亨利贞
yuan2 heng1 li4 zhen1
This is the Judgement to the very first hexagram, 乾卦 The Creative. The same characters also appear ...
-1
votes
0answers
77 views
What resource gives the construction of Chinese characters? [closed]
I'm seeking a website that explains the details of the formation of characters, by what characters they are made for, their evolution and meaning in the context of Chinese history. In particular, I'm ...
2
votes
1answer
61 views
What kind of party is 黑灯舞?
I heard that in the past, around the 1980s, people could be executed for this. But what does it consist of? Is there an english/american equivalent or something similar?
0
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2answers
67 views
What is the meaning of 关心种子?
I was watching a YouTube video, and the guy in the very beginning said "关心种子" means: a type of species desperate for attention. Is that true?
Here is the video for reference:
https://www....
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0answers
42 views
Hi I am looking for information about the signature on this painting [closed]
I am looking for the translation of this painting from Japan
2
votes
1answer
60 views
先进个人奖, what is this?
I'm not really sure this is the correct website to ask for this, I'm sorry if it is not. Anyway, I'm trying to understand what this honour/award is (in English I often see it translated as "...
0
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0answers
58 views
To decipher a Chop or Seal
I purchased a Painting of Egrets...there is an Asian style Mark or Seal at the bottom left. I would like to know what it means
Any help will be appreciated.
Best regards,
Gary Hancock
4
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1answer
92 views
+100
車轉 as “door knob”?
This a a bit of a follow up to 饰界 for "hinges"?
I've got this translation here:
Takes hold of the knob.
Gives the knob a turn.
把車轉拿着
把車轉扭一下
I'm assuming 車轉 matches up with knob here. It'...
0
votes
1answer
69 views
What is the concept of 华夏?
This paper talks about the concept of 华夏:
At the core of this traditional Chinese identity is the concept of hua-hsia. By invoking a sense of Chineseness (hua) that is rooted in the shared ...
5
votes
1answer
91 views
+100
饰界 for “hinges”?
I've got this translation here:
The door turns on its hinges.
门靠着饰界转
I'm assuming 饰界 matches up with hinges. It's not a word I've encountered before or that's readily searchable online. The ...
0
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2answers
68 views
In 立下了汗马功劳, how should I understand 立下了 (“set up”) 汗马功劳 (“war exploits”)?
In many example sentences for the chengyu
汗马功劳
hànmǎgōngláo
war exploits; (fig.) heroic contribution[src]
we see 立下了汗马功劳, e.g.:
他参加过许多战役, 立下了汗马功劳, 但他仍然很谦虚。
I don't understand this because 立下 = &...
2
votes
2answers
97 views
何处横空出世 - meaning
I am translating an article about Elon Musk and one of the subtitles is called "何处横空出世?".
I don't quite understand what 横空 means. I found one translation that said it means some kind of ...
0
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2answers
71 views
Are there any two chinese words which can be used interchangeably?
I have been studying Chinese for a while, and what I find interesting is that no 2 words have exactly the same definitions.
For example, 表扬 and 称赞 have almost the same meaning, but there will always ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
If I go to a store and the cashier asks “有會買嗎?” what does that mean?
For example, if a cashier rings me up and says "這樣一共是五百元, 有會買嗎?" What does the "有會買嗎" mean and how would I respond? Thank you.
1
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1answer
51 views
Meaning of 老掉牙的設定?
what is the meaning of 老掉牙的設定?
I want to say it means something like "overused archetype", but I'm not sure if that is correct. (This is in the context of describing common kinds of characters). ...
3
votes
4answers
98 views
Why 了 in 走+time+就到了？
I came across the following sentence:
她的家很近，走五分钟就到了。
Tā de jiā hěn jìn, zǒu wǔ fēnzhōnɡ jiù dào le.
Her house is very close, only need to walk for five minutes to arrive.
Question: Why is there a ...
3
votes
3answers
106 views
Meaning of 的 in 真的?
Question:
Is the 的 in 真的 a modal 的 [see resources.allsetlearning.com]?
How does 的 change 真? Does it bring some emphasis?
I guess the purpose of 的 in 真的 is the same as in 好的 or 有的? See Is each 的 in 有的 ...
1
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4answers
209 views
How do I break apart the middle part of 事实证明，澳大利亚非量没有用奶制品进行反制的条件，破产事件反而证明这是澳方的软肋?
Today I read an article about Australia considering blocking China importing baby formula (奶粉), which expresses the opinion that the current pandemic has shown what happens if China stops buying ...
1
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4answers
86 views
How to distinguish between homophone words 再 and 在 zài
I wonder how one can distinguish in an oral conversation between homophone words: 再 and 在, as both have the same pronunciation zài.
For example, in the sentence
Wǒ zài kàn diànyǐng.
how one can ...
2
votes
2answers
88 views
Is it possible to know what 都 means in “Subj + 都 + Predicate + 了”?
In my lessons, I came across two different meanings for the adverb 都 dōu:
"Already" with the structure: Subj. + 都 + Predicate + 了, where 了 stands for completion of the predicate (see ...
4
votes
1answer
418 views
What's wrong with 很多同学坐着在草地上?
很多同学坐着在草地上 => My textbook gives me the correct sentence: 很多同学坐在草地上.
But I think the original one is not wrong.
(1) 很多同学坐着在草地上. Many students are sitting on the grass.
(2) 很多同学坐在草地上. Many ...
0
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2answers
76 views
Meaning of 这么说 in the conversation
A:她未婚夫不愿意让她工作了。
B:这么说，结婚以后她就不工作了。
A:对。
My questions are
(1) What is the meaning of 这么说 in this conversation?
(2) In addition, does 这么说 have any other meanings? Can you give me some examples?
1
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1answer
38 views
Definition order of adjectives of noun
黑小狗 means black puppy and 小黑狗 means small black dog, please correct me if I am wrong.
3
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2answers
199 views
说你胖 你还喘上了 来劲儿了 how does this translate in english in this context?
I'm trying to figure out what the sentence in the title means in this context:
A gang of punks has just beaten a retarded guy and another guy, who saw what was going on, tries to stop them but he ...
4
votes
3answers
153 views
Which one is more commonly used in Chinese speaking communities: 年轻 or 年青?
One of the elective projects on the study of Chinese culture given in my high school is as follows:
探讨中国传统文化如何助当今年青人走出困局。
I thought this was a typo so I asked our teacher to correct it to 年轻. But ...
0
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1answer
89 views
A joke involving 忆苦思甜
I ran into the following wordplay:
That's your dad! [...] I heard he has two wives, one back in the countryside,
and a new one. Why do you think one's called Sitian and the other is called Yiku?
I ...
1
vote
2answers
102 views
Where does this quote come from? “How can you say you have no clothes? I’ll share my robe with you”?
Where does it come from? Google can’t help me
0
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1answer
43 views
- 古伦木! - 欧巴! Meaning in this context?
I'm watching the movie "in the heat of the sun" and very often groups of people seem to greet this way: a guy says "古伦木!" and the other one says "欧巴!". Now, I'm trying to figure out if this has some ...
0
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1answer
52 views
What is the English translation of my chop? Is it right side up? [closed]
I bought calligraphy supplies in a Chinatown and talked with the owner of the store. I told the person (who had her uncle carve this) that I was an artist/painter. I also told her my name in English ...
1
vote
1answer
168 views
Meaning of a text on a teapot (Characters identified: 石泉槐火)
I have a teapot which has been in my family for about a century. Not knowing the Chinese language I tried to make something of the five characters text which is marked on it. With Google Translate I ...
0
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4answers
227 views
How should I understand 虱子多了不咬，债多了不愁 (“lice much stop biting, debt much ignored”)?
After describing various urgent or overdue matters I should be dealing with yet ignore, my teacher said this:
虱子多了不咬，债多了不愁。
Shīzi duō le bù yǎo, zhài duō le bù chóu.
I think she used it to mean ...
0
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3answers
105 views
What does 你们已经干得够多了 mean?
I read an opinion piece regarding the US response to the coronavirus: 哥伦比亚大学教授质问美国高官：用谎言攻击中国可能导致冲突，“你们没有羞耻感吗？” (7 May 2020). I don't understand one part:
特朗普先生、蓬佩奥先生，你们收到了很多警告。到目前为止，...
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0answers
67 views
Why Chinese add 子 into Monosyllabic words [duplicate]
I notice there are many monosyllabic words that own their meanings already. Then they are added 子 but their meanings are still the same.
For example,
箱 => 箱子 (box)
孙 => 孙子 (grandson)
枣 => 枣子 (...
0
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8answers
123 views
What is the correct way to ask “How do I get to your school” in Mandarin?
Here my focus is to understand the correct usage of 怎么走 and 到.
The English sentence is, "How do I get to your school". This is in terms of asking the directions to reach the school.
I found three ...
0
votes
1answer
63 views
Translation/meaning of 叫阮的名 song by 巫啟賢 [closed]
What is the meaning/translation of the song lyrics. I grew up listening to this song and it brings me great memories. However, I do not know Hokkien. If you are willing to share or point me to a ...
2
votes
4answers
114 views
What does …玩得转 mean?
In an opinion piece about recent criticism towards China, Hu Xijin wrote:
再有就是特朗普公开针对中国撒弥天大谎，向中国推卸他们抗疫失败的责任，居然在美国能够玩得转。是什么把美国公众搞得这么好骗，一眼就能看穿的甩锅把戏却有声有色地一集一集表演着，在美国也太容易带节奏了。
刷新认知，美国的人命竟然这么“不值钱”, 胡锡进, ...
3
votes
1answer
107 views
Why 明 for tomorrow and next year but 下 for next month?
I would like to understand why you can say 明天 and 明年 but not 明月, or why you can't say 下天 and 下年 but you say 下月. From the dictionary, 明 and 下 both seem to mean "next".
Maybe the logic behind is "just ...
1
vote
2answers
92 views
Please help translate my Chinese seal chop (Characters identified: 詩思妮)
While on a recent trip to Shenzhen, China, I came across a booth selling Chinese Chops. I had one made for me.
The artist asked me to write my name down, CECILE, and he made me this chop. Since he ...
0
votes
3answers
126 views
链接, 连接, 连结, 联接, 联结 - lianjie - is it a joke and if not, what's the difference?
Amongst 链接, 连接, 连结, 联接, 联结 - which one is the most correct to use in which situation? Is one more formal than others? Maybe the meanings are different? Please, write as much as possible about ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
What does 相比起来则 in this sentence?
I try to fine the grammar for this sentence:
Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + Adj. + 很多 (Expressing "much more" in comparisons)
But in not the same as:
玛丽相比起来则温和+得多.
0
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2answers
69 views
Is 白加黑 (“white add black”) slang for 感冒药 (“cold medicine”)?
I'm reading the book 喜欢你，我也是, and I encountered this:
张侃侃无语地摊摊手：“可我既不是医生，也不是白加黑啊！”
“对于生病的谈晋而言，你就是他的医生，就是他的白加黑。”叶莉亚边说边郑重地点了点头。
(A sample text containing this part is here.)
I understand 张侃侃 has ...
1
vote
2answers
94 views
Can someone recommend a good book that can explain chinese characters and how they came to have their meaning
My mind is so literal that I think it would help me to understand and memorize the characters and their meaning. I recently found on this site an explanation for the difference between sun and speech....
2
votes
4answers
83 views
Meaning of “也是吼”? Is it slang/colloquialism?
I'm looking for the meaning of "也是吼." It popped up in an instance without context. (It was its own sentence.)
I tried googling it and saw it popped up in books and on twitter so I was wondering if it'...
0
votes
2answers
32 views
How to know “了…就” indicating completed actions
I just find out two circumstances that "了...就" construction is used.
(1) 昨天，我买了书就回家。(Yesterday, after I had bought the book, I came back home) - COMPLETED ACTIONS
(2) 我买了书就回家。(After buying the book, ...
3
votes
1answer
143 views
What is the difference between 满足 and 满意?
I learned both of these words recently. I asked a Chinese friend what is the difference, and she told me they are "almost the same". I'm wondering how strong the "almost" is here. How interchangeable ...
