Questions tagged [meaning-in-context]
Questions about understanding words or phrases within a given context.
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What is the literal translation of this: 摊主是位上了年纪、身材瘦小的老人?
...，整齐漂亮的毛笔字能充分地显示出书摊主人的文化水平。摊主是位上了年纪、身材瘦小的老人，总是穿着一件灰色长衫，...
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 20. I need your help in literal translating this: 摊主是位上了年纪、身材瘦小的老人。
So far, this is ...
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Is this sentence correct 很多人需开始工作得帮家
I'm making a text for a test and I ended up with this sentence 很多人需开始工作得帮家. What I'm Trying to say is:
Many people need to start working to help their families
It's a complex phrase for my level and I'...
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Help understand this: 每本小人书都用牛皮纸加了层封皮，封皮上用毛笔写上书名
为了减少损坏程度，每本小人书都用牛皮纸加了层封皮，封皮上用毛笔写上书名，整齐漂亮的毛笔字能充分地显示出书摊主人的文化水平。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 20. I need your help in understanding this: 每本小人书都用牛皮纸加了层封皮，封皮上用毛笔写上书名,...
Actually ...
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How to literally translate this: 会因为费用增加而让投资人不高兴?
大导演非常着急，一来，耽误了时间，日程就得重新安排；二来，会因为费用增加而让投资人不高兴，至于这部影片的投资人，...
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 26.
How to literally translate this: 会因为费用增加而让投资人不高兴?
I have reached to the following ...
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What is the meaning of 重重 in 尽管他们背着重重的行李?
他雇了20来个当地人为他带路和搬运行李。这批当地人个个都表现出色，尽管他们背着重重的行李，但他们的脚力过人，健步如飞。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 26. What is the meaning of 重重? How to make it make sense?
尽管(despite)他们(they)背着(...
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What is the meaning of 脚力过人 in 尽管他们背着重重的行李，但他们的脚力过人，健步如飞?
他雇了20来个当地人为他带路和搬运行李。这批当地人个个都表现出色，尽管他们背着重重的行李，但他们的脚力过人，健步如飞。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, segment 26. What is the meaning of 脚力过人?
Baidu translate: Despite carrying heavy luggage, ...
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Differences between 知识，知，识，知感 and 认识？
“知识” 两个字我始终认为它是要分开来谈的，“知” 就是知感，“识” 就是认识。所谓 “知感” 就是别人告诉你、说给你听、要求你记住的那一部分。但只有这一部分是不够的，还要有认识、思考。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 22.
I would appreciate if you explain the ...
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Does "要超高15天" mean "15 days at most" or "more than 15 days"?
I asked my supplier how long to produce something in green color.
做绿色的要多长时间？
They replied
要超高15天
Does "要超高15天" mean "15 days at most" or "more than 15 days"?
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What does 家 mean in 家医院?
I came across 家医院 in example sentences in an anki deck I downloaded.
I know that 医院 means hospital. I tried to look up 家医院 in two dictionaries but could not find it.
What is 家医院? Is it equivalent ...
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How to literally translate this: 极爱冒险的大导演...?
据说，曾经有一位很有个性、极爱冒险的大导演到南美丛林拍有关古代印加文明的纪录片。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 26. About its literal translation, I have reached to the following point:
据说 (it is said that)，曾经(once)有(...
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What does 朱幂 and 黄幂 mean in this ancient illustration of the Pythagorean Theorem?
The above is an illustration of the Pythagorean Theorem from the work 周髀算经. On the left it says:
勾股幂合以成弦幂
Which I think is a 8-character statement of the Pythagorean Theorem, as follows:
勾 ("...
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What exactly is supplied (供) in 供游人休息并欣赏黄浦江两岸的美景?
This is from an article about The Bund 外滩 in Shanghai in the textbook 新实用汉语课本5, page 79 (photo of original):
“情人墙”建在黄浦江边，全长约1700米。观光台的地面是彩色的，有32个半圆形的观景阳台，还有很多方灯、花坛、方亭、六角亭和绿化带，供游人休息并欣赏黄浦江两岸的美景。
I don'...
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How do you understand sentences like 你相信圣诞老人吗？ Do they mean "do you believe Santa Claus?" or "do you believe *in* Santa Claus?"
CC-CEDICT: 相信 (xiāngxìn): to be convinced (that sth is true); to believe; to accept sth as true
Recently I encountered the sentence
你相信鬼吗？
which surprised me because it translated to "do you ...
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To Be - 变成 vs 当
In the song 学猫叫 (Xue Mao Jiao) are two lines that seem to have similar English translations:
我想要当你的小猫猫 - "I want to be your cat"
想要变成你的猫 - "I want to be your cat"
Do 当 and 变成 ...
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What is the meaning of 却 in 却可以使我们不会在错误的道路上走得太远？
我有一个体会：现实中，我们不一定知道正确的道路是什么，但时时反省、总结，却可以使我们不会在错误的道路上走得太远。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 26. What is the meaning of 却 here?
却(?)可以(can)使(let)我们(us)不会(will not)在(in)错误的(wrong)道路(...
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What is the meaning of 大事小事？
文文从小是个乖乖女，学习刻苦，遵守纪律。大事小事，尽管妈妈表示也要征求她的意见，但上哪所学校、念什么专业，甚至跟什么人交朋友，基本上都是妈妈说了算。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 23. What is the meaning of 大事小事? What does "big thing small thing&...
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What is the exact meaning of 着 and how to use it in a sentence?
What is the exact meaning of 着 and how can I use it in a sentence?
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How to literally translate this: 正当水手们慌张得不知如何是好时， ..., 使劲儿朝里面放水？
有一位经验丰富的老船长，一次返航中，天气恶劣，他们的船遇到了可怕的巨大风浪。正当水手们慌张得不知如何是好时，老船长命令水手们立刻打开货舱，使劲儿朝里面放水。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, segment 25. How to literally translate this:
正当水手们慌张得不知如何是好时，...
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Meaning of "去你的头"
I just heard "去你的头" in a joke, and while it sounds like an approving "go ahead" OR "go with your head/what you think" I realized at the end of the joke it's kind of an equivalent of "go f*** yourself" ...
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How does one express "truthfully", like at the beginning of a sentence in chinese?
In english I would use "actually", 其实，but the particular thing I am trying to convey is that previously, I gave information that was incorrect, but now I am correcting that information.
“I ...
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What is the difference between 潜艇 and 潜航器？
是意味着乌克兰现在对于克里米亚的这个战术，发生了一些新的改变，呃应该说克里米亚地区的安全形势大幅的恶化，跟乌军战法的更新，有很大关系，首先，乌军，现在的这个从装备的角度讲呢，有很多选择比如说无人机，无人艇和无人潜航器，加上现在的北约援助给乌克兰的，这个远程的战术巡航导弹等等，那么，主要还是要看到就是这各种啊，所谓的无人机...
This is from a news broadcast I ...
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How to literally translate this: 第二种忙，忙得很主动，忙而不乱，人是工作的主人？
工作中的忙碌大概可以分为三种：第一种忙， ...；第二种忙，忙得很主动，忙而不乱，人是工作的主人；第三种忙，...
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 26. I want your help for the literal translation of this:
第二种忙，忙得很主动，忙而不乱，人是工作的主人
第二(...
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What is the meaning of 萝图荟萃?
《萝图荟萃》 is the title of the catalogue of the imperial map collection from 1760.
However, according to various dictionaries, 萝 means "radish" which makes no sense in this context.
Some ...
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What does 就那样吧 mean?
This is a conversation with my friend and she started to live in Moscow recently.
I: 你莫斯科生活怎么样？
She: 就那样吧
Pleco showed 那样 means "like" or "that kind", but in this case that doesn'...
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Difference between 怎么办 and 做什么？
1994年，理查德得了心脏病，当时医生说他剩下的时间可能不多了。那时，他开始思考自己的人生，“我该怎么办？ 我该做什么？”
This is from the Standard Book of HSK5, section 21.
I am in this point:
我(I)该(should)怎么(what)办(do)？ 我(I)该(should)做(do)什么(what)？
So what is ...
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Difference between 打电话给 and 打电话和?
如果只能活24小时，我会打电话和朋友们说再见。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, segment 21. What is the difference between 打电话给 and 打电话和？I would write it as:
如果只能活24小时，我会打电话给朋友们说再见。
So what is the difference? ...
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Differences between 学生，学童 and 同学？
比如，他们讨论过《卖火柴的小女孩儿》是写给谁看的，还讨论过灰姑娘的故事。老师讲完故事之后，问同学们: ...
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 22. I don't understand why the word 同学 is used. Why not 学生 or 学童？
老师讲完故事之后，问学生们: ...
...
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What is the meaning of 看 in 比如，他们讨论过《卖火柴的小女孩儿》是写给谁看的？
我曾经听一位美国的小学老师说，他们十分重视和学生一起讨论问题。比如，他们讨论过《卖火柴的小女孩儿》是写给谁看的，还讨论过灰姑娘的故事。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 22. What is the meaning of 看 here: 是写给谁看的？Maybe to consider?:
比如 (for example)...
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100番PET Label Thickness Standard
What does 番 mean in the context of PET Label thickness? Is it 100 micron?
Sentence: 标签面料厚度是100番PET。
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How can I translate 不客气 here?
I'm doing some translations of New Practical Chinese Reader 2. In lesson 17, there's a dialog between two people, and 不客气 appears as a reply to compliments rather than someone saying 谢谢。Is it supposed ...
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If 为, meaning 'for...', takes the reading [wèi] why, in the following examples, is [wéi] being used?
I had learned that 为 'for the purpose/sake of' took the reading 'wèi'. However, I have seen several instances of 'wéi' being used to mean the same thing. Are these readings interchangeable or is 'wéi' ...
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What is the meaning of 挥发 here?
Chemistry is not my thing. I like to make 拉面 at home, although I am not very good at it.
Reading the advice for the use of 拉面剂 I saw this:
拉面剂加到面粉里后会挥发，所以用量有浮动。
I usually add the 拉面剂 directly to the ...
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Paying directly to Alipay
Because of certain reason, I can't pay the seller through the marketplace platform. Is it appropriate to use:
我可以直接转你们的支付宝上吗？
to ask to pay them directly to their Alipay account?
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Exact Meaning of 左挑右选 and 前看后看
I'm reading 寓言故事 about the story of 郑人买履, and I found the phrase 左挑右选 and 前看后看, what does it means? Especially for the 前看后看, is it like before looking and after looking? It is kind of weird with the ...
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What does the phrase "足矣" mean?
I saw this phrase recently in a post online. The whole sentence is 人生得一知己足矣. I think 人生得一知己 means "getting a BFF(?) in one's life". (The only meaning of the word 知己 that I know of is BFF, but please ...
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Why is the American TV Drama "Friends" translated into 《老友记》?
If I was the translator, the title should be 《朋友们》or 《好朋友》or 《哥儿们姐儿们》. Why was it 《老友记》? And what does the word 记 mean in such a phrase? Could it mean a record/diary of old friends? Is it the same ...
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What did Liu Cixin mean by: In this book, a man named “humanity” confronts a disaster?
In a postscript to the American edition of The Three-Body Problem / 三体, the author says:
In science fiction, humanity is often described as a collective. In
this book, a man named “humanity” ...
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Could 三间房子 mean "a house with three rooms" rather than "three houses"?
I've seen this sentence in the book I'm reading (talking about a postman, so not a very rich person):
他在镇里盖了三间房子，还安了wifi……
So, since it would seem strange that a postman could have three houses ...
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What is the meaning of 死 in 死搬兵书上的理论?
公元前260年，赵括带兵出战。一直盲目自信、轻视秦军的他完全改变了廉颇的作战方案，死搬兵书上的理论，主动进攻秦军，结果数十万赵军全部被杀，丢掉了宝贵的生命。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 15.
What is the meaning of 死?
Baidu and Google literally translate ...
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Meaning of 我在医院工作
I'm getting confused about whether 我在医院工作 means:
I work in a hospital or
I'm working in a hospital at the moment.
To clarify, in the first option I mean that hospital is my day-to-day place to go, I'...
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Why did my Chinese teacher describe Donald Trump as 口吐莲花?
In my regular Chinese class yesterday, I was discussing Donald Trump with my teacher, and she described him as 口吐莲花 (kǒutǔliánhuā). As always I didn't fully understand the particulars of the ...
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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 ...
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Can someone help my identity this silk painting please
Hello I inherited 4 silk Chinese paintings and would love to know who made them and what the red stamps mean?
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Why 今 and 今天 both mean “today”?
They can both mean the same thing, but is there a specific case why you would use 今 instead of 今天?
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Why does 老舍 in《猫城记》 use the phrase 不是没有 in 因为不是没有阳光?
远处有些小山，也是灰色的，比天空更深一些；因为不是没有阳光，小山上是灰里带着些淡红，好像野鸽脖子上的彩闪。
猫城记，老舍, p.7 (photo; alt)
I'd translate this to:
In the distance there are some small mountains, which are also gray, darker than the sky; ...
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Use of 空降兵 in net language
This particular word has been a sore spot for me.
空降兵
I know it literally translates as Paratroopers. like Air raiders or smth.
but I heard its also an internet slang.
Id love to know what it means.
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What is the meaning of 闻义不能徙?
I read this excerpt, but I can't understand the meaning in 闻义不能徙.
In fact it's all a bit hazy, could some kind person give me a breakdown or a modern Chinese interpretation?
德之不修，学之不讲，闻义不能徙，不善不能改，是吾忧也。...
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Confused about 生气/着急/担心
This is from a random hsk 5 practice exam I found online. Confused about the answer to 51 being 生气 here. I chose 着急. My thinking is that 着急 is most similar to anxious in English, which is why the wife ...
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What is the meaning of 货色 in this sentence?
货色 either means just goods or kinds and quality of goods, I believe.
货 is 货物 I think.
色 is either 颜色 or 特色
这是一座文化超级市场，新奇货色的不时出现对在寻求知识的顾客带有强烈诱惑。
新奇货色：goods of novel type and appearance or just novel ...
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What’s with “一题问题”?
Duolingo keeps drilling me on this sentence:
我不懂这一题问题
My question is, why “一题问题”? It looks to me as though 一题, coming as it does after 这, were being used as a classifier for 问题. But according to ...
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