Questions tagged [meaning]
Questions about understanding the meaning of words, phrases, etc. For in-context meaning, use [meaning-in-context].
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What is the difference between these two words 叫做 and 叫作?
What is the difference between these two words 叫做 and 叫作? The dictionary definition is quite similar and when I use this term in conversation I am unaware of which character combination I am using.
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Pattern in the Chinese numbers 1 to 9
I know a lot of Chinese characters are either a symbol of something or a combination of symbols in the space of one character, so what's the origin of the symbol for numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9? since ...
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When to use 想 versus 喜欢?
Could someone please give we a hint when to use either of those?!
My take is that 想 is used for actions and 喜欢 for things!? Am I right?
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How to use 一点儿 and 一下儿？
They both mean "a little bit" according to the dictionary. However, does the meaning both apply in V and Adjective?
i.e.
V + 一点儿/一下儿 (吃一点儿/吃一下儿，快一点儿/快一下儿) and
Adj + 一点儿/一下儿 (美一点儿/美一下儿, 好一点儿，好一下儿)
...
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Is 帮忙 and 帮助 interchangeable?
I looked up in the dictionary, 帮 means help, and 忙 means busy while 助 also means help, so is 帮忙 (help busy) and 帮助(help help) interchangeable? Or what is the subtle difference between them? Thanks!
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2
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What is the difference between 形成, 构成, 组成, 养成?
According to the dictionary, 成 has meanings of to become or to form, what is the subtle difference between 形成, 构成, 组成 and 养成?
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3
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What's the English expression that means 感叹词："坏了"
In Chinese there is a 感叹词："坏了", means something went unexpected wrong. Example:
坏了，下雨了
坏了，手机忘带了
坏了，迟到了
What are the common English expressions that can express that "astonishing strike"?
...
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4
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How does the particle word "呢" work?
My teacher said that a particle word in Chinese is a function word, but don't quite understand what is means. How does the particle word such as "呢" work?
Also, are there any other Chinese particle ...
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Difference between 换钱 and 挽钱
My take is that 挽钱 (wǎn qián ) would mean to withdraw money from an ATM and 换钱 (huàn qián) to change money
... or am I mistaken?a
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What is the difference between 阻拦, 阻止, 阻挡, and 阻碍?
Title says it all; what's the difference between 阻拦, 阻止, 阻挡, and 阻碍?
user4356
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How to translate "很不起眼儿" in English
What's the best (传神) translation of "很不起眼儿" in English?
例句：
不认识他的人觉得他很不起眼儿，认识他的人觉得他很优秀。
辨析：
A more formal term that related to "很不起眼儿" is "其貌不扬", but
"其貌不扬" will normally be "很不起眼儿", yet "很不起眼儿" ...
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What is the difference between 很, 十分 and 非常?
What is the difference between 很, 十分 and 非常? Or do they have the same meaning?
user4356
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What's the difference between 称赞, 表扬 and 夸奖?
They all have a meaning of "praise", but do they have a difference?
user4356
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3
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How to translate the following grammar-pattern: 让/叫 N+V —— N还/ 就真 V (呀)
I know that this is a pattern that expresses a reverse meaning of what is really expressed (some kind of rhetorical question) - and that the speaker is somehow showing a negative attitude. I suppose ...
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What does “大概” mean? Are there any words with the same meaning?
I looked up in the dictionary, there are 12 meanings for it!
well
aiblins
anywhere
belike
supposedly
probably
prob.
maybe
mayhap
presumedly
presumably
ordinarily
somewhere
easily
mainly
Just wonder ...
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Is there a word in Chinese to mean "mostly"? Is "大多" appropriate?
As title， is there a word in Mandarin Chinese to mean "mostly" ? For example, I am going to tell my friend who wrote a letter to me that "I mostly got what you man", is it appropriate to say "大多" that ...
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What does the measure word 一片 mean? and how to use it?
In the textbook, we learned that 一片 is the measure word for thin, flat objects such as leaves. But it seems to mean differently in 一片草地.
What does the measure word 一片 mean? and how to use it?
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What is the difference between 突然 and 忽然?
They both have the meaning sudden, but what is a subtle difference between 突然 and 忽然?
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What is the difference between 竟然 and 居然?
As I know, 竟然 and 居然 both mean "unexpectedly". Do they have any difference?
user4356
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Usage of the word 欠 and 了 in 那我一分钱也不欠你的了
I've been struggling to get my head around how to properly use the word 欠.
The dictionary has to lack, as a meaning, but I can't find any example sentences with it used that way, only owe.
...
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What is the difference between 听到、听过 and 听说?
There are 3 听 (hear or listen to). What is the difference between 听到, 听过, and 听说?
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What is the difference between 有名，著名 and 闻名?
We know 名 means name or famous, but what is the subtle difference between 有名，著名 and 闻名?
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What is the difference between 变成、变化、变得、改变、转变?
There are five 变 here, so what is the difference between 变成、变化、变得、改变、转变?
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3
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What is the difference between 撒谎 and 说谎?
As far as I know, 撒谎 and 说谎 have the same meaning of "telling a lie". Is there a difference between them?
user4356
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5
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What is the difference between 投诉 and 抱怨?
is there a difference between 投诉 and 抱怨? All I know is that they both mean "complain".
user4356
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What is the difference between 傻瓜 and 笨蛋?
May sound like a silly question, but is there a difference between 傻瓜 and 笨蛋?
user4356
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What is the difference between 假如 and 例如?
What's the difference between 假如 and 例如? As far as I know, their usage is the same.
user4356
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What is the difference between 不 and 没? [duplicate]
I know 不 is the negative prefix for a verb, such as 不是. However 没 is also a negative prefix, such as 没有, so what is the difference between 不 and 没? Thanks!
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How to use 的 in Chinese? [closed]
I'm recently studying the most frequently used Chinese characters list, and 的 is the #1 in the list, which means it is the MOST USED character in Chinese! So my question is how to use 的 in Chinese? ...
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1
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How to use 了 in Chinese? [duplicate]
I know 了 is a indicator for past tense in Chinese. But it seems there are more usages for this character, so how to use 了 in Chinese?
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How does "多" work in this describing sentence "多好看啊!"?
I know 多 means many. But in some cases, it is used as in this sentence, such as this one: "多好看啊!" How exactly does it work? Thanks!
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What is the difference between 激动 and 冲动?
What is the difference between "激动" and "冲动"?
So for example, what is the difference between:
先别激动，冷静一下。
and
先别冲动，冷静一下。
user4356
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What is the difference between qi3 and qi3 lai2?
In both situations my pen is now on a table. Speaking to another person, why do we say:
1) Qing3 na2 qi3 wo3 de5 bi3. 请拿起我的笔。
Not:
2) Qing3 na2 qi3 lai2 wo3 de5 bi3. 请拿起来我的笔。
How does the ...
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What is the difference between 由于 and 因为?
What is the difference between "由于" and "因为"?
For example, what is the difference between
由于今天是公共假期，我不需要上学。
and
因为今天是公共假期，我不需要上学。
user4356
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What is the difference between 举行 and 举办?
What is the difference between "举行" and "举办"? Both of them have the meaning of 'holding / organizing an event", but do they have any difference?
user4356
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Is there a difference between 担心 (dānxīn) and 着急 (zháojí)?
They're both verbs, they both have meanings "to worry, to be anxious", they both seem to be able to be used as adjectives also.
I just want to know if there's any difference: is one used more in ...
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Does 2010年10-12 means October to December of 2010, or October 12th, 2010?
I want to know whether 2010年10-12 indicates a range or an specific date.
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Meaning of 又把聚会当做一次分手
Hi I'm trying to figure out what the lyrics of mean of 思 念.
The last sentence is
又把聚会当做一次分手
However, the grammar is a tad difficult and I'm struggling to make sense of it.
My interpretations:
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How does 哇 affect the meaning of 大河向东流哇?
As part of my immersion process I am studying Chinese lyrics of songs that I like. Many times I find Chinese phrases that I understand all of the words but none of the context. In this case 大河向东流哇 ...
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Is 工作详细情况 similar to work experience?
I´m working with Chinese resumes and I´ve found this expression
工作详细情况"
I´d like to know if it could be translated as work experience. Is it the same thing? Could 工作详细情况 work as a work experience ...
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Meaning of 爱惜花草树木
I'm trying to get the meaning of the following expression: 爱惜花草树木. A Chinese friend told me that it's something like "It's so corny", but I'm having a hard time finding an explanation online. I've ...
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How to say "Peekaboo" when playing hide and seek
I have tried to find how to say "peekaboo" in chinsese when playing hide and seek.
I 've just found 门门! but I don't know it is corect or not.
Could you tell me how to say "Peekaboo!" and "Play hide ...
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寻 找 ， 就 寻 见: I do not understand the second "xún"
At the website http://learnchinesethrubible.org/ I find the following
phrase:
seek and you will find
寻 找 ， 就 寻 见
I do not understand the second "xún".
In the dictionary http://www.mdbg.net ...
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"一别五六年" 是什么意思？？
刚跟一个好久没联系的威海朋友在聊聊时，他说了
时间过得太快了，一别五六年了。
“一别五六年”，或者“一别” 是什么意思？我查了一下，没找到。
PS: I thought that according to this, questions in Chinese were allowed, but I can't publish it without English...
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What is the meaning of 晦 in the phrase 韬光养晦?
I find the phrase 韬光养晦 in a context,and I look up it in the dictionary,it means hidden talents, do not make the leakage.But I still don't know the meaning of 晦.
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In 那个是我工作上的东西, what is the difference between 工作上 and 工作?
那个是我工作上的东西
Why is there a 上 in this sentence? How does it change the meaning? Ie, what's the difference between 工作的东西 and 工作上的东西? When should 工作上 be used as opposed to 工作?
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Differences between 饭，菜， 食 and 餐
What are the differences between 饭，菜， 食 and 餐？Basically all mean food. But I know they are sometimes used in different curcimstances.
What is then the most common word for food: 菜 or 食 ？
我吃过四川菜。Also ...
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Difference between 坏 and 破
Looking for some concrete answers on the difference between 坏 and 破
From what I have been able to understand:
坏
bad: as in 坏人 (bad person) or 鱼坏了 (rotten food)
broken: as in 手机坏了 (broken mobile ...
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How gender specific in writing is the character 他
A couple of years ago I wrote this comment below an answer:
On mainland China 他 is used for both male and female. I've only seen 她
used as a stylistic thing for advertising and some old formal ...
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