Questions tagged [phrase-meaning]
The phrase-meaning tag has no usage guidance.
63 questions
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I need help with interpreting message inscribed please
Can anyone help tell me what this reads? There is more but I can not seem to add more than one picture here
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请审核一下我的想法有什么不对？
有这个题目：
如图所示，A车正在变更车道，以下说法正确的是什么？
A、该车没有违法行为
B、压实线变更车道
C、未按规定开启转向灯
D、未按规定车道行驶
就是，他问的是哪个是正确，而不是图片中有什么违法。现在我来解释一下我的想法。
A选肯定不正确，因为图片中的A车在压实现， 压实现是一种违法行为。
B选正确，因为在图中A车的确在压实现变更车道。
D选我觉得不正确。...
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What is the origin of 找碴?
First a little about me and why I have this question. I'm a non-native speaker of the Chinese language. Although I can fluently speak Chinese, I sometimes don't get the slang/common verbal language ...
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The meaning of "奪耳" in 《說文解字》
When I looked up the meaning of the character "卅" (𠦃) in 《說文解字註》（段註本）, the text was as follows, as shown in the picture: "
Translate: 我在《说文解字注》（段注本）中查「卅」（古作「𠦃」）一字时，其解释如下如图：
𠦃，三十幷也。...
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Use of 据我所知 - is it the same as "As far as I know"
据我所知 is usually presented as equivalent to "As I understand" or "As far as I know". I'm unsure whether this phrase is really used in the same way as these English phrases, as when ...
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Does “XX是什么样的人？” refer mostly, and maybe only, to personality?
My family is made of Chinese natives while I am bilingual. My dad sometimes asks me questions like “你的老师是什么样的人？” before lightly chastising me that the askers of such questions usually want to know ...
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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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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 is the meaning of 尔毋从从尔。
I was looking up the meaning of 尔 and found this:
尔毋从从尔。《礼记·檀弓》
Can I translate 尔毋从从尔 as "This doesn't follow that"??
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Why does 無所不 mean any, all, every, omni-?
無 means not, nil, without, nothing, lack.
所 means place, cause; who, what.
不 means no, not.
In each four-character idiom below, the last and fourth Chinese character is translated to the English ...
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What is the meaning of 花瓜？
Today I came across 4 成语 or phrases:
名扬天下
虎背熊腰
膀粗腰圆
骂了个花瓜
What is the meaning of 花瓜？
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Using 那叫 can 叫 be a 量词？
Today I am having trouble getting to grips with 那叫。
Can 叫 be a 量词？
According to zdic.net 叫 can also be used as by:
叫：让;被 [by]。如:你叫雨淋了吗?;叫你猜对了
In each of these 3 examples, is 那叫 a phrase?
Is 那叫 being ...
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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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How come "splint" is called 副木?
I can understand why "splint" is called 夾板 in Chinese, but I am having a hard time understanding why it's also called 副木. Does anyone know the origin of this terminology? Thank you!
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What are the implications of saying 保护好自己?
I've heard this used in various contexts, but there is one that I am confused about which relates to being emotionally vulnerable. Specifically, it seems like people say that about situations where ...
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What does "荒野寒暑换红颜" mean?
The following line comes from the song 归去来兮 by 花粥:
此去必经年 荒野寒暑换红颜
此去必经年: This time I will be gone for several years.
荒野 is clearly wilderness.
寒暑 is hot and cold, and by synecdoche summer and winter, ...
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刚下完雨的地面尚且带着潮湿的水责. Grammatical and translating problam!
刚下完雨的地面尚且带着潮湿的水责.
Well, first of all, do you see the above sentence? Honestly, for example, I know what each of these characters position(grammatically) is in the sentence (except for this part 尚且带着), ...
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What is 照拂 in 我是你照拂的梦?
So in this line 我是你照拂的梦, both Google and Apple have translated as I am your dream. What about 照拂? What does 照拂 describe 梦 or 你?
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What does 必须追一下 mean?
So I found this comment on a drama on YouTube. Did the commenter mean the person who sang the song (or the theme song itself ) needed to catch up? Meaning it was not as good as the drama or just ...
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How did 输 come to mean "lose"?
输：
transport, convey
contribute money; donate
Lose, be defeated
How did the first two senses give rise to the third?
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Is this sentence correct 今天你想我了没 ？
I saw some people wrote the following sentence.
今天你想我了没 ？
I thought the question would be: Today, do you miss me or not?
I am just a very beginner. But for the same meaning I would ask as following.
...
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The meaning of 感到鸭力
I am trying to understand, what is the true meaning of 感到鸭力 translated to English as to feel the duck power
As I noticed, it is often used in memes along with images expressing that feeling. But only ...
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Is this a correct sentence "你今天就不说多的话了"?
Usually you do talk much with me. But today I feel like there is something happened and I feel like that you don't talk much today. It is correct to say to you: "你今天就不说多的话了"?
The meaning to ...
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How should I parse "有过之而无不及"?
Chinese-study newbie here! I recently saw the idiom "有过之而无不及," which the online dictionary translates as "to not be inferior in any aspect." I understand this on an idiomatic level,...
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Does anyone know what this means or the origins of this artwork?
Need help with where the signature stamp came from. Deng Shaoxin has been translated, but I'm not sure where to go from there as this is a very common surname. Translation of the rest seems to be ...
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What does 我要放弃你不再爱我的人 mean?
I think 我要放弃你不再爱我的人 mean I want to give up on you someone that is not loving me.
Based on the (guessing) translation above, the sentence can be grouped as following.
[我要放弃你] [不再爱我][的人]
On the other ...
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What does 大快人心 mean when used as a stand alone exclamation?
I have seen the phrase 大快人心 used in sentences to mean everyone is happy/pleased/satisfied with something but I recently came across it being used as a stand alone exclamation. Would that translate to ...
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What does 9月26日电9月26日 ("26 September electricity 26 September") mean?
I'm reading the newspaper 人民日报 here in Beijing, and I stumbled upon the following:
新华社北京9月26日电9月26日，中共中央政治局委员、……
人民日报, 27 September 2020 (enlarge)
I don't understand what 9月26日电9月26日 means. I ...
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How does this sentence 如果你要是查出是谁的话 mean exactly?
The full sentence is 如果你要是查出是谁的话, 一定告诉我. It means If you find out who it is, make sure to tell me.
I do know 如果, 如果...的话, 要是 and 你要是...的话 they all mean if.
I more would like to understand how Chinese ...
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Is 你看看自己 correct for daily common speaking in Mandarin language?
Is 你看看自己 correct for daily common speaking in Mandarin language?
or people can understand it but they don't say it that way and better say 你看看你?
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What does this 我却为你万千感慨 mean?
I do know the meaning of each word in the following sentence.
我却为你万千感慨
But I still cannot understand the meaning of the whole sentence. Google translates it as.
I feel so emotional for you
I doubt ...
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一貧如洗 : What mean 一, 洗?
ABC Chinese–English Comprehensive Dictionary (2003), p 1164.
In 一貧如洗, what mean
一? One what? Or is this subject pronoun "one" in English?
洗? How pennilessness or poverty relate to 洗?
user11787
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What does 素弦声断 mean?
I tried to translate this using Google Translate. It is hard to understand what 素弦声断 exactly mean.
does 素弦声断 mean: the sound of the broken guitar strings?
or
does 素弦声断 mean: the guitar breaks its ...
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How did 索性 get translated as "you might as well (do it)"
I'm curious as to how 索性 came to be translated as "you might as well (do it)"
索性: 直截了当,干脆
索性：任性
索 apparently has English meanings of: large rope, cable; rules, laws; to demand, to exact; ...
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Does 愛 belong to 你 or to 我 in this sentence 你心裡明白 我對你的愛?
So far I know the language:
你的愛 = your love
我的愛 = my love
Does this sentence 你心裡明白 我對你的愛 mean: In your heart understand me to your love or In your heart understand my love to you?
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What do 開眉粥 and 愁眉飯 mean?
I understand translations below on "寧吃開眉粥，不吃愁眉飯". I know 粥 means congee and 飯 rice or meal. I tried look up 愁眉 - Wiktionary but meaning doesn't sense.
knitted brows
宁食开眉粥 不食愁眉饭什么意思_百度知道
...
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What does 垃海 mean in Shanghainese?
I found this sentence on Tatoeba:
我会得垃海九点钟回来.
I will be back by nine.
What does ‘垃海’ mean in this sentence? My guess is ‘by [nine]’, but the phrase doesn’t show up on Wiktionary.
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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 ...
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What is the meaning of "对着／对上／对不上" in this pattern "Subj. + 对着／对上／对不上"？
I read this. I do not understand the meaning of "对着／对上／对不上" in this structure. Can you guys make it clear?
Moreover, this pattern
Subj. + 对着／对上／对不上
may lack of predicate. So, what types of ...
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What does 怎么不是司机不是娃呢 mean?
The literal meaning seems to be :
How could it not be a driver not a baby ?
I presume it has another meaning.
Any ideas ?
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A confusing use of 这种将
In this cold weather my brain won't function! Help!
I can find several examples of 这种将
This text is about 沙画。
In the examples 1 and 2 below, I think I can understand what 将 is doing, it is the same ...
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Operational Procedure = liu shui; which characters?
I hear the term "liu shui" often which means something like business procedure, or procedure (a row of actions).
now I am wondering what the correct characters for this (slang?) term may be.
流水 ...
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what does this phrase mean 我偏不信邪
what does this phrase mean 我偏不信邪?
the English literal translation is "I don't believe in evil" but that doesn't make sense to me.
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As an allegory, what is implied by 《三打白骨精》
A girl asked me to help translate her introduction. I'm wondering, what is implied by 《三打白骨精》? Is this phrase used as an allegory or metaphor?
《西游记》想必都是大家的童年回忆,
Journey to the West must be a ...
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Does 慢一点 mean "be careful" even in a general context?
I've been told by a native speaker that 慢一点 is functionally the same as 小心一点, which in english is essentially "be careful". Can someone else confirm?
I find it a little odd and would consider this a ...
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The difference and usage of 正在 and 在 [duplicate]
What is the difference between 正在 and 在 when using in sentences?
For example,
我正在看电视
And
我在看电视
Don't they accomplish the same thing?
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Meaning of repeated "什么"
I'm genuinely confused about this. Does repeated "什么" have special meaning? Or are they just wordplay?
I've read something like this "那什么什么" but I can't comprehend it at all. I tried looking for ...
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What exactly does 就 mean in combination with other words?
Recently I came across 铺就, today I have 造就。I tend to think of 就 as 'then'. Maybe that is wrong.
What did 就 originally mean? It seems to show a building and an injured hand??
There are other words ...
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