Questions tagged [translation]
Questions on specific points regarding translating Chinese. Do your own research first!
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Does 指鹿为马 = Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining?
I'm teaching idioms to university students in China. I wonder if 指鹿为马 could be used as a translation / explanation of "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining." Yeah, that's not a high-...
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How to translate 狂拽炫酷吊炸天 to English?
I know it's an internet slang and meme, the rough meaning is “particularly cool”, however, how to properly translate it with especially equal rhetorical level? Here's some context:
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Unknown reference in Taiwanese manhua “日和迷因”
In a manga, I have seen a note
Apparently, somethings "comes from" something else - from 日和迷因。Is it a meme (迷因)？What kind of meme? Is it from something different?
Probably a reference to ...
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除了你我谁都不相信 or 除了你我谁也不相信 which is correct 都 or 也?
I read that when we have two different meanings in a sentence with 除了we should use 都 and not 也(还)。 So from the two sentences above correct is like this
除了你我谁都不相信 means I believe only you
除了你我谁也(还)相信 ...
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Decode Chinese Address
I'm trying to contact a person in China. He needs to pick his item from Customs, or it will be shipped back to me. I only have his address (he is not responding to my messages for some reason). Could ...
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How to translate "白月光"(White Moonlight) into English?
Paraphrase(From Baidu Baike):
"White Moonlight" usually refers to a person or thing that is elusive in the heart, has always been loved, but cannot be touched.
Source(From Baidu Baike):
...
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外卖 - Does this read as ( Take Away ) in regards to a meal?
I am trying to find symbols for a restaurant that does Asian Takeaway food.
I want to know if this is the correct way to write "TAKEAWAY"
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Archaic Seal Translation - can anyone help?
I posted images of a Han seal on here and one member asked that I post the seal print instead so here it is. I looked into purchasing Wenlin to help translate this but I'm not sure if it is the same ...
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Is this sentence correct? 我把梦想献给李白的诗
I know it's a very easy sentence, but I'm afraid it could sound strange to the natives.
Could you confirm me that you would say "I dedicate my dreams to Li Bai's poem" in this way?
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Can somebody please help me to parse the phrase, '挑起满满的一担...'?
Google translates, '挑起满满的一担粮食' [tiǎoqǐ mǎnmǎn de yī dān liángshi] as, '...pick up a full load of...', but when I attempt to translate this phrase manually, using the pinyin given in the source ...
user34666
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Seal script identification/translation
Please flag or comment if this type of request is not allowed — from searching on this SE community it seems like these types of questions are fairly common. I've tried some of the links in accepted ...
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Does 我在家说英语 mean "I speak english at home" or "I'm at home speaking english"?
我在家说英语
if this means "I speak english at home"
then why doesn't this 他在那里说英语
mean "he speaks english over there"
instead according to a translation I have, it means "he's over ...
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What does "抽象" in this sentence mean in English?
On Chinese social networks, "抽象" does not always mean "abstract"
For example, "这个视频太抽象了" actually means this video is kinda funny instead of "This video is so ...
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What does "绝地" mean?
I am reading a novel and I have encountered this word "绝地", I thought the author made a mistake at first and meant "觉得" but I have been seeing "绝地" pop up more and more ...
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What's on this pendant?
I've ordered this item on famous chinese marketplace and now wondering what it actually means :) seller describe these characters as a 'mantra'.
Google Translate and Papago extracted characters in ...
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Can ''Algeria'' name in Chinese be changed?
I had this idea for a while in my mind.
It is known that Algeria in Chinese language is 阿尔及利亚, which is a direct translation from it's English equivalent.
In Arabic, Algeria is called الجزائر (Al-Jaza'...
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How would you say "I eat rice in china" vs "I'm in china and eat rice" in mandarin?
how would you say in mandarin
I eat rice in china
vs
I'm in china and eat rice
they have slightly different meanings
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Please Help Translate Seal Script on Old stone carving , Thank you
Hello, Any help to translate would be appreciated , I have a very old stone carving and I think it relates to maybe a marraige . But I would love to know the words , Thanks ahead for any help.
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Help with reading an Inkstone seal (Characters identified: 傳心基命)
I recently acquired a new large inkstone, weighing about 4 pounds and with a fine example of dragon carving. I had to lightly sand off the wax layer on the grind surface, so I know it is a newer ...
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Keeping up with the Joneses
What is the best Chinese proverb or translation that would best capture the meaning of the English idiom "Keeping up with the Joneses"?
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What is the difference between 把握and 掌握in Chinese
In college we were asked that questions and I couldn't get any answers till now
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How to say: Things are not as simple as they seem
I want to translate a sentence: Things are not as simple as they seem. I have two sentences and I don't know which one is right:
事情往往没有看上去那么简单。
事情往往不像看起来那么简单
I'm asking because I don't understand the ...
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感同身受 English equivalent
As the question says, Im wondering if this 成語 has an English version.
The best I could come up with is "I feel you" in English, but I feel the Chinese version has a deeper meaning. Any ...
user31212
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Can some one identify the writing a n artist seal in these photos? (Characters identified: 雪居)
I have a scroll that was presented to Braidwood nuclear station in 1985 by Li Peng. Any information is greatly appreciated.
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Translate a signature and Seal on a painting (Characters identified: 甲子春畫 醇士)
Was given a gift by a friend who had these from an uncle who, it was believed visited China around 1960's. I have tried to translate the signature and seal using on line tools with little success. ...
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Help with translating calligraphy on painting
I own this painting with extensive Chinese calligraphy.
Very grateful for help with a translation, as well as the name of/identification of the artist.
Thanks in advance,
Leikanger
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Can someone translate what's on the pendant? (Characters identified: 招財進寶) [duplicate]
This is a pendant i got years ago, i really wonder the meaning.
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Counterfactual conditional sentences
I'm trying to find a reliable pattern for counterfactual conditional sentences like 'if X had (not) done sth, then Y would (not) have done sth. else'. In English and other European languages, ...
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Why can't I use "可不可以" to ask whether you can go to the company tomorrow?
An exercise in HelloChinese course asked to translate the following sentence to Mandarin Chinese: "Can you (singular) go to the company tomorrow?".
I answered "你明天可不可以去公司？", which ...
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Chinese old scroll writing seal marks
I would like to know if anyone can translate the red reign seal marks and wording on these old scrolls.
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Is "他要在家“ a grammatically correct way to say "He wants to be at home"?
I know it's probably not the best way to say it. Perhaps something more elaborate like "他想要在家里“ would sound better. But is the barebones version 他要在家 incorrect? To be clear, I mean this as a ...
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Name of painter from Chop/Seal (Characters identified: 曹維雲印)
I posted the other day but because it was my first time on the platform I didn't correctly upload the image. Here are the images and the question:
Can you let me know the name of the painter from his ...
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How to literally translate this 就是一进街口靠墙的一个小棚子?
记得小时候，我家附近就有个小人书摊，就是一进街口靠墙的一个小棚子，里面用几块砖头支着粗糙的木头板子供人们坐着看书。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 20.
About the literal translation of this 就是一进街口靠墙的一个小棚子:
就是(was)一(a)进(classifier)街口(...
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What about the sentence structure of this 毫无疑问是件大好事?
随着小人书的流行，出现了从事租书业务的小人书摊，这对于那些想看又买不起书的人来说，只用很少的钱就能看一本，毫无疑问是件大好事。
I need your help about this part: 毫无疑问是件大好事
First of all, is my literal translation right? 毫无(without any)疑问(doubt)是(is)件(classifier)大(...
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How to literally translate this: 这对于那些想看又买不起书的人来说?
随着小人书的流行，出现了从事租书业务的小人书摊，这对于那些想看又买不起书的人来说，只用很少的钱就能看一本，毫无疑问是件大好事。
Hi all, this is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 20.
I need your help about the literal translation of this: ...
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How to literally translate this: 随着小人书的流行，出现了从事租书业务的小人书摊?
随着小人书的流行，出现了从事租书业务的小人书摊，这对于那些想看又买不起书的人来说，只用很少的钱就能看一本，毫无疑问是件大好事。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 20.
I need your help in the literal translation of this: 随着小人书的流行，出现了从事租书业务的小人书摊
...
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Need help deciphering calligraphy on T-shirt (Characters identified: 龍鳳呈祥)
I'm trying to decipher the calligraphy on this t-shirt. I've tried drawing the characters into Pleco but I can't really tell stroke from embellishment. I'd be grateful if someone could show me the ...
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Hi, could you please help me with the translation of these weapon parts?
Could you please check, if I have translated these sentences in a right way? Thanks a lot! :)
气体调节器 - gas adjuster
瞄准装置 - scope
复进簧 - return spring
活塞簧 - bolt spring
上护盖 - upper cover
活塞 - bolt
机头 - ...
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How to literally translate this: 小人书，是一种以书的形式出版的连环画?
小人书，是一种以书的形式出版的连环画。
This is the initial sentence of the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 20. Please help me make the literal translation of it.
小人书(comic)，是(is)一种(a kind of)以(?)书(book)的形式(form)出版(...
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How to literally translate this: “鱼生火，肉生痰，青菜萝卜保平安”?
如今，美食家们对吃提出了更高的要求。他们不仅要观色、闻香、尝味、赏形，而且还要求食物具有养生方面的特色。我想，家乡的萝卜饼完全具备这几个方面的条件，人们不是常说吗——“鱼生火，肉生痰，青菜萝卜保平安”，养生的功能，让我更加喜爱它了。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 19. I want your opinion ...
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please help translate the signature! (Characters identified: 大明永樂年施)
This is the signature on the pair sculptures. I translated only one word (the right one) - 大 "big", but other I can't recognize. Please, help
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What is the meaning of 人们不是常说吗?
如今，美食家们对吃提出了更高的要求。他们不仅要观色、闻香、尝味、赏形，而且还要求食物具有养生方面的特色。我想，家乡的萝卜饼完全具备这几个方面的条件，人们不是常说吗——“鱼生火，肉生痰，青菜萝卜保平安”，养生的功能，让我更加喜爱它了。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 19.
What is the meaning of ...
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What is the meaning or reference of 峡天昆仑和彼岸 为谁而撼
This is part of a song, but I have tried all the dictionaries and Google and can't figure what the 峡天昆仑和彼岸 is supposed to mean:
烽烟把 霜雪敲落
轻覆过 往日沉疴
你背着光 眸中有星河
我哼着歌 日月应我
没入眉心的灿烂 被尘埃熄灭又燃
峡天昆仑和彼岸 为谁而撼
昆仑 ...
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How to literally translate this: 喜欢口味重的，还可以加少许酱油和醋?
萝卜饼要趁热吃，喜欢口味重的，还可以加少许酱油和醋。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 19. I need your help to literally translate this:
喜欢口味重的，还可以加少许酱油和醋
喜欢(like)口味(taste)重的(heavy or deep)，还(?)可以(can)加(...
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Diffrence between 花生米 and 花生
What's the difference between 花生米 and 花生? Does 花生米 mean peanut without shell, while the 花生 is peanut in general?
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How to literally translate this: 盖锅前须放进一些温水，预防糊底?
接下来，拿一个平底锅，先在锅里淋一圈油，待油锅烫手时，将切好的萝卜饼一块一块地放进锅里。盖锅前须放进一些温水，预防糊底。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 19.
Please help me understand the literal translation of this: 盖锅前须放进一些温水，预防糊底。
I ...
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How to literally translate this: 待油锅烫手时?
接下来，拿一个平底锅，先在锅里淋一圈油，待油锅烫手时，将切好的萝卜饼一块一块地放进锅里。
This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 19. I need help to get the literal translation of this clause: 待油锅烫手时.
待: does it mean to wait, to ...
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