Questions tagged [word-requests]
For seeking a Chinese word or phrase that fits a meaning. Please be specific about the intended use of the word, including context.
181
questions
3
votes
2answers
374 views
How can I say “grade on a curve”?
The Future for Chinese/English Dictionaries mentioned that MDBG doesn't have "grading on a curve", and it seems that it's still rather hard to find a translation for this. A rather literal ...
0
votes
1answer
48 views
Cant find the characters to a phrase I heard growing up, “Gen Men”, used as “totally” or “definitely”
like let's say you're full, you could say
"gen men 没办法吃饭“
I think similarly gen men would be used as 完全
"完全没办法吃饭"
But I can't find the characters for "Gen Men". I think I have ...
0
votes
2answers
89 views
Difference between 问 and 让 “to ask”
How do 问 and 让 differ in meaning and in what sort of situations would you use either of them?
In chinese.yabla.com there are a lot of different verbs with the meaning 'to ask'.
3
votes
2answers
68 views
In which dialect of Mandarin can I see or hear 乳酪?
In this website they write "乳酪 ru3 lao4" is a word which is used in Taiwan to describe cheese.
But my Taiwanese friend told me they don't use this word, they use "nai3 lao4" or &...
0
votes
2answers
73 views
How would I say 'what …' in Mandarin
I think the French ce qui/que says it better. This is what I mean:
I do what I want. (Je fais ce que je veux, in French)
How would the 'what' be translated?
1
vote
2answers
115 views
What do you call these cold pickled cucumber skewers in Chinese?
Is it correct or understood if I call these cold and pickled cucumber skewers "冰泡黄瓜"?
1
vote
5answers
138 views
“How's that sound?” in Mandarin
What would be an appropriate way to end a sentence after making a suggestion/offering an opinion in anticipation of the response? For instance, while talking to a friend, I share something with them ...
1
vote
2answers
94 views
Is there a word to indicate incorrectness?
In English we have the prefix mis- that conveys this. I misread, I misspoke, I made a mistake, etc. A misrepresentation, a mistranslation, a misuse, etc.
1
vote
2answers
126 views
How do you say weekend in Chinese using the 星期 form?
I know that weekend in Chinese is generally translated as 周末.
Is there a way to say weekend by adding something to 星期 like 星期末? Or the only phrase for weekend is 周末?
0
votes
1answer
77 views
How do you say “none available”?
How do you say "none available"? As in: "There is none available" (without the "there is". Or not.).
2
votes
2answers
212 views
Ancient Chinese Saying #437: … 10,000 days for the sword
The English martial arts internet is awash in people reciting
100 days of bare hand, 1,000 days of spear, 10,000 days of sword,
unless it's
It takes 100 days to learn the spear, 1000 days to learn ...
2
votes
3answers
149 views
Is there an expression similar to the English “gut feeling” in Chinese?
Is there a metaphor or idiom that has a similar meaning to "gut feeling", as a metaphor for "intuition" or "instinctive feeling", in Mandarin Chinese?
0
votes
3answers
48 views
How to imply someone is terminally ill?
In English, you can say "My cousin is sick." And that sort of conveys a lot. Your cousin could have cancer and be terminally sick, but could also be crazy ("sick" as in slang for cool), or sick as in ...
0
votes
1answer
86 views
Different types of rain in Chinese?
Inspired by this question on the Spanish stack exchange
Things like drizzle, mist, or downpour?
3
votes
2answers
95 views
How to express among in chinese?
I've encountered myself quite a few times trying to express the word among in chinese and the meaning that it carries, just like in these two senteces:
He's vey popular among the students.
Quite a ...
1
vote
2answers
124 views
Does Chinese have a gender-neutral term for “homemaker”?
I've looked up homemaker, a generic and gender neutral term for house husband, house wife, or a person who stays at home and looks after the family and does house chores, in the Pleco dictionary, but ...
0
votes
3answers
393 views
Different way of saying “throw rubbish” in Cantonese?
Looking at the dictionary, I see that "throw rubbish" in Cantonese is "掉垃圾". However, in the past, I remember hearing something different for "throw rubbish": "wang垃圾".
I need some help:
What is ...
1
vote
1answer
67 views
马耳他屿, 为什么这个岛屿用了这些字？
I have relatives in Malta. I want to know why in Chinese people in Malta are from 马耳他屿. Are they seen as (residing in an island where people would be) having ears like that of horses, perhaps due to ...
6
votes
4answers
753 views
Is there a way to distinguish “vegetarian” from “vegan” in Chinese?
I'd like to know whether there is a way to distinguish vegetarian from vegan in Chinese or is the only word available 素食者？
5
votes
5answers
194 views
How to say “make money”?
I'm trying to say "the Song Dynasty used this invention to make paper money". So far I've got "宋朝用了这个发明做纸钱“。 The "make money" part is messing with me- I know "做钱“ can mean to print counterfeit money, ...
1
vote
1answer
223 views
Chinese phrase for a physician's “residency program”?
I am looking for a phrase in Chinese which means the residency program that physicians go through after graduation from medical school. See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residency_(medicine)
0
votes
3answers
63 views
Metaphorical “opening” translation
I'm writing about certain historical leaders of China, and I'd like to say something along the lines of "he opened China to foreign investment" or "he opened China to foreign influence", etc. I can ...
0
votes
2answers
68 views
衰落：decadence or decline?
I'm trying to describe the plot of the work 红楼梦 using the phrase "the 贾 family's decline". The word for decline, though is confusing me. After putting "decline" through a few online translators, I've ...
4
votes
2answers
79 views
“One” (eg. one must) in Chinese?
I'm trying to write a recipe in Chinese, in which I'd like to be able to say something along the lines of "first, one must..." (I know , since a recipe is more informal, I could probably use "you" and ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
How do you say 头大 in English?
英语太难了，学得我头大。
I just don't want to use "head exploding" which scares me.
4
votes
2answers
272 views
What is the character for romantic love in classical Chinese?
In Mandarin, 愛 means romantic love. However, New Practical Primer of Literary Chinese by Paul Rouzer has this to say about its use in literary Chinese:
This character [愛] usually does not imply "...
2
votes
2answers
332 views
What derogatory terms are there for Chinese people?
What derogatory terms are there for Chinese people in Mandarin?
In particular, I am looking for derogatory terms that apply to any person of Chinese ancestry regardless of birthplace, nationality, ...
2
votes
2answers
101 views
What's the common Chinese term for a chest cold?
I can find 支气管炎 for "bronchitis" but I wonder if that's a bit too technical or medical or whether it's common in day-to-day conversation.
In English "bronchitis" is a bit technical so more often ...
2
votes
2answers
418 views
What words are used in Taiwan for a place or person that mends clothing?
On my last trip to Mainland China I saw a lady in a corner "mini shop" mending clothes with a sewing machine.
She mended my jeans for about $5. I don't think she had any kind of sign.
This trip I'm ...
2
votes
3answers
163 views
How to interpret 肉麻
Dictionaries define 肉麻 as nauseating; sickening; disgusting. But I don't think those are accurate because those words are showing disproval while 肉麻 could show approval depending on how you use it. ...
3
votes
3answers
120 views
How to say “martlet” in Chinese?
A martlet is:
... a heraldic charge depicting a stylized bird similar to a swift or
a house martin, with stylized feet.
"Martlet" is not present in my Chinese dictionary, and Google Translate ...
2
votes
2answers
266 views
How to say “oink!” in Mandarin in a family situation?
This may not be on-topic for the next 4383 days, but hopefully today someone will help me out.
Last year was the year of the dog, and a common way to write (in English) the Chinese version of what ...
5
votes
7answers
512 views
如何把名词形式的 'Nothing' 翻译成中文 How to translate the English noun form of Nothing into Chinese?
Here are 2 English sentences, both have the word 'Nothing' in it in the noun form. I am wondering if it can be translated into Chinese while preserving as much of its original meaning as possible.
...
3
votes
7answers
171 views
成语 or expression that one is speaking about a topic he knows nothing about
I am giving a presentation about topics in philosophy for my Chinese class, and unlike many of the students there, I have no formal education in the topic I am presenting. I feel it would be ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
How to say “where else”, “who else”, or “what else” in Chinese?
I have looked for some references regarding how to say "where else", "who else", and "what else" but I still can't find one that's dependable enough. Furthermore, it seems like there are quite a lot ...
1
vote
1answer
248 views
Requesting something to be done for me in cantonese
How do you request something to be done for myself in cantonese?
For example: can you ask him (to get playing cards) for me?
1
vote
1answer
52 views
How to translate “note:” into Chinese?
How is the word "note:" translated into Chinese within the following example?
Summary of Findings
Finding 1
Finding 2
Finding 3
Note: these findings were based on a first draft and may be ...
5
votes
7answers
2k views
What do you call your father's twin brother?
I'm a mid-level Chinese student. I have two younger brothers, who are twins. One brother is married to a Chinese woman, and they have a young son.
The son calls me 姑姑 and my husband 姑丈. My sister-...
0
votes
2answers
187 views
How to say: “screwed it up”
How can I express that someone "screwed [something] up?" For example:
"They really screwed up the code with the last changes they made"
"I gave him one little task and he still managed to screw it ...
5
votes
7answers
423 views
Better translation for “underdog”?
Underdog has a lot of mediocre translations
ABC English-Chinese gives:
处于劣势的一方
Oxford has:
弱者
which is okay and:
失败者
失败的一方
which don't really match the meaning of underdog to begin ...
5
votes
6answers
2k views
How to say “obscene”: translate 下流 or 輕佻?
I want to describe people wearing clothing as totally indecent and obscene, for instance because the clothing doesn’t remotely cover the buttocks. I am not talking about ordinary mini skirts or hot ...
1
vote
1answer
74 views
Descriptors for moody teenagers?
There are few common ways to describe moody teenagers, albeit not overly precise:
(很)叛逆(期)
or
青春(期)
I'm wondering if there is anything more colorful to describe these cranky kids?
2
votes
2answers
119 views
What is the meaning of 妖星?
I'm trying to make sense of the word 妖星 ("demon star") which I have encountered in a Japanese phrase. This word does not appear in any Japanese or Chinese (English) dictionaries I've run across, but ...
7
votes
1answer
213 views
What's the English equivalent of “闺蜜”
闺蜜 in Chinese means two girls have very good relationship, and much closer than normal good friends but they are not lesbians.
The best I can get is the term intimate relationship, but it could be ...
6
votes
5answers
125 views
How to express “Now, …” in Chinese (the usage of “now” to draw attention to a particular statement)?
In the following example sentence in English:
Suppose that you buy the product in $10 in the store A. The store A is located in 3 miles away.
Now, you found out that the store B sells the same item ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
How to say “head” and “tails” when flipping a coin?
While talking about probability with mainland Chinese students I asked what they say for heads and tails of a Chinese coin. I was tossing a one Yuan coin, and they decided I could say in English "...
2
votes
2answers
111 views
“Perverse” for movies and scenes
What word can we use to say a movie or scene is perverse? I am thinking of sadistic and violent scenes as this:
perverse scene from game of thrones
I found 邪僻, but it seems it may only describe ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views
Word for banana blossoms in Chinese
This Web Page shows that banana blossoms correspond to what a Chinese friend of mine from Beijing used to call "tall skinny Chinese person" or "long skinny Chinese person". Upon stumbling upon this ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
What is “skate ramp” in Chinese?
What is "skate ramp" in Chinese? I can't seem to find this in any dictionaries, and most skate parks in Taiwan are called "Extreme Sports Training Park" or simply "Sports Park", so I don't really know ...
3
votes
3answers
352 views
Courtesy name or?
My middle name that everyone has always called me by, is Wesley. Since my parents said I was named for that English preacher, I looked up how he is normally called in Chinese. But a Chinese friend (...
