16
votes
Accepted
What role does 成 (chéng) play in the sentence 我把十块美元换成人民币?
成 (into) is the result complement of the verb 换(change)
换 = change
换成 = change into
兑换 = exchange
兑换成 = exchange into
兑换 mostly refers to 'currency exchange'
换 can refer to exchange between ...
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12
votes
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Is 下个星期三 (xiàge xīngqīsān) = "next Wednesday" ambiguous like in English?
下个星期三 would only refer to Wednesday, next week. There is no way you would use 下个星期三 to refer to Wednesday this week, like the one that is coming two days from now, that would just be 星期三.
There's a ...
Mou某♦
- 35.9k
12
votes
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How to understand "你怎么了？"
It's one of those fixed expressions whose otherwise regular meaning is significantly and conspicuously altered by the modal 了, that introduces change semantics.
The phrase 「你怎么（样）～」 in itself means &...
- 5,450
11
votes
How did three characters for _de_ emerge?
The premise of the question is a bit backwards. It's not that de evolved into three different characters, it's that three different words evolved to have the same pronunciation in modern Mandarin ...
- 4,026
10
votes
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Difference Between 学校 and 学堂
The connotation of 学堂 is more than "an old expression of school", but "an old-style school in ancient China". A typical 学堂 only has one room and one teacher and few students (compared with a modern ...
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10
votes
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How was 辣 used before the Columbian Exchange?
in ancient time, "辛" was used, in lieu of 辣. e.g. in 洪範:
潤下作鹹﹒炎上作苦﹒曲直作酸﹒從革作辛﹒稼穡作甘
http://ctext.org/shang-shu/great-plan/zh?searchu=潤下作鹹，炎上作苦，曲直作酸，從革作辛，稼穡作甘%E3%80%82&searchmode=showall#result
...
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10
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What is the difference between 怎么 and 怎么样 ？
There are good explanations on the Web. I do not think I should copy them here. Please check
怎麼
and
怎麼樣.
In addition, there is a good article (pdf format) published by an associate professor, 蔡維天. ...
- 1,501
10
votes
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What is 吗 doing in 你有什么事吗？
In Chinese grammar, words as 什么 are commonly known as interrogative substitutes, they substitute the word that should be found in the answer.
Therefore, they have inherent interrogative semantics, and ...
- 5,450
10
votes
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In my maths textbook, what is 和 doing in the question 两次所得的和相同吗？
In Maths terms, 和 as in '总和'(n) means 'sum'
两次所得的和相同吗
Are the sums from the two calculations the same?
e.g. 2 + 2 = 4 --> 二加二的得数(count)是四 ; 二加二的和(sum)是四
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9
votes
How do I decide whether to use 可以, 会 or 能?
The differences are well explained on the Chinese Grammar Wiki. It also visualises the overlaps with the following Venn diagram:
A: ability in the sense of “know how to” (会 (huì) is more common than ...
- 1,650
9
votes
What is the Difference Between 方法 and 办法?
I don't think you guys are completely understanding it, there is a philosophical difference in the two words. It's possible to 有方法但是没办法. 方法 refers to the general method or way something can be done. 方 ...
- 101
9
votes
了 usage conflict "now" vs "completion"
了 (le / ㄌㄜ˙) has two meanings.
放在动词或形容词后，表示动作或变化已经完成：写完～。
When it follows a verb or adjective, it's a perfect or past tense.
In this case we can use 过 or 曾经 to clarify its tense.
For ...
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9
votes
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What does 就 mean in 你怎么就睡在这里了呀？
The sentence still makes sense, even if you remove 就.
你怎么睡在这里了呀？
Therefore, 就 is an adverb here, and emphasizes the verb, "sleep".
A few more examples are from 现代汉语词典:
表示加强肯定
...
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9
votes
When do you use 所有， 全部， 整个, 完整?
That's an interesting question. The answer basically boils down to differences in grammatical role of these words:
所有 “all (of the)”, refers to all entities pertaining to a certain context. Given ...
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9
votes
What is the usage of 有 in 有比丘五下分結盡?
有比丘五下分結盡。
有（些）比丘五下分結（已滅）盡。
有些比丘已滅盡五下分結。
Some bhiksus (Sanskrit: bhikṣu) have completely eliminated five lower-realm bonds.
此處之「下分」是指「欲界」。三界中，欲界處於最下層，低於色界、無色界，故稱之為下分。
下分 here means Realm of Sensuous ...
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9
votes
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Why do both 太 (too) and 过于 (excessively) occur in 外国人有时候太过于开放 (foreigners are sometimes too excessively open)?
I'm going to convert my comments into an answer to offer another POV to the already given answer.
太过于 is a set phrase.
KEY defines:
太过于
too...
and KEY French defines it:
trop...
Perhaps this is ...
Mou某♦
- 35.9k
9
votes
Accepted
What does 丫 mean? 丫是什么意思？
It is a short word for "丫头养的" only used in area around Beijing city，"丫头" means slave girl or young girl servant. "养的" means feed by.
This is bad language saying somebody's mother is young girl ...
- 206
9
votes
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Usage of 能骗就骗 (if you can cheat, then cheat)
能骗就骗 is a direct translation from a Cantonese expression "呃得就呃" (scam just because you can/ scam whenever you can)
It is a negative remark on someone's behavior; There's no encouragement of swindling ...
- 76.1k
9
votes
Seen multiple uses of 想
It's just very common for a word to have multiple meanings. An online dictionary gives the five interpretations:
思考, 动脑筋 to think, to consider
让我想一想 = Let me think.
回忆 to remember
我想不起来他昨天说了什么 ...
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votes
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How do you know when will the verb be paired with 对?
体贴 (to be considerate) is intransitive, it cannot take a direct object. So you can be "considerate towards your parents" but you cannot "considerate your parents". In a similar ...
- 1,492
9
votes
Why is there a drink called 手打柠檬鸭屎香 = "hand-made lemon duck-feces fragrance"?
鸭屎香
银花香单丛，俗称鸭屎香，产自广东潮州，为凤凰单丛茶中的一种香型，因种在“鸭屎土”(黄壤土)，茶叶叶形似鸭脚木而得名。现时，鸭屎香被广泛应用在茶饮行业
Silver flower fragrance (single cluster), commonly known as Yashixiang(鸭屎香), is produced in Chaozhou, Guangdong. It is ...
- 76.1k
8
votes
What is the usage of 蔑 as a negation word in classical chinese?
Here's a good English definition and explanation with an example sentence to get you started:
A Students Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese
2 negative particle of the perfective: had not, ...
Mou某♦
- 35.9k
8
votes
Accepted
Can 丢 refer to people?
丢
KEY
6 {colloquial} (of a person, child, etc. that went missing) have disappeared, gotten lost
ex.:
我们的孩子丢了
发现孩子丢了，第一时间并不是去报警
公安刑侦局打拐办主任：孩子丢了要立刻报警
梦见孩子丢了，是什么意思？
Mou某♦
- 35.9k
8
votes
Is 下个星期三 (xiàge xīngqīsān) = "next Wednesday" ambiguous like in English?
The ambiguity come from "next" has the meaning of "up coming"
The Seinfeld joke applied the "up coming" meaning of "next" to create confusion, but in practice, people always refer "next Wednesday" to ...
- 76.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Why is ７元/并 written instead of ７元/瓶?
I'd say both you 1 and 2 apply here.
It is is an "abbreviation". A lot of characters can take a more simple form in handwriting, to make writing easier. It is not a correct form. It is not ...
- 8,705
8
votes
Accepted
Interesting tongue-twisters like these?
The second one you have, could even be
雨天骑自行车，车轮打滑，还好我反应快，一把把把把住了！
You have to be the champion to be honored this prize.
这个奖品，想获得得得到第一名。
According to Carbon Carbon bond energy, could we negate ...
- 3,079
8
votes
Using phrase 打不死
打不死 is of a fine, common idiomatic structure Ｘ不Ｙ, where Ｘ is some verb that cannot be completed, e.g.:
吃不完 (implying that there is too much food to be finished)
做不動 (implying that you are unable to ...
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