Questions tagged [synonyms]

Questions about two or more expressions with a similar meaning.

Wikipedia defines synonym as:

[...] a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in the same language.

You can use this tag for questions about synonyms:

  • finding a synonym of a certain word or expression
  • asking whether two words or expressions are actually synonyms of each other
  • other questions that touch upon words with similar meanings

If your question is about words with opposite meaning, use instead.

If your question is about generic differences in usage or meaning, it might be better to use too or instead.

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中文 vs. 汉语: What's the difference?

Apparently, both of these mean Chinese, and the Chinese language. I gather that 中文 is maybe more like "written Chinese," and 汉语 is "spoken Chinese." Is this correct? I've often looked at BBC zhongwen, so it makes sense that that's "written". If a…
nickcoxdotme
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Difference between 同一 and 一样

I would like to know when to use 同一 and when to use 一样 when describing items or people as similar? What is the difference in usage between these two phrases?
Lynn
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Different nuances of words such as 进行, 实施, 执行, etc

Chinese has a number of words with meanings like 'implement, execute, carry out', etc. These include 进行, 实行, 实施, 行使, 落实, 执行, and possibly a few others. These words are commonly used in bureaucratic, official, or journalistic prose, but it is…
Bathrobe
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What is the difference between 认为 and 以为?

They both mean "to think" or "to consider". Is there a usage difference between the two?
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What is the difference between 受 and 收?

They both can mean "to receive". It seems as if 受 has a more negative connotation than 收 but I'm 100% sure about the exact usage differences.
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What is the difference between 例子 and 榜样?

If I'm trying to say someone is a good example I often hear 例子, however, I have also heard 榜样, which seems to make more sense to me based on the meaning of the characters. What is the difference between these two?
cjbarth
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Synonyms of (不会)少块肉?

I'm quite fond of the phrase 少块肉, as in 又不会少块肉 or 能少块肉吗?. What synonyms of 少块肉 exist in Chinese?
Mou某
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I keep running into so many different synonyms for like/dislike on Chinese websites. What others am I missing?

Like: 好文, 顶一下, 喜欢, 赞, 支持 Dislike: 踩一下, 太水, 反对
Steve
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What is the difference between 留, 住 and 呆. They all mean to stay or live. Are they interchangeable?

What is the difference between 留, 住 and 呆. They all mean to stay or live. Are they interchangeable ?
Kaushik Lele
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Difference between 办法, 方法, and 方式?

From what I know, they all mean similar things (way, method), but 方式 can also mean style which makes it similar to 样式. Is there a difference in the way they are used grammatically or is the difference mainly about preference?