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Questions tagged [usage]

Questions about the use of expressions, parts of speech, words, verbs, etc.

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Differentiating between 收 and 受

I've noticed a lot of people have trouble differentiating between 收 and 受. Both their pronunciations and meanings are similar. How to differentiate between the two? What tricks and tips are there to remember when to use which? (Instead of the…
Mou某
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How common is the use of "瞧" and which region?

I've seen 瞧 used every now and then in written Chinese, but I've rarely heard it said in spoken Chinese except for the occasional mention of 瞧不起. A couple of days ago I was watching Kung Fu Panda and it was used often enough in the dialogue that I…
going
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What's a precise definition of 人家

I've gathered from context, that “人家” can be used like “我” with the following differences: "人家" seems more immature/cute. I often hear it in cartoons or children's shows or said by children in movies or shows. "人家" seems more colloquial. I often…
Chris Bilson
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Is there a nuance 今天早晨 conveys that 今天早上 does not?

I have a feeling that one might mean slightly earlier. Is this right?
magnetar
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what's the difference between 羡慕 and 妒忌？

Can someone tell me the difference between these to words. Are they both regularly used? They seem to both indicate jealousy. I've seen 羡慕 on different occasions and I'm used to that one, but I've come across 妒忌 a couple of times lately and wanted…
Baron Jon
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Why don't all questions have the "ma" 吗 particle at the end?

I've been using this site to get my basic foothold in Mandarin. If you scroll down you'll see a section entitled "WHAT", including some questions like "What's the matter?" and "What did you say?" and "What are you doing?" shén-me shì nǐ shuō…
temporary_user_name
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is 趁早 the same as saying as soon as possible? Can I use it by itself?

is 趁早 the same as saying as soon as possible in English? The dictionary defines 趁早 as "as soon as possible", but can I use it by itself in a sentence? For example , if someone asks me "你什么时候想去吃饭?" Can I just respond by saying "趁早". Or do I have to…
Baron Jon
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How to express "the" in Chinese

I'm trying to convey the sentence "我不会好好发音四个声调" But that more directly translates as "I cannot pronounce four tones well" which is a bit ambiguous... that begs the question, which four tones? I'm sure anyone I say this to would understand but it…
小奥利奥
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Is 在瞬间 something like 'at some point'?

The phrase 在瞬间 zài shùnjiān seems literally to mean 'in an instant'. But usage-wise, is it more like 'at some point'? Or am I off the mark?
magnetar
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The meanings of 不好意思

In response to kindnesses I sometimes say "不好意思了" and I don't think there has ever been a misunderstanding. But as an English speaker I feel unsure how this is different from saying "不好意思" for a bad thing. Can anyone advise on how the two meaning…
Colin McLarty
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Why is there a drink called 手打柠檬鸭屎香 = "hand-made lemon duck-feces fragrance"?

手打柠檬鸭屎香 鸭屎香是真的香！精选潮州凤凰…… (China-accessible version) This drink's name translates to something like "hand-made lemon duck-feces fragrance". I get the feeling feces = 屎 isn't as repulsive as it is in other cultures. It seems strange that some…
Becky 李蓓
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Can also a teacher say "同学们好！" ？

If "同学们好！" means "Hello classmates!", can also a teacher say that to its students, despite the fact that the teacher is essentially not a classmate / not part of the student group? I ask this because my Chinese textbook suggests that a teacher could…
Harald1970
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Why is there a 零 in 三年零九个月?

……大王，您所期待的长恒纪元就到来了，这个恒纪元将持续三年零九个月，其间气候温暖，是一个黄金纪元。 刘慈欣，《三体》 This is from the novel The Three Body Problem. I'm a little bit puzzled as to why there is a 零 added in 三年零九个月 = "three years and nine months"; we usually we don't add 零 before numbers,…
Becky 李蓓
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Do Chinese people not use "和"?

I'm currently taking a Chinese class with native speakers, and one criticism I've gotten a lot on my writing is that I use “和” way too much. I understand that Americans say "and" more than would be culturally appropriate in China, but my teacher has…
米凯乐
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In《命中注定我爱你》when someone calls out 陈欣怡's name, why does she reply 有?

I was recently watching the TV show 命中注定我爱你, episode 1. On Youtube at ~3:50 someone calls out her name 陈欣怡 and she responds "有". Could that just mean 'I'm here'?
Josh Wyss
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