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1500 questions
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5 answers
What's the best way to say "Chinese speaker" in the sense of "a person who speaks Chinese"?
What's the best way to say "Chinese speaker" in Chinese? There are the terms 母语者 and 非母语者; there are 华语学者 and 中国通 and 能说中文的人. None of these terms seems to encapsulate the simple "Chinese speaker," meaning "a person who speaks Chinese," in Chinese...
寻实猴
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6
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What is the difference between 比如 and 例如
I know both can mean "for example/such as/for instance". They are most likely synonyms but even synonyms have slight subtle differences in precise meaning and usage.
I know that 例 can be used alone: (例句 -- example sentence; 例语 -- example…
God's Drunkest Driver
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In what instances can use you use 干嘛 over 干吗 (and vice versa)?
I noticed that 干嘛 appears used in various forms of media, such as newspapers, magazines, and movie subtitles.
From a pronunciation standpoint, 嘛 and 吗 are different (neutral tone vs. second tone, respectively), but from a practical standpoint they…
Krazer
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6
votes
3 answers
Difference Between 学校 and 学堂
What's the difference between 学校 and 学堂? I've heard that 学堂 has more classical usage, is that correct? I know that 学校 is more commonly used these days.
user12834
6
votes
2 answers
How to say replica as opposed to fake
The only difference between a replica of a van Gogh painting, and a fake van Gogh painting, is that the replica claims to be a replica while the fake claims to be real.
This is a subtle distinction, and because people could feel insulted if I…
Colin McLarty
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6
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3 answers
Difference between 前面 and 面前
If I got that correctly 前面 is used for things like 本子在书的前面 or 本子在书前 and 面前 is used for living creatures (the ones with a face) like 报纸在我的面前. Could you please confirm if I'm correct here or missing something and there's more to that?
Is that…
UVV
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Why does 節 mean both "festival" and "to save, to control"?
why does a "bamboo joint" (as etymology suggests) mean:
"control / to restrict / to curtail / to economize"
and at the same time
"festival / holiday"?
I'll post partial a answer from the link given below in the comments section:
Around the Han…
coobit
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votes
2 answers
Is the "shh" expression of silence used in Chinese?
Do Chinese people put a finger on the lips and use the expression "shh" to ask for silence? According to this answer in the English Language Stack Exchange, this expression originated from English about six centuries ago.
Of course people who watch…
Gabe12
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votes
2 answers
What are the 1,500 chengyu for the 2015 chengyu convention
The 2015 Chengyu Convention apparently tested contestants on 1,500 different chengyu.
Where's the list of the 1,500 Chengyu?
Mou某
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6
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4 answers
What is the difference between 东西 and 用品?
What is the difference between 东西 and 用品? They both seem to have the meaning "stuff" in certain circumstances, but then 用品 is used in more formal situations, such as 医药用品 which I am assuming is not in the same register as if I were to say…
jsj
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6
votes
2 answers
Proper use of 吧 in questions
I am trying to better understand the use of 吧 in a sentence where I am asking a question. For example, could the particle be used in the following way:
这是你的咖啡吧？
My understanding is that the particle would imply that the person asking the question…
Wes Doyle
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votes
2 answers
b and p, d and t, k and g etc. in English and Cantonese
Many words in Cantonese which I think should be pronounced as b, d, g, are translated by the British to p, t, k, respectively.
For example, a place in Hong Kong called 大埔 and is pronounced as Dai Bo in Cantonese, but translated to Tai Po in…
velut luna
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votes
2 answers
For magazines or books, how much does "text volume" differ when comparing Chinese to English or German?
For a magazine, I know from a personal source that English text, when translated properly from German, fills out two thirds of the space the German source text usually takes up.
Does anyone know how much "text volume" differs when comparing Chinese…
Moak
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6
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3 answers
A Golden Rule for When Chinese Repeat a Word Twice X Twice? 热热闹闹
I have come across several times reading Chinese that they repeat words twice and then again.
For an Instance what is the difference between 热闹 and 热热闹闹 ？
what is the grammar meaning when words get multiplied in that manner？
Nulle
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What difference(s) does it make to use the citation tone instead of the neutral tone, for the tail character in these words?
Here’s my list: 队伍, 成分, 身分, 才力, 呼噜, 亮堂, 好处, 种子, 妥当, 爽快, 痛快, 记性, 出息, 佩服, 分析, 哈欠, 寒毛, 活泼, 鼻涕, 道理, 滑稽, 考究, 讲究, 打算, 正经, 裁缝, 得罪, 意识 (and also意识 形态), 熟识, 见识, 体谅, 兴趣, [东/西/南/前/后/那/上/下/头/里/外/左/右]边, 知道, 父亲 and 困难.
This list is made up of two-character words,…
goPlayerJuggler
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