Most Popular
1500 questions
16
votes
6 answers
When not to use 厕所 when asking for the toilet?
I've noticed sometimes in polite company or in the company of strangers some people will saying they are going to wash their hands 去洗手 (qù xǐshǒu) instead of going to the toilet 去上厕所 (qù shàng cèsuǒ).
Alternatively, asking for the 洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān)…
going
- 10,213
- 4
- 42
- 98
16
votes
6 answers
Are children's books a good starting place for beginners?
I was wondering if Chinese children's books might be a good starting place for adult Chinese language newbies (regardless of whether it be Mandarin, Cantonese, Wu, whatever), in particular for westerners whom the Chinese language is completely…
Cocowalla
- 3,455
- 4
- 29
- 38
16
votes
3 answers
Is there a difference between 夂 and 夊?
Looking at the list of Kangxi radicals over at Wikipedia, I just noticed something I haven't noticed before. Radical number 34 (夂) and 35 (夊) are virtually identical. I write these radicals in the exact same way and I've asked one native speaker who…
Olle Linge
- 3,057
- 1
- 23
- 37
16
votes
4 answers
How do I say "damn!" or "bloody hell" in Chinese?
The phrase 他妈的 has been explained in this question. Since I'm a no-expletives guy, I don't feel comfortable so close to the f-word. :) I was wondering what would be the correct way to use some of the milder curse words I use daily like "damn",…
dr Hannibal Lecter
- 2,425
- 2
- 21
- 32
16
votes
4 answers
Differences: 别的 vs 其他 vs 另外 (other)
Well, the question is in the title... I'd be very thankful for an explanation, but also:
Could you give examples of cases where they are and are not interchangeable?
Can I use them for "where are the others/is the rest?"? Or "other than that, I'm…
Mark
- 263
- 1
- 2
- 6
16
votes
4 answers
What's the difference between 帐户 and 账户?
To my understanding, both mean "account", as in a bank account or online account. 账户 also appears to be the more common (100M search results) compared to 帐户 (about 50M results). What is the difference, if any, between their usage and meaning?
To…
sqrtbottle
- 1,445
- 11
- 23
16
votes
4 answers
How to Find Characters in a Dictionary?
In English we would look words based on their alphabetical order.
But how are Chinese dictionaries ordered to allow you to find what you are looking for - is it based on the radicals, number of strokes, or something else?
Cocowalla
- 3,455
- 4
- 29
- 38
16
votes
4 answers
What does "老" in "老虎" and "老鼠" mean
As I remember, 虎 and 鼠 are standalone nouns, meaning tiger and mouse, respectively. However, it seems that 老虎 and 老鼠 are more commonly used.
Why is 老 used as a prefix for 虎 and 鼠? Why do we use 獅子 instead of 老獅? Does it imply that tiger and mouse…
Thomas Hsieh
- 3,297
- 2
- 17
- 50
16
votes
3 answers
What is the formal/polite way to begin and end an email in Chinese?
In English, formal emails, e.g. emails to a professor, often start with "Hi", "Hello", "Dear" followed by the receiver's name (and title, if applicable). The ending is usually "Best", "Regards", "Sincerely" followed by the writer's name. Does…
Thomas Hsieh
- 3,297
- 2
- 17
- 50
16
votes
5 answers
What is the difference between yǐqián (以前) and zhīqián (之前)?
I'd like to have some way to differentiate between yǐqián (以前) and zhīqián (之前), in order to help with memorising them both. Referring to Modern Mandarin Grammar (Claudia Ross, Routledge 2006), it seems to suggest that the only point of…
user459
- 195
- 1
- 1
- 6
16
votes
6 answers
Do all schools in China teach in Standard Chinese (普通话)?
When I went to China, it was apparent that many (sometimes most) people still spoke their local dialects instead of Standard Chinese/Putonghua (also known as "Mandarin" in English). I was told that because older people didn't know Putonghua,…
Orion
- 1,841
- 1
- 15
- 24
16
votes
1 answer
Is there a rule that tells what characters can be omitted?
I have a habit of using too many characters when I speak and write.
For example:
我回我的家。
我的 is not needed, and we can simply say 我回家。
Is there a grammar rule for when to cut characters? A more generic example:
AB + CD = AD. (A, B, C, D are…
MaoYiyi
- 509
- 1
- 3
- 11
16
votes
7 answers
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
- 35,955
- 9
- 53
- 137
15
votes
6 answers
快: why does "fast" also mean "happy"?
The character 快 is usually used for the meaning of "fast", but it is also used in the sense of "pleasant" or "happy" - for example, in the words 痛快, 爽快. It seems that both meanings are quite ancient.
According to the morphology, you'd expect this…
congusbongus
- 8,567
- 34
- 82
15
votes
14 answers
Does 危机 really mean both crisis and opportunity?
A lot of people, mostly those who haven't studied Chinese, like to claim something along the lines of
"In Chinese, the word for crisis 危机, also bears the meaning of opportunity."
This is usually said right before or after making a remark that a…
Lars Andren
- 1,438
- 3
- 13
- 17