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Difference between 月 and 月份 for the noun "A month"

So, I'm trying to figure out what is a better way to simply translate "An important month". For example if I wanted to talk about the month of Ramadan I originally said "斋月是穆斯林非常重要的一个月“ but a friend (Sean C.) corrected me to say 斋月是穆斯林非常重要的一个月份“…
Stephen
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Looking for official specification of Putonghua in English

There has been some confusion here between different senses of "Putonghua." So to clarify: article 19 of the constitution of the PRC says "The state promotes the nationwide use of Putonghua (common speech based on Beijing pronunciation)." Pursuant…
Colin McLarty
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The meaning of 废柴码农

Someone called me a 废柴码农 after I made a silly mistake. I suppose it must be something negative but what does it actually means?
user3919509
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Is there a Chinese word for liberation?

When I studied Mandarin Chinese in the early 1990's my teacher told me that there is no word for "liberation" because it is not a concept in Chinese culture. She thought for a minute, tried a few Chinese possible words [ I have forgotten them] and…
Snack_Food_Termite
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How to say "unsurprisingly" as in "Someone unsurprisingly did something"

I'm trying to figure out how to say unsurprisingly; I know that 果然 generally implies that you expect that something is going to happen, but in some contexts I'm not entirely sure if it is most appropriate. For example, if I asked a friend if I…
Stephen
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How to use "whether" in Chinese - do you need to say 如果？

I've always had a bit of difficulty with statements with the term "whether" in Chinese. In this sentence I would like to say "I asked him whether or not he had met Mark." - I translated this in my diary as "只有我跟一个卢旺达人讲了一下 如果他认识不认识Mark Should I use…
Stephen
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How do you say "to do" When asking a kid what he wants to do when he grows up?

The classic question (at least when speaking english) is to ask a child what he wants "to do" when he grows up. Now this "to do" is very vague - and, in a lot of instances, doesn't actually mean "do" (So much as "Be") I'm interested, in Chinese, how…
Stephen
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Introduction. What's the difference between 介绍, 简介, 入门, 引导, 导语, 导论, 引子?

I've seen 介绍, 简介 and 导语 in news pieces, which labels a one sentence synopsis of the article. Is there any difference between these three? 介绍, 简介 look to be interchangeable, and used commonly like 介绍 person/thing/concept. What about 入门, 引导, 导论, 引子?…
Steve
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你是我的小呀小苹果儿 What is the purpose of the second 小?

So I'm listening to this catchy song and the chorus goes 你是我的小呀小苹果儿. I'm wondering why the 小 is being said twice. Is that just something the artist is doing to play with the language in the song or would you actually say that 小 two…
Kevin Thompson
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Why so many definitions associated with each word?

I'm learning a little Chinese out of curiosity, and I have a basic question about the language as a whole, rather than a specific technical question about a particular word or character. Sorry if this is too broad. I just want to learn a little…
Jack M
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Can I use 完 after any verb to indicate the completion of activities?

Is it okay if I want to say 做完 (finish working)? I have come across 吃完 (finish eating). Is it possible to say finish [doing bla bla] by writing ...完? ... can be filled with 做 or 写, etc...
Agoeng Liu
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Why is 进入 in 我们无法提供相关的API进入词库数据库?

非常抱歉 ， 我们无法提供相关的API进入词库数据库 ，这些是受到版权保护的 。 So basically they can't provide access to the database via API, but I'm wondering why they use 进入, as I thought it was related to physical entrance of a person into a place. I have seen that usually the verb…
Anonymouse
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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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Is the difference between and saying 有时 and 会偶尔 very big?

Does one imply a much greater frequency? What about register? Is the difference between and saying 有时 and 会偶尔 very big, or is it in all cases quite close?
magnetar
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Mandarin Equivalent: "duh!"

"duh!" Advanced English Dictionary duh Disdainful indication that something is obvious. "It’s hot in the desert. - Well, duh!" Is there a Mandarin equivalent of 'duh!'?
Mou某
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