Chinese
“Yes” and “No” in Mandarin Chinese
It’s a simple question right? How do you say “yes” or “no” in Mandarin Chinese? Unfortunately sometimes simple questions have complex answers, and in this case something as simple as “yes” and “no” has a relatively intricate answer — that’s what makes it so interesting! In this article I attempt to explain that simply and intuitively. Let’s start ...
Chinese four character idiom 守株待兔 (Shǒu zhū dài tù)
“To guard a tree-stump waiting for rabbits” One of the nicest and most meaningful four character phrases in Mandarin Chinese is the phrase 守株待兔 (Shǒu zhū dài tù), — because it’s about the need to go out to seek opportunities....
Chinese Four Character Idiom: 忠言逆耳 (Zhōng yán nì ěr)
“Loyal advice jars on the ears” Another great four character phrase in Mandarin Chinese is 忠言逆耳 (Zhōng yán nì ěr) which could be translated to “Loyal advice jars on the ears” It’s referring to a situation where correction is given...
Chinese Four Character Idiom: 死灰复燃 (Sǐ huī fù rán)
“Resurgence” A very nice four character phrase in Chinese is 死灰复燃 (Sǐ huī fù rán), which is roughly translated to describe a “resurgence”, it describes a situation where something that previously “died” or “disappeared” has for whatever reason come back....
The Chinese counterfactual
The “counterfactual” is a mood or inflection of language that signals a departure from reality and an entry into the realm of hypothesis — instead of speaking about what is we speak about what might be or non-real statements. The Chinese...
