Chinese words in daily life

last SG · 2011-06-17T12:31:08+00:00

Came across a few words in Chinese. How do we say the following:Blossom (like a flower)To settle down (feelings)Concrete (wall, pavement etc)Trying to be unc...

Rock^Star SG

Some of these should be from some stuffs that I have posted, but I didn't check so I can gauge myself:

塞翁失馬，焉知非福 - the whole phrase comes from the (during 春秋？ or 戰國？) story 塞翁失馬焉知非福，塞翁得馬焉知非禍, meaning "lose not necessary mean bad thing, gain not necessary mean good thing"

四面楚歌 - come from the story on 項羽 right? (cant remember clearly), I can't remember, but means "end of the road / dead end / die liao" right?

世外桃源 - come from the story by 陶淵明 from 晉 dynasty "桃花源記", meaning "Shangri-la" or "Utopia"

名落孫山 - dunno come from which source, but means "not eligible to be in the 榜上有名", not necessarily means "fail" but more to "not selected"

裹足不前 - dunno come from which source, but means "being hindered (somehow mentally) and not be able to progress"

己所不慾，勿施於人 - dunno come from which souce, but means "don't do unto others which you dun wan others to do unto you"

三人行，必有我師焉 - seems to come from 孔子's 論語 sayings (but not sure), alternative usage: 三人行，必有我一師, means "everytime when travel in threes, one will take on the role as the leader"

紙老虎 - an analogy to "scarecrow", or someone look like got power, inside no real power one, one crush will collapse

千里之行，始於足下 - seems to come from 老子's 道德經 sayings (but not sure), means "all journeys start from the 1st step"

肺腑之言 - means "words coming from the heart"

勝者為王，敗者為寇 - means "winner becomes dominator, loser become outcast (but 寇 literally means thieves)"

四面楚歌 - Yes, 楚霸王项羽 was surrounded by 刘邦. The latter got his troops to sing the songs of 楚 to let the enemy know that all of them were just nearby and their place has been conquered. This is to deflate their morale. In modern day, we can use 四面楚歌 to say that one is being surrounded by hostile friends or even an enviroment.

Tks for the correction in 己所不慾，勿施於人.

JerryJan SG

Auntie Jerry,

Bangulzai = BanguIzai's Avatar

Then, Auntie Jerry, are you a Hokkien ?

omg Bang is a boy

I keep thinking he's a girl, damn pai-seh

Me is teochew but hubby hokkien

BanguIzai SG

omg Bang is a boy

I keep thinking he's a girl, damn pai-seh

Me is teochew but hubby hokkien

wakao.

ok.

Auntie, you know how to speak Teochew ?

BanguIzai SG

Don't feel shy using 演示...it's the proper word for it. Perhaps may sound strange among singaporeans, then in that case if you'd like, better to use 發表會.

So funny I have not heard people use the Chinese term before. For me I won't be even using 發表會, I will just use presentation and keep 發表會 or 演示 in my memory store until needed.

BanguIzai SG

沉潛 - ???? or sink? In 星光大道 show, it refers to the programme which has remained in hibernation for a while before resurfacing again.

上断头台 - Means to put one's head on the guillotine (you know the ancient machine to chop head lol); to put one's best effort

浮誇 - ???? or maybe something like flamboyant? To signify exaggeration

Hey tks man.....you really take pains huh. Pls keep up the good work :)

I didn't take pains man. I just think what I know and type here. You cannot depend on my given definitions as I have not checked them, so you need to double check on Internet or dictionary or other people first.

BanguIzai SG

Tks for the correction in 己所不慾，勿施於人.

Amazing you can remember the full story. Alamak I need to revise. Although I briefly checked through that article after I replied your post to see how well I fared, I think your explanation better than the notes.

JerryJan SG

wakao.

ok.

Auntie, you know how to speak Teochew ?

I can speak teochew cos both my parents r pure teochew

Bang u studying or working

Rock^Star SG

I think they're correct :) Those that I'm not entirely sure, will check the dictionary. Hence, will only reply to those terms that require clarification.

Rock^Star SG

How do we say standardization in mandarin?

For eg: 这个课本的内容不 standardized?

And the plastic wrapping on maggi mee cup noodles, mineral water bottles etc etc. What do we call that?

Rock^Star SG

I've read the history before and even watched the drama but just to confirm, I checked the internet to make sure.

BanguIzai SG

I can speak teochew cos both my parents r pure teochew

Bang u studying or working

working. So Auntie which kind of Teochew do you speak? (examples: There are Swatow Teochews, Kekyeo Teochews, Pouleng Teochews, Haihong-Lockhong Teochews, Nam'ao Teochews, Chao'An Teochews, Raoping Teochews, Huilai Teochews, and Tenghai Teochews)

BanguIzai SG

I think they're correct :) Those that I'm not entirely sure, will check the dictionary. Hence, will only reply to those terms that require clarification.

ok good

BanguIzai SG

I've read the history before and even watched the drama but just to confirm, I checked the internet to make sure.

hardworking boy

BanguIzai SG

How do we say standardization in mandarin?

For eg: 这个课本的内容不 standardized?

And the plastic wrapping on maggi mee cup noodles, mineral water bottles etc etc. What do we call that?

Standardization I say 一緻 in your sense, otherwise I use 統一 or 規範。

eg. 這個課本的内容不一緻 (pointing to some parts of the book in front and at other points write differently / contradict)

If Standardization used in country writing / lingua franca, then use 統一。

If Standardization used in corpus of vocab / definitions on orthography, then use 規範。

Plastic wrapping, say 紙包裝 lor, otherwise dunno liao.

Rock^Star SG

Standardization I say 一緻 in your sense, otherwise I use 統一 or 規範。

eg. 這個課本的内容不一緻 (pointing to some parts of the book in front and at other points write differently / contradict)

If Standardization used in country writing / lingua franca, then use 統一。

If Standardization used in corpus of vocab / definitions on orthography, then use 規範。

Plastic wrapping, say 紙包裝 lor, otherwise dunno liao.

How about 规范化 for all purposes? For eg: 这些语言都没有一个规范化. Thought of 統一...but can it be used?

Plastic wrapping for water bottles, I'd say 保护膜 or 保鲜膜. For wrappings of other items such as wrapping of the PC games or toys etc....then perhaps 保护膜 is more apt.

BanguIzai SG

How about 规范化 for all purposes? For eg: 这些语言都没有一个规范化. Thought of 統一...but can it be used?

Plastic wrapping for water bottles, I'd say 保护膜 or 保鲜膜. For wrappings of other items such as wrapping of the PC games or toys etc....then perhaps 保护膜 is more apt.

Cannot.

規範 can only refer to sets of rules (eg. corpus, syntax, orthography etc) "within" a (striven-to-be) standardized language, so it cannot applied to "這些語言", can only use for "這個語言"

這個語言沒有(delete: 一個)規範化 or 這個語言沒有一個規範(delete: 化)
This language does not have a standardized corpus / grammar / orthography

Different languages cannot be 規範-ed , different languages can only be 統一-fied.

這個國家沒有統一的語言。
This country does not have a unifying language.

For your previous case (這個課本的内容), the modifier clause can only refer to "内容(implied: 的前後)", therefore can only use 一緻。規範 cannot be used on the abstract noun 内容, it can only used onto non-abstract collective nouns like 詞巢/文法/文字， eg. 這個課本的詞巢/文法/文字不規範 (with a reference point to the "National Standard". 統一 is totally out-of-question in this case.

Rock^Star SG

Cannot.

規範 can only refer to sets of rules (eg. corpus, syntax, orthography etc) "within" a (striven-to-be) standardized language, so it cannot applied to "這些語言", can only use for "這個語言"

這個語言沒有(delete: 一個)規範化 or 這個語言沒有一個規範(delete: 化)
This language does not have a standardized corpus / grammar / orthography

Different languages cannot be 規範-ed , different languages can only be 統一-fied.

這個國家沒有統一的語言。
This country does not have a unifying language.

It does make sense...what you explain. 規範 in itself refers to boundaries and rules. If it's standardization within a language, then it's correct. As for the different languages, yes perhaps 統一 is more appropriate since it means "unification".

Rock^Star SG

Ok how do we say endoscope or endoscopy in mandarin? You know the one where we put a tube with videos lens into your body to check how your inner parts are working.

Rock^Star SG

Just came to mind: How do we say a person is very bothered by the successes and failures of life.....or maybe even the gains and losses of life? 成语

BanguIzai SG

一緻 is always used within a context which is very small (eg. front and back of a novel / show / art / person's character).eg. front part of the novel talks about main character call 阿發 (Ah-Huat), as you read onwards the name of the character changes to 阿明 (Ah-Beng), not consistent, 不一緻。 Sometimes watch dramas also can see the actresses and actors, during the same scene, clothing and hairstyles change drastically --because shoot on different day then recombine -- also is 不一緻。)

統一 when used as a noun in Mandarin Chinese is "standard", when used as a verb in Mandarin Chinese is "unify", therefore usage-wise some meaning overlaps into English "standard"

規範 - as per explained above

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