The following is a collection of sentences in Mandarin which I believe are special in some way.

What do I mean by “special”? Well, let’s just say grammatically and structurally they’re not exactly typical, and in most cases they stand-alone as independent expressions. Plus, many of them contain elements of Chinese culture that set them apart from regular sentences.

I’ve broken these up into beginners, intermediate and advanced levels and tried to explain not only the literal meaning of each sentence, but its function and near-equivalent translation in English. Of course your comments and constructive feedback are always welcome in the comments section. Enjoy!

Beginners Level

1. 加油！Jiāyóu!

Literally: “Add oil!”
Function: Used to encourage someone to make extra effort, to do better or to cheer someone on.
Near-equivalent in English: “You can do it!” or “Go John/Mary/etc.!” depending on context.

2. 我肚子饿了。Wǒ dùzi è le.

Literally: “My belly is hungry.”
Function: Used to let the other person know you are hungry.
Near-equivalent in English: “I’m hungry.” or “I’m starving.”

3. 你早点休息。Nǐ zǎo diǎn xiūxi.

Literally: “You [better] rest early.”
Function: Used to show concern for someone late at night, to urge them to go to bed early.
Near-equivalent in English: “You better get to bed early” or “Don’t have a late one.”

4. 原来如此。Yuánlái rúcǐ.

Literally: “It was like this all along.”
Function: Used to indicate that you have just realised something to be true.
Near-equivalent in English: “I see.” or “Now I got you.”

5. 算了吧。Suàn le ba.

Literally:  算 (“count; regard”) + 了 (verb completion particle) + 吧 (particle indicating suggestion)
Function: Used to let the other person know that you don’t care anymore about what was being talked about.
Near-equivalent in English: “Forget about it.” or “Nevermind.”

6. 怎么办呢？Zěnme bàn ne?

Literally: “How to do?”
Function: Used to express frustration at not knowing what to do in a certain situation.
Near-equivalent in English: “What do I do?” or “What should I do?”
Synonyms: 这如何是好？

7. 真是的。Zhēn shì de.

Literally: 真 (“really”) + 是 (“is”) + 的 (grammatical particle, used for emphasis)
Function: Used to express displeasure or annoyance at the actions of someone else.
Near-equivalent in English: “Oh come on!”, “Seriously!” or “Jesus!” depending on context.

8. 不会吧。Bù huì ba.

Literally: “Can’t be.”
Function: Used to express a feeling that the likelihood of something happening is very low.
Near-equivalent in English: “No way.”, “I doubt it.” or “You’re kidding me.” depending on context.

9. 改天再说吧。Gǎitiān zàishuō ba.

Literally: “Change day, speak again.”
Function: Used when you wish to cancelled a plan with someone, and reschedule it for another day.
Near-equivalent in English: “Let’s try for another day.” or “Let’s take a rain check.”

10. 不用急。Bù yòng jí.

Literally: “Don’t use urgent.” (“No use for urgency.”)
Function: Used to reassure someone that what is being discussed is not urgent.
Near-equivalent in English: “No rush.” or “Take your time.”
Synonyms: 不急。

11. 真的假的？Zhēn de jiǎ de?

Literally: “Real, fake?”
Function: Used to express surprise or doubt about something just discussed or discovered.
Near-equivalent in English: “Really?” or “No way!”

12. 你真棒！Nǐ zhēn bàng!

Literally: “You’re really excellent!”
Function: Used to praise someone for their talent, behaviour or actions.
Near-equivalent in English: “You’re awesome” or “You’re really something.”
Synonyms: 你真行；你可以的。

13. 我想了解一下。 Wǒ xiǎng liǎojiě yīxià.

Literally: “I want to understand/know.”
Function: Used to politely enquire about something.
Near-equivalent phrase in English: “I was just wondering…” or “I’d like to know more about…”

14. 有事可以找我。Yǒu shì kěyǐ zhǎo wǒ.

Literally: “[If] you have a matter you can try to find me.”
Function: Used to express your willingness to help someone.
Near-equivalent phrase in English: “Contact me if you need any help.”

Intermediate Level

15. 不带这样的。Bù dài zhèyàng de.

Literally: “Not look after like this.”
Function: Used to state that the way someone is treating you is unacceptable or unfair.
Near-equivalent phrase in English: “How could you do this to me?”, “Oh, come on!” or “That’s not cool.”

16. 我也说不好。Wǒ yě shuō bù hǎo.

Literally: 我 (“I”) + 也 (“also”) + 说 (“speak”) + 不好 (“not good”)
Function: Used to state that you cannot make a comment about a topic or situation as  you are not very certain about it.
Near-equivalent in English: “I’m not sure about that.”
Synonym: 很难说。

17. 那怎么行啊？Nà zěnme xíng a?

Literally: “How is that OK?”
Function: Used to state that a situation is not acceptable.
Near-equivalent in English: “That won’t do” or “How could that work?”

18. 我赶时间。Wǒ gǎn shíjiān.

Literally: “I’m rushing for time.”
Function: Used to indicate that you are in a hurry.
Near-equivalent in English: “I’m in a hurry” or “I’m in a rush”.

19. 但愿吧。Dànyuàn ba.

Literally: 但愿 (“to wish”) + 吧 (particle indicating suggestion)
Function: Used to indicate that you wish what someone has just said turns out to be the case.
Near-equivalent in English: “I hope so.”
Synonyms: 希望如此。

20. 那倒是。Nà dào shì.

Literally: “That actually is.”
Function: Used to acknowledge that what someone has just said is in fact the case.
Near-equivalent in English: “That’s right” or “This is true”.

21. 谁说的？Shéi shuō de?

Literally: “Who said?”
Function: Used to indicate that you doubt what someone has just said is true.
Near-equivalent in English: “Yeah, right…!” or “On what planet?”

22. 这事已经过去了。Zhè shì yǐjīng guòqu le.

Literally: “This matter has already passed.”
Function: Used to advise someone that what has happened belongs to the past and so should no longer be a concern anymore.
Near-equivalent in English: “That’s in the past now.”, “That’s a thing of the past.” or “It’s all over now.”

23. 她有了。Tā yǒu le.

Literally: “She has.”
Function: Used to state that a woman is pregnant. Used as a euphemism.
Near-equivalent in English: “She’s got a bun in the oven.” or “She’s expecting.”

24. [某人]真有两下子。[Somebody] zhēn yǒu liǎngxiàzi.

Literally: “Somebody really has a couple of times.”
Function: Used to state that someone is skillful, with a high level of ability.
Near-equivalent in English: “Somebody has real skill.” or “S/he really knows her/his stuff.”

25. 真是个悲剧哦。Zhēn shì ge bēijù o.

Literally: “Really is a tragedy.”
Function: Used to complain about something which disappointed you. Has a melodramatic tone. The word 悲剧 is often typed as the pun 杯具 (“cup”). By extension, the word 茶几 (“tea table”) is also used to describe someone you think leads a particularly sucky life.
Near-equivalent in English: “That really sucks.”, “What a bummer.” or “Fail.” (American slang)
Synonyms: 好悲剧哦。

26. 别激动。 Bié jīdòng.

Literally: “Don’t get agitated/excited.”
Function: Used to tell someone to calm down.
Near-equivalent phrase in English: “Calm down.” or “Settle down.”

27. 数[某人]最小了。Shǔ [somebody] zuì xiǎo le.

Literally: “Count somebody as the littlest.”
Function: Used to state that someone is the youngest in their family, or in a group of people.
Near-equivalent in English: “Somebody is the youngest here.” or “Somebody is the baby of the family.”

28. 这事明摆着的呀。Zhè shì míngbǎi zhe ya.

Literally: “This matter is obvious.”
Function: Used to state that something is obvious so does not need further explanation.
Near-equivalent in English: “It’s obvious.”

29. [某人]心里有数。[Somebody] xīnli yǒushù.

Literally: “In somebody’s heart there is a number.”
Function: Used to express confidence that someone knows what to do to achieve something, especially when others worries that they can’t.
Near-equivalent in English: “Somebody is confident about it.” or “Somebody is certain about it” depending on the context.
Synonyms: 心中有数；心里有底；胸中有数。

30. 茶都等凉了。Chá dōu děng liáng le.

Literally: “The tea has gone cold from waiting.”
Function: Used to express impatience with someone who has made you wait a long time.
Near-equivalent in English: “We’ve been waiting forever.”

31. 生不如死 ！Shēng bùrú sǐ!

Literally: “Life is not as good as death!”
Function: Used to complain that the terrible things in one’s life are too much to bear, that it would be better to die than to keep on living. Melodramatic in tone.
Near-equivalent in English: “Kill me now!”

32. [某人]对[某人]有意思。[Somebody] duì [somebody] yǒu yìsi.

Literally: “Somebody is interested in somebody.”
Function: Used to state that someone has a romantic interest in someone else.
Near-equivalent in English: “Somebody is into somebody” or “somebody has a thing for somebody”.

33. [某人]跟[某人]有缘分。[Somebody] gēn [somebody] yǒu yuánfèn.

Literally: “Somebody has a destiny with somebody.”
Function: Used to state that two people have a predestined affinity, that they were fated to meet.
Near-equivalent in English: “We were fated to meet.” or “We were meant to be.” in a romantic context.

34. [某人]对[某事]有研究。[Somebody] duì [something] yǒu yánjiū.

Literally: “Somebody has done research about something.”
Function: Used to state that somebody knows or is informed about a topic or matter.
Near-equivalent in English: “Somebody knows a thing or two about something.” or “Somebody is informed about something.”

35. 我想碰碰运气。Wǒ xiǎng pèng pèng yùnqì.

Literally: “I’d like to touch/knock [my] luck.”
Function: Used to state that you would like to try and see if you can succeed in something, even if the odds may be against you.
Near-equivalent in English: “I’d like to try my luck.”

36. 我走狗屎运了。Wǒ zǒu gǒushǐ yùn le.

Literally: “I stepped on dog-shit luck.”
Function: Used to state that you unexpectedly got lucky, or that you achieved something by fluke.
Near-equivalent in English: “I fluked it.” or “I lucked out.” depending on context.
Synonyms: 侥幸 (adverb)

37. 我都快崩溃了。Wǒ dōu kuài bēngkuì le.

Literally: “I’m about to collapse.”
Function: Used to state that someone is psychologically exhausted, or devastated.
Near-equivalent in English: “I’m going to pieces.” or “I’m near the point of breakdown.”

38. 怎么搞的？Zěnme gǎo de？

Literally: “How could that have been done?”
Function: Used to show confusion about something that has happened that you don’t understand, or dissatisfaction or blame about what someone has done, or failed to do.
Near-equivalent in English: “What’s going on?” or “What’s going on with you?” depending on context.

Advanced Level

39. [某人]给 [某人]穿小鞋了。[Somebody] gěi [somebody] chuān xiǎoxié le.

Literally: “Somebody gave somebody small shoes to wear.”
Function: Used to indicate that someone, usually of a higher position, is deliberately making life difficult for someone else.
Near-equivalent phrase in English: “Somebody is making life difficult for somebody.” or “Somebody has put somebody in a difficult situation.”

40. 放马过来吧！Fàng mǎ guòlái ba!

Literally: “Set your horses on me!”
Function: Used to show that you are ready for a challenge or fight.
Near-equivalent in English: “Bring it on!” or “Gimme all you got!”

41. [某人]是[某人]肚子里的虫子。[Somebody] shì [somebody] dùzi lǐ de chóngzi.

Literally: “Somebody is somebody’s belly bug.”
Function: Used to indicate that someone knows someone else so well that s/he knows exactly what they are thinking.
Near-equivalent in English: “Somebody can read somebody’s mind/thoughts.”

42. [某人]放了[某人]的鸽子。[Somebody] fàng le [somebody] de gēzi.

Literally: “Somebody released a pigeon on somebody.”
Function: Used to indicate that someone has failed to show up to a meeting, date or other engagement.
Near-equivalent in English: “Somebody stood somebody up.”

43. 什么风把你给吹到这儿来啦？Shénme fēng bǎ nǐ gěi chuī dào zhèr lái la?

Literally: “What wind blew you here?”
Function: Used to greet an acquaintance who you have bumped into, or who has turned up to your home unannounced.
Near-equivalent in English: “What brings you here?” Can also be translated as “Look what the cat dragged in.” though this is usually used between friends only as it can be offensive.

44. [某人]心都提到嗓子眼儿了。[Somebody] de xīn dōu tí dào sǎngziyǎnr le.

Literally: “Somebody’s heart has rose up into their throat.”
Function: Used to state that someone has extremely nervous or scared.
Near-equivalent in English: “Somebody’s heart is racing.”

45. [某人]给[某人]个台阶下。[Somebody] gěi [somebody] ge táijiē xià.

Literally: “Give somebody a flight of steps to get on.”
Function: Used to state that someone has given someone an opportunity to get out of an awkward or embarrassing situation.
Near-equivalent in English: No exact equivalent; consider: “Give somebody a way out of an awkward situation.”

If you have suggestions, particularly in relation to how some of these sentences can be better translated into English, please leave them in the comments section!

1. 天儿 tiānr: 1. day 今天是什么天儿？What’s the day today? 2. weather
   1. 聊天儿: to chat
   2. 大白天儿说梦话：to talk in a delusional fashion; to speak as if one’s head is in the clouds; to sound as if one is daydreaming
2. 影儿 yǐngr: shadow
   1. 电影儿: movie
   2. 没影儿: 1. be out of sight 2. be groundless/fantastic 3. disappear without a trace
3. 鱼儿 yúr: fish
   1. 金鱼儿 goldfish
4. 鸟儿 niǎor: bird
5. 雏儿 chúr: 1. a newly hatched bird 2. an inexperienced person 3. chick (girl)
6. 勺儿 sháor: spoon
7. 桃儿 táor: peach
8. 尖儿 jiānr: tip; point; top
9. 球儿 qiúr: ball
   1. 煤球儿: charcoal briquette
   2. 棒球儿: baseball
   3. 小皮球儿: little rubber/leather ball
10. 芽儿 yár: sprout; shoot; bud
    1. 豆芽儿: bean sprout
       
11. 乐儿 lèr: fun; pleasure
    1. 逗乐儿: to amuse oneself; clown around
12. 条儿 tiáor: something thin and long
    1. 面条儿: noodles
    2. 便条儿: note
13. 窗儿 chuāngr: window
    1. 天窗儿: skylight 打开天窗儿说亮话。Let’s be frank.
14. 缝儿 fèngr: crack
    1. 门缝儿: crack between a door and its frame
15. 船儿 chuánr: boat
    1. 小船儿: small boat
16. 瓜儿 guār: melon
    1. 香瓜儿: muskmelon
17. 腿儿 tuǐr: leg
    1. 跑腿儿: to run errands
18. 粒儿 lìr: 1. grain 2. bead 3. pill
    1. 米粒儿: a grain of rice
19. 核儿 húr: pit; core; kernel
20. 虫儿 chóngr: bug
    1. 小虫儿: little bug
    2. 跟屁虫儿: a suck-up; flatterer; sycophant; boot licker
21. 鼻儿 bír: 1. a small hole (for sth. to be inserted into) 2. whistle 火车拉着鼻儿驶出车站。 The train starts out from the station with a blast of the whistle.
    1. 针鼻儿: the eye of a needle
    2. 门鼻儿: bolt staple of a door
22. 刀儿 dāor: dollar 这东西三刀儿。This is three dollars.
23. 坎儿 kǎnr: 1. uneven surface 2. obstacle 人生没有过不去的坎儿。There is nothing in life that can’t be overcome.
    1. 沟坎儿: ditch
    2. 门坎儿: 1. doorstep 2. threshold [also written as 门槛儿]
24. 瓣儿 bànr:
    1. 花瓣儿: petal
    2. 豆瓣儿: segment of a bean
    3. 杏瓣儿: piece of almond
    4. 蒜瓣儿: clove of garlic
    5. 屁股瓣: but cheek
    6. 橘子瓣儿: segment of a tangerine
    7. 带瓣儿的: boy
25. 裙儿 qúnr: 1. skirt 2. dress
    1. 连衣裙儿: dress
26. 阄儿 jiūr: slip of paper used in a draw
    1. 抓阄儿: to draw lots
27. 个儿 gèr: height; stature 这孩子个儿大。This kid is big and tall.
28. 脚儿 jiǎor: foot
    1. 腿脚儿: 1. legs and feet 2. ability to walk 3. steps; strides
    2. 蹩脚儿: inferior; lousy; lame; shoddy 戏演得太蹩脚了。The acting really sucked.
29. 像儿 xiàngr: 1. person’s appearance 2. threat to punish
30. 水儿 shuǐr: water
    1. 汽水儿: 1. soft drink 2. brackish water
    2. 墨水儿: education; knowledge and learning 我没上过学，没有多少墨水儿。I haven’t been to university, I’m not at all educated.
    3. 香水儿: perfume
31. 袋儿 dàir: 1. purse 2. pocket
    1. 香袋儿: scent-holder; sachet (of perfume)
32. 汁儿 zhīr: juice
    1. 果汁儿: fruit juice
    2. 豆汁儿: soybean drink
33. 人儿 rénr: 1. person 2. personality; character 3. figurine
34. 火儿 huǒr: 1. fire 2. anger
    1. 发火儿: 1. to catch fire; to ignite 2. to detonate 2. to get angry
35. 嘴儿 zuǐr: 1. mouth 2. eloquence 3. nozzle
    1. 围嘴儿: bib
    2. 努嘴儿: point with puckered lips
36. 末儿 mòr: powder
    1. 锯末儿: sawdust
37. 一堆儿 yīduīr: a pile; a heap
38. 一下儿 yīxiàr: (used after a verb to indicate a sudden or brief action) 看一下儿 have a look
39. 晚辈儿 wǎnbèir: younger generation
40. 台阶儿 táijiēr: 1. flight of steps 2. way out of an awkward situation
41. 火星儿 huǒxīngr: spark
42. 树枝儿 shùzhīr: branch; twig
43. 竹竿儿 zhúgānr: bamboo pole
44. 面糊儿 miànhur: 1. flour paste 2. soft and floury
45. 麦苗儿 màimiáor: wheat seedling
46. 药方儿 yàofāngr: prescription
47. 木橛儿 mùjuér: short wooden stake; peg
48. 裤门儿 kùménr: fly (on one’s pants) [slang]
49. 脑门儿 nǎoménr: forehead [slang]
50. 蛐蛐儿 qūqur: cricket (insect) [slang]
51. 后晌儿 hòushǎngr: afternoon [slang]
52. 瓜子儿 guāzǐr: melon seeds
53. 瓜秧儿 guāyāngr: young melon vine
54. 蛋黄儿 dànhuángr: egg yolk
55. 土坡儿 tǔpōr: slope
56. 半截儿 bànjiér: 1. half of a section 2. half-finished
57. 歪理儿 wāilǐr: preposterous argument; false reasoning
58. 课件儿 kèjiànr: 1. courseware 2. course materials
59. 板凳儿 bǎndèngr: wooden bench/stool
60. 耳坠儿 ěrzhuìr: earring [synonym: 耳坠子]
61. 窗帘儿 chuāngliánr: curtain
62. 牙刷儿 yáshuār: toothbrush
63. 脚丫儿 jiǎoyār: foot
64. 嘴唇儿 zuǐchúnr: lips
65. 发小儿 fāxiǎor: a childhood friend
66. 勾魂儿 gōuhúnr: a superstition, cult or person which is so powerful it can suck the soul out of a person’s body
67. 小河儿 xiǎohér: rivulet
68. 小鸡儿 xiǎojīr: 1. chick 2. dick (of a baby/small boy)
69. 小鞋儿 xiǎoxiér: trouble made by someone superior to oneself 别给他穿小鞋。Don’t make it hard for him.
70. 小车儿 xiǎochēr: 1. wheelbarrow; handbarrow; handcart 2. sedan (car)
71. 刀背儿 dāobèir: back of a knife blade
72. 一手儿 yīshǒur: 1.proficiency; skill 2. trick; move 3. single-handedly; alone
73. 单弦儿 dānxiánr: storytelling to musical accompaniment
74. 唱腔儿 chàngqiāngr: operatic vocal music
75. 门墩儿 méndūnr: wooden or stone block supporting the axle of a door
76. 风斗儿 fēngdǒur: wind scoop (for winter ventilation)
77. 拔罐儿 báguànr: cupping (form of traditional Chinese therapy)
78. 宝盖儿 bǎogàir: Kangxi radical 40 宀
79. 示补儿 shìbǔr: Kangxi radical 113 示 [synonym: 示字旁]
80. 头顶儿 tóudǐngr: crown of the head
81. 头绳儿 tóushéngr: hair-tie
82. 眼珠儿 yǎnzhūr: 1. eye ball 2. centre of attention
83. 方格儿 fānggér: check; cross-hatch
84. 嘎嘣儿 gābēngr: the sound of cracking nuts/etc. with one’s teeth 他说话嘎嘣儿脆。He speaks very clearly.
85. 高招儿 gāozhāor: great strategy; wise move; bright idea; masterstroke 个村有个村的高招儿。Everyone has their own bright ideas.
86. 胡同儿 hútòngr: 1. lane; alley 2. hutong 北京城里的胡同数不清。Beijing has a countless number of hutongs.
87. 乖乖儿 guāiguāir: 1. darling (to a child) 2. well-behaved
88. 哭穷儿 kūqióngr: to complain about being hard up; to pretend to be poor
89. 绕远儿 ràoyuǎnr: to go the long way around
90. 赶趟儿 gǎntàngr: 1. to be at the right time 2. to overtake; to catch up with
91. 猜谜儿 cāimír: to guess a riddle
92. 穿帮儿 chuānbāngr: 1. goof (in a film, play, etc.) 2. to let sth slip
93. 刨根儿 páogēnr: to get to the bottom of sth
94. 帮忙儿 bāngmángr: to help; to do sb a favour
95. 顶牛儿 dǐngniúr: to be at loggerheads; to clash with sb
96. 敞开儿 chǎngkāir: to open wide
97. 打鸣儿 dǎmíngr: to crow at dawn (as a rooster)
98. 赶明儿 gǎnmíngr: some other time [slang]
99. 拔尖儿 bájiānr: 1. top-notch; outstanding 对我来说，一流的大学才能培养出拔尖儿的人才。In my opinion, only top universities can produce the most talented people. 2. to push oneself to the front
100. 纳闷儿 nàmènr: puzzled; confused
101. 胳膊肘儿 gēbozhǒur: elbow [synonym: 肘儿 zhǒur]
     1. 胳膊肘儿往里拐 to give favour to one’s relatives and friends
102. 打水漂儿 dǎshuǐpiāor: to skip stones
103. 夫妻店儿 fūqīdiànr: family-run shop
104. 豆腐脑儿 dòufunǎor: jellied tofu

For the uninitiated, erhuayin is when you add 儿 on the end of a word. Simple examples include 好玩儿 (hǎowánr, “fun”) and 画画儿 (huàhuàr, “to paint; to draw”).

Note that I haven’t included incidences where erhuayin is added on the end of names, e.g. 兰儿 Lánr, 辰儿 Chénr, 曼儿 Mànr, 小王儿 Xiǎo Wángr, etc.

If you have any to add, please leave a comment in the comments section at the bottom of this post. Cheers!

1. 这儿 zhèr: here (synonym: 这里 zhèlǐ)
2. 那儿 nàr: there (synonym: 那里 nàlǐ)
3. 哪儿 nǎr: where (synonym: 哪里 nǎlǐ)
4. 事儿 shìr: matter; affair 怎么回事儿？: what’s up?; what happened? 没事儿。No problem.
   1. 出事儿: to have an accident
   2. 找事儿: 1. to look for trouble 2. to look for sth to do
   3. 顶事儿: to be of use; useful; helpful
   4. 共事儿: to work together 他不好共事儿。He’s not easy to get along with.
   5. 办事儿: to handle affairs; to work
5. 字儿 zìr: character (letter/symbol or Chinese character)
   1. 八字儿还没一撇儿: not even the first stroke of the character ba has been written down; things have not even begun to take shape yet; there is not the slightest sign of success yet
   2. 把我这X字儿倒过来写: eat one’s hat
   3. 白纸黑字儿: in black and white
6. 词儿 cír: word
   1. 没词儿: to be at loss for words
7. 画儿 huàr: painting; drawing 一张画儿: a painting
   1. 画画儿: to paint; to draw
8. 门儿 ménr: door
   1. 开门儿: open the door; (of a business) open
   2. 关门儿: close the door; closed
   3. 出门儿: 1. to be away from home 2. to go on a journey 2. to exit; to leave
   4. 走后们儿: use backdoor connections
   5. 抠门儿: stingy
   6. 串门儿: to drop in on sb; to pay a visit to sb
   7. 有门儿: likely to be realised; hopeful
   8. 没门儿: unlikely to be realised; no way
   9. 邪门儿: strange; weird
   10. 上门儿: 1. to drop in for a visit 2. to meet with one’s future wife’s parents
   11. 窍门儿 qiàoménr: trick; key (to a problem); knack
9. 活儿 huór: work; job
   1. 干活儿: to work
10. 花儿 huār: flower
    1. 浪花儿: spray from waves; splash
11. 边儿 biānr: side
    1. 这边儿: here; over here
    2. 那边儿: there; over there
    3. 路边儿: the side of the road; roadside
12. 今儿 jīnr: today [colloquial] (synonym: 今天 jīntiān)
13. 明儿 míngr: tomorrow [colloquial] (synonym: 明天 míngtiān)
14. 昨儿 zuór: yesterday [colloquial] (synonym: 昨天 zuótiān)
15. 绳儿 shéngr: rope
    1. 跳绳儿: to skip rope
16. 皮儿 pír: skin
    1. 单眼皮儿: single eyelids
    2. 饺子皮儿: dumpling skin
17. 头儿 tóur: 1. head 2. leader; boss; supervisor
    1. 老头儿: old man
    2. 顶头儿: leader 顶头儿上司 superior; supervisor
    3. 尽头儿: end (of a place/location)
    4. 打头儿: 1. leader 2. first 我先打头儿去了。I’m off now.
18. 会儿 huìr (or: huǐr): moment [colloquial] 等一会儿。Wait a sec.
    1. 这会: right now 我刚才给他打电话，她这会儿不在家。I just called her, and she’s not at home right now.
19. 空儿 kòngr: free time; spare time 你什么时候有空儿？ When are you free?
    1. 抽空儿: find time
20. 片儿 piānr (or: piànr): 1. sheet 2. disk 3. movie
    1. 照片儿: picture
    2. 唱片儿: 1. disc 2. record; album
21. 块儿 kuàir: piece; chunk
    1. 冰块儿: ice cube
    2. 一块儿: together (synonym: 一起 yīqǐ)
    3. 方块儿: square
22. 玩儿 wánr: to play
    1. 好玩儿: fun
    2. 贪玩儿: to love fun and games
23. 托儿 tuōr: shill; plant (a person employed to act as a customer that competes for goods with others in order to attract more customers) 这家饭店刚开了，他们花钱雇了几个托儿。The restaurant has just opened and they’ve paid for some people to come and pretend to be their customers.
24. 壳儿 kér: shell
    1. 硬壳儿: shell
25. 歌儿 gēr: song 这首歌儿很好听。This song is great.
    1. 唱歌儿: to sing
26. 碗儿 wǎnr: bowl
27. 瓶儿 píngr: bottle
    1. 花瓶儿 huāpíngr: 1. vase. 2. just a pretty face
28. 板儿 bǎnr: board; plank
    1. 快板儿: kuaiban; clappertalk
    2. 木板儿: plank; board
    3. 板儿砖: brick
29. 兜儿 dōur: 1. pocket 2. small bag
30. 本儿 běnr: 1. capital (wealth) 2. book
    1. 亏本儿: to lose money when doing business
    2. 保本儿: to break even
    3. 笔记本儿: notebook
    4. 书本儿: books
31. 盖儿 gàir: lid; cap; cover
    1. 锅盖儿: pot cover
    2. 瓶盖儿: bottle cap
32. 套儿 tàor: 1. cap; cover 2. condom
33. 枣儿 zǎor: jujube; Chinese date
34. 信儿 xìnr: 1. information 2. news
35. 管儿 guǎnr: tube
    1. 吸管儿: straw (for drinking)
    2. 抽水管儿: drain pipe
36. 班儿 bānr: work shift
    1. 上班儿: start work
    2. 下班儿: get off work
    3. 顶班儿: 1. work regular shifts 2. take on sb’s shift
    4. 跟班儿: someone who always follow a certain person 两岁的孩子成了我的小跟班儿。The two year-old kid started to tag along with me.
37. 主儿 zhǔr: 1. master 2. employer 3. husband; fiancé; boyfriend; partner 4. owner
38. 伴儿 bànr: partner; companion 人生是孤独的，我们需要找个伴儿。Life can be lonely, we all need to find a partner.
    1. 同伴儿: companion
    2. 搭伴儿: to travel together; to keep each other company
39. 味儿 wèir: 1. taste 2. flavour 地道的中国味儿: authentically Chinese
    1. 口味儿: 1. personal taste 2. flavour
    2. 滋味儿: 1. taste; flavour  2. the way one feels
    3. 没味儿: boring
    4. 变味儿: go bad (of food); taste unpleasant
40. 眼儿 yǎnr: 1. eye 2. tiny hole; orifice
    1. 心眼儿: 1. heart; mind 2. experience; knowledge 3. intentions
    2. 屁眼儿: anus 我咒你生孩子没屁眼儿。Literally, “May your child be born with an imperforate anus” (strong cursing expression)
    3. 鸡眼儿: bunion; corn
    4. 肚脐眼儿: belly button
    5. 嗓子眼儿: throat 我心都提到嗓子眼儿了。My heart was racing.
    6. 白眼儿: 1. to look down upon 2. to disapprove
    7. 起眼儿: 1. attractive 2. outstanding; striking
41. 点儿 diǎnr: spot; point
    1. 一点儿: a little bit
    2. 有点儿: a little bit
    3. 差点儿: 1. almost 2. not quite good enough
    4. 快点儿: hurry up!
    5. 给［某人］点儿颜色看看: to teach sb a lesson
42. 末儿 mòr: powder
    1. 粉末儿
43. 沫儿 mòr: foam
    1. 泡沫儿
44. 盆儿 pénr: basin; tube
45. 口儿 kǒur: 1. cut; split 2. wound
    1. 路口儿: intersection; crossroad (synonym: 十字路口 shízì lùkǒu)
    2. 小两口儿: young couple
46. 卷儿 juǎnr: roll
    1. 烟卷儿: cigarette (synonym: 香烟 xiāngyān)
47. 圈儿 quānr: 1. circle 2. (juànr) enclosure; pen
    1. 圆圈儿(quānr): circle; ring 这个复杂的几何图案实际上就是圆圈儿和方块儿的组合。This complicated geometrical pattern is actually made up of circles and squares.
    2. 猪圈儿(juànr): pigsty
48. 冻儿 dòngr: jelly
49. 馅儿 xiànr: stuffing; filling (of food)
    1. 露馅儿: to give the game away; to let the cat out of the bag
50. 丝儿 sīr: shredded strands
    1. 铁丝儿: iron wire
    2. 萝卜丝儿: shredded turnip
    3. 土豆丝儿: shredded potato
    4. 头发丝儿: strands of hair
51. 份儿 fènr: share; portion; bit
    1. 独一份儿: something unique 放心吧，咱们这个店虽然小点儿，货色在这北京城里可是独一份儿。Don’t worry. Although our restaurant is a bit small, what we sell is unique in Beijing.
52. 样儿 yàngr: appearance; model 看你小样儿！well, look at you! (said to draw attention to sb’s behaviour or facial expression)
    1. 几样儿: 1. several kinds/sorts 2. how many kinds/sorts?
    2. 像样儿: presentable
    3. 好样儿的: well done
    4. 这么样儿: so; such; like this; this way
    5. 那么样儿: in that case
53. 筐儿 kuāngr: 1. basket 2. chest
    1. 竹筐儿: bamboo basket/chest
54. 对儿 duìr: 1. couple; pair 2. couplet
    1. 一对儿: 1. couple 2. pair
    2. 成双成对儿: form a pair
    3. 对儿: Chinese couplet
55. 摊儿 tānr: stall
    1. 地摊儿: stall
    2. 摆摊儿: to set up a stall
56. 干儿 gānr: dried food
    1. 豆腐干儿: dried tofu
57. 肝儿 gānr: liver
    1. 心肝儿: darling
58. 范儿 fànr: style [colloquial] (synonym: 风格 fēnggé)
59. 气儿 qìr: 1. air 2. energy 3. atmosphere 4. breath 5. anger
60. 面儿 miànr: 1. occasion 2. powder
    1. 场面儿: spectacle; scene; occasion
    2. 白面儿: heroin
    3. 表面儿: surface
    4. 封面 儿: 1. title page of a thread-bound book 2. front and back cover of a book 3. front cover
61. 劲儿 jìnr: 1. strength 2. energy 3. enthusiasm
    1. 用劲儿: exert oneself; put one’s back into it
    2. 后劲儿: delayed effect; aftereffect
    3. 差劲儿: no good; crap; disappointing; poor
    4. 没劲儿: exhausted
    5. 带劲儿: energetic; interesting; awesome 这个摇滚歌手的演出很带劲儿。The rock singer’s performance was amazing.
    6. 对劲儿: to look right 你看起来不对劲儿。You don’t look right.
    7. 得劲儿: comfortable; easy to use; handy
    8. 使劲儿: to exert all one’s strength
    9. 一个劲儿: continuously; persistently
62. 妞儿 niūr: girl
    1. 小妞儿: young girl
    2. 泡妞儿: to chase girls
63. 倍儿 bèir: extremely
    1. 身体倍儿棒: great body
    2. 倍儿漂亮: very pretty
64. 签儿 qiānr: 1. slip of paper 2. label
    1. 书签儿: bookmark
    2. 抽签儿: to cast a ballot; to run draw
65. 印儿 yìnr: 1. stamp 2. seal. 3. mark; imprint
    1. 手印儿: 1. handprint 2. fingerprint
    2. 脚印儿: footprint
66. 馆儿 guǎnr: building
    1. 饭馆儿: restaurant
    2. 博物馆儿: museum
    3. 茶馆儿: teahouse
67. 刺儿 cìr: thorn
    1. 刺儿头: one who is hard to get along with; a difficult person to deal with
    2. 找刺儿 to look for faults (synonym: 挑刺儿 tiāocìr)
68. 棍儿 gùnr: 1. rod; stick 2. penis [slang]
    1. 光棍儿: bachelor; single man
    2. 冰棍儿: popsicle
    3. 打光棍儿: to live a single life; to live alone
69. 神儿 shénr: 1. look; expression 2. air
    1. 走神儿 : to lose one’s concentration; to zone out
    2. 眼神儿: the look on sb’s face; expression in sb’s eyes
    3. 跳大神儿: to practice witchcraft
70. 角儿 juér: 1. theatrical role; part 2. [jiǎor] corner
    1. 主角儿[juér]: main role; leading role; protagonist
    2. 丑角儿[juér]: clown; buffoon
    3. 嘴角儿[jiǎor]: corners of the mouth
71. 窝儿 wōr: depression; hollow
    1. 酒窝儿: dimple
    2. 眼窝儿: eye socket
72. 底儿 dǐr: 1. foundation; basis; groundwork 2. shoe sole 3. sb’s past; sb’s unsavoury background
    1. 锅底儿: bottom of a pan/pot 你看，锅底儿有个脏东西。Have a look, there’s still some stuff left on the bottom of the pan.
    2. 心里有底儿: sure; confident
    3. 心里没底儿: unsure; unconfident
73. 仁儿 rénr: kernel
    1. 杏仁儿: almond
    2. 虾仁儿: shelled fresh shrimp; shrimp meat
74. 腕儿 wànr: celebrity; famous person; expert
    1. 手腕儿: wrist
    2. 大腕儿: big shot; celebrity 这个著名的电影明星是个大腕儿，他每次公开露面，狗仔队都试图拍摄他。 This famous movie star is a big shot – every time he goes out in public the paparazzi try to take photos of him.
75. 款儿 kuǎnr: 1. signature plus added comment (on scroll/etc.) 2. signature/inscription on a scroll/bronze/stone 3. item (of a list of statements) 4. well-made; satisfactory
    1. 傍大款儿: to date a rich guy; to be a gold-digger
76. 燕儿 yānr: swallow (species of bird)
77. 孩儿 háir: child
    1. 小孩儿: kid; child
    2. 男孩儿: boy
    3. 女孩儿: girl
78. 帮儿 bāngr: gang
79. 碗儿 wǎnr: bowl
80. 牌儿 páir: 1. card; tag; label 2. brand
    1. 大牌儿: big-shot celebrity
    2. 名牌儿:  1. famous brand 2. nameplate; name tag
    3. 耍大牌儿: act like a big-shot celebrity
81. 哥们儿 gēmenr: 1. buddy; mate; pal; good friend [for men] (synonym: 爷们儿 yémenr) 2. real man (synonym: 好汉 hǎohàn)
82. 爷们儿 yémenr: buddy; mate; pal; good friend [for men] (synonym: 爷们儿 gēmenr)
83. 公园儿 gōngyuánr: park
84. 背心儿 bèixīnr: sleeveless garment; vest; singlet
85. 媳妇儿 xífur: wife [colloquial] (synonym: 老婆 lǎopo)
86. 玩意儿 wányìr: thing 那是什么玩意儿？: what is that thing?
87. 手把儿 shǒubǎr: handle (synonym: 把儿 bǎr)
    1. 带把儿的: baby boy
88. 宝贝儿 bǎobèir: 1. baby 2. darling
89. 小曲儿 xiǎoqǔr: short song; ditty
90. 小调儿 xiǎodiàor: tune
91. 手绢儿 shǒujuànr: handkerchief (synonym: 手帕 shǒupà)
92. 伊妹儿 yīmèir: email (phonetic borrowing from English “email”)
93. 自个儿 zìgěr: oneself [colloquial] (synonym: 自己 zìjǐ)
94. 拉链儿 lāliànr: zipper
95. 皱纹儿 zhòuwénr: wrinkles
96. 钱包儿 qiánbāor: wallet; purse [colloquial]
97. 门槛儿 ménkǎnr: 1. doorstep 2. threshold
98. 纽扣儿 niǔkòur: button
99. 传单儿 chuándānr: leaflet
100. 一半儿 yībànr: half
     1. 一半儿一半儿的: half-half
101. 混混儿 hùnhùnr: 1. loafer; bum 2. rascal; scoundrel 3. to loaf about; to drift through life
102. 毛驴儿 máolǘr: donkey [colloquial] (synonym: 驴子 lǘzi)
103. 同辈儿 tóngbèir: a person of the same generation
104. 小盒儿 xiǎohér: small box / case
105. 灯泡儿 dēngpàor:1. light bulb 2. fifth wheel
106. 土豆儿 tǔdòur: potato
107. 模特儿 mótèr: (fashion) model
108. 模型儿 móxíngr: 1. model 2. pattern
109. 小菜儿 xiǎocàir: cold dish
110. 公子哥儿 gōngzǐgēr: 1. pampered son of a wealthy/influential family 2. playboy
111. 大年三十儿 dànián sānshír: New Year’s Eve
112. 白大褂儿 bái dàguàr: 1. white gown; doctor’s coat 2. doctor
113. 开春儿 kāichūnr: the coming of spring; beginning of spring
114. 打岔儿 dǎchàr: to interrupt; to cut in
115. 打饱嗝儿 dǎbǎogér: to belch (after eating)
116. 打盹儿 dǎdǔnr: to doze off
117. 出格儿 chūgér: 1. to misbehave 2. to be out of the ordinary (synonym: 出圈儿 chūquānr)
118. 抽筋儿 chōujīnr: to get a cramp
119. 嗝儿屁 gěrpì: to die
120. 盖帽儿 gàimàor: 1. to deflect a ball; a blocking shot 2. awesome
121. 有趣儿 yǒuqùr: interesting
122. 没准儿 méizhǔnr: not definite
123. 合群儿 héqúnr: get along well with others 咱们明天的爬山活动别叫他，他根本不合群儿。Let’s not ask him to go out with us tomorrow to go hiking, he’s totally unsociable.
124. 好好儿 hǎohāor: do sth well; carefully; earnestly
125. 压根儿 yàgēnr: totally; completely; simply [colloquial] (synonym: 根本 gēnběn)
126. 大伙儿 dàhuǒr: everyone
127. 八成儿 bāchéngr: 1. eighty percent 2. most likely; probably
128. 慢慢儿 mànmànr: slowly 慢慢儿来 take your time

Which of these can you guess the Chinese and English for?

Answers are at the bottom! (Don’t peek until you can figure them out!)

1. You have a big belly, possibly from too much eating or drinking (noun)
2. You know someone who has a huge vocabulary and seems to know the meaning of almost any word. (noun)
3. One of the most painful sounds a human can make by rubbing two objects together. (cultural concept)
4. You sing with your mouth closed, like a bee. (verb)
5. A child who is a genius. (noun)
6. There’s lots of bureaucracy you have to complete to get something done. (name of a concept)
7. You have a really old, big mobile phone. (noun)
8. You used to play this when you were a kid, throwing rocks across a river or lake. (verb)
9. Those long really cars that celebrities and wedding parties ride in. (noun)
10. You always believe the worst in people. (name of a concept)
11. The person who makes an income to support the family.
12. You set aside positions for your friends and family to fill. (name of a concept)

—–

Answers:

1. You have a big belly, possibly from too much eating or drinking. (noun) English: beer belly; pot belly. Chinese: 将军肚 jiāngjūndù; 啤酒肚 píjiǔdù.
2. You know someone who has a huge vocabulary and seems to know the meaning of almost any word. (noun) English: walking dictionary. Chinese: 活字典 huózìdiǎn.
3. One of the most painful sounds a human can make by rubbing two objects together. (cultural concept) English: nails on a chalkboard. Chinese: 刺耳的声音；用刀割易拉罐儿 cì’ěr de shēngyīn; yòng dāo gē yìlāguànr.
4. You sing with your mouth closed, like a bee. (verb) English: hum. Chinese: 哼着小调 hēng zhe xiǎodiào.
5. A child who is a genius. (noun) English: child prodigy. Chinese: 神童 shéntóng.
6. There’s lots of bureaucracy you have to complete to get something done. (name of a concept) English: red tape. Chinese: 繁文缛节 fánwénrùjié.
7. You have a really old, big mobile phone. (noun) English: brick. Chinese: 大哥大 dàgēdà.
8. You used to play this when you were a kid, throwing rocks across a river or lake. (verb) English: skip stones. Chinese: 打水漂 dǎ shuǐpiāo.
9. Those really long cars that celebrities and wedding parties ride in. (noun) English: limousine. Chinese: 豪华轿车 háohuájiàochē; 林肯 Línkěn.
10. You always believe the worst in people. (name of a concept) English: cynicism. Chinese: 犬儒主义 quǎnrúzhǔyì.
11. The person who makes an income to support the family. English: breadwinner. Chinese: 养家糊口的人 yǎngjiāhúkǒu de rén.
12. You set aside positions for your friends and family to fill. (name of a concept) English: nepotism. Chinese: 任人唯亲 rènrénwéiqīn; 裙带关系 qúndài guānxi.

It does not seem terribly difficult to come up with collocations in English. We say, for example, “eat soup”, not “drink soup” as the Chinese do (喝汤). Likewise, in English we say “make a phone call to sb” or just “call sb”, while Mandarin has the more complicated structure of 给[某人]打电话.

But while there are numerous collocations dictionaries in the English language, I’ve yet to come across any for Chinese. If anyone can suggest any in the comments section I’d be most grateful.

I am also trying to make my own list of collocations in Chinese, along with their English counterparts. The kind of collocations I want to focus on, as a Chinese learner, are the kind you can’t find in dictionaries. I don’t want to talk too much about structures like “一边…一边…”, “不但…而且…”, etc. either; the way I see it, they are more like sentence structures than collocations per se. Anyway, those kind of structures you can find in any decent Chinese textbook. What I want to explore is what common collocations exist in Chinese, specifically verb-object collocations as they are usually the most practical/interesting.

I think this kind of research can benefit learners of any language, since learning how to use collocations correctly is one of the most effective ways to improve your proficiency.

Here’s a short list that I came up with off the top of my head. I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments!

Some Examples of Verb-Object Collocations in Chinese

出国：go abroad
破产：go bankrupt
生气：get angry
铺床：make (one’s) bed
摆桌子：set the table
养成习惯：form a habit
提升士气： boost morale
驱动增长：drive growth
做一个预约：make an appointment
推出一个产品：launch a product
占地方：take up space
达成共识：reach a consensus
摆脱贫困： escape poverty
起草一分协议：draw up an agreement
制定法律：make laws
向[某人]发出传票：issue a summons against sb
轻易下结论：jump to conclusions
培养[某人]的素质： build sb’s character
把A放在首位：make A a priority
把钱放在A：spend money on A
引起注意：attract attention
把A放在心上：take A to heart
释放压力：relieve stress
发表意见：express an opinion
结交新朋友：make  new friends
开阔视野：expand (one’s) horizons
提高意识：raise awareness
犯错误：make a mistake
走到路线：go down a route
克服困难：overcome difficulty
解决问题：solve a problem
提高水平：raise/improve level/standard/proficiency
放[某人]的鸽子：stand somebody up
留下印象：leave an impression
把A包在[某人]身上：leave A to sb
保持联系：keep in touch
给[某人]点儿颜色看看：teach sb a lesson

You have been called to interpret for a visiting delegation from China. They are visiting the office of the Koala Conservation and Research Foundation. The director of the foundation is giving a speech about the protection of koala populations in Australia.

Listen to Speech

Interpreting Speech #9 – Protecting Koalas (English-into-Mandarin)

Transcript and reference translation

First of all I’d like to welcome you all to Australia. I hope you have a pleasant stay here. My name is Bob Casswell and I’ll be talking to you today about the state of koalas in our country and the challenges we face in protecting them from extinction.

首先，我要欢迎你们大家来到澳大利亚。祝您们逗留愉快。我的名字是鲍勃.凯斯维儿，今天我要和你们谈谈考拉在我国的情况，以及我们面临的挑战，来保护它们免遭灭绝.

Along with the kangaroo and emu, the koala is one of the iconic animals of Australia. Although it resembles a bear, it is actually a marsupial. Historically they lived all across Australia , but today they can no longer be found in Tasmania , Western Australia or the Northern Territory.

和袋鼠和鸸鹋一样，考拉是澳大利亚标志性的动物之一。尽管它看起来象熊，它实际上是有袋目动物。历史上, 考拉生活在全澳大利亚，但是今天，在塔斯马尼亚，西澳和北领地已经找不到它们的身影了。

Koalas prefer to live in eucalyptus forests, coastal islands, and low woodlands. They consume eucalyptus leaves and bark from 12 different eucalyptus tree species. Koalas can sleep for up to 16 hours a day. They live exclusively in trees and prefer to be alone rather than in big groups.

考拉喜欢生活在桉树森林，海滨小岛以及低地树林里。它们吃12种不同的桉树上的树叶和树皮。考拉可以每天睡觉多达16 个小时，只在树上生活，它们喜欢独居, 而不喜欢群居。

(…)

Once numbering in the millions, there are now fewer than 100,000 koalas left in the wild. Koalas suffered major declines in population during the 1920s when they were hunted for their fur. Today, habitat destruction, traffic fatalities and attacks by dogs kill an estimated 4,000 koalas yearly.

考拉曾经有数百万只，现在只有不到10万只野生考拉。在20世纪20年代，在人们因为它们的皮毛而捕猎它们时，它们的数量急剧减少。今天, 每年估计有4000只考拉死于栖息地流失，车祸致死以及被狗袭击。

Koala numbers around Australia vary significantly. While some populations are declining in some areas, there are large or even increasing populations in other areas. In fact, in some areas in Victoria and on Kangaroo Island , koalas are eating themselves out of suitable foraging habitat and their numbers need to be managed.

考拉的数量在澳大利亚不同地区有很显著的差异。在有些地区它们的数量在减少，而在其它地区它们的数量很大，甚至还在增长。事实上，在维多利亚州的某些地区以及袋鼠岛上，考拉们吃得太多，这正在减少适合它们的食物充足的栖息地, 而需要来控制它们的数量。

But the koala populations in Queensland , New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are clearly in trouble, so much so that the Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced Australia ‘s most at-risk koala populations in these areas will be included on the national list of threatened species.

但是在昆士兰，新南威尔士以及澳大利亚首都直辖区，考拉的数量存在明显的问题，所以环境部长托尼.博客宣布考拉的数量在这些地区存在最大的威胁，考拉将会被列入国家受濒危威胁物种名录内。

(…)

His decision to list the koala under national environment law follows a rigorous scientific assessment by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee which gathered information from a wide variety of experts over the past three years.

他的决定将考拉列入国家环境保护法的做出是通过威胁物种科学委员会事实的有力的科学评估，以及过去三年收集不同专家的信息基础之上的。

The Gillard Government has also committed $300,000 of new funding to find out more about koala habitats. The funding will be used to develop new survey methods that will gain insight into the quality of koala habitats and help gather data to better protect the species. The new funding is in addition to more than $3 million the government has invested since 2007 to ensure the resilience and sustainability of koala populations.

吉拉德政府也致力于投入30万新的资金用于找到更多考拉的栖息地。这项资金也将会用于开发新的调查方法，以及获取有质量的考拉栖息地，同时采集信息以更好的保护这一物种。新的资金结合2007年政府投入的3百万，可以确保考拉数量的适应性和可持续性。

I’ve heard that there are some members of the delegation who are planning on migrating to Australia in the future, and some of you also have relatives who already live here. Keep in mind that many housing areas in Australia have actually been built in and around koala habitat. So I’d like to give you a few pieces of advice should you choose to live here.

我听说一些代表团的成员计划移民到澳大利亚，你们中的还有一些有亲戚已经在这里生活。记住澳大利亚的很多生活区事实上已经建立于考拉栖息地以及周边地区。所以我想给你们一些建议，如果你们选择住在这里的话。

(…)

Firstly, try planting more trees in your backyard. All trees give shelter from predators and adverse weather conditions. Ideally plant a koala food tree that is common in your immediate area. If you are unsure of what eucalypts grow in your area your local nursery or botanic gardens may be able to give you some advice.

首先，在你们的后院种更多的树种。所有的树都可以为考拉提供住所以及免受扑食对象的袭击以及不利的天气状况。理想情况下在你附近种考拉可以吃的常见树种。如果你不确定哪一种桉树可以种，当地的苗圃以及植物园可能会给你提供建议。

Secondly, check with your local council before removing or lopping trees on your property. After permission is granted, check carefully for koalas before work commences.

其次，和当地市政厅联系，在你移走你们家的树或者剪枝之前。获得许可后，在开工之前仔细核查。

Thirdly, when driving close to bushland or where koala signs are, be on the lookout for koalas wandering on the road. Koalas are particularly active during the breeding season from August to February. Being nocturnal, they tend to be more mobile from dusk to dawn.

第三，当开车在灌木丛或者有考拉标志的地区时，注意考拉是否在路上活动。卡拉在每年8月到次年2月的繁殖季节格外活跃。在夜间，考拉可能从傍晚到清晨格外活跃。

Lastly, prevent your dog from roaming after dusk and keep it on a lead when walking. Dogs roaming freely in and near bushland areas are a significant threat to koalas. You may think your dog isn’t aggressive but even good-natured dogs can be unpredictable around wild animals.

最后，不要让你的狗在黄昏后活动，遛狗时拴上狗链。在灌木丛附近自由活动的狗对考拉是很大的威胁。你可能认为你的狗不凶猛，但是即使驯良的狗也可能无法预计。

Material adapted from numerous resources, including [1], [2] and [3]. The Foundation’s name is made up, but the cause is real.

25 Common Abbreviations in Mandarin

1. 3P (“sān-pi”): threesome
2. APP (“aye-pee-pee”): app (usually for smart phones)
3. BBS (“bee-bee-es”): message board; online forum
4. BL (“bee-ell”): Boys’ Love; Yaoi; Japanese homoerotic fiction
5. BS (“bee-es”): hate; despise; look down upon (from 鄙视 bǐshì)
6. BT (“bee-tee”): 1. BitTorrent (protocol); torrent file 2. perverted (from 变态 biàntài)
7. CCTV (“see-see-tee-wee”): 1. China Central Television, i.e. 中国中央电视台Zhōngguó Zhōngyāng diànshìtái 2. CCTV surveillance camera (same as English)
8. DINK (dīngkè): couples who choose not to have children (from Double Income No Kids)
9. HSK (“aiche-es-kay”): Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, i.e. 汉语水平考试 Hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì (the Chinese proficiency test used in the PRC)
10. KO (“kay-oh”): to knock sb out (probably from English “knock out”)
11. LV (“ell-wee”): Louis Vuitton
12. LZ (“ell-zee”): the person who makes the first in an online forum (from 楼主 lóuzhǔ)
13. MV (“em-wee”): music video
14. NB (“en-bee”): fucking awesome; kick-ass (from 牛逼 niúbī)
15. PO (“poh”): post (v.) (probably from English “post”)
16. PK (“pee-kay”): “Player Killing” (player-versus-player conflict in MMORPGs and MUDs); to fight sb
17. PPT (“pee-pee-tee”): PowerPoint presentation
18. PSB (“pee-es-bee”): Public Security Bureau, i.e. 公安局 gōng’ānjú
19. Q (“kewoh”): 1. chewy 2. cute
20. SB (“es-bee”): stupid cunt (from 傻逼 shǎbī)
21. SM (“es-em”): sadomasochism (probably from English “S&M”)
22. UGG (“yu-ji-ji”): ugg (boot)
23. VCR (“wee-see-ar”): short clip (probably corrupted from English “VCR”)
24. YD (“why-dee”): dirty; perverted (from 淫荡 yíndàng)
25. YY (“yee-yee”): to fantasise; to get pleasure from imagining a sexual act; to think pervertedly (from意淫 yìyín)

A Mandarin-speaking customer has come into the office of an investment broker to make some enquiries about investment options.

Listen to Dialogue

Mandarin-English Dialogue #31 – Investment Enquiry

Transcript and reference translation

Customer: 您好 。非常感谢你这么短时间就过来见我。我过来是想聊一聊投资的事情。首先我想知道自住房需要付资产增值税吗？[Hello. Thank you for coming to see me at such short notice. I have some investment enquiries to discuss with you. Firstly, I’d like to know if I need to pay capital gains tax on a property I’m buying to live in myself?]

Investment Broker: No, you don’t, and thank you for coming in today. Could you tell me what kind of plans do you have for your investment? [不需要，谢谢您今天过来。您可以告诉我你对投资是怎么打算的？]

Customer: 那就好。我打算买些投资房，我听说买公寓的楼花是不用付印花税的，对吧？[That’s good. I’m planning to buy some investment properties. I heard that you don’t have to pay stamp duty for buying apartments off-the-plan, is that right?]

Investment Broker: Yes, you’re perfectly right. You may be eligible for a First Home Owner Grant since this is your first time buying a house. When your property is settled, you can hand it over to real estate agents to manage. They will give you a set return of investment. [是的，您说得很对。你可能有资格申请首次置业补助，因为您是第一次买房 。买好之后可以交给中介管理。他们会给您固定的投资回报。]

Customer: 那么，投资回报一般是多少呢，够我还房贷吗？[How much return can I get? Would that be enough for me to pay my mortgage?]

Investment Broker: That should be enough. ROI varies from 4% to 6%. The good thing is, the depreciation of your property and the furniture you buy can be used to offset the tax. This is known as negative gearing. [差不多吧，回报从4-6%不等。好处就是，您买的家具和房子的贬值可以起到抵税的作用，也就是所说的负扣税。]

Customer: 那太好了。我也在担心交税的问题，和每个季度要填的商业活动报表，真是复杂啊。[Great. I am also concerned about paying tax, and the Business Activity Statement that I have to fill in each quarter. It seems really complicated.]

Investment Broker: You’re right. ATO stipulates that if the turnover of a business is over $76,000, you’re advised to register for GST and lodge your BAS every 3 months. [是的，税务局规定，如果一个生意的营业额超过76000澳元的话，那么就建议您注册商品服务税和每三个月递交一个商业活动报表。]

Customer: 嗯，我记住了。如果净收入10万以上的话，成立家庭信托账户比较有用，对吧？[Yeah, I remember that. If the gross is over 100,000, a family trust would be useful, is that right?]

Investment Broker: Ah, yes. You can also use your ABN for all of these. However, if you want to register a formal company, then you will have to apply for an ACN from ASIC – I mean, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. [嗯，是的。你也可以用你的ABN做所有这些事情 。如果要注册公司的话，那你就得向ASIC－也就是澳大利亚证券投资委员会－申请ACN啦。]

Customer: 好的，我想这些我都明白。商会的人建议我可以考虑买农场、屠宰场或葡萄酒厂，你觉得我该选哪一个？[OK, I think I understand everything you talked about. Someone in the Chamber of Commerce recommended that I consider buying a farm, abattoir or winery. Which do you think I should choose?]

Investment Broker: Well I think a winery would probably be a good choice. The market is growing exponentially.  [葡萄酒厂可能是个不错的选择。这个市场增长迅猛啊。]

Customer: 嗯，有道理，我也觉得葡萄酒厂是个更好的选择，智者所见略同啊。最后问一个问题，我可以出口动物内脏去中国吗？我在这一行的关系不错。[Yeah, that makes sense. I was also thinking a winery would be a better option. Great minds think alike! I have one more question I’d like to ask. Would I be able to export offal to China? I have pretty good connections in this industry.]

Investment Broker: Unfortunately no. What I know is that offal can be exported to Hong Kong but not mainland China. That’s probably because Australia and China have not signed a Free Trade Agreement. [很不幸还不行，我知道可以出口去香港那边，但还去不了中国大陆。因为是因为澳大利亚和中国还没有签署自由贸易协定的原因吧。]

Customer: 真希望这个FTA可以早点签好，我们做生意就方便多了！[I really hope this FTA can be signed – the sooner the better. It’ll make doing business a lot easier!]

You have been called to interpret for Mrs Lai, a Mandarin-speaking woman, who has come into the office of Mr Wilkinson, a mediator. Mrs Lai is currently involved in a dispute with her neighbour and is seeking to resolve it by means of mediation.

Listen to Dialogue

Mandarin-English Dialogue #30 – Neighbourhood Dispute

Transcript and reference translation

Wilkinson: Good afternoon Mrs Lai. My name is Timothy Wilkinson and I’ll be looking after your case. Please take a seat and we can get started.

Lai: 威尔金森先生，谢谢你来见我。我1980年那个时候从中国来到墨尔本做钳工。我在同一条街住了30年了，从来没有跟我的邻居发生过任何问题。这真是一个很头痛的问题。[Thank you for seeing me Mr Wilkinson. I moved to Melbourne from China in 1980 to work as a fitter. I’ve lived on the same street for 30 years and not once have I had a problem with my neighbours. This whole situation has been such a headache.]

Wilkinson: Yes, I’ve read through your file. You said your neighbour, Boris Suvorov, used a chainsaw to cut down the eucalyptus tree on the boundary between your house and your neighbour’s house, but he didn’t get your permission first. Is that correct?

Lai: 还远远不止这些，我２０年前种下了那棵树，庆祝我获得澳大利亚公民的身份。上周四，他连一个电话都不打就把给树砍倒了。

他也没有清理所有的树枝和树干，弄得满地都是。然后他把根也拔了出来，结果把下水管道给损坏了。[It’s much worse than that. I planted it there 20 years ago to celebrate my Australian citizenship, and he just cut it down last Thursday without so much as a phone call. And he didn’t clean up all the twigs and branches either – he just left them all over the ground. Then he pulled the roots out as well, causing damage to the sewerage pipes.]

(…)

他是一个残酷的，没心没肺的人。他一搬到附近我就知道他不是一个好东西。我曾经试过跟他谈，但是他有很重的俄罗斯口音，我的英文也不是很好所以没法跟他进行协商。[He’s a cruel, heartless man. I knew he was bad news the minute he moved into the neighbourhood. I tried talking to him but he has a thick Russian accent and my English is not good enough to negotiate with him.]

Wilkinson: I see. So do you have any idea why would do such a thing?

Lai: 他跟我说他想在我们的房子之间修个栅栏。他是按摩师，在家工作。他说我们的孩子在院子里玩的时候太吵了，会影响他的生意。我可以理解这一点，可是他做的事情真的…… 他太过分了。[He told me he wants to build a fence between our properties. He’s a masseur and works from home. He says our children are too noisy when they play in the yard and that it disrupts his business. I understand that, but what he did… he went too far.]

Wilkinson: And, tell me, what kind of solution are hoping to get out of this?

Lai: 我希望他能付钱请人来修理下水管道，而且如果他真的很想修栏杆的话，我希望他在修之前和我商量。我们家不想让他建一个太高的栏杆，那样太碍眼了。[I’d like him to pay for someone to fix the sewerage pipes and, if he really wants to go ahead with the fence, I want him to talk to me first before he puts it up. Our family don’t want him to construct a fence that’s too high. It’d be an eyesore.]

Wilkinson: OK, OK. Well, let me tell you a bit about the mediation process, all right? We can set up a meeting between the two of you, along with a mediator who is trained and nationally accredited to help parties discuss their issues.

(…)

Now, mediators are required by law to keep all discussions confidential. They remain neutral and do not take sides either. The mediators will give both of you a chance to be heard and guide you through a discussion about the issues you’re facing.

(…)

In the last stage of the mediation, the mediator will help you two explore a variety of options to resolve your dispute and then help you write down the details of any agreement you may reach. Does all of that make sense?

Lai: 我担心伯瑞斯可能不会参加我们的调解会议。有什么办法可以确保他参加呢？[I’m worried that Boris may not attend our mediation session. Is there a way to make sure he comes?]

Wilkinson: Mediation is a voluntary process and no one can be forced to attend I’m afraid. But we’ll try our best to negotiate with him for you to convince him of why it would be in his best interests to attend.

An English-speaking Personal Assistant (PA) of a multinational company has rung Viva Catering Services (VCS) to make a booking for the catering of an upcoming Annual General Meeting. The catering receptionist is a Mandarin-speaking woman.

Listen to Dialogue

Mandarin-English Dialogue #29 – Catering Booking

Transcript and reference translation

VCS: 维哇餐饮服务。我有什么能帮到您的吗？[Viva Catering Services. How may I help you?]

PA: Good afternoon. I’m calling on behalf of TRT Logistics Company. We require catering for the AGM we are holding at our headquarters in Hong Kong on May 3rd. There will be around 100 guests attending.

VCS: 明白了。您定好场地了吗？[I see. Did you already have a venue booked?]

PA: Yes. We’ve booked out the entire floor of an office building on the night of the third. The floor will have more than enough seats for the occasion. Now, the CEO has given me some very specific instructions about the catering and I was wondering if you could provide me with a quotation.

VCS: 当然。我们在公司宴会方面经验丰富，我确信可以满足你们的要求。[Certainly. We have extensive experience in corporate functions and I’m sure we will be able to meet your requirements.]

PA: OK. Let’s start with food. The CEO said he would like to provide the guests with an all-you-can-eat buffet, including hors d’oeuvres. Just keep in mind that some of the people in the company don’t eat meat so we’re gonna have to provide some vegetarian dishes as well.

VCS: 您倾向于我们提供中餐还是西餐呢？中餐的自助主要有各式点心、炒菜、汤，最特别的是我们会提供正宗的北京烤鸭。西餐方面有牛排、意大利面及各种海鲜，如生蚝、龙虾等。[Would you prefer Chinese or Western dishes? A Chinese buffet would include dumplings, stir-fry and soups. Our most special dish is our authentic Beijing duck. Our Western offerings include steak, pasta and many types of seafood such as oysters, lobster, etc.]

PA: Well perhaps we could do a fusion of the two so guests could pick and match. That way both the Chinese and Western attendees would be happy.

VCS: 没问题的。我们会按照您的要求提供素食的。你希望提供什么样的饮料呢？[No problem. We’ll include plenty of vegetarian dishes as well according to your requirements. What kind of beverages do you wish to provide?]

PA: A full bar, including beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks. Forget about cocktails though. My boss said he’d also like to create a nice ambience by ordering in some flowers to place around the venue.

VCS: 就您给我的人数来看，一个全套的饮料套餐一晚上下来要1000澳元。至于花嘛，我可以帮您联系一个卖花的，他会给您安排好。[A full bar drinks package for the participant numbers you’ve given me will come to $1,000 for the night. As for the flowers, I can get you in touch with a florist who can arrange that for you.]

PA: We will also need a PA as they’ll be a number of speeches throughout the night. Oh, I just remembered one more thing. The dress code will be formal. With that in mind, what kind of music could you provide us?

VCS: 我们可以提供一系列不同的音乐选择。我想一个爵士乐队会比较合适，但是比较贵。或者，您可以定一个本地的DJ。[We can provide a range of different music options. I think something like a jazz band would be suitable, though they’re not cheap. Alternatively you could book a local DJ.]

PA: Money won’t be a problem. We are a multinational company and we have a considerable budget set aside for this event. Anyway, please email me a list of different options about the music and I’ll ask my boss to make a decision.

VCS: 好。我会按照您给我的要求把报价发过去。我能告诉您的是，花费会大概在2500-2700之间，包括了食物、饮料、设备和人工。租乐队需要额外花钱。[OK. I’ll also send through a quotation based on the requirements you’ve given me. I can tell you the cost will be somewhere in the region of $2,500-$2,700, including food and beverages and equipment and labour costs. Band hire will be extra.]

PA: OK, great. I’ll email you all the extra information about the event now, including the guests list, seating plan and the MC’s name and phone number. Thank you so much for your help.