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40 Terms Commonly Used in Chinese Academic Writing
The following is a collection of 40 terms that I have come across while reading Chinese academic writing such as papers, reports, theses, etc. I think this list will be very useful for any Westerner coming to China to study a Chinese-taught programme, but it can also be used by Chinese wishing to improve their […]
15 Chinese Words Which Have More Than One Meaning in English
I’ve always been curious about words in Chinese which can refer to two more different meanings in English. Here are 15 words I could think of that I have encountered before. If you can think of any more please let me know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post! 1. 笑 […]
14 Nouns That Are Countable in Chinese (But Not in English)
The following is a list of words that are countable in Chinese but not in English. I think this article will be beneficial for both learners of English and Chinese. Enjoy! 1. 信息 (news) Chinese example sentence: 我有个好消息要告诉你。 Literal translation: I have a good news to tell you. Idiomatic translation: I have some good […]
250 Physical Verbs in English and Chinese
I’ve always wanted to compile a list of verbs in English and Chinese that involve physical actions, as I believe these are some of the trickiest types of vocabulary to master. They’re tricky because, although they’re the kind of things we do on a daily basis, we rarely think about how to express them clearly […]
A Comprehensive Guide to Euphemisms in Chinese and English
I’ve always been fascinated with the concept of euphemisms in language – that is, words and expressions which allow you to express something without doing so in a direct way. In Chinese they are known as 婉辞, though in daily conversation it is more common to hear them described as 委婉语 or 委婉的说法. Here are […]
50 Skills and Abilities in Chinese
Lately I’ve noticed that Chinese has many words to describe skills and abilities that English lacks. While some like 杂技 and 想像力 are easy to translate, others are notoriously difficult In particular I found 内功, 号召力 and 悟性 real challenges. Here’s the list I’ve compiled. Note that there are four main suffixes that describe skills […]
An Introduction to Criminal Law Terms in English and Chinese (+ Glossary)
The following is an introduction to commonly used terms in criminal law (刑法) that I’ve collected over the years of translating and teaching interpreting. The focus is mainly on vocabulary common in Australian and British law. At the end of this post is a glossary of all the terms mentioned (150 in total!) Disclaimer: I […]
How to Describe Medical Symptoms in Chinese
Have been inspired recently to do more research into how a whole variety of medical symptoms can be expressed naturally in Chinese. Here is what I have found between reading a number of books and consulting with friends, both laypeople and medical experts alike. Enjoy! How to Describe Medical Symptoms in Chinese 描述一般症状－Describing […]
Common “Society Concepts” in Chinese
Recently I have been busy collecting common “society” concepts in Chinese that are difficult to translate due to social, cultural and political differences that exist between China and the West. Here’s the results of my research. 20 Common “Society Concepts” in Chinese 1. 社会保障 (lit. “social ensurance”): social security 2. 社会安全 (lit. “social safety”): national […]
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