Tag Archives: phrases
English and Chinese Telephone Phrasebook
Hi everyone. I prepared this phrasebook to help anyone who is preparing to work as a telephone interpreter. There are two versions — one in English and one in Mandarin. Feel free to press PLAY, take notes, and interpret into the other language. Connecting a Call Interpret English into Mandarin Interpret Mandarin into English Making/Receiving […]
Top 80 Most Common Polite Expressions in Chinese
Polite expressions (礼貌用语 lǐmào yòngyǔ) are often neglected by learners of Chinese. They are rarely covered in textbooks, and there is a general misconception that Chinese does not have many such expressions. While “manners” as we understand them in English-speaking countries are not typically observed in modern-day China, it would be incorrect to claim that […]
Another 45 Mandarin Sentences with Chinese Characteristics
(This post is a continuation from my previous article “45 Mandarin Sentences with Chinese Characteristics“.) 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 […]
45 Mandarin Sentences with Chinese Characteristics
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 […]
33 Proverbs that Translate Well Between English and Mandarin
Following on from 23 Actually Useful Proverbs (谚语), I have come up with a list of proverbs that have some kind of equivalence between Chinese and English. I look forward to reading your comments, additions and criticisms! 1. There’s no use crying over spilt milk. 覆水难收 fù shuǐ nán shōu (“Spilt water is hard to […]
23 Actually Useful Proverbs (谚语)
Here’s a list of proverbs I’ve come across over the years that I think are actually interesting and useful in both conversation and writing. A translation for each is provided, along with an equivalent English expression where possible. 熟能生巧 shúnéngshēngqiǎo – Skill comes from practice; practice makes perfect. 百闻不如一见 bǎiwén bùrú yījiàn – Hearing something […]
10 Chinese Love Idioms
I’ve been looking through some old notes I had written a few years ago and was inspired to come up with a love/relationships theme for my next blog entry. Here’s a list I’ve come up with some (native-speaker-checked) example sentences to help you express more eloquently your past, present and future experiences with the lovers […]
15+ Ways To Say “You’re Welcome”
It is true that we have quite a few ways to express “you’re welcome” in English – “no problem”, “no worries”, “forget it”, “my pleasure”, “not at all”, to name a few. But how about Chinese? Here, I think, is the most exhaustive list you’ll find on the web: 不客气 bù kèqi (variants: 不用客气 bùyòng […]
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