MyPlain

Tag: Chinese Language

  • Some Chinese Vocabulary

    It’s a little late, but I’m here to drop some Chinese vocabulary that I taught my friend last Sunday, in case you want to learn Chinese too.

    1. I introduced the concept of “seasonal ingredients” (shí lìng cài 时令菜) — foods that taste best in a particular season, like water spinach (kōng xīn cài 空心菜) in summer.
    2. 靠近 (kàojìn) – means “to be close to” or “to approach.” Example: 别靠太近 (Bié kào tài jìn — Don’t get too close).
      远离 (yuǎnlí) – means “to stay away from” or “to keep distance.” Example: 远离危险 (Yuǎnlí wēixiǎn — Stay away from danger).
    3. 错过 (cuòguò) – means “to miss out on something.” Example: 别错过《奥德赛》这部电影 (Bié cuòguò “Àodésài” zhè bù diànyǐng — Don’t miss the movie The Odyssey).
    4. 薯条 (shǔtiáo) – French fries; the word literally means “potato strips.”
    5. The four seasons: 春夏秋冬 (chūn, xià, qiū, dōng) – all have first-tone pronunciation except xià (summer), which is fourth tone. A mnemonic: it’s so hot in summer that you need to bring the temperature down — so, a falling tone!
    6. 菜 (cài) – refers not only to vegetables but also to meat dishes (荤菜 hūn cài).
      卤菜 (lǔcài) – braised dishes. Though cooked in water, the long cooking time and various spices make them flavorful. Many ingredients can be braised, including beef, pork, chicken, duck, goose, seaweed, tofu, and some vegetables.

  • The New Tool

    There’s a Chinese saying that goes: “Lose on one side and gain on the other” (失之东隅，收之桑榆 shī zhī dōng yú, shōu zhī sāng yú). I really felt that this past Sunday.

    A few weeks ago, I had to change my communication tool because Microsoft discontinued its Teams Personal Edition in Mainland China on July 28. After two weeks of exploring, I found that the new tool, VooV Meeting, is actually way more useful than the old one.

    Here is the story.

    My friend helps me with the English questions I come across every week on Sunday evenings. In exchange, I help him learn Chinese. My questions are always very specific, and most of our chatting is in English, which helps me improve my listening and speaking a lot. Because of that, I had been a little worried about whether I was teaching him enough Chinese.

    The new tool has eliminated my concerns with AI meeting minutes. Every time, I just need to get the transcript after the meeting and check, revise, summarize, and email it to my friend. Of course, it is not perfect, but at least it provides quite a good structure to remind me of what we talked about.

    I’ll show you the latest minutes in case you are also interested in learning Chinese!

    Here’s a quick summary of our discussion on Sunday:

    1. Key Grammar: Uses of “都” (Dōu)
      1) Meaning 1 – “All” / “Completely”
      Indicates totality or a high degree.
      e.g. 都要 (dōu yào) — all need / want;
      功课学得都不错 (gōngkè xué de dōu bú cuò) — The homework/studies are all quite good.
      2) Meaning 2 – Emphasis (even / at all)
      Strengthens tone, often in negative structures.
      e.g. 一动都不动 (yī dòng dōu bú dòng) — Doesn’t move at all.
      (Here, 都 does not mean “all”, but emphasizes the extreme degree of “not moving”.)
      3) Polyphone – “都” as “capital”
      When pronounced dū, it means capital city.
      e.g. 北京是中国的首都 (Běijīng shì Zhōngguó de shǒudū) — Beijing is the capital of China.
    2. Complement Structure: “出来” (Chūlái)
      Three meanings:
      1) Physical: Movement from inside to outside, e.g., 种子长出来了 (zhǒngzi zhǎng chūlái le) — The seed sprouted/came out.
      2) Result: Completion or achievement, e.g., 计划做出来了 (jìhuà zuò chūlái le) — The plan was made/finished.
      3) Abstract: Perception or discovery, e.g., 看出来 (kàn chūlái) — notice/see clearly; 真相出来了 (zhēnxiàng chūlái le) — The truth came out.
    3. Vocabulary & Sentence Patterns
      1) 个子 (Gèzi): Refers specifically to human height (not used for buildings).
      ✅ 高个子 (gāo gèzi) — tall person
      ❌ Not used for buildings — use 高/矮 (gāo/ǎi) for height, 大/小 (dà/xiǎo) for size, 宽广/狭窄 (kuānguǎng/xiázhǎi) for width.
      2) 的 (De): Turns nouns into adjectives, e.g., 红色 → 红色的苹果 (hóngsè → hóngsè de píngguǒ) — red → red apple.
      3) Address order: Chinese: largest → smallest (Country → City → District); English: reverse.
    4. Cultural & Lifestyle Notes
      1) Solar terms: Mentioned 立秋 (Lìqiū) — Start of Autumn. Tammy plans to resume hiking after the heat.
      2) Film: Discussed The Odyssey (《奥德赛》, Àodésài) and its cast’s visit to Shanghai.
      3) Measurement differences (China vs. US):
      Distance: kilometers (公里, gōnglǐ) vs. miles (英里, yīnglǐ)
      Weight: kilograms (公斤, gōngjīn) vs. pounds (磅, bàng)
      Volume: liters (升, shēng) vs. gallons (加仑, jiālún)

  • A Brief Guide to the Chinese “Bèi” (被) Construction

    (Yesterday, I explained this construction to a friend who is learning Chinese, but I think I didn’t make it clear enough, so I wrote this entry this early morning.)

    The “bèi” construction is one of the most recognizable grammar patterns in modern Chinese, often compared to the English passive voice. However, it has its own unique rules, historical baggage, and modern evolution.

    Here is a systematic breakdown to help you understand it better.

    1. The Core Structure

    At its most basic, the “bèi” sentence shifts the focus from the doer of the action to the receiver.
    Basic Formula: [Receiver] + 被 + [Doer (optional)] + [Verb] + [Other Elements]
    Example: 我的手机被（小偷）偷了。
    Pinyin: Wǒ de shǒujī bèi (xiǎotōu) tōu le.
    Meaning: My phone was stolen (by a thief).

    Notice that the doer (小偷/thief) can be completely omitted if it’s unknown or unimportant. The sentence remains grammatically perfect: 我的手机被偷了 (My phone was stolen).

    1. The Golden Rule: It Cannot Stand Alone

    This is the most critical rule. In modern Mandarin, a bare verb usually cannot follow “bèi”. The verb must be “handled” in some way. You cannot say 我被打 (Wǒ bèi dǎ).
    The verb must be accompanied by one of the following:
    Aspect Particle: 了 (le), 过 (guo) → 我被打了 (I was hit).
    Resultative Complement: 坏 (huài), 伤 (shāng) → 玩具被弄坏了 (The toy was broken).
    Directional Complement: 走 (zǒu), 出去 (chūqù) → 钱被拿走了 (The money was taken away).
    Verbal Measure Words: 打 → 他被老师打了一顿 (He got a beating from the teacher).

    1. Modern Alternatives: “Ràng” (让) and “Gěi” (给)

    In spoken, informal Chinese, native speakers often replace “bèi” with 让 (ràng) or 给 (gěi) to sound less formal or dramatic.
    Formal/Written: 蛋糕被我弟弟吃了 (The cake was eaten by my brother).
    Informal: 蛋糕让我弟弟吃了 / 蛋糕给我弟弟吃了.
    Note: When using “ràng” or “gěi”, the doer is usually mandatory. You can’t just say 蛋糕让吃了.

    1. The “Bèi” Prefix Trend (Internet Slang)

    In recent years, “bèi” has evolved into a productive prefix to express forced, fake, or involuntary states, often with a sarcastic tone. This is a fascinating modern development:
    被自愿 (bèi zìyuàn): “Forced to be voluntary” (doing something supposedly willingly but actually under pressure).
    被代表 (bèi dàibiǎo): “Represented without consent” (when someone claims to speak for you, but you disagree).

    Summary
    To explain it in one sentence: The ‘bèi’ construction is a passive marker that highlights the receiver of an action, and it strictly requires the verb to have a complement or particle—it can never be just a bare verb.

  • The Quantifiers Commonly Used in Chinese

    1 把(bǎ)
    通常是指有柄的物品或是成束、成捆的东西。
    It is used to count objects that can be held or grasped in one hand, especially those with handles, or items that are bundled together. It’s similar to using “a bunch of” or “a handle of” in English, but it has a broader application in Chinese for items that you can physically hold. （更多…）