Chinese word: “嚼舌头” (jiáo shé tou)
"嚼舌头" (jiáo shé tou) literally means "to chew one's tongue". It metaphorically means "tittle-tattle", "gossip" or "to say some nonsense words". It's a derogatory term, and it's also known as …
Read More
BBC lists 6 hottest Chinese catchwords of 2016
Chinese netizens are known for coming up with quirky and creative terms for people and things making the news… and they spread like wildfire. 众所周知，中国网民擅长提出诡异又有创意的词语来形容新闻事件中的人和事……而且这些词语就像野火一般迅速蔓延开来。 From "skinny blue mushrooms" to …
Read More
Drama queen: 小题大做的人 (xiǎo tí dà zuò de rén)
You must have seen people who like making a fuss over trifles, as if they are serious and shocking. How can we call such people? Drama queen is a person …
Read More
The origin of slang term “穿小鞋” (chuān xiǎo xié)
The Chinese derogatory slang term "穿小鞋" (chuān xiǎo xié), which literally means "put on small-sized shoes", means "to retaliate someone secretly or to give someone a hard time". It usually …
Read More
How to understand 吊胃口 (diào wèi kǒu)
吊胃口 (diào wèi kǒu) means "to whet one's appetite with delicious food". It's also used as a metaphor implying an act that makes someone curious about or interested in something, …
Read More
Clickbait: 点击诱饵 (diǎn jī yòu ěr)
Clickbait is a link on a website designed to draw your attention and make you click! “点击诱饵”（diǎn jī yòu ěr）指的是网站上的链接，用以吸引你的注意，让你点击。 As we said, 'bait' is something used to attract fish …
Read More
The Peach Colony
The Peach Colony 桃花源记 (Translated by Lin Yutang 林语堂) During the reign of Taiyuan of Chin, there was a fisherman of Wuling. One day he was walking along a bank. …
Read More
What’s 打气 (dǎ qì)?
Have you heard of the expression "打气 (dǎ qì)"? The word "打 (dǎ)" means "hit/strike," and "气 (qì)" means "air/gas." As you might guess, this is the literal way of …
Read More
Is 定心丸 (ding xīn wán) just a drug?
In TCM, 定心丸 (ding xīn wán) is a kind of drug that can smooth one's nerves and set one's mind at ease, benefit vital energy and nourish blood. It now …
Read More
Chinese words and phrases about Christmas
Merry Christmas! In addition to our discount on 1-on-1 live Chinese class, we've collected some Chinese words about Christmas, as a present for you. Merry Christmas —— 圣诞快乐 —— shèng …
Read More
闽公网安备 35020302035673号