There is one Chinese idiom that many learners completely misunderstand. Even some native speakers occasionally get it wrong when they take it too literally.
Continue reading “A Highly Misused Chinese Idiom: 万人空巷”Category: Set phrases
不 can convert two characters to a set phrase
不 is usually used as a negative adverb in a sentence. It also has another very important use that it can form set phrases in the form of 不_不_(ABAC). Continue reading “不 can convert two characters to a set phrase”
Numbers in set phrases
Numbers are not only for numbers. In Chinese, the numbers appear in many set phrases to express various figurative meanings. Continue reading “Numbers in set phrases”
Different kinds of “many” in Chinese set phrases
In Chinese, you can simply use “很多”, “许多”, “好多”, etc to describe a large quantity of people, things, or abstract concepts, e.g. 广场上有好多人；我哥哥每天都有很多事情要去做；他的心里充满了太多的悲伤; etc, however, in this way you can’t feel the vivid effects, Continue reading “Different kinds of “many” in Chinese set phrases”
Frequently misused homophones in Chinese set phrases
Chinese set phrases are special fixed phrases, originally from ancient classics or books, historical stories or people’s verbal stories. The meaning of a set phrase is always implicit and not the simple sum of the literal meanings of the constituent components. Continue reading “Frequently misused homophones in Chinese set phrases”