Category: Chinese Words&Phrases

每日一词:夜猫子(yè māo zi)Night Owl

夜猫子(yè māo zi)Night Owl 释义Meaning “夜猫子”是方言,指猫头鹰。因为猫头鹰白天睡觉,而晚上出来行动,所以人们叫那些喜欢晚睡,白天起床起得很晚的人为“夜猫子”。“夜猫子(yèmāozi)” means  owls in Chinese dialect. Since the owl sleeps during the day and preys in the night, people who like to burn night oil and sleep late in the morning are nicknamed “夜猫子”。

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Chinese Idioms — 光打雷不下雨

Guāng dǎléi bú xiàyǔ.
光打雷不下雨。
Only thunder no rain.

It is a commonly used idiom in Chinese spoken language. It has a derivative sentence –雷声大雨点小Léishēng dà, yǔdiǎn xiǎo, which has very close meaning to the original one. As for the figurative meaning, can you make a guess what the message is? 

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8 Words for Popular in Mandarin

1. 流行 liúxíng The generic word for “popular”. Can be used in almost any context when talking about things – 流行音乐 (“popular music”), 流行设计 (“popular designs”), 流行游戏 (“popular games”), etc. It can’t describe people though.

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Chinese idioms:Chinese idioms: cold

【成语】 春寒料峭
【全拼】 【 chūn hán liào qiào 】
【英文释义】there is a chill in the air in early spring
【释义】 料峭:微寒。形容初春的寒冷。
【出处】 宋·释普济《五灯会元》卷十九:“春寒料峭,冻杀年少。”
【例子】 那是一个阴冷的漆黑之夜。~,风雨凄凄。(何为《春夜的沉思和回忆》)

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