"差不多" (chàbùduō) can be used as an adjective or an adverb to express that aspects of one or more things are close to each other or the difference between them is small.
Category: Chinese Grammar
Write 曲 (qū qǔ)(bent) in Chinese character
曲(qū、qǔ)
Origin: 甲骨文的“曲”像曲尺形,本义是“弯曲”,和“直”相对(音qū)。又有“乐曲”的意思(音qǔ)。
On ancient oracle bone inscriptions, the character “曲” resembles a curved ruler, so its original meaning was “bent,” the opposite of straight, and it was pronounced “qū.” It also has the meaning “music” and “song” when pronounced “qǔ.”
Chinese grammar: “Just” with 刚”gang”
Sometimes things happen in a flash, or they happen a very short time before you say something, and to express that, you can use "刚" (gāng).
Write 白(bái)(white) in Chinese character
白(bái) Origin: 这个字原来是烛火的形状,中心是烛芯或灯芯,有了烛光就可以照亮,因此它最初的意思是“明亮”“清楚”,后来常用来指“白色”。
The original shape of this character is a candle with a wick in center. Its original meaning was bright and clear, and now is often used to refer to the color white.
Chinese grammar: “Even more” with “geng”
To express "even more," (as in "even more expensive," "even more ridiculous," "even more badass"), use 更 (gèng). It frequently comes before adjectives.
Write 会(huì)(meet) in Chinese character
会(huì) Origin: “会”是“脍”(音kuài,细切的肉或鱼)的本字,字的上部是盒盖,下面是食器,中间装的就是“脍”,但“会”后来多用于表示会议、集会的意思。“会” is the original form of “脍”, which is pronounced “kuài” and means the cutting of meat or fish. The upper part is a lid, a bowl of food is below, and in the middle is “脍.” However, the character “会” later came to represent meetings or associations.
Chinese grammar: Expressing ability or possibility 能neng
能 (néng) is another Chinese word that is often translated as "can." However, it has a slightly different meaning than the others. 能 is used to express ability or possibility of doing something. This article will further explain its use.
Write 斤(jīn)(axe) in Chinese character
斤(jīn) Origin: “斤”原指一种石斧,后来多用作重量单位名。一斤等于0.5 千克。
“斤” originally refered to a stone ax, and later came to be used as a unit of weight. One jin is equal to 1/2 kilogram.
Chinese grammar: Expressing a learned skill 会hui
The verb 会 (huì) can be used to express ability that has been learned, i.e. a skill. In this case 会 is an auxiliary verb. This structure is the easiest way to express all kinds of skills, from languages, to sports to skills in daily life such as cooking and driving.
Write 疆(jiāng)(boundary) in Chinese character
疆 jiāng Origin: 在甲骨文中,“疆”字的左边是一把丈量土地用的弓,右边是两块田地,本义是“划分疆界”,现在多指“边界”。
On oracle bones inscriptions, the left side of “疆” is a type of bow used to measure land; on the right side are two fields. The character’s original meaning is to divide along borders, and now it is more often used to mean boundary.