What are euphemisms?

Euphemisms are expressions that allow us to describe something inappropriate, uncomfortable, or unpleasant in a proper and polite manner.

Why do we need to learn Chinese euphemisms?

Learning euphemisms is a crucial piece of learning authentic Chinese, just like mastering Chinese idioms (成语chéngyǔ). Euphemisms not only test our comprehension of the language itself but also our understanding of Chinese culture and history. They serve as a pathway to reaching an advanced proficiency level.

In addition to building linguistic proficiency, euphemisms also serve a practical purpose. Creating a comfortable and respectful atmosphere contributes to positive conversations and relationships. Euphemisms play a vital role in this regard, allowing us to navigate tricky situations and avoid potential embarrassment or offense.

To help you become more familiar with this aspect of Chinese language and culture, let’s explore the nuances of these 15 common Chinese euphemisms.

1. Chinese euphemisms for Going to the washroom (上厕所)
2. Chinese euphemisms for Death (死)
3. Chinese euphemisms for Suicide (自杀)
4. Chinese euphemisms for Gaining weight (长胖了)
5. Chinese euphemisms for Being poor (没钱)
6. Chinese euphemisms for Disabilities (跛子)
7. Chinese euphemisms for Sex (性爱)
8. Chinese euphemisms for Menstruation(月经)
9. Chinese euphemisms for Intoxication (喝醉)
10. Chinese euphemisms for Pregnancy (怀孕)
11. Chinese euphemisms for Extra-marital affairs (外遇)
12. Chinese euphemisms for Getting Fired(解雇)
13. Chinese euphemisms for Homosexuality (同性恋)
14. Chinese Euphemisms for Sex workers (性工作者)
15. Chinese euphemisms for Parents (父母)

1. Chinese euphemisms for going to the washroom (上厕所)

In certain situations, such as formal meetings or gatherings, it is preferable to refer to the restroom indirectly to avoid embarrassment and maintain good manners.

• 解手 (jiě shǒu)
• 方便一下 (fānɡbiàn yíxià)

One such euphemism is 解手(jiě shǒu), which literally means “to release the hands.” It originates from a historical anecdote from the Ming dynasty, where bound immigrants needed to relieve themselves on their journey. Requesting their captors loosen their restraints and untie their hands, they would use the phrase 解手(jiě shǒu) for simplicity and clarity.  This expression has since been passed down to modern times.

Another euphemism is 方便一下 (fāngbiàn yíxià). The term 方便(fāngbiàn) is also related to using the washroom, as 大便(dàbiàn) means “defecation”  and 小便(xiǎobiàn) means “urination”. Therefore, people use 方便(fāngbiàn)  as a collective term for both.

e.g.

对不起，我刚去解手了。(Duìbuqǐ, wǒ ɡānɡ qù jiě shǒu le.)
Sorry, I just went to the restroom.

水喝多了，我去方便一下。(Shuǐ hē duō le, wǒ qù fānɡbiàn yíxià.)
I drank too much water, so I have to go to the bathroom.

• 上大号 (dà hào)
• 上小号 (xiǎo hào)

As mentioned earlier, 大便(dàbiàn)  refers to defecation, while 小便(xiǎobiàn)  refers to urination. However, we can also use the terms 大号(dà hào) and 小号(xiǎo hào)  respectively, as they sound more indirect and polite.

e.g.

让我先去厕所，我要上大号。(Rànɡ wǒ xiān qù cèsuǒ, wǒ yào shànɡ dà hào.)
Let me go the toilet first, because I want to go number 2.

这个厕所坏了，不能上小号。(Zhèɡe cèsuǒ huài le, bù nénɡ shànɡ xiǎo hào.)
This toilet is broken, we can’t go number 1 here.

2. Chinese euphemisms for Death (死)

Euphemisms are commonly used when discussing the harsh topic of death.

• 去世了 (qù shì le)
• 走了 (zǒu le)
• 没了 (méi le)
• 不在了 (bú zài le)

One euphemism is 去世了 (qùshìle), which literally means “having left this world” and is equivalent to the English expression “pass away.” Similarly, 走了 (zǒule) meaning “to be gone,” 没了 (méile) meaning “to not exist anymore,” and 不在了 (bù zàile) meaning “to not be here anymore” can also signify someone’s departure from this world. Compared to 去世了(qùshìle), the others are more commonly used in everyday conversation.

e.g.

他的家人因病去世了。(Tāde jiārén yīn bìnɡ qùshì le.)
His family member died of illness.

人早就没了，上个星期五就走了。(Rén zǎo jiù méi le, shànɡɡè xīnɡqīwǔ jiù zǒu le.)
The person had already passed away last Friday.

等到他回到家的时候，他奶奶已经不在了。(Děnɡdào tā huídào jiā de shíhou, tā nǎinɑi yǐjīnɡ bú zài le.)
His grandma had already passed away when he arrived at home.

• 仙逝 (xiān shì)
• 作古 (zuò ɡǔ)

In Chinese culture, when an elderly person passes away, we use the terms 作古(zuò gǔ) or 仙逝(xiān shì) to discuss their death. 作古(zuò gǔ)  literally means “to become an ancient person,” serving as a euphemism for passing away. On the other hand, 仙逝(xiān shì)  literally means “to leave the world like a fairy” and has connections with Daoism. In Daoism, individuals seek immortality, and when their aspirations are fulfilled, they depart from this world to a new realm. It’s worth noting that 作古(zuò gǔ) or 仙逝(xiān shì) can also be used in eulogies.

e.g.

我昨晚好像在梦里见到了已作古的父母。(Wǒ zuówǎn hǎoxiànɡ zài mènɡlǐ jiàndào le yǐ zuòɡǔ de fùmǔ.)
I saw my deceased parents in my dreams last night.

那位老人在那个雨天仙逝了。(Nà wèi lǎorén zài nàɡè yǔtiān xiānshì le.) That old man passed away on that rainy day.

• 圆寂 (yuánjì)

Buddhism holds significance in Chinese culture, and a specific term is used to indicate the passing of a monk: 圆寂 (yuánjì).

e.g.

大师已于上周圆寂了。(Dàshī yǐ yú shànɡzhōu yuánjì le.)
The master passed away last week.

• 挂了 (ɡuà le)
• 蹬腿了 (dēnɡ tuǐ le)
• 见阎王 (jiàn yánwánɡ)

Pay close attention to these three phrases as they may sound impolite and even somewhat offensive in certain cases. Use them with caution.

One such phrase is 挂了(guàle), which can also indicate someone’s death. Initially, it was used to describe dying in a game. With the increasing popularity of video games, the usage of 挂了(guàle) has extended to refer to the death of real-life people as well.

e.g.

我刚进去这个游戏，三分钟不到就挂了。(Wǒ ɡānɡ jìnqù zhèɡe yóuxì, sān fēnzhōnɡ bú dào jiù ɡuà le.)
I just entered this game, and in less than three minutes, I died.

快点儿，等你去救人，人早就挂了。(Kuài diǎn’r, děnɡ nǐ qù jiù rén, rén zǎo jiù ɡuà le.)
Hurry up, when you arrived to save them, they had already died.

The vivid expression 蹬腿了 (dēng tuǐ le) is used to describe the act of kicking one’s legs when nearing death. It reflects the body’s natural physical reactions.

Furthermore, when we wish to convey that someone we have negative feelings towards has passed away, we use the phrase 见阎王 (jiàn Yán Wáng), which means “going to see the god of death.” In Chinese mythology, it is believed that the deceased go to the realm of the god of death. Hence, 见阎王(jiàn Yán Wáng) is used  to describe the death of someone whom we dislike or hate.

e.g.

你来晚了，她已经蹬腿了。(Nǐ láiwǎn le, tā yǐjīnɡ dēnɡ tuǐ le.)
You’re late, she has already passed away.

祝你早日见阎王！(Zhù nǐ zǎorì jiàn yánwánɡ!)
Hope you go see the god of death as soon as possible!

他们去见阎王了！(Tāmen qù jiàn yánwánɡ le!)
They have gone to see the god of death!

3. Chinese euphemisms for Suicide (自杀)

• 轻生 (qīnɡ shēnɡ)
• 自我了断 (zìwǒ liǎoduàn)

One euphemism for suicide is 轻生 (qīngshēng), which literally means “light life.” It is used to indirectly convey that someone doesn’t value their own life and wishes to end it. Another similar expression is 自我了断 (zì wǒ liǎo duàn), which translates to “self-deprecating.”

e.g.

我刚看到有人在楼上想轻生。(Wǒ ɡānɡ kàndào yǒu rén zài lóushànɡ xiǎnɡ qīnɡshēnɡ.)
I just saw someone upstairs who wanted to attempt suicide.

我没办法了，不如自我了断算了。(Wǒ méi bànfǎ le, bùrú zìwǒ liǎoduàn suàn le.)
I have no choice, and I may as well commit suicide.

4. Chinese euphemisms for Gaining weight (长胖了)

• 圆润 (yuánrùn)

When referring to someone who has gained weight, we avoid saying “you became fat” directly. Instead, we can use the term 圆润(yuán rùn). 圆润(yuán rùn) literally means “rounded,” describing the rounder shape of someone’s body without being offensive. It is similar to the term “roly-poly” in English.

e.g.

最近日子过得挺好啊，你看起来越来越圆润了。(Zuìjìn rìzi ɡuòde tǐnɡ hǎo’ ā, nǐ kàn qǐlái yuè lái yuè yuánrùn le.)
You have had a nice life recently, so you look rounder and rounder.

少吃点，你越来越圆润了。(Shǎo chī diǎn, nǐ yuè lái yuè yuánrùn le.)
Try to eat a little less because you’re becoming rounder and rounder.

• 发福 (fāfú)

Another similar term is 发福 (fā fú), which means “to get lucky.” In ancient times, when food was scarce, thinness was common among the general population while wealthier individuals appeared plumper. Therefore, people associated a fat appearance with a prosperous life. 发福(fā fú) was used to indicate that someone was living a wealthy life. However, in modern times, as people’s values have changed, the positive connotation of 发福(fā fú) is gradually fading away, and it is more commonly used to simply mean that someone is fat.

e.g.

他这几年发福得厉害，完全变样了。(Tā zhè jǐ nián fāfú de lìhɑi, wánquán biàn yànɡ le.)
He has gained a lot of weight in recent years, and he looks completely different now.

减肥吧，发福后有点儿难看。(Jiǎn féi bɑ, fāfú hòu yǒu diǎn’r nán kàn.)
Lose some weight, you don’t look so good after gaining some extra pounds.

5. Chinese euphemisms for being poor (没钱)

When someone is unable to repay others or has borrowed money, they won’t  directly say “I don’t have any money” to avoid losing face. Instead, they use more indirect expressions.

• 手头不方便 (shǒutóu bù fānɡbiàn)
• 手头有点儿紧 (shǒutóu yǒu diǎn’r jǐn)     

One common expression is 手头不方便(shǒu tóu bù fāng biàn), which translates to “my hands aren’t convenient.” This phrase, derived from the renowned Chinese novel “Nie Hai Hua,” serves as a universal way to say “I don’t have any money.” Similarly, 手头有点儿紧(shǒu tóu yǒu diǎn er jǐn), meaning “my hands are a bit tight,” can also be used to express the same meaning.

e.g.

最近手头有点儿紧，能先借我点儿钱吗？(Zuìjìn shǒutóu yǒu diǎn’r jǐn, nénɡ xiān jiè wǒ diǎn’r qián mɑ?)
I’m tapped out lately, could you lend me some money?

对不起，最近手头不太方便，能过几天再还钱吗？(Duìbuqǐ, zuìjìn shǒutóu bú tài fānɡbiàn, nénɡ ɡuò jǐ tiān zài huán qián mɑ?)
Sorry, I am a bit short on cash recently, can I pay you back in a few days?

• 囊中羞涩 (nánɡ zhōnɡ xiūsè)

Another expression used to convey being short on money is 囊中羞涩(náng zhōng xiū sè). This idiom combines the term 囊(náng), which refers to a pocket, with 羞涩(xiū sè), meaning “embarrassing.” So, 囊中羞涩(náng zhōng xiū sè) literally means “embarrassing in the pocket.” It is commonly used in written Chinese to express a lack of funds, while 手头有点儿紧(shǒu tóu yǒu diǎn er jǐn) and 手头不方便(shǒu tóu bù fāng biàn) are more colloquial alternatives.

e.g.

我想去参加活动，但是囊中羞涩，所以你们自己去吧。(Wǒ xiǎnɡ qù cānjiā huódònɡ, dànshì nánɡ zhōnɡ xiūsè, suǒyǐ nǐmen zìjǐ qù bɑ.)
I want to join the activity, but I’m short on money, so you just go by yourselves.

他想买一块月饼，但是囊中羞涩，买不了。(Tā xiǎnɡ mǎi yí kuài yuèbǐnɡ, dànshì nánɡzhǒnɡ xiūsè, mǎibuliǎo.)
He wants to buy a piece of mooncake, but he doesn’t have any money, so he can’t buy it.

6. Chinese euphemisms for Disabilities (跛子)

• 腿脚不便 (tuǐ jiǎo bú biàn)
• 行动不便 (xínɡdònɡ bú biàn)

Directly calling someone a 跛子(bǒ zi), or cripple, when they have difficulty walking is considered rude. Instead, people use more indirect or intangible expressions to describe such situations. For example, they may say 腿脚不便(tuǐ jiǎo bù biàn) or 行动不便(xíng dòng bù biàn), which describe the condition of individuals who experience difficulties with their legs or mobility, but in a less offensive manner.

e.g.

他因为小时候生病，所以现在腿脚不便。(Tā yīnwèi xiǎo shíhou shēnɡ bìnɡ, suǒyǐ xiànzài tuǐ jiǎo bú biàn.)
He has trouble walking because he was sick when he was a child.

因为她行动不便，她的同学经常帮她带午饭。(Yīnwèi tā xínɡdònɡ bú biàn, tāde tónɡxué jīnɡchánɡ bānɡ tā dài wǔfàn.)
Her classmates often help her bring lunch because she has difficulty moving.

7.  Chinese euphemisms for Sex (性爱)  

In Chinese culture, sex is not commonly discussed directly as it is considered a private matter. Instead, people prefer to appreciate the romantic aspect of it. As a result, there are some ambiguous terms used to refer to “making love.”

• 同房 (tónɡfánɡ)
• 发生关系 (fāshēnɡ ɡuānxi)
• 上床 (shànɡ chuánɡ)
• 爱爱 (àiài)

One such term is 同房(tóng fáng), which literally means “in the same room” and is similar to “sleeping together” in English. Another term is 上床(shàng chuáng), which literally means “go to bed” and also implies the act of sex. 发生关系(fā shēng guān xì) literally means “have relations” and carries the same meaning as in English. Additionally, some people nowadays use the cute and indirect expression 爱爱(ài ài), derived from the term “making love” (做爱, zuò ài).

e.g.

他们早就同房了。(Tāmen zǎo jiù tónɡ fánɡ le.)
They have already slept together.

你是不是跟她上过床了？(Nǐ shì bu shì ɡēn tā shànɡɡuo chuánɡ le?) Have you already slept with her or not?

我们之间没有发生过关系。(Wǒmen zhījiān méiyǒu fāshēnɡɡuo ɡuānxi.) We didn’t have sexual relations.

爱爱之前他们总是要先吃顿饭。(Àiài zhīqián tāmen zǒnɡshì yào xiān chī dùn fàn.)
Before making love, they always have a meal first.

• 鱼水之欢 (yú shuǐ zhī huān)
• 云雨 (yún yǔ)

In ancient China, people used various metaphors to describe making love. Two common expressions were 鱼水之欢(yú shuǐ zhī huān) and 云雨(yún yǔ). 鱼水之欢(yú shuǐ zhī huān) originates from the renowned novel “Xi Xiang Ji” and represents the intimate relationship between fish and water. It metaphorically depicts the harmonious and intimate emotions experienced during sexual encounters between men and women. On the other hand, 云雨(yún yǔ) directly translates to “clouds and rain” and is derived from the famous Chinese essay “Gao Tang Fu.” This expression elegantly and vividly captures the love and physical intimacy shared between a man and a woman, making it a common term used in ancient novels to describe sexual intercourse. These metaphors have been passed down through the ages and are still used today.

e.g.

昨晚他们一番云雨到半夜。(Zuó wǎn tāmen yì fān yún yǔ dào bàn yè.)
Last night, they engaged in passionate lovemaking until midnight.

时间不早了，我们去共享鱼水之欢吧。(Shíjiān bù zǎo le, women qù ɡònɡxiǎnɡ yú shuǐ zhī huān bɑ.)
It’s getting late, let’s go and enjoy the intimacy between us.

• 圆房 (yuán fánɡ)
• 洞房 (dònɡ fánɡ)

When two people get married and engage in sexual intimacy, it can be referred to as “entering the bridal chamber” or 圆房(yuán fánɡ) in Chinese. In the past, 圆房(yuán fánɡ) specifically denoted the consummation of a marriage when young girls reached a certain age after being sent to their in-laws’ homes. Nowadays, it generally signifies couples having sex sometime after their wedding. Similarly, 洞房(dònɡ fánɡ) originated from an essay from the Tang dynasty and initially referred to the wedding chamber. This meaning has been preserved, and now it is also used to describe the act of making love.

e.g.

你们还没圆房啊？(Nǐmen hái méi yuán fánɡ ā?)
Haven’t you consummated your marriage yet?

送新郎、新娘入洞房！(Sònɡ xīnlánɡ, xīnniánɡ rù dònɡfánɡ!)
Take the bride and groom to the bridal chamber!

8. Chinese euphemisms for Menstruation(月经)

• 大姨妈 (dà yímā)
• 例假 (lìjià)
• 来事儿了 (lái shìr le)

The term 大姨妈(dà yímā) literally means “older aunt” and is used to refer to “that time of the month” or menstruation. The origin of this term can be traced back to a story from the Han Dynasty. There was a girl who was in love with a young man, but she would always use the excuse that her older aunt was visiting whenever he wanted to kiss her. On their wedding night, when the young man saw the girl’s menstrual blood, he asked what was wrong, and she told him that her older aunt had come. As a result, the young man refrained from having sex. Since then, 大姨妈(dà yímā) has been used to refer to menstruation. Additionally, because menstruation occurs regularly every month, it is also called 例假(lìjià) in Chinese. In some regions, people simply say 来事儿了(lái shìr le)  to imply menstruation without explicitly mentioning it.

 e.g.

 来例假了，不舒服。(Lái lìjià le, bù shūfu.)
I felt unwell during my period.

 我昨天刚来事儿了。(Wǒ zuótiān ɡānɡ lái shì’r le.)
My period came yesterday.

我不去游泳了，大姨妈来了。(Wǒ bú qù yóuyǒnɡ le, dà yímā lái le.)
I’m not going swimming because my period came.

9. Chinese euphemisms for Intoxication (喝醉)

• 喝多了 (hē duō le)
• 喝高了 (hē ɡāo le)

In fact, people still say 喝醉了(hē zuì le) to directly express that someone was drunk. Alternatively, there are two simple euphemisms to describe this situation: 喝多了(hē duō le) meaning “drank too much,” and 喝高了(hē ɡāo le) meaning “drank high.”

 e.g.

别喝了，你喝多了。(Bié hē le, nǐ hē duō le.)
Don’t drink anymore since you’re drunk.

你送他回去吧，他喝高了。(Nǐ sònɡ tā huíqù bɑ, tā hē ɡāo le.)
You should take him back home; he’s drunk.

10. Chinese euphemisms for Pregnancy (怀孕)

• 有了 (yǒu le)
• 有喜了 (yǒu xǐ le)

Actually, people mostly say 怀孕了 (huáiyùn le) to directly indicate that someone is pregnant, so there are only two simple euphemisms for this situation: “有了” and “有喜了”. The former means “having” while the latter means “having something good and happy” since pregnancy is considered a joyful and wonderful thing.

e.g.

有了有了，两个月了。(Yǒu le yǒu le, liǎnɡɡè yuè le.)
She’s two-months pregnant.

别担心，她这是有喜了。(Bié dānxīn, tā zhè shì yǒu xǐ le.)
Don’t be worried, she is just pregnant.

11. Chinese euphemisms for Extra-marital affairs (外遇)

• 出轨 (chū ɡuǐ)
• 劈腿 (pī tuǐ)
• 小三 (xiǎo sān)
• 第三者 (dì sān zhě)

When someone is romantically involved with multiple people at the same time, we can use a comical term, 劈腿(pī tuǐ), which primarily refers to a person’s unfaithfulness. However, when such a situation occurs within a marriage, we can also use 出轨(chū guǐ). 出轨(chū guǐ) literally means “derailed” or “off the rail,” metaphorically describing actions or thoughts that deviate from the norms of a marriage. The person in a relationship with someone who is already married  is called 小三(xiǎo sān) or 第三者(dì sān zhě), similar to the terms “the other woman” or “the other man” in English.

 e.g.

 他老婆出轨了。(Tā lǎo pó chū ɡuǐ le.)
His wife had an affair.

 我被劈腿了。(Wǒ bèi pī tuǐ le.)
I was betrayed.

你想当小三，就给我滚出去。(Nǐ xiǎnɡ dānɡ xiǎo sān, jiù ɡěi wǒ ɡǔn chūqu.)
If you want to be a mistress, then just get out of here.

我不是第三者，你认错人了吧。(Wǒ bú shì dì sān zhě, nǐ rèn cuò rén le bɑ.)
I’m not the other woman, you’re mistaken.

12. Chinese euphemisms for Getting Fired(解雇)

• 炒了 (chǎo le)
• 炒鱿鱼  (chǎo yóuyú)

The phrase for getting fired, 炒鱿鱼(chǎo yóu yú), literally means “fried squid”. But why do we use this phrase  to refer to being let go? Historically, when someone was fired, they would roll up their bedding and leave. Later on, people noticed that when cooking squid, each piece would slowly curl up into a cylindrical shape, resembling the rolled-up bedding.This association led people to use 炒鱿鱼(chǎo yóu yú) to describe someone being dismissed. 炒了 (chǎo le) is the shortened form of this expression.

e.g.

他因为经常上班迟到，刚被炒了。(Tā yīnwèi jīnɡchánɡ shànɡ bān chídào, ɡānɡ bèi chǎo le.)
He was often late for work and was fired just now.

他们那批人因为业绩不好，都被炒鱿鱼了。(Tāmen nà pī rén yīnwèi yèjì bù hǎo, dōu bèi chǎo yóuyú le.)
Those people were fired because of their poor performance.

• 丢饭碗 (diū fànwǎn)

The phrase 丢饭碗 (diū fàn wǎn) literally means “lose the bowl”. Since people need to work to support themselves, a job is like a bowl that provides food. This expression is used to mean “lose your job,” and it originated from the well-known novel “Nan Guo Feng Yan.”

e.g.

他不敢说话，还不是因为怕丢了饭碗。(Tā bù ɡǎn shuō huà, hái búshì yīnwèi pà diū le fànwǎn.)
He didn’t dare to speak, because he was afraid of losing his job.

丢饭碗也没什么，我们可以再找其他的工作。(Diū fànwǎn yě méi shénme, women kěyǐ zài zhǎo qítāde ɡōnɡzuò.)
Losing your job is nothing big, we can find other jobs.

13. Chinese euphemisms for Homosexuality (同性恋)  

• 同志 (tónɡzhì)
• 弯 (wān)
• 出柜 (chū ɡuì)

The term 同志 (tóngzhì) literally means “having the same pursuit” and is commonly used as a form of address among people working in an organization. It first appeared as a synonym for homosexuals in Hong Kong during the 1970s and 1980s. The word 弯(wān) is similar to “bent” in English and is also used to refer to gay people. Lastly, 出柜(chū guì) comes from the English phrase “come out of the closet.”

e.g.

他是弯的，他出柜了。(Tā shì wān de, tā chū ɡuì le.) He is homosexual, and he came out of the closet.

14. Chinese Euphemisms for Sex workers (性工作者)

• 小姐 (xiǎojiě)
• 鸡 (jī)
• 鸭 (yā)

The term 小姐(xiǎojiě) literally means “miss” or “lady”. It is a word that you may have encountered when you first started learning Chinese. However, it’s important to use this term carefully because it is also used to refer to female sex workers. Another term, 鸡(jī), is a homonym for 妓(jì) in the word 妓女(jì nǚ, prostitute), so people also use 鸡(jī) to refer to women in the sex industry. On the other hand, 鸭(yā) is used to refer to male sex workers.

e.g.

找小姐是犯法的。(Zhǎo xiǎojiě shì fàn fǎ de.) It is illegal to look for an escort.

她是个鸡，而他是个鸭，但是他们相爱了。(Tā shì ɡè jī, ér tā shì ɡè yā, dànshì tāmen xiāng`ài le.) She is an escort while he is a male prostitute. But they fall in love with each other.

15. Chinese euphemisms for Parents (父母)

• 令尊 (lìnɡ zūn)
• 令堂 (lìnɡ tánɡ)
• 高堂 (ɡāo tánɡ)

When engaging in a conversation, how can we respectfully refer to other people’s parents? In such situations, we can use 令尊(lìng zūn) to address someone’s father, and 令堂(lìng táng) for their mother. The term 令(lìng) serves as a respectful form of address for other people’s relatives. 令尊(lìng zūn) and 令堂(lìng táng) are commonly used in formal settings or when elders are present.

On the other hand, when speaking to others, we can use 高堂(gāo táng) to refer to our own parents. This term originates from ancient familial houses, where the parents’ living quarters were often called a 高堂(gāo táng) or “high hall house.” They were typically located in the center of the house with higher floors and roofs compared to other rooms. Ancient children would use 高堂(gāo táng) to show respect for their parents, especially in the presence of outsiders. Therefore, 高堂(gāo táng) can be used to refer to the parents’ living space or the parents themselves, primarily in written Chinese.

e.g.

令尊和令堂最近身体还好吗？(Lìnɡ zūn hé lìnɡ tánɡ zuìjìn shēntǐ hái hǎo mɑ?) Have your parents been in good health lately?

君不见，高堂明镜悲白发, 朝如青丝暮成雪。(Jūn bú jiàn, ɡāotánɡ mínɡ jìnɡ bēi báifà, cháo rú qīnɡsī mù chénɡ xuě.)
Do you not see the mirrors bright in chambers high
Grieve o’er your snow-white hair
though once it was silk-black?  
(excerpt from poem “Qiang Jin Jiu” written by Li Bai in the Tang Dynasty)

Closing Thoughts

The Chinese language is rich with euphemisms that reflect the cultural nuances and sensitivities around various topics. These expressions serve as a way to convey messages indirectly, avoiding harsh or offensive language. From discussing financial situations to delicate matters of intimacy, euphemisms provide a subtle and tactful means of communication in Chinese culture.

By understanding and using these euphemisms appropriately, you can navigate social interactions with grace and respect. Whether you’re referring to someone’s parents or discussing sensitive topics, such as disabilities or relationships, choosing the right words can make a significant difference in fostering understanding and maintaining harmonious relationships.

As language and cultural dynamics continue to evolve, it is important to approach conversations with sensitivity and cultural awareness. While some euphemisms may remain consistent over time, others may adapt or change with societal shifts.

So, the next time you find yourself engaging with Chinese people, remember the power of euphemisms to convey subtle messages and navigate sensitive conversations.

The post Read Between the Lines: 15 Common Chinese Euphemisms appeared first on .

Besides the most common definition (the large flat object that you open and close at the entrance of a building or a room), “门” (door) in Chinese has several other meanings that you should know.

1. Door-like things or objects:

• 冰箱门 (bīng xiāng mén) Fridge door
• 柜门 (guì mén) Cupboard door
• 心门 (xīn mén) This word refers to the ostium. It also refers to the metaphorical door of one’s heart.

e.g.

为了打开她的心门，我每天都陪她散步，送她回家。但为什么她还是不能告诉我她的秘密？(Wèile dǎkāi tā de xīn mén, wǒ měitiān dōu péi tā sànbù, sòng tā huí jiā. Dàn wèishénme tā háishì bùnéng gàosù wǒ tā de mìmì?) In order to open her heart, I walk with her every day and take her home. But why can’t she still tell me her secret?

2. Entrance or doorway:

• 门可罗雀 (mén kě luó què) This idiom indicates a place where it is rare that people or guests come, very desolate.
• 门庭若市 (méntíng ruò shì) This idiom indicates a place that is very lively and bustling. There are many people. It’s often used in family and business situations.  

e.g.

这家饭店20年前门庭若市，很多人排队来这吃饭。但是后来换了一批厨师，生意就慢慢不好了，现在门可罗雀。可惜呀！(Zhè jiā fàndiàn 20 nián qián méntíngruòshì, hěnduō rén páiduì lái zhè chīfàn. Dànshì hòulái huànle yī pī chúshī, shēngyì jiù mànman bù hǎole, xiànzài ménkěluóquè. Kěxī ya!) 20 years ago, this restaurant was very popular, and many people lined up to eat here. But then a group of chefs were replaced, and the business slowly deteriorated, and now there is rare guests. What a pity!

3. Describing a certain family:

• 豪门 (háo mén) refers to a family with power and influence.
• 朱门 (zhū mén) refers to a family with great power and fortune.
• 名门 (míng mén) refers to a famous family. There are usually one or more celebrities who come from this family.  
• 寒门 (hán mén) Contrary to the words above, this word refers to a poor family without fortune or influence.
• 门风 (mén fēng) The ethics and moral standards that a family / clan has kept for generations.
• 门当户对 (mén dāng hù duì) A marriage between families that are of equal social standing.
• 双喜临门 (shuāng xǐ lín mén) It indicates that two joyous events come simultaneously.

e.g.

他家大儿子马上要和一位门当户对的姑娘结婚，小女儿又考上了全国最好的大学，真是双喜临门啊！(Tā jiā dà érzi mǎshàng yào hé yī wèi méndānghùduì de gūniáng jiéhūn, xiǎo nǚ’ér yòu kǎo shàngle quánguó zuì hǎo de dàxué, zhēn shì shuāngxǐlínmén a!) The eldest son of his family is about to marry a well-matched girl, and the youngest daughter has been admitted to the best university in the country. It is double happiness!

4. A certain school of thought or religious sect, sometimes referring to a teacher’s or master’s entrance hall:

• 佛门弟子 (fó mén dì zǐ) Buddhist disciple
• 门生(mén shēng) / 门徒(mén tú)  Disciple, follower of a famous master
• 同门（弟子）(tóng mén dì zǐ) Disciples / pupils of the same master
• 关门弟子 (guān mén dì zǐ) refers to the last student or disciple that the master enrolled.
• 入门 (rù mén) indicates that one knows the basic principles and knowledge when learning an art form or technology.
• 门外汉 (mén wài hàn) layman, outsider

e.g.

我来介绍一下，这位是李先生的得意门生小张，这一位是赵先生的关门弟子小陈。两位的老师原来也是同门师兄弟，你们可以互相认识一下。(Wǒ lái jièshào yīxià, zhè wèi shì Lǐ xiānsheng de déyì ménshēng xiǎo Zhāng, zhè yī wèi shì Zhào xiānsheng de guānmén dìzǐ xiǎo Chén. Liǎng wèi de lǎoshī yuánlái yěshì tóngmén shī xiōngdì, nǐmen kěyǐ hùxiāng rènshi yīxià.) Let me introduce, this is Mr. Li’s favorite student Xiao Zhang, and this one is Mr. Zhao’s close disciple Xiao Chen. The two teachers turned out to be fellow apprentices from the same master, so you can get to know each other.

音乐方面，我只是个门外汉，还没有入门，请各位老师多多指教。(Yīnyuè fāngmiàn, wǒ zhǐshì gè ménwàihàn, hái méiyǒu rùmén, qǐng gèwèi lǎoshī duōduō zhǐjiào.) In terms of music, I’m just a layman, and I haven’t gotten started yet. Please give me more advice, teachers.

5. A measurement word, usually for subjects of study or branches of science, a marriage, or relatives:

• 一门外语 (yì mén wài yǔ) A foreign language
• 一门亲戚 (yì mén qīn qi) A set of relatives
• 一门技术 (yì mén jìshù) A kind of skills
• 一门艺术 (yì mén yìshù) A type of arts

e.g.

你必须要学会一门外语或者一门技术，这样找工作更容易。(Nǐ bìxū yào xuéhuì yī mén wàiyǔ huòzhě yī mén jìshù, zhèyàng zhǎo gōngzuò gèng róngyì.) You have to learn a foreign language or technology to make it easier to find a job.

6. A way to do something:

• 窍门 (qiào mén) Knack or key to a problem
• 门路 (mén lù) The way to do something
• 没门儿 (méi ménr) No way!

e.g.

A: 你能告诉我打开这个盒子的窍门吗？(Nǐ néng gàosù wǒ dǎkāi zhège hézi de qiàomén ma?) Can you tell me the trick to open this box?

B: 没门儿！(méi ménr) No way!

7. The categories or arrangements of things or objects:

• 五花八门 (wǔ huā bā mén) many and manifold; all kinds of things
• 分门别类 (fēn mén bié lèi) be divided into classes and divisions; classify according to subject

e.g.

这个书店的书五花八门的，你们能帮我把这边的书分门别类放在书架上吗？(Zhège shūdiàn de shū wǔhuābāmén de, nǐmen néng bāng wǒ bǎ zhè biān de shū fēnménbiélèi fàng zài shūjià shàng ma?) This bookstore has a variety of books, can you help me sort the books here and put them on the shelves?

8. As a suffix, indicating a negative event that got public attention:

• 水门事件 (Shuǐmén shìjiàn) Watergate scandal
• 艳照门 (Yànzhào mén) Sexy Photo Gate (China’s first big internet celebrity sex scandal)

Bonus word:

• 走后门 (zǒu hòu mén) Originally, this term refers to going through the back door. Now it also often indicates that someone secures advantages through pull or influence.

e.g.

A：他的能力那么差，为什么可以当领导？(Tā de nénglì nàme chà, wèishénme kěyǐ dāng lǐngdǎo?) His ability is so poor, why can he be a leader?

B：走后门呗。(Zǒu hòumén bei.) By the back door.

There is a famous story related to门 (mén) – 程门立雪 (chéng mén lì xuě). It is the story of Yang Shi and You Zuo, two students in the Song Dynasty. Patiently and respectfully, they waited in the snow outside the house of their teacher, Cheng Yi, until the snow piled one-chi deep. This phrase now means to revere a teacher and respect his or her teachings, with 门 (mén) referring to the door of someone’s house.

Do you have any questions about the various uses of门 (mén)? Are there any other Chinese characters you want to see a deep dive for? Let me know in the comments!

The post The Uses of “Door” in Chinese – All about “门” appeared first on .

It’s not just because it’s a bold and vibrant hue. In fact, you’ll see it on special occasions such as festivals and weddings because it represents happiness, wealth, and luck.

But did you know that there are other colors that hold special meaning in Chinese culture?

In this article, we’ll explore the role of colors in Chinese culture and introduce you to some authentic expressions related to those colors. By the end, you’ll have a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and be able to impress your friends with your newfound knowledge!

• 红色 / 紫色（hónɡsè / zǐsè）Red / Purple
• 白色(bái sè) White
• 绿色(lǜ sè) Green
• 黑色 / 灰色(hēisè / huīsè) Black / Grey
• 黄色(huánɡsè) Yellow

#1 红色 / 紫色（hónɡsè / zǐsè）Red / Purple

红红火火 (hónɡhónɡ huǒhuǒ)

Let’s explore some examples and delve into the meaning of the color red.

祝你的生活红红火火。May your life be prosperous.
(Zhù nǐ de shēnɡhuó hónɡhónɡ huǒhuǒ.)

In Chinese culture, red symbolizes good fortune, wealth, and happiness, making it a common expression of goodwill.

红光满面 (hónɡɡuānɡ mǎnmiàn)

Red can also mean that someone looks great.

e.g.

看你红光满面，最近一定有好事吧！Look at your red face. You must have heard some good news recently.
(Kàn nǐ hónɡɡuānɡ mǎnmiàn, zuìjìn yídìnɡ yǒu hǎoshì bɑ!)

大红大紫 (dàhónɡ dàzǐ)

Officials in ancient China were ranked and wore clothes of different colors to indicate their position. The highest-ranking officials wore purple and red, so these colors were associated with success. Today, red and purple are often used to say that a celebrity is very popular.

e.g.

你不知道她？她最近红得发紫呢！You don’t know her? She is extremely popular these days!
(Nǐ bù zhīdào tā? tā zuìjìn hónɡ dé fā zǐ ne!)

他也曾大红大紫过。He was also a tremendous success in the past.
(Tā yě cénɡ dàhónɡ dàzǐ ɡuò.)

眼红 (yǎn hónɡ)

Furthermore, red is linked to blood, representing courage. For instance, a red heart implies someone is brave and devoted. However, red can have negative connotations as well. When we say our eyes turn red, it means we are jealous.

e.g.

其他同学都找到了好工作，还在找工作的小王有点眼红。Other classmates of his have found good jobs. Xiao Wang is still looking for a job. He is a little jealous.
(Qítā tónɡxué dōu zhǎo dào le hǎo ɡōnɡzuò, hái zài zhǎo ɡōnɡzuò de xiǎo wánɡ yóu diǎn yǎnhónɡ.)

Now that you know the symbolic meaning of the color red, can you guess what a “red event” is? That’s right, “red events” are good occasions like weddings and birthdays for the elderly. How about “white events”? Let’s delve into that next.

#2 白色(bái sè) White

红白喜事（hónɡ bái xǐ shì）

Chinese people used to consider white an unlucky color, mainly used in funerals, so they would refer to funerals as 白事(báishì) or white affairs. Just like wearing red at weddings, it is customary to wear white at funerals.

e.g.

最近红白喜事好多。There have been many weddings and funerals recently.
(Zuìjìn hónɡ bái xǐ shì hǎo duō.)

红脸 / 白脸（hónɡliǎn / báiliǎn）

Actors at the Peking Opera use different colored face paint to show the personality of their characters. Red faces represent good characters, while white faces represent bad characters.

In everyday life, Chinese people use red and white faces to describe friendly or obnoxious people. At home, red and white faces are used to show whether parents are lenient or strict.

e.g.

A:你爸爸比较严厉还是妈妈比较严厉？Is your father strict or your mother?
(Nǐ bàbɑ bǐjiào yánlì háishì māmɑ bǐjiào yánlì?)

B:我妈妈。他们俩一个唱红脸，一个唱白脸。My mother. One is good cop and the other is bad cop.
(Wǒ māmɑ. tāmen liǎnɡ yíɡè chànɡ hónɡliǎn, yíɡè chànɡ báiliǎn.)

白费劲（bái fèi jìn）

White is also used to indicate failure or lack of interest, such as when someone wastes their time or energy.

e.g.

你怎么不早说？我白费了这么大劲！Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I wasted all my effort!
(Nǐ zěnme bù zǎo shuō? wǒ bái fèi le zhème dà jìn.)

Culture Tip:

As China becomes more globalized, Chinese people have also come to accept the Western meaning of white as a symbol of purity and beauty. This is why many brides now choose to wear white wedding dresses. However, to honor tradition, they often wear a red dress during the reception, where guests bless them.

#3 绿色(lǜ sè) Green

Think of the color green, and what comes to mind? Trees, grass, and a healthy life, right? However, in Chinese culture, green can have a few different meanings. Let’s explore them together.

绿帽子（lǜ màozi）

Wearing a green hat is considered bad luck in China. In ancient China, officials of low rank wore green, while high-ranking officials wore red or purple. In addition, during the Eastern Han Dynasty (BC25-BC220), men were required to wear green headscarves or hats if they sent female family members to work as prostitutes.

Today, wearing a green hat implies that one’s partner is unfaithful.

e.g.

A:你听说了吗？小王的女朋友给他戴了绿帽子！Did you hear about that? Xiao Wang’s girlfriend cheated on him!
(Nǐ tīnɡshuō le mɑ? xiǎowánɡ de nǚ pénɡyou ɡěi tā dài le lǜ màozi.)

B:不会吧！小王真可怜。No way! Poor Xiao Wang.
(Bú huì bɑ! xiǎo wánɡ zhēn kělián.)

脸绿了（liǎn lǜ le）

What color does your face turn when you are mad？You may say it’s red, but we would say green instead. Here is an example.

e.g.

他很没礼貌，把我脸都气绿了。He was extremely impolite, I was so angry that my face turned green.
(Tā hěn méi lǐmào, bǎ wǒ liǎn dōu qì lǜ le.)

When Chinese people get angry, their face turns green instead of red. This is because some ancient Chinese people believed that the liver, which provides vitality like trees and grass, was green. They thought that a person’s emotions were connected to their bodily organs, so if someone was angry, it would hurt their liver and show on their face.

e.g.

他很没礼貌，把我脸都气绿了。He was extremely impolite, I was so angry that my face turned green.
(Tā hěn méi lǐmào, bǎ wǒ liǎn dōu qì lǜ le.)

#4 黑色 / 灰色(hēisè / huīsè) Black / Grey

We’ve discussed the relationship between colors and facial expressions before, like red, white, and green faces, and we also use black to describe emotions. There are many other expressions that involve the color black. Let’s explore some of them.

黑脸（hēi liǎn）

Black is a dark color and is often associated with darkness. It can be used to describe a person’s bad mood, as if there is no sunshine on their face and so it appears dark.

e.g.

他一回家就黑着脸，不知道怎么了。When he came home, his face was black. I don’t know what happened.
(Tā yì huí jiā jiù hēi zhe liǎn, bù zhīdào zěnme le.)

印堂发黑（yìntánɡ fā hēi）

Having a black face is often an indication of being in a bad mood. Additionally, if someone’s face is dark between the eyebrows, it may indicate a major health issue or bad luck. In ancient China, people believed that internal problems could be identified by physical signs, such as lung problems being indicated on the forehead.

e.g.

看你印堂发黑，最近可能要倒霉。You may have had bad luck recently, judging by darkness on your forehead.
(Kàn nǐ yìntánɡ fā hēi, zuìjìn kěnénɡ yào dǎoméi.)

黑市（hēi shì）/ 黑心（hēixīn）              

Compared to red, which is a symbol courage and loyalty, if a person’s heart turns black, they are not a good person and might harm others for their own benefit.

e.g.

黑市里出现了买卖器官的现象。Organs are being bought and sold on the black market.
(Hēishì lǐ chūxiàn le mǎimɑi qìɡuān de xiànxiànɡ.)

这个黑心商贩卖的东西质量很差。The goods sold by this shady dealer are low quality.
(Zhèɡe hēixīn shānɡfàn mài de dōngxi zhìliànɡ hěn chà.)

灰色地带（huīsè dìdài）/ 灰色收入（huīsè shōurù）

White often represents light and justice, while black represents darkness and injustice. Gray is considered vague and unclear as it’s somewhere between black and white. For example, when it’s cloudy and sunless, people describe it as gray, meaning a bad day.

e.g.

今天天气不好，没有太阳，灰蒙蒙的。It’s a bad day today. It’s sunless and gray.
(Jīntiān tiānqì bù hǎo, méiyǒu tàiyánɡ, huīmēnɡmēnɡ de.)

Gray also suggests that something is unclear or possibly illegal.

e.g.

这个产业还处于灰色地带，法律没有禁止，也不支持。The industry is still in a grey area, neither prohibited nor by the law.
(Zhèɡe chǎnyè hái chǔ yú huīsè dìdài, fǎlǜ méiyǒu jìnzhǐ, yě bù zhīchí.)

除了工资，他还有一些灰色收入。In addition to his salary, he has some grey income.
(Chú le ɡōnɡzī, tā háiyǒu yìxiē huīsè shōurù.)

Lastly, there’s a color that has both noble and vulgar connotations that I’d like to introduce.

#5 黄色(huánɡsè) Yellow

炎黄（yánhuánɡ）

If you have ever visited the Forbidden city or seen pictures of it, then you were likely impressed by the beautiful yellow and red colors. In the past, yellow was considered the exclusive color of the Chinese emperor, and it became a symbol of nobility. There are many interesting Chinese expressions related to this color.

e.g.

黄河是中国的母亲河。The Yellow River is the mother river of China.
(Huánɡhé shì zhōnɡɡuó de mǔqīn hé.)

我们是炎黄子孙。We are the descendants of Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang.
(Wǒmen shì yánhuánɡ zǐsūn.)

黄道吉日（huánɡdào jírì）

e.g.

我要选个黄道吉日结婚。I will choose a lucky day to get married.
(Wǒ yào xuǎn ɡè huánɡdàojírì jiéhūn.)

祝你飞黄腾达，前程似锦。I wish you success and a bright future.
(Zhù nǐ fēihuánɡ ténɡdá, qiánchénɡ sìjǐn.)

那是个黄金时代，出现了很多有名的歌手。It was the golden age and there were many famous singers.
(Nà shì ɡè huánɡjīn shídài, chūxiàn le hěnduō yǒumínɡ de ɡēshǒu.)

These expressions associate yellow with positivity and good fortune. However, the meaning of yellow has evolved over time and is now used in expressions unrelated to royalty.

黄脸婆（huánɡliǎnpó）

In ancient times, Chinese people preferred pale skin because it showed that a person had servants and didn’t have to work hard. Darker skin was associated with working hard and having a tough life. Sick people or unattractive married women were sometimes called “yellow-faced,” which was a derogatory term. This term is still used in some couples’ arguments today.

e.g.

你怎么脸色发黄？最近生病了吗？Why is your face yellow? Have you been sick lately?
(Nǐ zěnme liǎnsè fā huánɡ ? zuì jìn shēnɡbìnɡ le mɑ?)

我现在人老珠黄，成了黄脸婆了。I’m old and yellow-faced now.
(Wǒ xiànzài rénlǎo zhūhuánɡ, chénɡ le huánɡliǎnpó le.)

事黄了（shì huánɡ le）

Yellow is associated with the end of life as all leaves turn yellow and fall in autumn. Therefore, it is used to convey an unhappy tone when discussing the end of something or lack of hope.

e.g.

别提了，这事儿黄了。Don’t bring it up. It’s screwed up.
(Bié tí le, zhè shìr huánɡ le.)

黄色（huánɡ sè）

Yellow was once associated with the emperor, but its meaning has since changed. Yellow became associated with pornography due to the rise of yellow journalism. This style of journalism focused on sensationalism, including pornography, crime, and scandals.

In the early years of the Republic of China, yellow journalism was seen as vulgar news. Over time, the term “yellow” extended beyond newspapers to all forms of media, such as yellow books, movies, and music. Today, “yellow” is often used to refer to pornographic and obscene content.

e.g.

不应该让青少年接触黄色电影和黄色书籍。Young people should not be exposed to pornographic films and books.
(Bù yīnɡɡāi rànɡ qīnɡshàonián jiēchù huánɡsè diànyǐnɡ hé huánɡsè shūjí.)

请不要对女性说黄色笑话，很不礼貌。Please don’t tell dirty jokes to women. It’s impolite.
(Qǐnɡ búyào duì nǚ xìnɡ shuō huánɡsè xiàohuɑ, hěn bù lǐmào.)

Closing Thoughts

Colors play a significant role in Chinese culture and are deeply rooted in history, tradition, and superstition. From the auspicious red to the noble yellow, each color has its unique meaning and symbolism. We hope that this article has given you insights into the fascinating world of Chinese colors and expressions related to them.

What do colors symbolize in your culture? Do you have any similar expressions? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Chinese Color Theory: The Cultural Significance and Meaning Behind Colors appeared first on .

#1 牛(niú)-Ox

Traditionally, 牛 is a symbol of hard work in Chinese culture. Chinese people often compare those who are industrious, devoted to work, or bear hardship without complaint to an ox. Below are two phrases that use 牛.

>  吹牛(chūi niú) -Brag

In this example, the character吹 means “blow” and the character牛means “ox”, so 吹牛directly translates to “to blow an ox”. Actually, 吹牛 means to talk big or brag.

Why it is 牛 instead of another animal? It’s because after killing a lamb, they make a cut at the leg to drain the blood and then blow up the lamb to make it easier to remove the skin. So, the words 吹羊 or 吹猪 carry that meaning. However, since oxhide is hard and big, people think it’s impossible to blow up. Then if someone says they can 吹牛(blow up oxhide), people will suspect that this person is bragging.

e.g.

你看，她又在吹牛了。
(Nǐ kàn, tā yòu zài chuī niú le.)
Look, she is bragging again.

他天天吹牛说自己去过100个国家。
(Tā tiāntiān chuī niú shuō zìjǐ qùɡuo yìbǎi ɡe ɡuójiā.)
He is always bragging that he has gone to one hundred countries every day.

>  牛逼(niú bī) –  Impressive

牛逼 was used as slang in northeastern China at first, then gradually became popular all over, especially among young people. The character牛 is “ox”, while 逼 means “force, compel”, so literally 牛逼 translates to “an ox forces or compels”. Actually, Chinese people use 牛逼 to express heartfelt appreciation towards their opponent. Sometimes people use it in a sarcastic sense.

E.g.

牛逼啊，这么难的问题，你都解决了。
(Niú bī’ā, zhème nánde wèntí, nǐ dōu jiějué le.)
Impressive! these questions are so hard, but you solved them.

牛逼牛逼，我比不上。
(Niú bī niú bī, wǒ bǐ bu shànɡ.)
So impressive, I cannot compete with you.

Note: This term is widely used and has almost become a semi-commendatory word, but in fact, it’s still not very polite. Some people might feel offended if you say 牛逼 to them. So please use it carefully.

#2 马(mǎ)- Horse

Even though in traditional Chinese culture, a horse is usually a symbol of strength, liberty, fortune, health, never giving up, ability, and talent, the two phrases below are usually used in negative situations.

>  马后炮(mǎ hòu pào)- Too Little, Too Late

马 means “horse”,后 means “after” and炮 means “cannon”, so 马后炮 is literally “a cannon after a horse”. Chinese people use it to express that it doesn’t help to take measures after a fact. It’s similar to making a belated effort /being a Monday morning quarterback in English.

E.g.

人已经死了，不要在这里放马后炮。
(Rén yǐjīnɡ sǐ le, bú yào zài zhèlǐ fànɡ mǎhòupào.)
It’s too little, too late, since the person was already dead.

马后炮，你昨天为什么不说？
(Mǎhòupào, nǐ zuótiān wèishénme bù shuō?)
You’re being a Monday morning quarterback, why didn’t you say anything yesterday?

>  拍马屁(pāi mǎpì)- Sucking up to someone

拍 means “to pat or beat”, while 马屁 means “crupper” (a strap on a saddle that prevents it from slipping), so literally 拍马屁 directly translates to “to pat or beat a crupper”. It is said that拍马屁 comes from a part of Mongolian culture. In the Yuan Dynasty, when Mongolian people rode their horses alongside someone else, they always patted the crupper of the other’s horse and said “Good horse!” to show respect and politeness. Later on, there were some people who just complimented the horse whether it was good or not. So拍马屁 gradually evolved into a negative phrase meaning someone who sucks up to others.

E.g.

他一天到晚只知道拍领导的马屁。
(Tā yì tiān dào wǎn zhǐ zhīdào pāi línɡdǎo de mǎpì.)
He only knows how to suck up to the leader all day long.

除了拍马屁，你还有什么真本事？
(Chúle pāi mǎpì, nǐ háiyǒu shénme zhēn běnshi?)
Besides sucking up to others, what other real skills do you have?

#3 鱼(yǘ)-fish

鱼, or fish, is often tied to Chinese culture and daily life. It symbolizes Chinese people’s desire for a good harvest, a prosperous life, a better marriage, freedom etc. Here we’ll go over three slang expressions that include 鱼.

>  锦鲤(jǐnlǐ)- everything related to good luck

锦鲤(cyprinus carpio) originally referred to koi fish. They have a long lifespan, and it’s said that 锦鲤 can bring good luck. In traditional Chinese culture, 锦鲤 symbolize longevity and good luck. Nowadays, 锦鲤 represents everything related to good luck.

How did 锦鲤 become so popular, especially on the internet? It’s actually because of an online campaign. On China National Day in 2018, Alipay’s official Weibo page hosted a giveaway. The lucky winner was drawn from those who reposted their post on Weibo. The winner was called the “Chinese Jinli” and won a “Global Free-Gift Package”. There were more than 3 million reposts. Afterwards, 锦鲤 instantly became popular and there was an upsurge of people forwarding pictures of 锦鲤 with captions such as “Jinli prayer” and “Jinli blessing”. Later on, as its popularity grew, 锦鲤 also began to mean people who are lucky with things like the lottery and gambling.

E.g.

转发锦鲤，希望我考试能过。
(Zhuǎnfā jǐnlǐ, xīwànɡ wǒ kǎoshì nénɡ ɡuò.)
I’ll forward Jinli and hope I can pass the exam.

转发这个锦鲤会有好运。
(Zhuǎnfā zhèɡe jǐnlǐ huì yǒu hǎoyùn.)
Forwarding this Jinli will bring good luck.

你是锦鲤吗？就你一个人中奖了！
(Nǐ shì jǐnlǐ ma? Jiù nǐ yíɡè rén zhònɡ jiǎnɡ le!)
Are you a Jinli? Only you will win the lottery!

> 摸鱼(mō yú)- mess around

摸 means “touch”, so 摸鱼 literally means “touch a fish”. 摸鱼 actually comes from the idiom 浑水摸鱼(hún shuǐ mō yú), which means groping for fish in turbid water. Chinese people often use it to refer to those who fish in troubled waters. And now people use摸鱼 to talk about those who don’t really work and just mess around.

E.g.

他上班就是在摸鱼。
(Tā shànɡ bān jiùshì zài mō yú.)
He’s messing around at work.

你想摸鱼就不要来公司，你可以回去。
(Nǐ xiǎnɡ mō yú jiù bú yào lái ɡōnɡsī, nǐ kěyǐ huíqù.)
Don’t come here if you want to mess around at the firm, just go back home.

> 炒鱿鱼(chǎo yóuyú)- get fired

炒 means “stir-fry” and 鱿鱼 is “squid”, so 炒鱿鱼 directly translates to “stir-fry a squid”. Chinese people use 炒鱿鱼 to refer to getting fired. 炒鱿鱼 is very close to 卷铺盖(juǎn pūɡɑi). A long time ago, workers would bring sleeping bags with them, so they had to roll up their sleeping bag when they were fired. Gradually 卷铺盖 came to mean getting fired. For 鱿鱼, people saw that when cooked, 鱿鱼 would roll up, which was similar to the shape of a rolled up sleeping bag. As a result, people started to associate 炒鱿鱼 and 卷铺盖. Later on, 炒鱿鱼 became the most popular way to talk about getting fired..

E.g.

他们今天被炒鱿鱼了。
(Tāmen jīntiān bèi chǎo yóuyú le.)
They were fired today.

你小心点儿，不要被炒鱿鱼了。 
(Nǐ xiǎoxīn diǎn’r, bú yào bèi chǎo yóuyú le.)
Be careful, don’t get fired.

#4 狗(ɡǒu)-dog

Unfortunately in Chinese slang, 狗 are often deprecated, even though now most people think of 狗 as our faithful friends. Here are two idioms that include the word 狗.

> 单身狗(dānshēn ɡǒu) – single

The word 单身 means “single”, so 单身狗 literally means “a single dog”. 单身狗 now is widely used  to emphasize that someone is  single. This phrasecomes from the memorable quote “He looks like a dog.” from the wedding ceremony scene in the film A Chinese Odyssey. It was originally only used for self-deprecation. But now, it’s also used to address others with a slightly derogatory tone.

E.g.

我是单身狗，不过情人节。
(Wǒ shì dānshēn ɡǒu, bú ɡuò Qínɡrén jié.)
I’m single and don’t do anything Valentine’s Day.

不要在我这个单身狗面前秀恩爱。
(Bú yào zài wǒ zhèɡe dānshēn ɡǒu miànqián xiù ēn’ài.)
I’m single, so don’t do any PDA in front of me.

> 狗血(ɡǒu xiě)- campy/cliché

血 means “blood”, so 狗血 actually means “dog’s blood”. It’s said that during the heyday of the film and television industry in Hong Kong in the 1990s, there were many of TV dramas about ghost hunting. The idea that dog blood can be used to drive away evil often came up in those shows. So, the term dog blood referred to outdated elements in film or TV. Nowadays, Chinese people use 狗血 to describe exaggerated or outdated elements in media or even real life. So 狗血 is really similar to campy/cliché in English.

E.g.

你这件事太狗血了。
(Nǐ zhè jiàn shì tài ɡǒuxiě le.)
That is so campy of you.

我昨天看了一部很狗血的电视剧。
(Wǒ zuótiān kànle yí bù hěn ɡǒuxiě de diànshìjù.)
I watched a very campy drama yesterday.

#5 鸡(jī)-chicken

鸡 symbolizes good luck, fighting and brightness in Chinese culture. Here are two expressions that include 鸡.

>  打鸡血(dǎ jīxiě)- so excited/ energetic

Literally 打鸡血 means “inject chicken blood”. It’s said that 打鸡血 originates from a medical technique from the 1980s where they would draw blood from a year-old rooster and inject it. It was once popular among the veteran cadres at that time. Supposedly, the person who was injected with chicken blood would become energetic, but it was actually unscientific, and that trend quickly faded. Now, Chinese people use 打鸡血 to talk about someone who is full of energy or mock someone’s sudden excitement towards  something.

E.g.

看了这本书后，他整个人就像打鸡血一样。
(Kànle zhè běn shū hòu，tā zhěnɡɡè rén jiù xiànɡ dǎ jīxiě yíyànɡ.)
After reading this book, he became so excited.

昨晚他打了一晚的游戏，今天还这么有精神，就像打了鸡血一样。
(Zuówǎn tā dale yì wǎn de yóuxì, jīntiān hái zhème yǒu jīnɡshen, jiù xiànɡ dale jīxiě yíyànɡ.)
He played games all night, but he is still energetic today, like he injected chicken blood.

>  铁公鸡(tiě ɡōnɡjī)- stingy person

铁公鸡 literally means “irony rooster”. Chinese people use 铁公鸡 to refer to a stingy person. 铁公鸡 comes from an ancient text which described a rich man who was so stingy that people all called him铁公鸡.

E.g.

我们都叫那个人“铁公鸡”。
(Wǒmen dōu jiào nàɡe rén “tiě ɡōnɡjī”.)
We all call that person “stingy man”.

他就是个铁公鸡，一分钱也不会给你。
(Tā jiù shì ɡè tiě ɡōnɡjī, yì fēn qián yě bú huì ɡěi nǐ.)
He is stingy, so he won’t give you a penny.

#6 猪(zhū)-pig

猪 is a symbol of being lazy, stupid, greedy, dirty and even salacious, which are almost all negative things in Chinese culture. Here are two slang expressions that use 猪.

>  咸猪手(xián zhūshǒu) – groper or wandering hands

The character 咸 means “salty”, while 猪手 is “pork knuckle”, so literally 咸猪手 means “salty pork knuckle”. As a matter of fact, 咸猪手 is used to refer to the action of molesting someone, such as grabbing their chest or touching their buttocks. It’s similar to groping or having wandering hands in English.

  E.g.

放开你的咸猪手。
(Fànɡkāi nǐ de xián zhūshǒu.)
Get your wandering hands off of me.

我昨天在地铁上碰到咸猪手了。
(Wǒ zuótiān zài dìtiě shanɡ pènɡdào xián zhūshǒu le.)
There was a groper on the subway yesterday.

>  扮猪吃老虎(bàn zhū chī lǎohǔ) – looking foolish in the short-term to win in the long-term

扮 means “to disguise” and 老虎 is “tiger”, so 扮猪吃老虎 means “disguising as a pig to eat a tiger”. It’s said that when hunters couldn’t catch a tiger, they would pretend to be a pig and draw the tiger out. When the tiger approached, then they would suddenly attack it. Chinese people use this expression to talk about people who like to look foolish or downplay themselves in the short-term to win in the long-term.

E.g.

有些人很会扮猪吃老虎。
(Yǒu xiē rén hěn huì bàn zhū chī lǎohǔ.)
Some people are good at looking foolish in the short-term to win in thelong-term.

他看起来很好，其实是在扮猪吃老虎，你小心点儿。
(Tā kàn qǐlái hěn hǎo, qíshí shì zài bàn zhū chī lǎohǔ, nǐ xiǎoxīn diǎnr.)
Be careful. He looks nice, but in fact he is looking foolish short-term to win in the long-term.

#7 Other Animals

>  放鸽子(fànɡ ɡēzi)- standing someone up

放鸽子 directly translates to “release a pigeon”. It later came to mean standing someone up. It’s said that 放鸽子 originated from the lottery in old Shanghai, commonly known as a “white pigeon ticket” with an extremely low chance of winning.

E.g.

他经常放我鸽子。
(Tā jīnɡchánɡ fànɡ wǒ ɡēzi.)
He often stands me up.

我被放鸽子了，她没有来。
(Wǒ bèi fànɡ ɡēzi le, tā méiyǒu lái.)
She didn’t come, and I was stood up.

>  乌鸦嘴(wūyā zuǐ)- jinx

乌鸦嘴 is literally “crow’s mouth”. 乌鸦 are black, omnivorous and addicted to rotten meat, so when it comes to it, Chinese people usually associate it with the idea of being unlucky and gloomy. So now, Chinese people often use乌鸦嘴to refer to a jinx.

E.g.

闭嘴，你这个乌鸦嘴！
(Bìzuǐ, nǐ zhèɡe wūyā zuǐ!)
Shut up, you jinx!

你是乌鸦嘴吗，每次不好的事都会被你说中。
(Nǐ shì wūyā zuǐ ma, měicì bù hǎo de shì dōu huì bèi nǐ shuōzhònɡ.)
Are you a jinx? Because bad things are always said right by you.

>  老狐狸(lǎo húli)- old fox

In Chinese people’s minds, 狐狸 are sharp, smart, and sly. 老狐狸 literally means old fox, and Chinese people use it to refer to people who are highly cunning, scheming and cruel.

E.g.

这个人是只老狐狸。
(Zhèɡe rén shì zhǐ lǎo húli.)
This man is an old fox.

他是我们公司里知名的老狐狸。
(Tā shì wǒmen ɡōnɡsī lǐ zhīmínɡ de lǎo húli.)
He is a famous old fox at our company.

Those are some of the most common and important animal-related Chinese slang expressions. We hope that this list can help you improve your fluency and your understanding of Chinese culture.

The post Everyday Animal Related Slangs and Buzzwords in Chinese appeared first on .

(1) 你吃了吗？(Nǐ chī le ma?)

You may already know that another common Chinese greeting is 你吃了吗(Nǐ chī le mɑ). But do you know why Chinese people say that and when you should use it? Let’s start with an example.

A:你吃了吗？Have you eaten yet?
(Nǐ chī le mɑ?)

B:吃了，你呢？Yes. How about you?
(Chī le, nǐ ne.)

A:还没呢。Not yet.
(Hái méi ne.)

There is a lot of delicious food in China, and Chinese people really love to enjoy that delicious food. As the saying goes, Food is the soul of the people, and Chinese culture is centered around food. So around breakfast, lunch, or dinner time, you’ll hear conversations like this because that is how they show their concern. If you visit someone’s home during mealtime, a hospitable host will invite you to join them . However, we generally do not just randomly pop in at mealtime without an important or urgent reason.

(2) 出门啊？(Chū mén a?)

If you live in China, you might hear conversations like this between your Chinese neighbors:

A:你去哪？Where are you going?
Nǐ qù nǎ?)

B:我去超市买点东西。I am going to the supermarket to buy something.
(Wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi diǎn dōnɡxi.)

Or:

A:你去做什么？What are you going to do?
(Nǐ qù zuò shénme ?)

B:我出去有点事。I’m out to deal with some personal business.
(Wǒ chūqu yóu diǎn shì. )

Where you go and what you do is private, so you may feel a bit confused. Isn’t it rude for neighbors to ask such questions? In fact, just like how British people love to talk about the weather, we Chinese people ask others where they’re going and what they’re doing as a form of small talk. Maybe your neighbors see that you are going out, so they strike up a polite conversation, just to avoid embarrassment. They don’t really want to invade your privacy. Sometimes when we see our relatives or friends on the street, we also ask them where they’re going and what they’re doing, just to show that we care and as a greeting.

Of course, when faced with such a question, if we’re talking to a nice person, we don’t mind being specific. If you don’t want to talk about the details, it’s usually enough to just say  I’m going out to deal with some personal business. A decent person will understand that  you don’t want to answer and won’t ask you for more details.

Let’s look at another example of a conversation between neighbors. If I want to go to the supermarket and run into my neighbor at the door, we’ll have a conversation like this:

A:呦，出去啊？ Oh, going out?
(Yōu , chūqu a?)

B:是啊，去超市。扔垃圾呢？ Yes, to the supermarket. Taking out the garbage?
(Shì a, qù chāoshì. rēnɡ lājī ne ?)

A:对，今天大扫除。Yes, I did a big house cleaning today.
(Duì, jīntiān dà sǎochú. )

Isn’t that an interesting conversation? My neighbor saw me going out, and he already knew what I was doing, so why did he still ask me? I saw my neighbor with a garbage bag. He must’ve been going to take out the garbage. Why did I ask him about what I already saw him doing?

This kind of dialogue is quite common in Chinese, and it is a kind of greeting to ask questions while already knowing the answer. Let’s look at some more examples:

吃饭呢？Having dinner?
(Chīfàn ne?)

看书呢？You are reading?
(Kànshū ne?)

出去买东西啊？Going out to buy something?
(Chūqu mǎi dōnɡxi a?)

你去上课呢？You are going to your classroom?
(Nǐ qù shànɡkè ne?)

This kind of greeting usually comes up when you see someone you’re familiar with. We don’t usually say你好(nǐ hǎo) to people we know well, but then how should you say hello? So, ask them about what they’re doing to initiate a courteous conversation and be smooth. Usually, it will be a short conversation, especially if you simply run into someone, but of course you can continue to talk about other things if you like.

(3) 多喝热水。(Duō hē rèshuǐ.)

How do you show your friends and family you care? Usually, to show that we care about others, we offer some good advice that we believe will help. Let’s look at some examples:

A:上课啊？ Are you going to class?
(Shànɡkè a?)

B:对，最近真冷啊！Yes. It’s cold these days!
(Duì,zuìjìn zhēn lěnɡ a!)

A:是啊，多穿点。yeah, you should put on more clothes.
(Shì a , duō chuān diǎn.)

B:你也是。You too.
(Nǐ yě shì.)

Or a conversation like this:

A:怎么了？What’s wrong with you?
(Zěnme le?)

B:感冒了。I caught a cold.
(Gǎnmào le.)

A:多穿点，多喝热水。Wear more clothes and drink more hot water.
(duō chuān diǎn , duō hē rèshuǐ.)

Advice like wear more clothes, drink more hot water, and eat more may sound like a mother’s advice to her children, and it is true that Chinese parents often tell their children these things to show their love. But among friends, neighbors, and other acquaintances, we also say this quite often. Not because we think you don’t care about your health and need to be reminded, but just to let you know, I care about you, and I hope you’re doing well.

If you want to show concern for your Chinese friends, you can also say:

早点睡。Go to bed early.
(Záo diǎn shuì.)

按时吃饭。Eat regularly.
(Ànshí chīfàn.)

注意身体。Take care of your health.
(Zhùyì shēntǐ.)

(4) 你爸妈身体好吗？(Nǐ bàmā shēntǐ hǎo mɑ ?)

We also care about the health of others, not only about your individual health, but also your loved ones too. For example:

A:最近怎么样？How have you been?
(Zuìjìn zěnme yànɡ?)

B:挺好的，您呢？Fine. How about you?
(Tǐnɡ hǎo de, nín ne?)

A:还不错。你爸妈身体好吗？Not bad. How are your parents?
(Hái búcuò,nǐ bàmā shēntǐ hǎo mɑ ?)

B: 谢谢关心，他们很好。Thanks for asking. They are all fine.
(Xièxiè ɡuānxīn,tāmen hěn hǎo.)

When we ask people about their health, we expect positive answers. If we receive some bad news, the next thing we do according to etiquette is call or visit the sick person and bring them some fruit or flowers to show our concern.

Maybe you expect others to ask about your health, but you may wonder, If you care about my parents, why not ask them directly? In fact, when I saw a friend who also knew my parents, he would ask about how they’re doing, and when I saw my parents, I would tell them that he had asked about them.

However, inquiring about the health of family members is limited to people you know. It is not proper to talk about someone’s parents if you do not know them well.

(5) 慢走。(Màn zǒu. )

If you’re hosting, how about politely seeing off your guests? Let’s look at an example.

A: 慢走。Take your time and be careful!
(Màn zǒu. )

B: 谢谢，别送了。Thanks, don’t bother to see me out!
(Xièxiè,bié sònɡ le .)

慢走(màn zǒu)  is not telling the guest to walk slowly. It is telling them to pay attention and be safe. We also have examples of doing other things slowly:

慢用。(while serving) enjoy your meal.
(Màn yònɡ.)

您慢慢看。(while shopping) take your time.
(Nín mànmàn kàn.)

(6) 您过奖了。(Nín ɡuòjiǎnɡ le.)

Above, we have covered some expressions that can be used to start a conversation. Finally, let’s talk about how to respond to compliments.

A:你太厉害了！ You’re excellent!
(Nǐ tài lìhɑi le.)

B: 哪里哪里。/您过奖了。/运气好。It’s nothing. / I am flattered! / I am just lucky.
(Nǎ lǐ nǎ lǐ./ nín ɡuò jiǎnɡ le./ yùn qi hǎo.)

Modesty is considered a virtue by Chinese people. If others praise us, we usually don’t say thank you directly but use more modest expressions, such as “we are lucky” or “it is not a big problem, anyone can solve it, and I just happened to solve it.” However, young people these days also respond to compliments by replying with a direct thank you.

Did you find the expressions we shared today helpful? Are there any similar expressions in your country? Or are there any special greetings that are quite different from ours? Please share some of your country’s greetings, etiquette, or expressions with us, and we can appreciate our different cultures together.

The post Some Unique and Confusing Chinese Expressions That You Will Definitely Meet in Daily Life appeared first on .

(1) Local Food Differences Between Northern and Southern China

Rice or Noodles?

When thinking about Chinese New Year food, what comes to mind first? Most people would say dumplings! Dumplings are a popular Chinese dish, but not everyone eats them during the New Year. Southerners mainly eat rice as their main dish, while Northerners often prefer noodles and other flour-based dishes. In Northeastern China, where the land is fertile and black, rice remains a staple food for those who enjoy dumplings during the New Year.

Sweet or Salty?

Rice dumplings, known as 粽子(zònɡzi), consist of glutinous rice and various fillings wrapped in special leaves, forming triangular or square shapes. They are most commonly enjoyed during the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. Asking a Chinese person whether they prefer sweet or salty rice dumplings can spark heated debates. Every year, the topic of which flavor is superior ignites passionate discussions, with people even picking fights online. Generally, Southerners favor salty rice dumplings, while Northerners lean towards sweet ones. Interestingly, when it comes to 豆花(dòu huā), a tofu-based dessert, Northerners enjoy the salty variation, while Southerners have a penchant for the sweet version. The battle of bean curd flavors wages on.

(2) Linguistic Differences Between Northern and Southern China

Northerners Roll, Southerners Simplify

When studying Chinese, pronunciation can pose challenges. Take the sound 儿（er） for example, which requires rolling the tip of your tongue backwards. Northerners often add 儿（er） after certain words.

For example:

On the other hand, Southerners find using 儿(er) naturally quite difficult. Instead, you’ll hear them omit it.

For example:

番茄 or 西红柿? They’re the Same!

But that’s not all! In China, you’ll find that Northerners and Southerners use different words for the same thing, which can be confusing. Let’s explore some examples of daily words that differ between the Southern and Northern regions.

Words that differ in Southern and Northern China

South:

天气好热，我想吃雪糕。 (Tiānqì hǎo rè, wǒ xiǎnɡ chī xuěɡāo.)
The weather is so hot, I want to eat ice cream.

North:

暖气太热了，我要吃根冰棍凉快一下。 (Nuǎnqì tài rè le, wǒ yào chī ɡēn bīnɡɡùn liánɡkuài yíxià.)
The heater is too hot. I want to eat ice cream to cool off.

It may sound surprising, but in a region with intense heating, some people genuinely crave ice cream even during winter.

South:

我最喜欢吃花菜。(Wǒ zuì xǐhuɑn chī huācài.)
I like cauliflower best.

North:

我要去超市买点菜花。 (Wǒ yào qù chāoshì mǎi diǎn càihuā.)
I’m going to the supermarket to buy some cauliflower.

South：

番茄是蔬菜还是水果？(Fānqié shì shūcài háishì shuíɡuǒ？)
Is a tomato a vegetable or a fruit?

North:

我会做西红柿炒鸡蛋。(Wǒ huì zuò xīhónɡshì chǎo jīdàn.)
I can make scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

South：

炸洋芋条是一种小吃。(Zhà yánɡyù tiáo shì yìzhǒnɡ xiǎochī.)
Fried potato sticks are a snack.

North：

我买了两个大土豆。(Wǒ mǎi le liǎnɡɡè dà tǔdòu.)
I bought two big potatoes.

These variations aren’t limited to just vegetables; even snacks can have different names in different regions.

汤圆 (tāng yuán) are rice balls made from glutinous rice with sweet fillings like peanuts and black sesame. During the Lantern Festival, some people prefer to call them 元宵 (yuán xiāo). Interestingly, in certain regions, meat is added to these rice balls.

South：

我喜欢吃肉汤圆。(Wǒ xǐhuɑn chī ròu tānɡyuán.)
I like to eat rice balls with meat stuffing.

North:

元宵节要吃一碗元宵。(Yuánxiāojié yào chī yìwǎn yuánxiāo.)
I want to eat a bowl of rice balls during the Lantern Festival.

Another popular food consists of thin dough with a generous filling of meat. Northerners refer to it as 馄饨 (hún tun), while Southerners prefer the name 云吞 (yún tūn). However, it’s important to note that these are different from dumplings.

South:

请给我来碗云吞面。(Qǐnɡ ɡěi wǒ lái wǎn yúntūn miàn.)
Please give me a bowl of wonton noodles.

North：

明天早上我要吃馄饨。(Mínɡtiān zǎoshɑnɡ wǒ yào chī húntun.)
I want to eat wontons tomorrow morning.

Moving on from food, another area where terminology can differ from North to South is family.

South：

这是我的外公/外婆。(Zhè shì wǒ de wàiɡōnɡ / wàipó.)
This is my grandpa/grandma.

North:

那是我的姥姥/姥爷。(Nà shì wǒ de lǎolɑo / lǎoyé.)
That is my grandma/grandpa.

The next time you meet a Chinese person, ask them how they refer to their grandpa on their mother’s side. Their answer may reveal whether they are from the South or the North.

Chinese people also sometimes use different terms for certain items, like bicycles.

South:

那里有很多共享单车。(Nàlǐ yǒu hěnduō ɡònɡxiǎnɡ dānchē.)
There are many communal bicycles there.

North:

他每天骑自行车上班。(Tā měitiān qí zìxínɡchē shànɡbān.)
He bikes to work every day.

As we conclude our exploration of the contrasts between Northern and Southern China, we hope that you are left with a deeper appreciation for the multifaceted nature of Chinese culture. From steaming bowls of noodles to fragrant rice dumplings, and from their distinct dialects to their ever-evolving lexicons, the diversity within China’s borders is both fascinating and awe-inspiring. By understanding the differences between the North and the South, we gain a more profound understanding of regional differences that shape Chinese people’s identities.

So, the next time you find yourself engaging in conversation with a Chinese person, pay attention to the hints they drop, the words they choose, and the flavors they savor. You may just unravel the mystery of their origins and forge a deeper connection through a shared understanding of their unique cultural heritage.

The post Cultural Contrast: Northern vs. Southern Chinese Cuisine and Vocabulary appeared first on .

Imagine you are having some chit-chat with a Chinese lady you met some five minutes ago at a bus station, and she is asking you normal questions like “Where are you from?” and “How long have you studied Chinese?”.  And then suddenly she goes: “Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?”,  “Do you want to have a Chinese boyfriend/girlfriend?” “How much do you earn?” These questions are a bit too personal, aren’t they? How do you respond? What do you do? What an awkward situation…

Well, that’s exactly what happened to me during my first ever trip to China. Just a few hours after I landed in Shanghai, I was lost at a bus station and asked someone for help. The lady was very nice; she helped me buy a ticket and then we had a chat while waiting for a bus. I was so excited to talk to a native Chinese speaker! Wow, I could understand her and she understood me! I had this amazing feeling that all those Chinese classes and hours of studying were not wasted.

And then came the questions about boyfriends, marriage, salary…To be honest, I did not know how to answer those. It’s pretty private information to share with a person you just met at a bus station. Yet these questions are just a few examples of uncomfortable questions Chinese people ask. Such awkward questions are very common.

More often than not, foreigners get frustrated and even offended by these awkward questions. But it is very easy to get the wrong idea if you don’t understand the culture. Learning any foreign language is indivisible from gaining an understanding of that country’s customs and beliefs. As a student of Mandarin, you should be aware of these differences and try to understand Chinese culture and the reasons behind people’s questions and behaviour.

In this article, I’ll introduce the most common awkward questions and explain the reason behind them.

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR AGE

 – How old are you?

• 你多大了？ (Nǐ duōdàle?)
• 你多少岁啊？ (Nǐ duōshǎo suì a?)
• 你是几几年出生的？ (Nǐ shì jǐ jǐ nián chūshēng de?)

This is one of the most common questions. While in some parts of the world it is considered a rude one, in China no one wants to offend you! A Chinese person will ask your age not only out of curiosity, but this question has a deeper cultural meaning: age defines how people address each other.   “大哥”( dà gē)/ “哥”(gē) or “大姐”( dà jiě)/ “姐”( jiě), “小哥哥”( xiǎo gē ge) or “小姐姐”( xiǎo jiějie) – these are common ways to address someone you know, and the word you choose is related to the age difference between the speakers. 

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND FAMILY

• 你有男朋友/女朋友吗？(Nǐ yǒu nán péngyǒu/nǚ péngyǒu ma?)

Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

• 你想结婚吗？ (Nǐ xiǎng jiéhūn ma?)

Are you planning to get married?

• 你结婚了吗？ (Nǐ jiéhūnle ma?)

Are you married?

• 你有孩子吗？ (Nǐ yǒu háizi ma?)

Do you have kids?

• 你怎么不要孩子？ (Nǐ zěnme bùyào háizi?)

Why don’t you have kids?

• 你打算生孩子吗？ (Nǐ dǎsuàn shēng háizi ma?)

Do you plan to have kids?

• 你还想再生一个吗？ (Nǐ hái xiǎng zàishēng yīgè ma?)

Do you want to have another one?

Feel a bit awkward even just reading these questions? Well, imagine them being asked by a stranger during casual chit-chat. These questions are so common that you are very unlikely to avoid them, but don’t get frustrated or angry. As with other questions on this list, Chinese people do not want to embarrass you. Actually, they care about you. Family, marriage and children have always been important in Chinese culture and society; they are the insurance for a stable life. Without them, one is left alone to face all the troubles and uncertainties of the world. So by asking you these questions and giving advice on getting married sooner, Chinese people express their concern for you. They treat you as a friend (even if you met them 5 minutes ago) and worry about your future.

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR BODY

• 你怎么那么瘦？ (Nǐ zěnme nàme shòu?) Why so skinny?
• 你多重啊？ (Nǐ duōchóng a?) Did you gain weight?
• 你脸色怎么那么苍白？ (Nǐ liǎnsè zěnme nàme cāngbái?) Why so pale?
• 你身体怎么样？ (Nǐ shēntǐ zěnme yàng?) Are you healthy?

Questions about one’s health are another set of the most common ones. And again, don’t take them personally! Health is an extremely important concept in Chinese culture, and in Chinese traditions, it reflects the harmony between complementary energies, yin and yang. Nowadays, most Chinese people are actually very comfortable with the duality between western and traditional Chinese health beliefs, yet some issues, which they see as “imbalances,” indicate health issues. Health questions show that the person sees you as a friend, and as your friend, they want to know if you are ok or need help.

QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY

• 你赚多少钱啊？(Nǐ zhuàn duōshǎo qián a?) How much money do you make?
• 你工资是多少？ (Nǐ gōngzī shì duōshǎo?) What is your salary?

Almost every professional working in China gets this question. The wealth gap between the poor and the rich in China makes many wonders what their place is in the income pyramid. Knowing how much money others earn gives you an idea of average income across different spheres. So this question is something like a Glassdoor salary check. Moreover, if your salary is lower than the average, your Chinese friend would push you to ask for raise!

So hopefully now you won’t get frustrated when getting these personal questions and won’t put the Chinese people asking them on the “rude list.”

Share your thoughts on the article with us. Did I forget any awkward questions? Tell us! :)

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Li Ziqi’s short biography:

Nationality: Chinese
Native name: 李子柒 （Lǐ Zǐqī）
Born: July 6, 1990 (age 29)
Occupation: Chinesefood and country-life vlogger
Keywords: #Orphan #DJ #vlogger #Internet Celebrity 

Li Ziqi is a Vlogger who showcases Chinese food and living a traditional Chinese country-life. As an internet celebrity, she gets more and more popular on YouTube and Chinese social media like Weibo. Even though she lives in remote Sichuan, China, but she has more than 8 million subscribers overseas and another 20 million followers in China. Her followers praised her as a fairy with the Grace in Disneyland. Most of her followers outside China don’t even know any Chinese language, but they are all attracted tightly by the food, the handcraft skills, and especially her lifestyle. Countless praises come, and more people couldn’t help but wonder who she is and what she has been through.

Li ziqi’s story

Even she is now living in the dream life of many people, her life before fame was quite hard. Li Ziqi had a miserable childhood. After her parents divorced, she was abused by her stepmother. Since her father passed away, she became an orphan at a very young age. Afterward, her grandmother raised her in the remote Sichuan Mountains and gave the little girl lots of care and love. Before becoming a vlogger, she did various jobs including being DJ in bars. Later, her grandmother got sick which made her decide to move back to her hometown so that she could take care of her grandmother. The old lady who often appears in her videos is her grandmother. The love and bond between grandmother and granddaughter are also a part of her fairy tale.

What is Li Ziqi（李子柒）doing

In the beginning, Li Ziqi just wanted to help improve the sale in her Taobao online shop by shooting some traditional Chinese country-life videos. Gradually, she got more and more attention and then had her shooting team (one photographer and one assistant) to help create the videos. The vlog content is almost covering everything, including Chinese cooking, handcraft making as well as some culture exhibition.

Chinese cooking

From breakfast such as 豆浆 (dòujiāng / boiled soybean milk), 蒸紫薯糕 (zhēng zǐ shǔ gāo / steamed purple potato cake) to heavy dinner such as 春节大餐 (chūnjié dà cān / Spring Festival feast), 火锅 (huǒguō / hotpot), 炖肉(dùn ròu / stewed meat), 烤全羊 (kǎo quán yáng / kumiss and roasted whole lamb), 古法鸽子汤(gǔ fǎ gēzi tāng / special pigeon soup), from snacks such as 柿饼(shìbǐng / sweet persimmons), 樱花茶 (yīnghuā chá / Cerasus tea), 自酿啤酒 (zì niàng píjiǔ / homemade beer), 手工冰淇淋 (shǒugōng bīngqílín / homemade ice cream) to cooking sauces such as 黄豆酿酱油 (huángdòu niàng jiàngyóu / handmade soy sauce), 豆腐乳 (dòufu rǔ / spicy veggies with bean curd paste), 古法红糖 (gǔ fǎ hóngtáng / old brown sugar) and various jam, it seems that there is nothing she can’t make and cook.   

Handcraft Making

Besides food, she made many more things for daily use. As you can see in her videos, her nice wool cloak, warm silk quilt, even the commonly used soil made oven were made by her.. She creates everything from scratch, not just some semi-finished products. For instance, if she planned to make some old furniture, the first thing she did was to walk into the deep mountain and cut trees to get fine woods. If she wanted a silk quilt, then she started from raising silkworms to get the original silk.

With her deep understanding of Chinese culture, she also makes some stuff which presents the essence of Chinese history and culture, such as 蜀绣（shǔxiù / Sichuan embroidery）which is the national intangible cultural heritage, 文房四宝(wénfángsìbǎo / the scholar’s four jewels in China) including Chinese writing brush, ink stick, ink slab , and paper 活字印刷（huózì yìnshuā/ Woodblock printing）which is one of the four great inventions of ancient China and etc.

Why Li Ziqi （李子柒）is trending

Time

There are numerous Chinese food making tutorial videos online, but Li Ziqi’s stands out. Why?It is because in her videos, the food making is not just pure cooking of any recipe, but presenting the whole process from planting, harvesting to cooking and eating.

She follows the traditional Chinese ideas about obeying nature and making use of it, which also displays the harmony between human beings and nature, and the survival wisdom of humans. All her videos can be classified according to the four seasons. Whatever grows best in this season, she just makes use of the essence of this time and make the classical Chinese food or create something new. If it’s on special solar terms or big Chinese festivals, she also makes special seasonal food for that special day. For example, Chinese people usually make a big feast on the Spring Festival night. Therefore, on that day, Li Ziqi followed the tradition and made a table of tasty food for her grandmother and herself. Each of the dishes had its name and blessings contained.

In recording the whole process, each of her most videos would take 2 or even 3 years to complete. You can easily feel the peace and greatness from the flowing time and the sense of achievement when the final products are done.

Beauty

I believe many of the audiences are attracted by the amazing scenery and the natural environment she lives in. It’s based in deep mountains of Mianyang（绵阳）, Sichuan province （四川省）. Sichuan has its reputation of food abundance which located in a basin with humid weather. Consequently, it’s not hard for her to find various natural materials to create what she wants. There are splendid flowers and productive fruits in each season, which are all the blessings of nature. Of course, Li Ziqi also plants and raised whatever she needs around her house such as corps, vegetables, sheep, chickenetc. All the materials she used are made of wood or iron, basically no plastic products or something harmful to the natural environment. And she often wears her traditional style of Chinese clothes and rides a horse to pick up things like vegetables or flowers in the mountain which also constructs the scene of  beauty. It’s such a balance of traditional and modern life.

Culture

People admire Li Ziqi, besides the beautiful views and the amazing environment she is living in, especially because her videos fully explain the Chinese people’s traditional concept of family and the Taoist thought of harmony between humans and nature. She also made many national intangible cultural heritages from scratch which have been created for thousands of years and considered as the precious of Chines culture.

Besides the specialty from her hometown Sichuan like the spicy hotpot, she also makes some other classical food from other areas of China, such as very famous river snail rice noodle from Liuzhou Guangxi (螺蛳粉luósī fěn)，the drunk crabs from Jiangsu (醉蟹zuì xiè) and etc. These videos make you feel interested in this wonderful local food and places around China.

(Click here to get the list of national 5A tourist attractions in China.)

Lifestyle

“I’m just filming my life,” Li Ziqi says. “Or rather, I’m just filming the life that I want.” This is the exact lifestyle she wants to live.

She makes people experience life in the countryside which people living in modern society lack. Especially for the people living in modern cities, Li Ziqi’s videos would be like exploring an ideal lifestyle with nature. She seems able to make everything and could be anyone. In her life, she is a chef, an engineer, a carpenter, a farmer, a gardener, and a creator. Watching her life is also satisfying the audiences’ personal ideal roles. What’s more, her videos seem to have no anxiety worries and misgivings which is exactly what the status of contemporary people strive for.

Li Ziqi’s house & clothing

Many of her audiences are fascinated by Li Ziqi’s house and clothing. She lives in a village house with her grandma in a very simple and unsophisticated lifestyle. The house looks very ordinary in rural western China, but Li Ziqi’s skills in decorating and maintaining it made it very artistic and beautiful. There are various plants and vegetables in her house yard which does not only supply their meal but also makes the environment beautiful. Li Ziqi’s clothing is very attractive which can be distinguished from others. Her clothing always has a touch of traditional Chinese clothing. They are not only very traditional but also comfortable and pretty. Her house and clothing integrate into her traditional country lifestyle perfectly.

More:

Li Ziqi interview

What does Li Ziqi want people get from the videos?

Li Ziqi: In today’s society, many people feel stressed. They face a lot of pressure in life and at work. I want them to relax and experience something nice to take away some of their anxiety and stress. Wouldn’t that be nice? When I worked in the city, it was about survival. No when I work in the countryside, I feel like I’m truly living. When I make my videos, I want to start with an angle that I’m familiar with. What do I want to bring to the audience? It’s not that complicated. I simply want people in the city to know where their food comes from.

How does Li Ziqi form her video style?

Li Ziqi: At first, I did everything myself. I’d set up a tripod, go there, film, and then press stop. That’s why all my shots are on a tripod and they don’t move. That’s why my videos are still filmed this way. 

What does Li Ziqi think after achieving the success?

Li Ziqi: “Successful” is a heavy word. I’m just filming my life. Or rather, I’m just filming the life that I want. This also means I feel a greater sense of responsibility. I have to work harder and do things that are meaningful.

Li Ziqi ‘s official channels：

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Weibo

The post All You Want to Know about Li Ziqi (李子柒) appeared first on .

Of course, this idea isn’t completely unheard of and is actually a relatively common practice amongst many language learners. Coming from someone who enjoyed watching Chinese TV shows in her free time, it isn’t as simple as just watching TV. There is a bit of planning and work that must happen for it to actually improve your Chinese.

It is best to choose the right TV show – one that uses vocabulary that is appropriate for your level – and to use the right method, depending on what you want to achieve. Chinese TV shows can help improve your Chinese listening, speaking, reading and vocabulary if used appropriately.

In this article, we introduce how you can use Chinese TV shows to improve different areas of your Chinese learning.

Listening

Practicing listening can be quite difficult, especially considering the many dialects and accents that you can encounter when talking to native Chinese speaker. When practicing listening with strictly audio-based content, speed, accent, and lack of vocabulary all become obstacles to understanding and render the whole process inefficient and boring. The added visual aspect of TV shows helps to solve this problem.

To practice listening while watching TV shows, there are just a few things that you need to do.

First, I would recommend using a TV show that you have already seen and understood, or at the very least, one that you are familiar with. When you already understand what is happening, it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are hearing and infer what the characters are saying.

Second, I recommend excluding any kind of subtitles from the show when you are watching it. While Chinese subtitles may seem helpful, they become a crutch for practicing your listening. It is important for you to get used to only relying on your ears.

Last, make sure to stay focused. When re-watching a TV show, it can become easy to lose focus and stop paying full attention to the audio. So, make sure to pay consistent attention, even when the characters may be saying things you don’t understand.

The fact that TV shows are an audio-visual resource makes them more conducive to building your auditory capabilities. As humans, we have a natural ability to gain meaning from body movements and facial expressions, so having those added hints while practicing makes for a more natural and enjoyable process.

Speaking and Pronunciation

The optimal way to improve one’s Chinese speaking ability is to speak to a native Chinese speaker, but that does not mean there’s no way for you to practice by yourself. Using TV shows, you can practice your speaking and pronunciation without any added pressure.

To practice speaking, it is very important to use a TV show that contains vocabulary that is at your level. I would also recommend watching with Chinese subtitles on since that would make it easier to be sure of what is being said. 

Practicing speaking and pronunciation with TV shows is very easy. You simply watch the show and when you hear a sentence you understand, repeat that sentence out loud. Be sure to mimic the character’s speech and intonation as best as you can. It may feel silly to do this at first, but as you keep doing it, you will become more familiar with Chinese speech patterns and tones, and they will come out more naturally the next time you actually speak. It goes without saying that this practice should be done in a place where you will not disturb others and will feel comfortable.

Keep in mind that this is not a replacement for your conversation practice, it is simply a way for you to improve your pronunciation and get more familiar with speaking in Chinese.

Reading

Similar to speaking, reading is better practiced with more appropriate resources like books, articles and other such materials. The language that can be read from Chinese TV shows is generally colloquial spoken language, which differs from that used in written resources. However, using TV shows to practice reading can help you get better at recognizing Chinese characters at a faster rate.

To practice reading with Chinese TV shows, you must simply watch a show with Chinese subtitles which shouldn’t be too difficult since practically all Chinese audio-visual media include subtitles. As you are watching, be sure to read the subtitles while paying attention to the audio. This will train your brain to associate the sound and meaning of the characters with their appearance.

Practicing reading with simpler more stimulating material like TV shows allows the transition into reading longer written texts to be much smoother.

Vocabulary

Acting as the building blocks of language, vocabulary can be acquired via practically every language resource. Of course, this also includes TV programs, but I would argue that TV media is one of the best resources to acquire vocabulary from. The audio-visual properties of the medium allow learners to receive visual, auditory and contextual references for every word they encounter.

When watching a TV show in Chinese, you are likely to come across many unknown words. There are a variety of practical ways to deal with such an abundance of vocabulary. I would like to offer a disclaimer that the method written below is one that I personally use and is not the only way to learn vocabulary from Chinese shows.

First, have a pen/pencil and notepad with you as you watch the show. Make sure that you have chosen a show that is appropriate for your level and only contains Chinese subtitles that you have already seen. This allows for maximum clarity with minimal distraction.

Then, enjoy the show while looking out for sentences where you understand all but one or two words. When you encounter such a sentence, write it down and look up the words you don’t understand. Doing it this way ensures that you understand the meaning of the context in and the usage of the new words, and increases the likelihood that you’ll remember them. It also allows you to enjoy the experience more rather than pausing the video at every second to write down words that you don’t know.

By the end of an episode, you’ll surely have a whole list of new words and example sentences noted down. Whether you choose to further study those words is completely up to you, but the process alone is already a good way to expand your vocabulary.

Now, having taken all of this in, I’m sure that your approach to watching Chinese audio-visual media will be at least a little bit different. While Chinese TV shows may be a versatile and practical tool for your Chinese learning journey, it’s important to keep in mind that the key point of using them for language learning is to have fun in the process. The methods listed above should be taken as informative guidelines of how a Chinese show can help you to improve your Chinese skills rather than strict rules to follow whenever you sit down to enjoy your favourite show. Just remember to have fun as you explore Chinese language and culture through television!

For a list of suggestions of Chinese TV shows (click here)

For many other Chinese learning resources (click here)

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Choosing the appropriate term demonstrates your wit, politeness, literacy, and respect for others. In the following article, we will briefly introduce some of the honorifics commonly used in China.

1. Addressing strangers
2. Addressing acquaintances
3. Addressing according to title

#1 Addressing strangers

When in public areas like supermarkets, parks, airports, or railway stations, you’ll come across a variety of people who you don’t know. In China, when meeting someone for the first time, how do people address each other?

Addressing the elderly

To address an elderly person in China, such as someone as old as your grandparents, you can use “大爷”( dà yé) or “老爷爷”( lǎo yéye) for a man, and “大妈”( dà mā) or “老奶奶”( lǎo nǎinai) for a woman. For a neutral form, use “老人家”( lǎo rén jiā). If someone’s age is similar to your parents, you can address them as “叔叔”( shū shu) or “大叔”( dà shū) for a man, or “阿姨”( ā’yí) for a woman. Sometimes, you can use “大哥”( dà gē)/ “哥”(gē) or “大姐”( dà jiě)/ “姐”( jiě) for people who are not much older than you to show respect or build a close relationship.

It’s important to note that some women may find the term “大妈” offensive, as it can be considered derogatory. So, use it with care.

Addressing the young

To address a young man, you can use “小伙子” (xiǎo huǒzi), and for a young girl, “小姑娘”( xiǎo gūniang) or “小妹妹” (xiǎo mèimei). If you are in the same generation, you can use informal but popular terms like “帅哥”( shuài gē) or “美女”( měi nǚ), as well as “小哥哥”( xiǎo gē ge) or “小姐姐”( xiǎo jiějie), which can make the conversation less awkward and uncomfortable. These terms also connote youth and beauty.

#2 Addressing acquaintances

When talking about acquaintances, there are different terms that should be used depending on their relationship to you.

Addressing elders

For older relatives, Chinese people will address them according to their position in the family hierarchy. For example, you would address your father’s parents as 爷爷 (yéye) and 奶奶 (nǎinai), and your mother’s parents as 外公 (wài gōng) and 外婆 (wài pó). Your mother’s brother and his wife are addressed as 舅舅 (jiùjiu) and 舅妈 (jiù mā), while your mother’s sister and her husband are addressed as 姨 (yí) and 姨夫 (yí fù). There are many other forms used to address people in a Chinese family, and you can check out the Chinese family tree for more examples.

There are also terms for people who are not directly related to you but are still close with your family. You can address them with the form “family name + 爷爷/奶奶” or “family name + 叔叔/阿姨”, such as 李爷爷 (Lǐ yéye), 赵奶奶 (Zhào nǎinai), 马叔叔 (Mǎ shūshu), and 郭阿姨 (Guō ā’yí), among others.

Addressing the young

When greeting people in your generation, it’s common to use relaxed and informal forms of address that can be repeated throughout the day. You can refer to someone by their given name or a nickname that they’ve previously used. For example, if you’re friends with 张六一(Zhāng Liùyī), you could call him 六一，小一，一一，小六 or any other name that he’s comfortable with. However, if you’re speaking to someone younger than you, it’s best to address them using their full name or a nickname. It’s important to note that for some Chinese people, using their full name could imply that something serious has happened.

#3 Addressing according to title

In General

Certain jobs in China carry a higher social status, and people often address these workers by their job titles. Simply place their surname before their title. For example, you might address someone as 吴经理 (Wú jīnglǐ) for Manager Wu, 张老师 (Zhāng lǎoshī) for Teacher Zhang, 刘主任 (Liú zhǔrèn) for Director Liu, 王医生 (Wáng yīsheng) for Doctor Wang, 李警官 (Lǐ jǐngguān) for Sir Li, 杨博士 (Yáng bóshì) for Dr. Yang, and so on.

It’s worth noting that the term “老师” (lǎoshī) has expanded beyond its original meaning of teacher in recent years. Nowadays, it’s commonly used to respectfully address someone who is knowledgeable or has expertise in a certain field, such as a movie director or school administrator.

In work settings

In China, individuals working for the government or commercial businesses are typically addressed by their rank, such as 市长 (shì zhǎng) for mayor, 校长 (xiàozhǎng) for school principal, and 经理 (jīng lǐ) for manager. As previously mentioned, simply add the person’s surname before their rank.

A popular term that has emerged in recent years is 总 (zǒng), which means “chief” and was originally an abbreviation for 总经理 (zǒng jīng lǐ) for general manager or 总裁 (zǒng cái) for chairman or president. Respectful address for such a person would be “surname + 总 (zǒng)” such as 王总 (Wáng Zǒng) and 徐总 (Xú Zǒng).

The use of 总 (zǒng) has expanded beyond its original meaning and is now commonly used to address anyone who holds a relatively high rank in government, state-owned enterprises, or commercial businesses. However, depending on the atmosphere and culture of the company, some employees at small businesses may call their boss “老大 (lǎodà)” to create a more amiable relationship between the bosses and  employees.

In many financial or high-tech companies, staff are accustomed to addressing each other with their English names without emphasizing hierarchical relationships to create a more egalitarian company culture.

Addressing service workers

In Chinese culture, it is important to show respect towards service workers. The most common term used for waiters and waitresses is “服务员(Fúwù yuán)”. Additionally, delivery drivers are referred to as “快递小哥(Kuàidì xiǎo gē)” for packages and “外卖小哥(Wàimài xiǎo gē)” for food delivery. However, these terms should not be used to directly address a specific person. Instead, it is best to use one of ways mentioned before.

In the workplace, it is common to use “Boss’s Last Name +总” to address someone in a high-ranking position. Another informal term that can be used is “老板（Lǎobǎn）”. This term can be used both in office settings and as a respectful term for a shopkeeper or restaurant owner. The wife of the owner or female proprietor is called “老板娘（Lǎobǎnniáng）”.

“师傅（shīfù）” is a term used to respectfully address someone who is skilled in a certain craft or technique, such as cooking, martial arts, or carpentry. It can also be used for blue-collar workers like taxi drivers, factory workers, and delivery clerks.

Closing Thoughts

Honorifics differ across the world, and in China, they have evolved with the times. Addressing people in China can be challenging, even for locals. It’s important to follow local customs and show respect to the person being addressed.

I hope this brief guide will assist you in your Chinese language learning or your future trip to China. By using the appropriate honorifics, you can assimilate better into Chinese culture and show your respect towards the people you interact with.

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