Lu Posted June 30, 2015 at 08:36 PM Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 at 08:36 PM One for the 'makes perfect sense' category: 沘, Bǐ, the name of a river in Yunnan.In that same category, Yunnan also features 洱海湖, pronounced just as you expect. Today I learned: 血小板 xuèxiǎobǎn blood platelets 肾 shèn kidneys 肝 gān liver (ok I already knew that one) 抽血 chōuxuè (or was it chōuxuě) take blood sample 肌酸酐 jīsuāngān creatinin (the higher it is in your blood, the worse your kidneys are working) So I have this friend, she's in the hospital and her parents don't speak anything but Chinese so they asked me to interpret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heifeng Posted June 30, 2015 at 09:15 PM Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 at 09:15 PM In that case, FYI, Here is another good term to know then: 肾小球滤过率 GFR: Glomerular Filtration Rate But I also see it as: 肾丝球滤过率 GFR: Glomerular Filtration Rate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heifeng Posted July 5, 2015 at 11:48 PM Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 at 11:48 PM bookmarked a few on my phone while reading....let's see here: 1. 名媛： 名媛 míng yuán young lady of note / debutante Ex： 名媛帕里斯身穿度假风长裙现身，头戴花朵装饰发饰，度假装扮十分清新。 Source 2. 松糕鞋： 鬆糕鞋 sōng gāo xié platform shoes Ex: “上海电视节视后”陈数一身靓装现身街头。陈数身穿吕燕品牌Comme Moi浅蓝色长袖翻领套裙，腰系棕色腰带，手提Alexander McQueen黑色手袋，脚踩Stella McCartney银色松糕鞋，OL装扮就该如此，简约时髦又知性。 Source Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted July 28, 2015 at 09:20 AM Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 at 09:20 AM 下脚料 - leftover bits and pieces.... 松糕鞋 is brilliant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwq Posted August 8, 2015 at 08:45 AM Report Share Posted August 8, 2015 at 08:45 AM 飲水思源 yǐn shuǐ sī yuán When you drink water, think of where it comes from Originally meaning one should have gratitude for the source of one's benefit, this phrase become trendy in Hong Kong when a Legislative Council member used it to chide people who complain about the Hong Kong government continuing to buy fresh water from the mainland. Recently, it is discovered that lead content in tap water at several housing estates in Hong Kong is over health standard limit. Several newspapers used 飲水思鉛 ("When you drink water, consider its lead content") in their headlines (note: 源 yuán and 鉛 qiān has the same pronunciation in Cantonese). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted September 2, 2015 at 04:52 PM Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 at 04:52 PM 花生友 - 剝花生看熱鬧的人 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted September 5, 2015 at 10:23 AM Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 at 10:23 AM 施黛 - put on makeup (literally paint the eyebrows) The caption of an exhibition says, “漢代貴族婦女對梳妝也甚為講究，施黛成風……“ and the English version goes, "Noble women of Han were particular about their appearance, thus makeup was all the rage." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonic_Duck Posted September 5, 2015 at 11:10 AM Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 at 11:10 AM In that same category, Yunnan also features 洱海湖, pronounced just as you expect. ...ěr měi hú? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
陳德聰 Posted September 9, 2015 at 08:42 PM Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 at 08:42 PM 花生友 - 剝花生看熱鬧的人 The connection here with "peanut gallery" did not pop into my head when I first saw this post but it did just now. Although they are not the same type of term at all, it is interesting that there is a certain element there that converges, and that peanuts are used for both. I have not found an etymological explanation for 花生友 but I am interested now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted September 9, 2015 at 10:49 PM Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 at 10:49 PM Because peanuts used to be the cheapest snack for people watching a show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraldc Posted September 18, 2015 at 11:40 AM Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 at 11:40 AM 柴可夫 to mean driver. It's basically Tchaikovsky without the last 2 characters 斯基, as it sounds the same as driver 司機 Reminded me of cockney rhyming slang. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adoke36 Posted October 12, 2015 at 09:28 AM Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 at 09:28 AM There was news a couple days ago about mercury in the flu vaccines. I would have guessed it came from that. For some words, this would make a good game: after revealing a random word, other people could guess where you came across it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adoke36 Posted October 13, 2015 at 11:12 AM Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 at 11:12 AM You're not the only one, man. They took me a while to learn to read, and it's still at the point where sometimes I'll be pumped when I find out I got one right, if it's not so common-looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muyongshi Posted November 3, 2015 at 01:31 AM Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 at 01:31 AM So, this was a very new one for me and I hope I'm getting it right: 村 adj meaning rustic Somebody was describing a loaf of artisan bread and said it was 很村 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted December 9, 2015 at 01:13 PM Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 at 01:13 PM 拟声词 nǐshēngcí onomatopoea Found when checking an article on this thing in Chinese. In the 'that makes perfect sense' category. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geiko Posted December 9, 2015 at 03:17 PM Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 at 03:17 PM My random new word of the day is 仙人掌 - cactus. Does anybody know its etymology? I wish I could put it in that "makes perfect sense" category... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realmayo Posted December 9, 2015 at 03:42 PM Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 at 03:42 PM if https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%BB%99%E4%BA%BA%E6%8E%8C is correct: 仙人 ("immortal" since cacti are resistant to harsh weather and live a long time) + 掌 ("palm", since some cacti resemble hands) However someone on baidu http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/22974146.html reckons it was originally a life-saving plant given to a young chap by an immortal; a nasty emperor wanted the plant and when he reached out to touch it it grew spikes which hurt his hand; he ate it anyway and it killed him; because it has leaves like a hand palm and was given by an immortal, so it gets that name. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geiko Posted December 9, 2015 at 04:27 PM Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 at 04:27 PM Wow, thank you, realmayo! It makes much more sense now, and it will be easier to remember the word in future occasions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wushucrab20 Posted December 10, 2015 at 01:04 AM Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 at 01:04 AM 讣告 fugao 44 , obituary. I came across this word for the first time today. http://www.imandarinpod.com/hoola/index.php/special-chinese/2382-2015-12-07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 10, 2015 at 11:20 AM Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 at 11:20 AM Re #1819 above, 訃告 = 訃聞. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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