New Members kanglina Posted April 1, 2016 at 02:06 PM New Members Report Share Posted April 1, 2016 at 02:06 PM Hi everyone! I just wanted to ask you about few informations about symbolism of chopsticks in China nowadays. I have a school project where I should pick some object that often represents something else and is still used in China society, for example bat means happiness, four means death, pine is symbol of longevity,...and I actually read somewhere that chopsticks are used as a wedding gift that should mean "to have sons soon" or wishing "happiness forever". So I'm wondering if someone could tell me if this is really a thing in China. And if chopsticks mean possibly something else. And if not, perhaps you could come up with some other non traditional/not so commonly known chinese symbols used in these days.Thanks alot for your tips! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zbigniew Posted April 2, 2016 at 01:03 AM Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 at 01:03 AM Apart from the pine tree example (pine trees are fabled for their longevity), these look to be puns. I'm not sure the pun inherent in kuaizi ("chopsticks"/"quick son(s)") is something that in practice would be instantly perceived by all hearers, partly because contexts for taking it in the scond sense are probably too few and far between in daily life. If chopsticks do function symbolically, the symbolism is probably of a more general kind founded on the duality of chopsticks, the concept of pairing this leads on to, and then more specifically things like the inseparableness of two people throughout their lives, and so on. To get an authoritative and complete answer you'd really have to ask a bunch of Chinese people of different ages what, if anything, chopsticks symbolized for them. You'd probably get a range of answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lling Posted April 2, 2016 at 02:14 AM Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 at 02:14 AM Truth, “筷子筷子，快生贵子”. Chopsticks mean the couple would have their own child soon. They also mean “成双成对” ( in couples ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
889 Posted April 2, 2016 at 07:11 AM Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 at 07:11 AM In case the OP doesn't understand Chinese, the term for chopsticks, 筷子 kuaizi, has a similarity to 快子 kuai zi, literally "quickly son(s)." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiao Kui Posted April 3, 2016 at 05:08 AM Report Share Posted April 3, 2016 at 05:08 AM Though this is not what they represent in general, in one particular instance chopsticks can represent incense, because it's rude (or inauspicious?) to stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice because it looks like incense being offered to honor the dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
889 Posted April 3, 2016 at 09:28 AM Report Share Posted April 3, 2016 at 09:28 AM It's also rude to point at someone with your chopsticks, though I don't know of any symbolism there. I think it's just table manners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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