ax Posted December 23, 2003 at 09:50 AM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 09:50 AM I have similar thread on www.forumosa.com, but not very successful. I guess the members there are more English teachers than Chinese learners. I wanna try it here and see if we can have lively discussion on Chinese Idiomatic experession. Shoot the idiom you just learned here let's start with: 舉一反三 [ju yi fan san] ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 23, 2003 at 09:56 AM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 09:56 AM You can turn it into a game, like the first word of the next idiom has to be the last word of the previous, like 三生有幸 (san1 sheng1 you3 xing4). If I can give you three new idioms in response to the one you gave, then it is 舉一反三. Chatting with you people here, I am very honoured, i.e. 三生有幸. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted December 23, 2003 at 10:00 AM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 10:00 AM There are whole dictionaries dedicated to 成语. I used to play 成语 word games with friends when I was in school. The game goes like this, the first person picks a random 成语, i.e. 舉一反三, then the next person has to pick up from the 三, and give something like 三心两意, then the next person would say 意乱情迷 etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted December 23, 2003 at 10:01 AM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 10:01 AM lol skylee.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 23, 2003 at 10:10 AM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 10:10 AM Well I can continue from 意亂情迷 (yi4 luan4 qing2 mi2) (you are so romantic Quest to be lost in passion), which is dangerous. Better 迷途知返 (mi2 tu2 zhi1 fan3), turn back when you are lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted December 23, 2003 at 10:17 AM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 10:17 AM 返老还童, an old man's mentality becomes like the children's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ax Posted December 23, 2003 at 11:15 AM Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 11:15 AM 童言無忌 [tong yan wu ji] to knock on woods? :-) You guys are great, I mean really greater that those chinese teachers at forumosa. Turning this into a game is really interesting and will increase participation. I hope this thread will flourish. It's also a tool for me to learn new idioms. ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 23, 2003 at 01:40 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 01:40 PM Something starting with 忌. Anyone? Anyone? I confess I have checked three dictionaries but could not find one. Shall we start again? How about 三生有幸, and then 幸災樂禍 (xing4 zai1 le4 huo4)? Very bad behaviour indeed, laughing at the unfortunate ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted December 23, 2003 at 02:14 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 02:14 PM 祸国殃民, even worse he hurt the country and the people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 23, 2003 at 02:22 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 02:22 PM Therefore 民不聊生 (min2 bu4 liao2 sheng1), the people suffer greatly. All they can do is to blame that they live at a difficult time 生不逢時 (sheng1 bu4 feng2 shi2). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted December 23, 2003 at 02:37 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 02:37 PM 时雨春风, a sudden godsend brings about peace 风平浪静. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 23, 2003 at 03:06 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 03:06 PM Well the people are quietly watching, 靜觀其變 (jing4 guan1 qi2 bian4), to see if the peace can last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted December 23, 2003 at 03:43 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 03:43 PM i will leave it to someone else to 接, if we keep going on and on, there's gonna be no end to this =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted December 23, 2003 at 03:53 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 03:53 PM Great work, skylee and quest, and great idea from ax. Your mission now is to edit all your posts to include pinyin and an explanation. I would love to join in, but it would be a case of 班门弄斧 I fear . . . Roddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted December 23, 2003 at 03:58 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 03:58 PM 班门弄斧 nice! but you should start with 變. btw we did give some kind of explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted December 23, 2003 at 04:03 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 04:03 PM So you did. Oops. And so should I. I know I should start with 變, but I couldn't, so I decided to 班门弄斧 - (banmen nong fu) play around with your ax in front of the door of the master carpenter Ban - or to show off your little talents in front of those much more skilled. A very useful alternative to 马马虎虎 when native speakers tell you how good your Chinese is. Roddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ax Posted December 23, 2003 at 04:55 PM Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 04:55 PM who's playing around with me :-) ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 23, 2003 at 11:17 PM Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 at 11:17 PM I have obediently added the missing pinyin, roddy大人 (I like this title, please also address me as 大人 next time ). After 靜觀其變, I add 變幻無常 (bian4 huan4 wu2 chang2), because life is always changing unpredictably. Something starting with 常? Anyone? ax? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ax Posted December 24, 2003 at 04:23 AM Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2003 at 04:23 AM 常捨常有 [chang2 she3 chang2 you3] the more you give the move you get... I guess :-) and there's a bear [備而] coming 有備而來 [you3 bei1 er2 lai2] ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 24, 2003 at 07:31 AM Report Share Posted December 24, 2003 at 07:31 AM I have not heard of 常捨常有 before. When one is well prepared, he does not refuse any requests/offers 來者不拒 (lai2 zhe3 bu4 ju4). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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