“有趣(yǒuqù)” and “有意思(yǒuyìsi)” both mean “funny” or “interesting” in English. Are their usages exactly the same? Let’s find out today.
(1) When expressing something that arouses curiosity or affection: 有趣(yǒuqù) = 有意思(yǒuyìsi)
Examples:
zhège rén hěn yǒuqù/yǒuyìsi.
这个人很有趣/有意思。
This person is funny/interesting.
tā shuōhuà hěn yǒuqù/yǒuyìsi.
他说话很有趣/有意思。
He speaks in a very funny/interesting way.
(2) “有意思(yǒuyìsi)” can also mean that there are feelings between men and women, but “有趣(yǒuqù)” can’t.
Example:
tā duì tā yǒuyìsi.
他对她有意思。
He is interested in her.
Structure: sb.+ 对(duì) + sb. + 有意思(yǒuyìsi)
Please select the correct words and fill in the blanks
A.有趣(yǒuqù)
B.有意思(yǒuyìsi)
1.wǒ juédé zhè běn shū hěn ______ .
我觉得这本书很 ______ 。
2.tā duì wǒ jiějie ______ .
他对我姐姐 ______ 。
3.tīng shuō zhè ge huódòng hěn ______ .
听说这个活动 ______ 。
Challenge Yourself to Identify More Similar Chinese Words:
“What Do a 感染 (gǎn rǎn) and 传染 (chuán rǎn) Have in Common? Only This Chinese Quiz Will Tell”
“How to Properly Use 以前(yǐqián) and 从前(cóngqián)? Take the Quiz!”
Do you have 微信(Wēixìn) or 威信 (Wēixìn)?Confused?Take This Quiz!”
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]]>The new movie 非常完美(fēicháng wánměi)
Sophie’s Revenge, released on Aug.14th, 2009,
is a new kind of romantic comedy with a global vision. It stars Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing together with Peter Ho, and South Korean actor Ji-seob as the male lead. It is “a war to win love” between a cartoonist, played by Zhang Ziyi, and a famous star, played by Fan Bingbing. The movie is named 非常完美(fēicháng wánměi) because of the bright colors, delicate pictures, catchy music, and romantic story, as well as the comedy sections with hilarious jokes. What’s more, it brings many young pop idols together, making it even more popular.
The meaning of 非常完美(fēicháng wánměi):
非(fēi) means non or not and 常(cháng) is a word used to express frequency, 非常(fēicháng) together means very and extraordinary to refer to an extreme degree. 完(wán) means to end or to finish and 美(měi) means beautiful, but together, 完美(wánměi) means perfect. Please take a look at the following examples:
非(fēi) not:
Zhè shì fēimàipĭn.
这 是 非卖品。
This is not for sale.
Jié Kè yĭjīng zuò wán jiātíng zuòyè le.
杰 克 已经 做 完 家庭 作业 了。
Jack has already finished his homework.
Instructions: Fill in the blanks
Hints:
Horizontal lines:
①celebrate the Spring Festival on the first lunar month
②a greeting used when people meet in the morning
③things like cakes or deserts
Vertical lines:
⑴breakfast
⑵an auspicious greeting during the Spring Festival
⑶memorial days or traditional days to celebrate or offer sacrifices to ancestors such as The Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-autumn Festival
]]>Watching Chinese movies could help you learn Chinese, and get better culture understanding.
The movie《非诚勿扰》has prompted the viewers to ponder about the relationship and marriage in this modern age in China.
What does “非诚勿扰(fēi chéng wù rǎo)” mean?
非(fēi) means “non-”and 勿(wù) means” do not.” They both convey a negative meaning. 诚(chéng) is generally understood as being honest or sincere, and 扰(rǎo) comes with the meaning of disturbing or interrupting. Thus, the phrase’s basic connotation is “don’t disturb unless you are sincere.”
It is possible for you to see this phrase in many situations in daily life, such as on matching or dating websites (like Match.com) or even on the posters for selling various items(like eBay). In the movie, this phrase means “don’t contact me if you are not the girl I’m looking for”.
What is the movie about?
“Miss Right”, only encountering various kinds of “Miss Wrong”. A woman (acted by Shu Qi) feels desperate after an affair with a married man and happens to meet Ge You at a blind date. They get to know each other gradually and decide to pay a tour to the famous resort in Japan together. As a comedy, the film brings us a happy ending. The song in the movie was performed by a winner of “Super Girl” program (a TV program similar to “American Idol”).
Chinese Popular Words (Fun Stuff)
]]>A: Nĭmen zhōngguó de fúwùyè zhēn shì zhōu dào.
A: 你们 中国 的 服务业 真 是 周 到。
A: The service industry in China is really thorough.
B: Nĭ cóng nă kàn chū lái de?
B: 你 从 哪 看 出 来 的?
B: Where did you come up with that?
A: Nĭmen de fúwù hángyè cháng cháng tiē zhe “wèi gù kè tí gōng fāng biàn,” zhè yàng jiù kĕ yĭ
A: 你们 的 服务 行业 常 常 贴 着 “为 顾 客 提 供 方 便”, 这 样 就 可 以
hĕn fāngbiàn zhăo dào wèi shēng jiān.
很 方便 找 到 卫 生 间。
A: The service industry here in China has put signs up everywhere with the sentence: “providing customers with convenience,” which helps us find the toilet so easily.
Analysis
In China, the phrase “方便 (fāngbiàn)” has two meanings. One means “convenient” and the other means “going to the washroom.” But, in China’s service industry, it only means convenient. So in this joke, ‘A’ only knows the second meaning, thereby misinterpreting the meaning of the sentence.
Lăoshī: Sānzhōngquánhuì hòu, zhōngguó zuì dà de biànhuà shì shénme?
老师: 三中全会 后, 中国 最 大 的 变化 是 什么?
Teacher: What was the greatest change in China after the Third Plenary Session?
Xuésheng: Sānzhōngquánhuì hòu, zhōngguó zuì dà de biànhuà shì nóngmín yuè lái yuè guì le.
学生: 三中全会 后, 中国 最 大 的 变化 是 农民 越 来 越 贵 了。
Student: The greatest change was that the farmers became more and more expensive after the Third Plenary Session.
Lăoshī : Shì fù bú shì guì.
老师: 是 富 不 是 贵。
Teacher: It is rich, not expensive.
Analysis
In this joke, the student can’t distinguish between the two words 富(fù) and 贵(guì). They both mean prosperity. 富(fù) means rich and wealthy, so people usually use it to refer to someone who is very successful, while 贵(guì) means expensive, so people usually use it to describe something expensive to buy.
]]>Chī yí bàn, ná yí bàn (Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
2. 吃 一半, 拿 一 半 ( 打 一 个 汉 字)
Eat one half and take away the other half. (Guess a Chinese character)
Yì rén yì zhāng kǒu, kǒu xià zhǎng zhǐ shǒu (Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
3. 一 人 一 张 口, 口 下 长 只 手 (打 一 个 汉 字)
One person has one mouth, under which there is a hand. (Guess a Chinese character)
Yì kǒu chī diào niú wěi bɑ (Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
4. 一 口 吃 掉 牛 尾 巴 (打 一 个 汉 字)
Eat up an ox’s tail in one gulp. (Guess a Chinese character)
Yì tiáo gǒu sì gè kǒu (Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
5. 一 条 狗 四 个 口 (打 一 个 汉 字)
A dog has four mouths. (Guess a Chinese character)
Learn How to Use Chinese Words “有口福 (Yǒu Kǒu Fú)” in Daily Life.
Zhāi diào qióng mào zi, zhāi diào qióng gēn zi. (Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
6. 摘 掉 穷 帽 子,摘 掉 穷 根 子。(打 一 个 汉 字)
Take off the torn hat, get rid of the root of poverty. (Guess a Chinese character)
Do You Know What Is the Antonym of “穷 (Qióng)?”
Zuǒbiɑn yígè tàiyáng , yòubiɑn yígè tàiyáng, zhàn zài tàiyáng shàng, fǎnér bú jiàn guāng.
7. 左边 一个 太 阳, 右 边 一 个 太阳, 站 在 太阳 上, 反 而 不 见 光。
(Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
(打 一 个 汉 字)
There is a sun on the left and a sun on the right. But when you stand on the suns, you cannot see the light. (Guess a Chinese character)
Yī bǐ yī. (Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
8. 一 比 一。(打 一 个 汉 字)
One to one. (Guess a Chinese character)
Bú shì chē. (Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
9. 不 是 车。(打 一 个 汉 字)
It isn’t car. (Guess a Chinese character)
Learn Chinese Vocabulary About “车 (Chē).”
Yì biān yì diǎn. (Dǎ yí gè hàn zì)
10. 一 边 一 点。 (打 一 个 汉 字)
One point on one side. (Guess a Chinese character)
The answers above are:
1.吉(jí), 2.哈(hā), 3.拿(ná), 4.告(gào), 5.器(qì), 6.八(bā), 7.暗(àn), 8.平(píng)/ 三(sān), 9.辈(bèi), 10.卜(bŭ)
Enjoy exercising your Chinese with the following fun riddles!
Who can make the young trees dance?
You cannot see and touch him! Guess who is he?
Learning Points
Sentences:
Zhè shì wǎngqiú.
1. 这 是 网球。
This is tennis.
Wǒ xiǎng chī Běijīng kǎoyā.
2. 我 想 吃 北京 烤鸭。
I want to have Beijing Roast Duck.
Gěi wǒ jiāyóu ba!
3. 给 我 加油 吧!
Please cheer for me!
Hǎoqiú!
4. 好球!
Good shot!
Zhù nǐ hǎoyùn!
5. 祝 你 好运!
Good luck!
Wǒ xiǎng qù Xiùshuǐ.
6. 我 想 去 秀水。
I want to go to the Silk Street.
Tài guì le!
7. 太 贵 了!
It’s too expensive!
Piányi diǎnr.
8. 便宜 点儿。
Please make it a little cheaper!
Wǒ ài nǐ!
9. 我 爱 你!
I love you!
Structures:
1. 太(tài) + adj + 了(le)
Nǐ tài piàoliang le!
你 太 漂亮 了!
You are so beautiful!
2. Express wishes:祝你(zhù nǐ)…
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!
祝 你 生日 快乐!
Happy birthday to you!
Quiz:
1. If your favorite soccer player scores a goal in a game, then you will say___.
A. 给我加油吧!(Gěi wǒ jiāyóu ba!)
B. 祝你好运!(Zhù nǐ hǎoyùn!)
C. 好球!(Hǎoqiú!)
2. Which of the following phrases will you use when you try to bargain for a lower price in China?
A. 太贵了!(Tài guì le!)
B. 便宜点儿!(Piányi diǎnr!)
C. 我爱你!(Wǒ ài nǐ!)
3. Your friend is going to take the HSK Chinese language test tomorrow. What should you say to him?
A. 祝你好运!(Zhù nǐ hǎoyùn!)
B. 给我加油吧!(Gěi wǒ jiāyóu ba!)
C. 祝你胜利!(Zhù nǐ shènglì!)
]]>In one episode of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon was learning Mandarin with the help of his friend and made a fool of himself in the process. Now let’s pick up two practical learning points from this video about how to introduce oneself and the extended meaning of “死(sǐ).”
Learning Point 1:
Wǒ de míngzi shì Sheldon.
我 的 名字 是 Sheldon。
My name is Sheldon.
This is a sentence for introducing oneself. The structure is “Subject+的(de)+name+是(shì)+ ….”
Example
Wǒ de míngzi shì Linda.
我 的 名字 是 Linda。
My name is Linda.
Learning Point 2:
Āi ya, xià sǐ wǒ le!
哎呀,吓 死 我 了!
You scared me!
It doesn’t mean that Sheldon is actually close to death. Here, “死(sǐ)” is used to add an extreme degree of emphasis.
Examples
Nǐ qì sǐ wǒ le!
你 气 死 我 了!
You make me extremely angry!
Wǒ kuài lèi sǐ le!
我 快 累 死 了!
I’m tired to death!
Exercises
1. Which of the sentences shows the right way of introducing yourself?
A. 我的名字张明。(Wǒ de míngzi Zhāng Míng.)
B. 我的姓是张明。(Wǒ de xìng shì Zhāng Míng.)
C. 我的名字是张明。(Wǒ de míngzi shì Zhāng Míng.)
2. How to understand “他气死了!(Tā qì sǐ le!)?”
A. He died from being angry.
B. He is extremely angry.
C. He can do nothing except be angry.
]]>