Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí)
The right answer for this online Chinese test is A.
Translation:
Wǒ děng de huār dōu xiè le, nǐ néngbunéng kuài diǎnr a?
Lily: 我 等 得 花儿 都 谢了，你 能不能 快 点儿 啊？
I have been waiting for you for too long; can you hurry up a little bit?
Mǎshàng jiù hǎo.
Susan: 马上 就 好。
Ok, I’m coming right now.
Analysis:
A: “马 (mǎ)” is the Chinese word for “horse.” “上 (shàng)” means “on/upon.”
B: “虎 (hǔ)” is the Chinese word for “tiger.”
C: “兔 (tù)” is the Chinese word for “rabbit.”
Why does “马上 (mǎshàng)” mean “right away?” Why can’t we say “虎上 (hǔshàng)” or “兔上 (tùshàng)” instead? Because in ancient China, the quickest way to get around was by horse. If one were already on horseback, he or she was immediately ready to go.
The sentence “我等得花儿都谢了。 (Wǒ děng de huār dōu xiè le.) I have been waiting for you for too long.” is a very popular saying in Chinese.
“等 (děng)” means “to wait.” “花儿 (huār)” means “flower,” and “谢 (xiè)” in this sentence means “to wither/fade.” The whole sentence literally means “I have been waiting for you for so long that the flowers have withered.”
For example:
Joe, kuài huílai, wǒ děng nǐ děng de huār dōu xiè le.
Joe, 快 回来，我 等 你 等 得 花儿 都 谢 了。
Joe, I hope you can come back so soon as possible; I have been waiting for you for so long that the flowers have withered.
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