Language Tips

温习 - 复习

 

EXAMPLE

 

言言趁休息时间温习一堂课所教的内容.

yán yán chènxiū xi shí jiān wēn qián  táng suǒ jiāo de nèi róng.

 

Yan Yan took the time to review content taught in the previous lesson during recess.

 

定期复习华文华语的基本功,才能学好这语文。

dìng huá wén huá de běn gōng, cái néng xué hǎo zhè wén.

 

To have a good grasp of the Chinese language, we should revise the basics regularly.

 


抱歉 - 道歉  

 

EXAMPLE

 

对于公司员工向您做出的无礼行为,我们深感抱歉

duì gōng yuán gōng de xíng wéi men shēn gǎn bào qiàn.

 

We are deeply sorry for the rude behaviour of our employees.

 

我们为公司员工所做出的无礼行为向您道歉

men wèi gōng yuán gōng de xíng wéi xiàng nín dào qiàn.

 

We apologise for the rude behaviour of our employees. 


 

抓 - 捉 

 

EXAMPLE

 

言爸不怕飞虫, 不一会儿功夫就徒手住了蟑螂。

yán fēi chóng, bù huì ér gōng fu jiù  shǒu zhuā zhù le zhāng láng.

 

Yans father, who is not afraid of flying insects, caught the cockroach by hand easily.

 

 

警察这份工作很危险,拿罪犯时得十分小心。

jǐng chá zhè fèn gōng zuò hěn wēi xiǎn, zhuō zuì fàn shí děi shí fēn xiǎo xīn.

 

The job of a police is very dangerous – one has to be extremely careful during the pursuit of criminals.


 

忄 - 心

 

EXAMPLE

 

惊讶

jīng

Surprised, astonished

 

害怕

hài

Scared

 

慌张

huāng zhang

Panic

想念

xiǎng niàn

Miss

  

忍受

rěn shòu

Bear with

 

 做 - 作

EXAMPLE

 

因父母工作繁忙,俊明小小年纪就学会给奶奶和自己饭。

yīn gōng zuò fán máng, jùn míng xiǎo xiǎo nián jiù xué huì gěi nǎi nai zuò fàn .

 

At a young age, Jun Ming has learnt to cook meals for his grandmother and himself as his parents are often busy at work.

 

良好的日常息,是保持身心健康的方法之一。

bǎo chí liáng hǎo de cháng zuò xī, shì bǎo chí shēn xīn jiàn kāng de fāng zhī .

 

One way to stay healthy is to maintain a good daily routine.


 

只 - 支

 

EXAMPLE

两只耳朵

liǎng zhī ěr duo

A pair of ears

 

两只老虎

liǎng zhī lǎo

Two tigers

 

一只小船

zhī xiǎo chuán

A boat

 

支钢笔

zhī gáng

A pen

 

一支军队

zhī jūn duì

An army

 

一支乐曲

zhī yuè

A song

 

 

工 - 功  

 

EXAMPLE

 

这项建程耗时三年完成。

zhè xiàng jiàn zhù gōng chéng hào shí sān nián wán chéng.

 

This construction project took three years to complete.

 

言言能取得那么大的进步,她的华文老师劳不小。

yán yán néng me de jìn de huá wén lǎo shī gōng láo xiǎo.

 

Yan Yan has made significant improvements, and credit should be given to her Chinese teacher.

 


根 - 条



EXAMPLE

 

头发

yì gēn tóu fa

A strand of hair

 

绳子

yì tiáo shéng zi

A rope

  


历 - 历 

 

EXAMPLE

 

他这人经多,见识广。

zhè rén jīng duō, jiàn shì guǎng.

 

He’s a man of knowledge and experience.

 

他们百折不挠,再接再终于达到了目的。

tā men bǎi zhé náo, zài jiē zài lì zhōng dào le dì.

 

Their perseverance helped them achieve the goal.


低 - 底

EXAMPLE

 

飞机飞得很

fēi fēi de hěn .

 

The plane flew at a low height.

 

建筑的最层是个储藏室。

jiàn zhù de zuì céng shì chǔ cáng shì.

 

The storeroom is located at the bottom of the building.


 

即 - 既 

 

EXAMPLE

 

使条件再好,也还要靠自己努力。

shǐ tiáo jiàn zài hǎo, hái yào kào lì.

 

No matter how favourable the conditions are, we’ll still rely on our own efforts.

 

然表示了决心,就应该于行动。

rán biǎo shì le jué xīn, jiù yīng gāi jiàn zhī xíng dòng.

 

Now that you have expressed your determination, you should put it into action.


 

界限 - 界线 

 

EXAMPLE

 

想要顺利戒烟就得和那些经常抽烟的朋友划清界限

xiǎng yào shùn jiè yān jiù děi xiē jīng cháng chōu yān de péng you huà qīng jiè xiàn.

 

In order to quite smoking entirely, it is important to avoid friends who smoke.

 

柔佛海峡是新加坡与马来西亚两国之间的分界线

róu hǎi xiá shì xīn jiā lái yà liǎng guó zhī jiān de fēn jiè xiàn.

 

The Straits of Johor is the dividing line between Singapore and Malaysia.

  


燥 - 噪

EXAMPLE

 

印度尼西亚因气候干经常发生森林火患。

yìn yīn hòu gān zàojīng cháng shēng sēn lín huǒ huàn.

 

As Indonesia has a dry climate, there are frequent forest fires.

 

装修工程所带来的让他无法在家专心读书。

zhuāng xiū gōng chéng suǒ dài lái de zào yīn ràng zài jiā zhuān xīn shū.

 

Noise from the renovation works made it hard for him to concentrate on his revision at home.

 


决不 - 绝不  

EXAMPLE

 

她的主意已定,决不更动。

de zhǔ ding, jué gēng dòng.

 

She has made up her mind, and is determined not to make any changes.

 

陈老师是公认的好老师,绝不会动手打学生。

chén lǎo shī shì gōng rèn de hǎo lǎo shī, jué huì dòng shǒu xué shēng.

 

Ms Chen is known for being a good teacher, and she will never hit her students.



侍 - 待 

 

EXAMPLE

 

她从小过着养尊处优的生活,大小事都女佣照应

cóng xiǎo guò zhe yǎng zūn chǔ yōude shēng huó, xiǎo shì dōu yǒu yōng  shi zhào yìng.

 

She has been leading a pampered life, with a maid serving her daily needs since young.

 

民宿主人热情地招客人,为他们准备了满桌的食物。

mín zhǔ rén qíngde zhāo dài rén, wèi men zhǔn bèi le mǎn zhuō de shí wù.

 

The hostel owner received his guests warmly with a sumptuous meal.



截至 - 截止 

 

EXAMPLE

 

截至中午十二点,博物馆的游览人数已达五千人。

jié zhì zhōng shí èr diǎn, bó guǎn de yóu lǎn rén shù qiān rén.

 

As of 12 noon, five thousand people have visited the museum.

 

讲华语运动亲子才艺比赛2016截止日期为228日。

jiǎng huá yùn dòng qīn cái sài er líng yī liù de jié zhǐ wéi èr yuè èr shí bā rì.

 

The closing date for registration for the Speak Mandarin Campaign Parent Child Talent Competition is 28 February 2016.

 


汽 - 气  

 

EXAMPLE

 

油的价格逐日升高,完全没有放缓的趋势

qì yóu de jià zhú sheng gāo, wán quán méi yǒu fàng huǎn de shì.

 

The price of fuel has been increasing and shows no signs of relenting.

 

的船只都靠水蒸发动。

dāng nián de chuán zhī dōu kào shuǐ zhēng fā dòng.

 

Back in those days, boats relied on steam for power.

 


树立 - 竖立 

 

EXAMPLE

 

爸爸在我心中树立了高大的形象。

bà ba zài xīn zhōng shù le gāo de xíng xiàng.

 

To me, my dad is tall and strong.


为了纪念国家领导人,政府在那块空地上竖立了一座纪念碑。

wèi le niàn guó jiā lǐng dǎo rén, zhèng zài  kuài kòng shàng shù le yí zuò niàn bēi.

 

The government erected a memorial plaque at the empty space in commemoration of the country’s leaders.



必须 - 必需 

 

EXAMPLE

 

你每天必须刷牙洗脸,保持口腔卫生。

měi tiān shuā liǎn, bǎo chí kǒu qiāng wèi shēng.

 

You have to brush your teeth every day to maintain oral hygiene.

 

牙刷是日常生活的必需品,出国旅行时记得携带。

shuā shì cháng shēng huó de pǐn, chū guó xíng shí de xié dài.

 

Toothbrush is a daily necessity, remember to bring it along when going overseas.



酱 - 浆 

 

EXAMPLE

 

jiàng yóu

Soya sauce

 

táng jiāng

Sugar syrup