Different ways to offend and be offended in Chinese – 骂 (Mà)
There are many different ways to have a go at somebody, be offended or describe how angry you are in Chinese....
Idioms
An idiom and two poems about hearing what hasn’t been said – 弦外之音 (xián wài zhī yīn)
I heard a speech recently that compared two poems, one in English by Shelley, one in Chinese by Liu Chenweng, to...
A Buddhist idiom about managing change 道高一尺 (Dào gāo yī chǐ)
Getting things done in China can be difficult. Someone in China once told me: "If you can get on in China,...
The six meanings of water in Chinese culture (水 Shuǐ)
The meaning of a simple word, water, in Chinese culture is complicated. Drawing on poems, idioms and China's philosophers, there are...
A Chinese idiom about making the right choice – 选择 (xuǎn zé)
The word for 'choose' in Chinese is 选择 (xuǎn zé). The traditional character for zé is 擇, and the bits that...
How to share an opinion in Chinese (意见 – Yì jiàn)
To have an opinion in China is serious stuff. There are at least 10 different ways to say the word, 'opinion'....
Seeking common ground while putting differences aside (求同存异 – qiú tóng cún yì), and other idioms
In many ways China is like a parallel universe. It's a huge country which is impossible to describe simply, or in...
What did the Chicken say to the Duck? (鸡同鸭讲 – Jī tóng yā Jiǎng)
Answer: not much! One of the most useful phrases to help get out of any sticky situation in China is the...
Chinese Idioms about urgency – burning eyebrows (火烧眉毛 – huǒ shāo méi máo )
If you get things done in China, you are not just a "do-er", you are a "take action-ist" (行动派 - xíng...
How businesses can ride the tiger and not fall off (骑虎难下 – qí hǔ nán xià)
One of my favourite Chinese idioms is "Riding a Tiger and trying not to fall off" (骑虎难下 - Qí hǔ nán...