Mandarin Chinese Learners

老板娘 is Not "老板" 的 "娘"

Traditionally, 老板 (lǎobǎn) means boss, and 娘 (niáng) means mother but sounds casual and informal. Nowadays, people in some regions of China still call their mothers 娘.

However, the mother of a boss is not called 老板娘. Instead, she is often called 老板的妈 (lǎobǎn de mā) or 老板的娘 (lǎobǎn de niáng). Simply because 老板娘 (lǎobǎn niáng) is often used to refer to the following:

🔺 the wife of a small business owner.
🔺 the female owner or boss of a small, family-run business such as restaurants or shops.

It is important to note that the term 老板娘 is not derogatory and often carries a sense of respect and acknowledgment of her role in managing the business.

🅰️老板娘，请来三瓶啤酒。
Lǎobǎn niáng, qǐng lái sān píng píjiǔ.
Boss lady, please bring me three bottles of beer.

🅱️老板和老板娘都是很和气的人。
Lǎobǎn hé lǎobǎn niáng dōu shì hěn héqì de rén.
The boss and his wife are both very kind people.

Do You Know: 菜 (cài) could mean 'bad' or 'inferior'

菜 (cài) can be used in the following instances, but sounds colloquial and informal:

1️⃣ (one's) type or favorite type:
🔺他是我的菜！
Tā shì wǒ de cài!
He is the favorite type of mine!

2️⃣ bad; inferior; disappointing; below average:
🔺我是菜鸟。
Wǒ shì càiniǎo.
I am a noob.

🔺这次考试又没考好。我好菜啊。
Zhè cì kǎoshì yòu méi kǎo hǎo. Wǒ hǎo cài a.
Once again, I didn't do well in this exam. I'm so inferior [to others].

Why Many People Say '有的是'?

有的是 (yǒudeshì) is a phrase that translates to the following:
- to have plenty of;
- to have a lot;
- there are many;
- there's no lack of

It is often used to indicate abundance or a large quantity of something or people. 有的是 (yǒudeshì) is a synonym for '有很多' (yǒu hěnduō), but sounds informal.

🔵这家餐厅有的是美味菜肴。
Zhè jiā cāntīng yǒudeshì měiwèi càiyáo.
This restaurant has a lot of delicious dishes.

🔵明天下午我有的是时间。
Míngtiān xiàwǔ wǒ yǒudeshì shíjiān.
I have plenty of time tomorrow afternoon.

Below is part of a conversation between persons A and B:
🅰️你有充电器吗？
Nǐ yǒu chōngdiàn qì ma?
Do you have a charger?

🅱️我有的是。
Wǒ yǒudeshì.
I have many (chargers).

Be Careful: 大爷 (dàyé) Is Not 大爷 (dàye)

1️⃣大爷 (dàye)
1. (colloquial) father's older brother

我父亲有三个哥哥，所以我有三个大爷。
Wǒ fùqīn yǒu sān ge gēge, suǒyǐ wǒ yǒu sān ge dàye.
My father has three older brothers, so I have three dàye. (😁)

2. (polite) old man (who looks older than your father). e.g.

大爷，这儿有酒店吗？
Dàye, zhè'er yǒu jiǔdiàn ma?
Sir, are there any hotels here?

2️⃣大爷 (dàyé)
1. Father's father's oldest brother (or male cousin). e.g.

你爸的大爷你叫他大爷。
Nǐ bà de dàye nǐ jiào tā dàyé.
You call your father's dàye dàyé. (hard to translate 😂)

2. insolent person; arrogant person. e.g.

你是干活的，不是来当大爷的。
Nǐ shì gànhuó de, bú shì lái dāng dàyé de.
You are a worker here, not a boss.

This Is Wrong: 今天温暖 ❌

Never say 今天温暖 (Jīntiān wēnnuǎn), simply because it doesn't sound right. Instead, the following sentence is the right one:

今天暖和. ✅
Jīntiān nuǎnhuo.
It's warm today.
(Literally: Today is warm.)

Why❓ Both 温暖 (wēnnuǎn) and 暖和 (nuǎnhuo) can describe warmth, but 暖和 is more specific to physical warmth and is more commonly used in casual conversation:

今年冬天很暖和。✅
Jīnnián dōngtiān hěn nuǎnhuo.
This winter has been very warm.

穿上这件衣服会很暖和。✅
Chuān shàng zhè jiàn yīfu huì hěn nuǎnhuo.
Wearing this dress will be very warm.

⭕️温暖 (wēnnuǎn) primarily means warmth in an emotional or figurative sense:

他的笑容让人感到温暖。✅
Tā de xiàoróng ràng rén gǎndào wēnnuǎn.
His smile makes people feel warm.

我喜欢这温暖的阳光。✅
Wǒ xǐhuān zhè wēnnuǎn de yángguāng.
I like the warm sunshine.

Now, can you make two sentences using 温暖 and 暖和, and share with us here?

Never Say This Sort of Sentences: 他的钱许多❌

Both 很多 and 许多 mean "many" or "a lot." While they are often interchangeable to indicate a large quantity, but the choice between them can depend on the formality of the context.

1️⃣ 很多 (hěnduō): More colloquial, commonly used in everyday speech, flexible for both spoken and written contexts. Examples:

这儿有很多人。✅
Zhè r yǒu hěnduō rén.
There are many people here.

我有很多书。✅
Wǒ yǒu hěnduō shū.
I have many books.

2️⃣ 许多 (xǔduō): More formal, often used in written language and formal contexts, has a literary tone. Examples:

许多人都不知道这个消息。✅
Xǔduō rén dōu bù zhīdào zhège xiāoxi.
Many people do not know this news.

他获得了许多奖项。✅
Tā huòdé le xǔduō jiǎngxiàng.
He has received many awards.

3️⃣ The Big Difference: In the following sentences, the ones used 许多 don't sound correct.

他的钱许多。 ❌
Tā de qián xǔduō.

我的时间许多。 ❌
Wǒ de shíjiān xǔduō.

他的钱很多。 ✅
Tā de qián hěnduō.
He has a lot of money.

我的时间很多。 ✅
Wǒ de shíjiān hěnduō.
I have a lot of time.

Never Say '便宜' If You Mean Someone Is 'Cheap'

If you want to say whoever is cheap, never use the word "便宜 (piányi)" simply because 便宜 (cheap; inexpensive) refers to prices and/or cost.

The following sentence does NOT sound right:

My boyfriend is very cheap. He never buys me anything.
我男朋友很便宜。他从来不给我买任何东西。❌
Wǒ nán péngyou hěn piányi. Tā cónglái bù gěi wǒ mǎi rènhé dōngxi.

How to say "My boyfriend is very cheap" properly in Chinese? You could use any of the following words to replace 便宜:

🔺小气 (xiǎoqi): stingy; miserly; narrow-minded; petty.
🔺抠门儿 (kōumén r): stingy; miserly; cheap.
🔺小抠儿 (xiǎokōu r): stingy.

e.g.
我男朋友很抠门儿。他从来不给我买任何东西。✅
Wǒ nán péngyou hěn kōumén r. Tā cónglái bù gěi wǒ mǎi rènhé dōngxi.
My boyfriend is very cheap. He never buys me anything.

Another example 😁😅:
I say my husband is cheap, but he says he is frugal.
我说我老公小抠儿，他却说他节俭。✅
Wǒ shuō wǒ lǎogōng xiǎokōu r, tā què shuō tā jiéjiǎn.

Be Careful: 干妈 is not a 'Dry Mother'

干妈 is a kind of relationship in Chinese culture and tradition, and should be read as gānmā (not gàn). It has nothing to do with godmother. Similarly, there is another word 干爹 (gāndiē), and 干爹 is not godfather, either.

干妈 and 干爹 are used for describing the intimacy between two families. For example, two families are so intimate that the parents from one family treat the child of another family almost like their own. So the child may call the parents 干妈 and 干爹, respectively.

Both 干妈 and 干爹 would sponsor the child in some aspect, but they are different from 养父母 (yǎng fùmǔ, i.e. foster parents) as they usually don't actually raise the child.

To become a 干妈 or 干爹, there should be some kind of ceremony, with the consent of involving parties. Such a relationship is not legally recognized.

这是我干妈给的礼物。
Zhè shì wǒ gàn mā gěi de lǐwù.

Never Leave 日/号 Out For Dates

We can't say, for example, 'May 20th' as 五月二十 (Wǔ yuè èrshí). Why?

五月二十 usually refers to 'May 20th' in the Chinese Lunar Calendar if not specified. To avoid any potential confusions in daily life, we must use either 日 or 号 for a date (see below). As such, your listeners will know the said date is based on the Solar Calendar - the most commonly used calendar nowadays.

五月二十日。
Wǔ yuè èrshí rì.
May 20th.

五月二十号。
Wǔ yuè èrshí hào.
May 20th.

Of course, 五月二十日 sounds formal.

Interesting Fact: Top 10 Chinese Characters

According to Wikipedia, the top 10 characters in the frequency lists for the three regions of the 1980/1990's are:

🔺Hong Kong: 的，一，是，不，人，有，在，了，我，中;
🔺Taiwan: 的，一，是，不，人，在，有，我，了，中;
🔺Mainland: 的，一，是，了，不，在，有，人，我，他.

Never Say 我吃饱了 If You're a Guest/Host

吃饱 (chībǎo) means
- to eat one's fill;
- to be full.

People do say 我吃饱了 (Wǒ chībǎo le) in daily life, which means "I'm full". It sounds very casual but can be used at home with your family etc.

这孩子吃了半碗面条，肯定吃饱了。
Zhè háizi chī le bàn wǎn miàntiáo, kěndìng chībǎo le.
The kid ate half a bowl of noodles, so (he/she) must be full.

If you're a guest or host, however, you are not supposed to say 我吃饱了, simply because it would sound like "I'm stuffed" or "I can't eat any more" - both sound inappropriate and uncultured.

The question is: What would be approriate and good to say as a guest/host?
The answer is say 我吃好了 (Wǒ chīhǎo le) which means "I'm satisfied" or "I ate well."

吃好 (chīhǎo): to eat well

我吃好了。 谢谢您的邀请。
Wǒ chīhǎo le. Xièxie nín de yāoqǐng.
I'm satisfied. Thank you for the invitation.
(I ate well. Thank you for the invitation.)

吃好、喝好。别客气。
Chī hǎo, hē hǎo. Bié kèqì.
Eat well and drink well. You're welcome.

Be Careful: 高人 is not a tall person

高(gāo) means 'tall' or 'high', 人(rén) is 'person'. However, a tall person is never called 高人 (gāorén). Simply because 高人 (gāorén) has the following meanings:

- very able person;
- highly skilled person;
- highly knowledgeable person.

For example:
在座的各位高人可得多多指教啊。
Zàizuò de gèwèi gāorén kě děi duōduō zhǐjiào a.
I look forward to receiving guidance from the knowledgeable people present here.

他会修车，真是高人啊！
Tā huì xiū chē, zhēnshì gāorén a!
He can repair cars, (he) is really a master!

In addition, 高人 could refer to someone of noble character (often referring to hermits), but it's not commonly used in daily life.

Never Call Children "小人", Even Though Adults Are "大人"

(1) 大人 (dàrén) could mean any of the following:
- adult;
- grown-up;
- Your Excellency; His Excellency.

(2) 小人 (xiǎorén), however, is a very negative and offensive word. It doesn't mean a child or children. Instead, it's used to describe someone who behaves in a dishonest, selfish, or deceitful manner, often causing harm to others.
- villain;
- small-minded person;
- mean-spirited person.

我们应该远离小人。
Wǒmen yīnggāi yuǎnlí xiǎorén.
We should stay away from villains.

他被小人抹黑了。
Tā bèi xiǎo rén mǒhēi le.
He was smeared by the mean-spirited person.

Never Get Confused about “平和” and “和平”

平和 and 和平 sound similar, but have very different meanings and usages.

平和 (pínghé):
(1) Mainly used to describe a mild and placid temperament of a person or animal.
尹教授是一个很平和的人。
Yǐn jiàoshòu shì yīgè hěn pínghé de rén。
Professor Yin is a very gentle person.

(2) Used to describe a harmonious or concordant state.
自从侯琴走了以后，这个班级变得平和了。
Zìcóng Hóu Qín zǒu le yǐhòu, zhè ge bānjí biàn de pínghé le.
Since Qin Hou left, the class has become harmonious.

和平 (hépíng):
(1) peace (state free of war or animosity).
我们热爱和平。
Wǒmen rè'ài hépíng.
We love peace.

(2) peaceful; tranquil; moderate.
许多国家都需要和平的国际环境。
Xǔduō guójiā dōu xūyào hépíng de guójì huánjìng.
Many countries need a peaceful international environment.

Why "同行" can be read as "tóngháng" and "tóngxíng"?

Both "tóngháng" and "tóngxíng" are the right pronunciations for the word "同行". However, they have different meanings and usages.

(1) "tóngháng (同行)": peer; person of the same trade or occupation. e.g.

他是工程师。我们是同行。
Tā shì gōngchéngshī. Wǒmen shì tóngháng.
He is an engineer. We are peers.

(2) "tóngxíng (同行)": to travel together. e.g.

在去加州的时候，我们同行。
Zài qù Jiāzhōu de shíhòu, wǒmen tóngxíng.
When (we) went to California, we traveled together.

Note: 加州 (Jiāzhōu) - California

Never Say "你的电话号码是什么？" If You Want to Ask "What is your phone number?"

We know the word "what" is equivalent to "什么 (shénme)". If you want to ask "What is your phone number?" in Chinese, however, people never say any of the following:

什么是你的电话号码？
Shénme shì nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ?

你的电话号码是什么？
Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì shénme?

Instead of using "什么", "多少 (duōshǎo)" is always used for such a case, even though "多少" mostly means "how many" or "how much".

The following sentences are all right:

你的电话号码是多少？
Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshǎo?
What is your phone number?

你的电邮是多少？
Nǐ de diànyóu shì duōshǎo?
What is your email address?

你的微信号是多少？
Nǐ de Wēixìn hào shì duōshǎo?
What is your Wechat ID (or number)?

Never Say 多少 If You're Asking "How Much?"

Generally speaking, asking "多少 (duōshǎo)?" does not sound very clear to the listeners and may cause misunderstanding or confusion, simply because 多少 (duōshǎo) could mean any of the following:
- how many;
- how much.

If you really want to ask "How much?" without causing any confusion, simply say:

多少钱？
Duōshǎo qián?

It could mean any of the following, depending on the situation and/or context:
- how much is/was it?
- how much does/did it cost?
- how much money?

你的手机多少钱？
Nǐ de shǒujī duōshǎo qián?
How much did your cellphone cost?

想起来 vs. 想下去, and more

1. 想起来 (xiǎng qǐlái): When "起来" is used after the verb "想", it means to recall somebody or something in the past. e.g.

我突然想起来得去银行，所以不能和你一起吃饭了。
Wǒ túrán xiǎn gqǐlái dě qù yínháng, suǒyǐ bùnéng hé nǐ yīqǐ chīfàn le.
It suddenly occurred to me that I'll have to go to the bank, so I can't have the meal together with you.

2. 想下去 (xiǎng xiàqù): When an action verb (like 想) is followed by 下去, it often means a continuation.

想下去 (xiǎng xiàqù) could mean any of the following, depending on the context:
- to keep thinking;
- to keep considering;
- to keep pondering;
- to keep missing (someone etc.).

虽然这些问题都很难，但我会一直想下去。
Suīrán zhèxiē wèntí dōu hěn nán, dàn wǒ huì yīzhí xiǎng xiàqù.
Although these questions (or issues) are very difficult, I will keep thinking/pondering (about them).

3. Other examples:
- 坚持下去 (jiānchí xiàqù): to keep going; to carry on.
- 活下去 (huó xiàqù): to survive.
- 比下去 (bǐ xiàqù): to be superior to (someone/something).
- 没法看下去 (méi fǎ kàn xiàqù): unable to continue watching.

Never say "好运" if you mean "Good Luck!"

好运 (hǎoyùn) is not equivalent to the common expression "Good Luck!"

If you want to say "Good Luck!" in Chinese, "祝你好运" is the right one, simply because 好运 is a word which literally means "the luck that's good".

祝你好运!
Zhù nǐ hǎoyùn!
Good Luck!

各人 vs. 个人

各人 and 个人 very often have different usages and meanings.

1. 各人 (gèrén) means 各个人; 每个人, e.g.
each person; everyone; oneself

会后, 各人都要把自己的孩子带回去。
Huì hòu, gè rén dōu yào bǎ zìjǐ de háizi dài huíqù.
After the meeting, everyone must take their children back.

2. 个人 (gèrén) can be used as an adjective, meaning "personal", e.g.

请保管好个人物品。
Qǐng bǎoguǎn hǎo gèrén wùpǐn.
Please take care of your personal belongings.

个人 (gèrén) could also mean "individual (person); oneself", e.g.

我个人没有意见。
Wǒ gèrén méiyǒu yìjiàn.
I myself have no opinion.

个人 was used in the last sentence for emphasis.

多N vs N多 (N = number)

1. 多N represents "多 + number", could mean:
- to have more;
- to have too much;
- to have too many.

我买了五张票，多一张。
Wǒ mǎi le wǔ zhāng piào, duō yī zhāng.
I bought five tickets, which was one too many.

2. N多 stands for "number + 多" which means:
- over;
- and more;
- more than.

这个班有三十多人。
Zhè ge bān yǒu sānshí duō rén.
There are more than 30 people in the class.
(This class has over 30 people.)