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Thread: Four characters chinese phrase

  1. #1
    Moderator kidd's Avatar
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    Default Four characters chinese phrase

    The old one has been accidentally deleted by moderator last time. So, would like to start a new one.

    First phrase:

    圖文並謬 (tu wen bing miu)

    What does this mean? I tried to google for the meaning. One mean I found is 'many error'. but, I don't understand how this phrase turn out to mean 'many errors'.

    From dictionary, here's the meaning of each word.

    圖 - diagram, picture, map, to plan, to scheme, to attempt, to seek
    文 - language, culture, writing, gentle, (old) classifier for coins
    並 - and, furthermore, together with, simultaneously, to combine, to merge
    謬 - to deceive, to confuse, absurd, erroneous

    I always thought this phrase means writing untrue stories based on a picture. For example, tabloid writers writing and untrue rumour based on a carefully chosen story.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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    Moderator kidd's Avatar
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    西眉南臉 (xi mei nan lian)

    西 - West (stand for Xishi)
    眉 - eyebrow
    南 - South (stand for Nanwei)
    臉 - face

    This phrase is used to describe woman's beauty. 'xi' stand for Xishi while 'nan' stand for Nanwei. Both were ancient chinese beauties.
    I think they use Xishi with eyebrow is because there's a tale where Xishi is so beautiful that even when she furrows her brow, she's still beautiful. An ugly girl name Dongshi tried to imitate her and she looks even more ugly.

    Nanwei is a beauty during the Spring and Autumn period. Jin Wen Gong (晋文公) was so besotted by her beauty that he didn't go to court for 3 days. Fortunately, he realised his folly and distant himself from her.

    Updated: Corrected the error (I wrote East instead of west). Thanks Ian Liew for pointing out.
    Last edited by kidd; 07-09-10 at 11:29 AM.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

  3. #3
    Senior Member Ian Liew's Avatar
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    Xi is west =)

    That's a good meaning, though.. I'd never heard of it. If someone said that I'd think it was brow to the west while the face was to the south, which would be quite silly... =)

    For the first one it could work based on your meaning - the words on the picture aren't true.

    Or it could mean that when the picture and the text are put together, the meaning doesn't make sense?
    Last edited by Ian Liew; 07-09-10 at 09:43 AM.

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    Senior Member seventhfairy's Avatar
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    Smile 爱不释手(ai bu shi shou)

    爱不释手(ai bu shi shou)

    爱:to love
    不:no or not
    释:let go or release
    手:hand

    The chinese phrase 爱不释手 many times describe one's love of liking towords an object or thing. For example, you love this book and you are so attracted into this book that you just can't let go of it. You just love that book so much that you can't let go and stop reading or you must have it in my hand where ever you go. In this case, you would say you have a feeling of 爱不释手 towards that book. 爱不释手 means you like an object so much, you can't let it go from your hand. This phrase is usually talking about objects(books, jewlery, tv, gameboy, dolls) and basically very little about feelings towards certain people. You can't say I love my mom, 爱不释手 or that I love talking to my relatives, 爱不释手. Hope that makes sense!

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    Thanks for the clear explanation on the phrase, seventhfairy.

    Haha, but, there is a love song with the title 爱不释手. I get it denotes really strong love that can't be let go.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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    Senior Member seventhfairy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidd View Post
    Thanks for the clear explanation on the phrase, seventhfairy.

    Haha, but, there is a love song with the title 爱不释手. I get it denotes really strong love that can't be let go.
    ok,,,maybe I wrongIt could be refering to love too!

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    Senior Member seventhfairy's Avatar
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    Can some one please explain to me what this phrase means? "To guard the mouth like a bottle", that doesn't make sense to me. How does this phrase mean "to keep one's mouth shut"? I found this expalination on the internet, but I don't understand how it means to "keep your mouth shut".

    守口如瓶(shou kou ru ping)

    守:to guard
    口: one's mouth
    如: as if or like
    瓶: a bottle

    My guess is, does it mean to stick a bottle on a person's mouth to make them shut their mouth?

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    Moderator kidd's Avatar
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    Maybe it means a closed bottle? The mouth of a bottle that was closed.

    This phrase actually part of an 8 character phrase.

    守口如瓶,防意如城

    Update: Found the answer to your question. It's same as what I think.

    http://www.zdic.net/cy/ch/ZdicE5ZdicAEZdic8817926.htm

    【解释】:守口:紧闭着嘴不讲话。闭口不谈,象瓶口塞紧了一般。形容说话谨慎,严守秘密。
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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    Moderator kidd's Avatar
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    Anyone want to try answer this?

    http://www.8gems.com/8gemsforum/inde...ic=4149.0;wap2

    Damn, just realise that there is no answer.

    Ok, this one has the answer.

    http://oocities.com/sam01wan/quiz04.htm
    Last edited by kidd; 07-18-10 at 03:51 AM.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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    Senior Member seventhfairy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidd View Post
    Maybe it means a closed bottle? The mouth of a bottle that was closed.

    This phrase actually part of an 8 character phrase.

    守口如瓶,防意如城

    Update: Found the answer to your question. It's same as what I think.

    http://www.zdic.net/cy/ch/ZdicE5ZdicAEZdic8817926.htm
    Thanks for the answer

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    This is not a 4 character phrase. But, I find it interest.

    'Fei Ji Xiao' (妃子笑) mean lychee.

    Literal translation of the term is 'concubine's smile'

    妃子 - imperial concubine
    笑 - smile, laugh

    The origin of this term is because Lady Yang likes to eat lychee. From the Tang poem

    《過華清宮絕句》

    長安回望繡成堆,
    山頂千門次第開。
    一騎紅塵妃子笑,
    無人知是荔枝來。
    Last edited by kidd; 08-05-10 at 10:34 PM.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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    Senior Member remember_Cedric's Avatar
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    得寸进尺 in italian = ti do un dito, vuoi un braccio
    What can I say? I'm still standing! No weapon against me shall prosper! I am more than a conqueror!!!

    I don't care to sit by the window on an airplane. If I can't control it, why look?

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    Moderator kidd's Avatar
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    Found this in chapter 1 of 'Ru Lin Wai Shi' (儒林外史)

    嶔崎磊落 (qin qi lei luo)

    嶔 - loftiness (of mountain)
    崎 - mountainous
    磊落 - big and stout / big-hearted / open and honest / continuous / repeated

    According www.zdic.net, it means a person of exceptional character who standout among crowd. (比喻品格卓異出群)
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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    Senior Member Ren Ying Ying's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidd View Post
    Thanks for the clear explanation on the phrase, seventhfairy.

    Haha, but, there is a love song with the title 爱不释手. I get it denotes really strong love that can't be let go.
    It usually used in the context that the "love" cannot be kept. Hence, if the book or object is to be taken away, you can use the phrase.

    Often times, it is also used to refer to super clingy folks who cannot let their "lover" leave (under the context that they are breaking up). It's a "romantic" term in a very "desperate" sense. Not something you want to use at a wedding

    Relationships with parents and siblings rarely have "break up" element to it, so it's usually pretty awkward to use. Of course, sometimes, you can technically use it to refer to over protective parents who won't let their children leave or go far away --but that's use more in a exaggerated and joking context.

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    Moderator kidd's Avatar
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    How does this phrase come to mean 'appealing to the masses / universally appreciated / popular'?

    膾炙人口 (kuai zhi ren kou)

    膾 - chopped meat or fish
    炙 - to broil / to roast
    人 - man / person / people
    口 - mouth / classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc) / classifier for bites or mouthfuls
    人口 - population
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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    I saw this idiom while reading about Hu Tie Hua.

    大智若愚 (da zhi ruo yu)

    大 - big, great, deep, wide
    智 - wisdom, knowledge
    若 - seem like
    愚 - to be stupid

    Meaning:
    Great intelligence may appear to be stupidity. (from mdbg)
    A person who is very intelligent but doesn't show it and appear to be stupid/foolish. (from zdic)
    A man of great intellignce often appears to slow-witted. (from nciku)
    Last edited by kidd; 11-01-11 at 09:54 PM.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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    虛懷若谷 (xu huai ruo gu)

    虛 - hollow
    懷 - bossom
    若 - similar
    谷 - valley, ravine

    In this idiom, the 虛 stands for 謙虛 which mean humble.

    Direct translation: receptive as an echoing canyon
    Meaning: modest and open-minded.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

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