Recently updated on February 21st, 2024 at 08:19 pm
China is well-known for its populous land and enriching history. Its language is considered one of the most ancient languages and the most spoken around the world. Its beauty lies in its words. However, there are dozens of beautiful words in Chinese that are extremely challenging to be translated directly into English even with professional Mandarin translation service.
Most of them have intangible, deep, cultural meanings within China, and conveying meanings from Chinese to English isn’t an easy task considering the differences in cultural understanding, grammatical rules, etc.
Read on to discover our pick of 15 Chinese words translation that doesn’t have a direct equivalent in English.
15 Chinese Words Translation That Doesn’t Have a Direct Equivalent in English
1. Biáng
This is undoubtedly the most complicated Chinese character with a mind-blowing 58 strokes. Even the standard computer input system fails to write it due to its complexity. The word itself is an onomatopoeia resembling the sounds in the process of making biang biang mian – a famous noodle in Shaanxi province.
💡It’s also used by some teachers to punish students who are late for class or don’t respect school regulations. Known as the “Big Biang Penalty”, students might have been required to write the character 100 times for their mischievous behaviours.
2. 意思 – yì sī
意思 is a Chinese word that is considered semantically ambiguous as it has multiple meanings depending on the context.
Take the dialogue as an example.
| 阿呆给领导送红包时，两人的对话颇有意思。 领导：你这是什么意思？ 阿呆：没什么意思，意思意思。 领导：你这就不够意思了。 阿呆：小意思，小意思。 领导：你这人真有意思。 阿呆：其实也没有别的意思。 领导：那我就不好意思了。 阿呆：是我不好意思。 领导：你肯定有什么意思。 阿呆：真的没有什么意思。 领导：既然没有什么意思，那你是什么意思？ 阿呆：其实，我的意思就是想意思意思。 领导：你既然是想意思意思，那就是有什么意思。 阿呆哭了：我就是想意思意思。但是，真的没有什么别的意思。这么个小红包能有什么意思？也就是意思意思而已。 领导笑了：呵呵。我对你有点意思了。 阿呆心想：嘻嘻。我就是这个意思。 | One day, Adele wanted to bribe her boss with money. Their conversation was pretty interesting. Boss: What do you mean? Adele: No bad intention. It’s just a small present to you. Boss: You are so mean. Adele: Just a small present, a small present. Boss: Oh, you are very funny. Adele: Actually, I have no bad intention. Boss: Well, I am a little embarrassed. shouldn’t get you wrong. Adele: Oh, no, I am the one who should feel ashamed. Boss: But to be honest, what do you want from me? Adele: I want nothing from you. Boss: Since you want nothing, then why do you bribe me? Adele: Actually, I just want to show my appreciation. Boss: Since you just want to show your appreciation, then you must want something! Adele: Please don’t get me wrong! I just want to show some appreciation, no other intentions. Money can represent nothing at all. Boss (smiled): Hehe 🙂 It’s interesting to know you more. Adele (thought): Haha, that’s what I want from you. |
The Chinese word “意思 yìsī” has multiple meanings.
Here’re some of the most commonly used ones.
- It’s used to show things or people are interesting. Examples: 这 部 电影 挺 有 意思 的。The film is very interesting
- To show that you’re sorry for bothering or troubling someone. Examples: 不 好 意思，我刚刚没听到敲门声。Sorry, I did not hear your knocking just now.
- Refer to a small token of kind feeling, affection, or appreciation, etc. Examples: 这个 礼物 送给 你，一点儿 小意思，别 客气。This small gift is for you. You don’t need to say anything.
- Means affection, like, or love. Examples: 他对你有意思。He has a crush on you.
- Refer to meaning, hints, signs, or traces. Examples: 看 他的 表情，有点 不想 搬家 的 意思。I can tell from his expression, he seems does not want to move.
- To describe someone who is good, kind, delightful, and generous. Examples: 你 原谅了我的 过错，真够 意思。It was most generous of you to forgive me.
3. 缘分 – yuán fèn
The closest words in English are fate and destiny. In some cultures, destiny is considered a personal attribute that is fulfilled by the individual. Yuanfen, however, refers to the relationship between two people or objects and the destiny that they share in Chinese culture.
4. 辛苦 – xīn kǔ
We say 辛苦你了 (1) to someone who has completed a task or favor that you asked him or her to do (to express appreciation for the “hard work” he/she did), or (2) to someone who is experiencing difficulty or trouble in life, and you say this expression to show your empathy.
5. 江湖 – jiāng hú
In classic literature, 江湖 refers to the world composed of swordsmen, bandits, Kungfu masters, monks, and other people skilled at martial arts. It’s used to denote a sub-society that is sandwiched between the government and normal civilian life. Nowadays, 江湖 is used to describe a sophisticated society.
Jianghu (江湖), cannot be simply translated into any English word in all contexts.
Examples：
处江湖之远则忧其君。(When a man is away from political life, he worries about the emperor.)
他在江湖上人称“鬼影”。(Among the folks, he’s called “Ghost Shadow”.)
6. 手气 – shǒu qì
Literally means “hand smell”, it’s used to indicate the gambling luck, for instance, “他手气总是很差 Luck always goes against him when gambling”. However, 脚气, “feet-smell”, it means dermatophytosis, the fungal infection of the skin on the feet.
7. 撒娇 – sā jiāo
In short, “撒娇” can be roughly translated to “acting childish and cute to get demands meet”. It originated from children trying the “I’m so cute, which is why you should buy me THAT toy I was begging you for 10 straight minutes” strategy when attempting to get their parents to succumb to their childish but lovable cuteness. That’s right, people — cuteness is a weapon.
8. 坐月子 – zuò yuè zǐ
In China, it’s common for new moms to lay in bed for a whole month after giving birth. This period is called “坐月子 zuò yuè zǐ”, which literally means “sitting the month”.
9. 素质 – sù zhì
It is a combination of education, social class, and manners. It is a noun. It means “how educated/civilized a person is”. A person with high “素质” is highly civilized and has good manners. A person with low “素质” is uncivilized and vulgar and has bad manners. It’s a common barometer people use to quantify another’s worth.
10. 大气 – dà qì
Saying someone is 大气 is kind of like saying someone is “big” in terms of character or personality. It’s a little ambiguous as to what exactly you mean. It’s a very broad term that can mean a lot of things. It can mean the person is generous, brave, manly, heroic, forgiving, or makes decisions quickly and firmly, etc.
11. 矯情 – jiǎo qíng
矫情 is a Chinese term derived from “The Book of the Later Han · Yimin Biography · Gaofeng Biography”. It generally refers to strong words that are unreasonable and arrogant. It is mostly used to mean that a person’s behaviour is artificial and hypocritical, mainly used to describe a woman’s artificiality.
矫情 is usually used to describe a person who takes actions intentionally to get others’ pity.
12. 同志 – tóng zhì
When it is used in the PRC by a party member, it usually means “fellow party members”. It is not unusual to open a public speech by saying “各位同志，大家好 Greetings to fellow comrades, party members and to everyone”
If it is used by soldiers, it may mean “compatriots who have fought in battle together”. This, of course, means people who are very close because they have fought in battle together.
Nowadays 同志 occasionally is used to infer someone is gay, along with 基友.
13. 讨厌 – tǎo yàn
讨厌 is used to signify annoyance, hatred, or disgust. But in the mouth of a perfectly petulant Taiwanese girl, it can turn into a sort of flirty-angry declaration of “I love you (I’m just too proud to admit it and anyway you’ll just let that go to your head, and, hey, I look cute when I pout)”.
14. 心疼 – xīn téng
Literally translated, this is “heart-hurt.” However, depending on the context, it can convey anything from loving something/someone dearly, to feeling sad, to pitying something.
Example:
妈妈心疼女儿。 Mom loves her daughter dearly.
不要心疼这点钱！Don’t be stingy with such little money!
15. 应酬 – yìng chóu
The drinking, dining, karaoke, gift-giving, toasts, flattery, and sometimes bribery required for doing business in China
Example:
今晚我不大想跟人应酬。
I’m not feeling very sociable this evening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Chinese Words Called?
Chinese words, also known as Chinese characters (Hanzi 汉字), is one of the earliest forms of written languages in the world with a history of about five thousand years
What Are Some Basic Chinese Words for Daily Communication?
· Hello: Nǐhǎo 你好
· Thank you: Xièxiè 谢谢
· You’re welcome: Bù kèqì 不客气
· Good morning: Zǎo 早
· Goodnight: Wǎn ān 晚安
· My name is: Wǒ jiào… 我叫
· Yes: Shì 是的
· No: Bù shì 不是
· Good: Hǎo 好
· Bad: Bù hǎo 不好
· Goodbye: Zàijiàn 再见
Translator
Ouyang is a seasoned Chinese translator with 13 years of experience. With proficiency in translating for tourism, cosmetics, textiles, electronics, footwear, kitchenware, legal fields, and more, she helps businesses thrive in the Chinese market. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.