How to display china

Is there an alphabet in China?

Meanings of beautiful Chinese characters

Beautiful Chinese words and phrases that can be used in tattoos

How can I tell Chinese characters from Japanese and Korean characters?

What do you need to remember before getting a Chinese lettering tattoo?

More than 1.5 billion people on the planet use hieroglyphs in everyday life. Initially, they originated in ancient China, from where they moved to other cultures. For several thousand years, Chinese hieroglyphic writing has been changed, supplemented and simplified. We will tell you about the main elements of Chinese writing, so that you correctly approach the choice of a hieroglyphic tattoo.

The history of hieroglyphic writing

Most researchers say that the first hieroglyphs denoting natural phenomena appeared in the Yin era (about the 15th century BC). Chinese writing differs from any other in that it has a deep sacred meaning: each element of the letter is not just a letter, but a complex graphic figure denoting a whole word or phrase.

THIS IS IMPORTANT! For the Chinese, hieroglyphic writing is not only a single script, but also a real art, which must be mastered to perfection. There are more than ten dialects in China, people from different provinces can hardly understand each other. But, if a person from one province writes a phrase using hieroglyphs, then any resident of another province will understand him. Hieroglyphic writing is unchanged and revered throughout China.

The ancient art of calligraphy demanded maximum concentration from the scribe, because each hieroglyph had its own requirements. Hieroglyphic inscriptions with a hidden deep meaning were placed in different rooms: on tables, on walls or above the door. Feng Shui, the art of practical organization of space in accordance with the elements, reveals in detail what inscriptions and in what parts of the house should be hung in order to attract wealth, prosperity or love.

There are more than 50 thousand traditional hieroglyphs and all of them consist of many elements, therefore, in the middle of the 20th century, simplified hieroglyphic writing was introduced. Such a letter can be used for cursive writing. Simplified writing is used in almost all of China, in Singapore and Malaysia, while traditional characters are common among Chinese immigrants, in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

PLEASE NOTE! It is forbidden to use traditional and simplified hieroglyphs in one text. The text should be in the same style.

What Chinese characters are used to create a tattoo?

Black tattoos created using Chinese writing have long been popular in Europe. Chinese signs attract tattoo artists with their beautiful curves and thin lines. There is a belief that the inscription, created by ancient sacred hieroglyphs, will give the owner success, harmony and happiness.

It often happens that the master offers the client to fill in a beautiful phrase, not knowing its literal translation. The client, trusting the master, receives a funny or rude Chinese inscription as a tattoo. Chinese hieroglyphic writing is not only exotically beautiful, but also poetically beautiful. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully study traditional signs before drawing up a tattoo design.

Is there an alphabet in China?

In China, there is no alphabet system familiar to Russian people. Even foreign borrowings are written by the Chinese using simplified hieroglyphs.

THIS IS INTERESTING! Pinyin is a simplified romanized Chinese writing system. It does not replace the alphabet, but is an alternative to calligraphy. Used in keyboard layouts of modern smartphones.

The most popular and sought-after Chinese characters in tattooing (writing, meaning and translation)

1. 福 — happiness. It is believed that such a sign on the body will give success and luck in the area in which a person strives to succeed.
2. 喜 - double happiness. A talisman associated with the fulfillment of desires and harmony in the family. Brings happiness into life.
3. 愛 is a strong sign of love. Peace, joy and harmony in relationships.
4. 永愛 - love for the ages. The talisman, associated with complete mutual understanding and harmonious love, maintains an indestructible bond between people.
5. 幸 - an amulet for good luck.
6. 富 - wealth. The talisman is not only for a favorable financial situation, but also for general abundance in all life affairs.
7. 錢 - money. The most popular feng shui symbol, which must be in the form of an inscription on the desktop or in the office. Attracts wealth. Energy sign.
8. 繁榮 - prosperity, talent. Often they draw this sign on the wrist as a talisman. Means balance in all areas of life.
9. 長壽 - longevity. Physical health symbol.
10. 强 - strength of mind. It is believed that the sign, like a talisman, strengthens the physical and spiritual strength in a person.
11. 梦 - a dream. Symbol of the road to a dream.
12. 美 - spiritual beauty. Sign of balance of body and spirit.

Meanings of beautiful Chinese characters

运 - luck. The sign means good luck in all areas of life.

喜 - joy.

和 - world peace. The Chinese believe in world balance, so their writing has many hieroglyphs denoting a harmonious world.

忍 - patience.

祝福 - all wishes will come true.

禅 - Zen. A mystical ancient teaching associated with the utmost concentration on the inner self. In the process of contemplation, a person moves away from reality and introduces the soul to communication with the other world. A special form of meditation and a state of calm.

佛 - Buddha.

原谅 great forgiveness.

因缘 - karma. The Chinese believe that karma has its own character. The energy of karma is black, so it can attract illness, misfortune, evil spirits. You have to make yourself super strong in order to purify yourself.

奇迹 is a miracle.

财富 — material wealth.

IMPORTANT! The choice of a symbol for a tattoo should be based not only on the beauty of the writing of the sign, but also on the meaning of the hieroglyph. The same Chinese character can have two opposite meanings.

What are Chinese character keys?

Hieroglyphs are formed in three ways:

• Pictographic. Such hieroglyphs are simple in writing and carry in the form an echo of the designated object.
• Ideographic. They consist of two simple hieroglyphs.
• Phonographic. Consist of key and phonetics. Key - contains a link to the group to which the hieroglyph belongs. Phonetic - denotes the sound of a hieroglyph.

Keys are the simplest symbols that make up hieroglyphs. The key may have its own meaning, or it may be an untranslatable component. Knowing the traditional keys, you can guess the meaning of hieroglyphs that you have not seen before. In the general Chinese table, there are 214 key signs used in everyday writing.

THIS IS INTERESTING! The keys are located on the left side of the hieroglyph.

Examples of simple keys:

• 水 - water. Hieroglyphs containing this key are directly or indirectly associated with the water element. Values ​​such as: wet, wash, washing machine, ice, sea and others. Example: 池 is a pond.
• 人 / 亻 - person. The most famous Chinese character. Examples: 作家 - writer;他 - he.
• 心 - heart. Examples: 性 - character, 想 - think.

Beautiful Chinese words and expressions that can be used in tattoos

緣分 is a karmic meeting. An accident that brought an incredible experience or adventure. This expression is used when they want to talk about predetermined meetings or acquaintances that turned life upside down.

串 - stay close, together. Used to describe any unity, both living people and objects.

失恋 - lost love. The word is used to express pain after a difficult parting: one of the lovers has lost love, and the second continues to love for two.

风花雪月 is a poetic phrase meaning "wind, flower, snow, moon". The wind is a summer cool touch. The flower is the sweet scent of spring. Snow is the snow-white shine of winter. The moon is the calm midnight of autumn. The idiom describes a life full of feelings.

月满则亏, 水满则溢 - “The moon after arrival is decreasing; water, having filled the container, will go over the edge. The phrase speaks of the variability of life and its black and white essence. Happiness necessarily replaces grief, and sadness necessarily replaces joy.

中庸之道 — the rule of Confucius' teaching says that in life you need to stick to the "golden mean" and avoid hasty emotional actions.

见钟情 - love from the first second.

有缘千里来相会 - "If fate decides, we will meet even a thousand kilometers away." A poetic Chinese phrase that for loving people, distance is not a hindrance.

How can I tell Chinese characters from Japanese and Korean characters?

It is easiest for a non-professional to remember the visual differences of hieroglyphic writing:

1. The Korean alphabet is characterized by circles and straight lines. The alphabet is distinguished by its sweeping and large distances between characters.
2. Japanese writing is characterized by smooth lines and negligence in writing hieroglyphs. Solid plain text - Chinese writing, text diluted with icons and squiggles - Japanese writing.

What should I remember before getting a Chinese lettering tattoo?

• Choose hieroglyphs not only by visual features, but also by their meanings.
• The meaning of the inscription should be sacred to you. We ask the question: is the hieroglyph with the meaning "love" associated with my state of mind or with a specific person in my life? Thus, you will select an individual phrase-talisman.
• Choose your tattoo artist carefully. Not all Russian masters are proficient in calligraphy. Check out the portfolio and ask the master to show examples of Chinese inscriptions made.
• Do not mix Russian words and Chinese characters in one tattoo.

Modern and traditional Chinese characters carry many meanings and vivid visualizations. With accurate knowledge of translation and writing hieroglyphs, you will always choose the right option for yourself or help your loved ones understand complex concepts.

10 words to help you understand Chinese culture • Arzamas

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• History
• Art
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• Anthropology

I'm lucky!

January 13, 2020 Anthropology

A woman should be disgustingly capricious, and a man should patronize her. It is not worth wasting time and energy on work. A fake is sometimes better than the original. There is nothing wrong with blat: on the contrary, it is an important social capital. In the new issue of the rubric, we talk about the culture and mentality of the Chinese

Author Julia Dreyzis

1. Guanxi 关系

The system of social ties in which a person is inscribed in the community

Without understanding guanxi it is impossible to understand the basics of everyday interaction in Chinese society. The meaning of this word is close to the Russian "nepotism", "blat", "mutual responsibility", but is completely devoid of their inherent negative connotations. Guanxi is human social capital; a concept that helps describe the level of someone's influence and defines Chinese ideas about helping each other or about mutual favors.

By doing a "selfless" act of kindness, such as giving a non-committal gift, the Chinese are actually investing in their guanxi "stretches contacts"), which in the future he can use when he needs then guanxi 托关系 - "lean on relationships", that is, finally get something in return. Sometimes, when it is not possible to receive dividends from the services that you have already provided, you can "borrow" - ask for a service in order to thank you later.

Such relationships are always purely personal: on the basis of one's own guanxi one cannot, for example, ask for a friend. Guanxi , of course, is extremely important in relations with business partners (not to mention corruption schemes!), but not only - these laws also apply to communication between friends and relatives.

2. Shanzhai 山寨

Counterfeit, counterfeit and trademark infringing brands

Garment factory in Shanghai. 1918 © Getty Images

Once upon a time, the term shanzhai was used to refer to mountain settlements surrounded by wooden fortifications - especially poor villages in remote areas, where daring robbers often settled green forests”), beyond the control of sovereign officials. By analogy with lawless robber fortresses, lawless production of goods, and then the goods themselves, began to be called that.

In the vernacular of the city of Guangzhou, shanzhai factories are usually poorly equipped and rather modest family manufactories. With the accumulation of profits, many of these yesterday's manufactories have invested in improving production and acquired outside investment. At the same time, they continue to act bypassing GOSTs and official permits.

Another version of the origin of this meaning of the word shanzhai is related to the fact that historically the manufacturers of most Chinese fakes were located in Shenzhen, so wholesalers from other areas of China began to call their products "Shenzhen goods". Gradually, "Shenzhen goods" turned into shanzhai because "Shenzhen" and "shanzhai" sound almost the same when people speak Standard Chinese with a Cantonese accent.

The word shanzhai has become incredibly popular due to the outstanding sales performance of fake Chinese-made mobile phones - cheap, functional, imitating the fashion design of the world's leading brands. Having a mobile phone is a powerful symbol of wealth in China, and at the same time much more affordable than other symbolic signs of wealth, such as cars and apartments.. Such fakes can be even more functional than the originals - simply because, for example, there is a demand for iPhones with three SIM cards among customers.

The spirit of Shanzhaiism ( shanzhaizhui 山寨主义) also applies to advertising. For example, advertisements for Shanghai phones used an unauthorized image of former US President Barack Obama to promote their Blackberry clones.

Any cheap imitation of high-profile cultural events — a skit, an Internet joke, a concert in a rural house of culture — is also called shanzhai . All of them imitate popular, high-level authoritative events For example, the annual Chunjie lianhuan wanhui 春节联欢晚会 — Chinese New Year's Eve Gala, broadcast by China Central Television, in which ordinary people usually do not participate. Pop star look-alikes performing in the countryside where real stars would never go is also shanzhai .

Chinese film companies make Shanzhai films, which usually have minimal budgets, and achieve commercial success by parodying or borrowing elements from high-profile Hollywood blockbusters. One of the first films of this type was The Crazy Stone ( "Fengkuang de Shitou" 疯狂的石头) 2006. It mimics the multi-angle shooting and stunts used in Hollywood action movies. With a budget of HK$3 million, Crazy Stone managed to earn $22 million at the box office.

more about Chinese culture

Chinese classical poetry course, part 1

From Confucius to Tao Yuanming

Chinese classical poetry course, part 9

0009

What the Japanese took from the Chinese and how they changed

Chinese writing, poetry, bureaucracy and other useful things

Ethnonymous day: Chinese, Chinese

Category about where the names of the peoples came from and what they mean

,

3.

Sajiao 撒娇

Acting like a child, emphasizing one's own helplessness

A girl with a fan. Chinese postcard. 1906 New York Public Library

The Chinese word sajiao describes the behavior of an adult who publicly throws a completely childish tantrum, usually intended for the eyes and ears of his other half. Such behavior in Chinese culture is not only widely practiced, but even approved as part of the female character. If a woman does not perform sajiao from time to time, she may be considered not feminine enough. Sajiao is played to look cute, charming, and receive the type of care normally reserved for children—not to deliberately humiliate or embarrass the man.

Here is a classic situation sajiao : a couple shopping on a day off, on a crowded street filled with clothing stores that can be found in almost any Chinese city. She sees a luxurious dress and begs her boyfriend or husband to buy it. He refuses, and she makes a scene: she pouts, raises her voice, goes into a squeal, stomps her feet, and perhaps even hits the man playfully. She acts like xiao huangdi 小皇帝 ("little emperor") or xiao gongzhu 小公主 ("little princess") is a spoiled only child, a product of planned birth policy. After that, most likely, the dress is bought.

Deep in Chinese psychology is the idea that men have an obligation to take care of their women in a way that many Westerners would consider excessive ( zhaogu 照顾). It is about satisfying even the smallest needs and showing blind loyalty in banal situations. It can mean anything from buying expensive gifts to insisting on carrying her purse. The Chinese are convinced that men are meant to "spoil" ( guan 惯) of their chosen ones. Practicing Sajiao enables men to feel more masculine and empowered. Moreover, a good session sajiao only confirms the seriousness of the relationship.

The same social dynamics and gender representations that give rise sajiao give rise to the phenomenon of shengnui 剩女 — "surplus/remaining women". Often these are highly educated Chinese women in good positions who are considered either too old or too successful to marry. Men are afraid of them, and shengnyu it becomes more and more difficult to find a mate (just like shengnan 剩男, extra men who are deprived of savings, as well as failed career failures, diaosi 屌丝). It is believed that a man cannot effectively take care of his chosen one if she is much richer and more successful than him.

4. Jianghu 江湖

Freemen; space beyond the control of officialdom

Wang Hui. The beauty of green mountains and rivers. 1679 上海博物馆 / Shanghai Museum

The word jianhu first appears in Chinese classical literary texts more than two thousand years ago. One of the first mentions is in the Zhuangzi philosophical monument (4th century BC), where the author uses the term jianghu to reflect on human life in a chapter called "The Supreme Teacher":

“When the pond dries up, the fish that find themselves on land moisten each other with their gills and moisten each other with saliva. And yet it’s better for them to forget about each other in the expanses of abundant rivers and lakes. ” Translation by Vladimir Malyavin ..

"Rivers and lakes" in this fragment is jianghu , this is indeed the literal translation of this word. What does it all mean? The fact is that for the Taoists, to whom the philosopher Chuang Tzu belonged, the term jianhu means something more than just “freemen”: jianhu is not only a real, but also a mental space of freedom.

Accordingly, the desiccating fish in the Chuang Tzu passage is a metaphor for our life in the material world. And "rivers and lakes" mean both our physicality, bodily existence, and our mental sphere, which gives us the opportunity to contemplate the world. It is contemplation that helps people reach the state xiaoyao 逍遙 (serenity, freedom, freedom from restrictions).

Chu jianhu 出江湖 (“to go to the rivers and lakes”) is not just to retire to the bosom of nature, to the rural wilderness, but to retire, become a hermit and engage in spiritual practice. Jianghu Chinese speakers may associate with the fantastic world of martial arts, where not the law, but the truth ( and 义) operates. Another image of freemen is a criminal sphere dominated by mafia triads ( sanhehui 三合會) and thieves' laws ( jianghu guize 江湖规矩). Vagrants and people of dubious professions on the verge of what is permitted wander around jianghu : healers, fortune-tellers, actors, hired killers, outright swindlers. It is the embodiment of anarchy beyond the control of centralized power, the mythical "out there" of Chinese literature and cinema. Jianghu is a common image in poetry, folk tales, novels, songs, paintings, cartoons, television series, comics, theatrical productions. Despite all its ambiguity and instability, the concept of jianghu continues to be widely used in modern times. A very popular Internet forum of provocative poetry that existed in China in the early 2000s, for a long time proudly bore the name "Shi Jianghu" 诗江湖 - "Poetic Freemen".

5. Zhengao 热闹

Lively, festive, crowded, noisy, lively; cheerful bustle, curious (interesting) amusement; entertainment, spectacle

Zhang Zeduan. Fragment of the scroll "By the River on All Souls' Day". 12th century 清明上河圖 / Forbidden City, Beijing

In China, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to avoid large crowds. Therefore, the Chinese treat the crowds without irritation, and more often even with enthusiasm. Hustle and bustle, cheerful animation, the hubbub of people tuned to receive pleasant impressions are strongly associated with the feeling of a holiday. The term zhenao conveys sincere pleasure, excitement and joy from the fact that people do different things together and create a lot of noise (literally, the word means "hot and noisy"). There are a lot of amateurs in China kan zhenao 看热闹 - to stare at zhengao , whether it is fire fighting, New Year's procession or a fight.

This love for zhengao is deeply rooted in Chinese character and traditional culture. This is the feeling conveyed by the classic Song era (960-1279) painting "By the River on All Souls' Day", which depicts the capital city of Kaifeng. In the picture, we see merchants, porters, commoners immersed in their everyday life on the streets of the capital. The number of people depicted on the scroll is staggering. The scroll was created for the Sung emperor himself, to show the sovereign his empire along with people living in prosperity and peace. This is a kind of heaven on earth, where ordinary Chinese people go about their daily lives, free from war and unrest. For the Chinese, the ideal environment is not a secluded house in the mountains or by the sea; rather, the idea of ​​happiness, a feeling of fullness of being, is associated with the idea of ​​a vibrant life among other people.

A party, a street market, a business district at lunchtime, a carnival can all be described with jengao . Respondents responding to a survey of Taiwanese scientists most often mentioned five concepts that are associated for them with jengao : food, crowd, small price, advertising, and services. Respondents closely linked the experience of zhengao with consumer behavior - what is most often called guang jie 逛街 ("walking along the street", that is, staring at windows and doing shopping).

6. Mafan 麻烦

Restless, annoying; difficult, troublesome, burdensome; hassle, red tape

State examination of officials (keju) in Kaifeng. Song Dynasty Wikimedia Commons

Mafan is usually defined as something unpleasant, uncomfortable; the word can be a verb meaning "to make someone uncomfortable". But mafan is much more than just “our appointment is at 2:00 pm, but could we reschedule it for 2:30?”. Mafan refers to the annoyance and frustration that comes from bureaucracy, procrastination, or inflexible adherence to illogical rules. Those who are engaged in bani shouxu 办手续 (going through formal procedures, filling out official papers, such as when applying for a visa), often encounter the problem mafan .

This word describes the frustration that a person feels when he is forced to do Sisyphean labor or is faced with something that will take a lot of effort and time for a not-so-great goal. The man who zhao mafan 找麻烦 (looking for mafan ), invites himself to a conflict or makes a scandal. The Chinese is trying with all his might to avoid mafan , not to bother himself over trifles, not to get involved in troublesome matters, to avoid complications. That is why the standard formula for a polite request is “Can I create you mafan ?”. A similar fear is to run into someone who will be loso 罗嗦 — to bother with chatter, long-winded, tedious and long talk irrelevant, taking up time.

7. Kuan 管

To manage, provide (e.g., food, housing), contain, guard

The Chinese emperor studies a report of famine among subjects who continue to pay tribute to mandarins. Presumably the Song or Ming Dynasty Amazon

The character guan , used to write a word meaning "bamboo pipe", over time came to be used for a verb meaning "govern" or "be in charge of something." Root guan appears wherever there is power: in words guanxia 管辖 (jurisdiction), guanli 管理 (management), guanzhi 管制 (supervision) and guanjia 管辶 (supervision). "Who's in charge here?" ( zhe gui shei guan 这归谁管) is the first and often the only question asked to solve a particular problem. Just as the king beats ( guan ) the lady in a card game, the one who has power in his hands enjoys the unconditional right to say the final word.

Most interactions with the authorities in China are of the nature embodied in guan : paternalistic, deeply personal, not devoid of moralizing. Behind guan stands the image of a local official from imperial times, who graciously listened to the peasant's complaints and promised to take matters into his own hands. According to the traditional Confucian view of society, power relations in the state are reflected in the family; situations guan appear there as often as in the government. Helpless parents are unable to control ( guanbuliao 管不了) of their naughty children. Grown up children make a teenage cry: "Don't touch me!" ( be guan in 别管我). Later, when social welfare programs fail to take care of ( guan ) the elderly, adult children may remember their filial responsibilities.

In addition, guan constantly appears in situations that require our control. A person who spreads secrets cannot guan his mouth. An overactive helper might well be told, "Mind your own business" ( be guan xianshi 别管闲事) - or, washing your hands, cut off: "I will no longer do this" ( wo bu guan le 我不管了). Somewhere above guan and all its derivatives, there is a slight concern about the state of a society that no one controls. "No one is responsible for anything!" ( meiyu ren guan 没有人管) is a phrase that is spoken with disapproval, even horror.

more about Chinese culture - learn about classical Chinese poetry

Part 1: From Confucius to Tao Yuanming

2nd part: from the heyday of poetry to its decline

8. Yuanfen 缘分

Predestination (usually about human relations)

Illustration for the play Western Fangleung Wanleifu. Ming Dynasty Wikimedia Commons

Yuanfen is a mystical power that somehow brings things or people together in a desirable and meaningful way. It brings to life chains of strange coincidences in the spirit of an action-packed series. For example, if your primary school teacher becomes your mother-in-law in the future, there are yuanfen .

Yuanfen is often translated as “destiny,” referring to predestination that helps people find each other when they need it. However, not even the most religious or superstitious Chinese use this word. If you have not seen a friend for many years and suddenly meet him on the street, this is yuanfen . The word is also suitable for the situation when you make a new friend, but feel as if you have always known this person. Yuanfen is closely connected with the Buddhist idea of ​​karma and posthumous retribution, or more precisely, nidana, the link of cause and effect in the chain of rebirths. Driving Forces and Causes yuanfen are actions performed in previous incarnations.

Yuanfen is often used to describe the relationship of lovers, however, as already mentioned, the concept itself is much broader and can refer to any relationship between people. Yuanfen can be seen as a mechanism by which family members are "placed" in one position or another in each other's lives. Even two strangers sitting side by side on a short plane ride have a certain amount of yuanfen . Yuanfen is often mentioned in modern popular music, being referenced to explain the failure of a relationship that was not meant to last.

By attributing the causes of unpleasant events to yuanfen beyond personal control, the Chinese strive to maintain good relations, avoid conflict, and promote social harmony. Similarly, when auspicious events are seen as the result of yuanfen , no one is credited with personal merit for the fact that the case burned out, which reduces the arrogance of one participant in the interaction and the envy and resentment of the other.

9. Xiaochi 小吃

Light food, snack food (small foods or meals)

Zhao Ji. Emperor Huizong at a literary meeting. Around 1100-1125 國立故宮博物院 / Imperial Palace Museum

Food and eating is a huge and extremely important part of Chinese culture. Sympathy and care are expressed through treats, important issues are resolved during feasts, a sick Chinese resorts to food much more willingly than to medicines. Not a single serious event can do without a meal, be it a date or a business meeting, or any other significant event. At noon, when the whole country goes to dinner, the "dead hour" comes. Tearing a Chinese dinner man off his bowl is almost an insult.

At the same time, in China there is a whole category of products for which there is no adequate name in other languages. Xiaochi literally means "small meal", but these are not snacks in the usual sense of the word, and not even trendy snacks. Xiaochi is a cross between a snack and a full meal.

In China, food is usually ritualized - no one would call a real meal, for example, dinner (at least they would not call it until recently). Dinner is designed to sit down at a table with friends and family and share everything that will be placed on this table. (Accordingly, even if you have already had a snack Syaocichi , Dinner, most likely, still on schedule!)

dumplings, barbecue, small noodles, steam pies Baojza 包子, Yuansyao 元宵 (boiled colobies made of adhesive rice flour with filling), Zunzzy 粽子 (glutinous rice pyramids in bamboo leaves) - anything hearty and cheap that is usually sold on the street, but at the same time too big and satisfying to stand on a par with ice cream or a bag of chips, refers to xiaochi . Very much appreciated local, specific xiaochi , which are only prepared in a certain city or province ( fengwei xiaochi 风味小吃), people go on separate outings to try them. In Shaxian County, Fujian Province, a whole festival of traditional Chinese xiaochi is held. In contrast to the unusualness in xiaochi , the quality of jiachang 家常 is also valued - the taste “like from childhood”, a distinct association with home-cooked food, comfort, long family gatherings at a round table surrounded by loved ones. Even food courts in large stores are often called xiaochi jie 小吃街 - street from xiaochi .

10. Chabudo 差不多

Okay, it will do, almost as good, maybe passable

Illustration from the book of poems "Translations from Chinese" by Arthur Whaley. 1941 点滴第599届中国相关西文专场拍卖 / Auction Qudiandi.com

The attitude of most Chinese towards their own work is most often the exact opposite of, for example, the Japanese attitude. It is very rare to see a skilled worker perform his duties well, not only for the sake of a reward or momentary gain. Instead, the ratio 9 prevails0034 chabudo, or, literally, "yes, in general, and a small difference." This expression, used with enviable regularity in modern language, describes work that is formally done by seventy percent - a crudely inserted outlet of the wrong size or a toilet installed on a balcony.

Most of the man-made disasters in China are connected in one way or another with chabudo : constant compromises, which in everyday life turn out to be just a source of annoying inconvenience, become fatal on an industrial scale. The principle of “yes, it’s like nothing” ( hai tsouhe 还凑合) works everywhere: on construction sites, where workers swing in cradles made of hastily tied old ropes; in markets where they sell meat from unrefrigerated wagons; in apartments where fires periodically occur due to poor wiring.

Chabudo is the exact opposite of the urge to do your job with high quality and with full dedication. Chabudo implies that putting more time or effort into work is colossal stupidity. Does the door not fit the frame? Chabudo , you can get used to closing it with a kick. Did the online store send a shirt two sizes too big? Chabudo what are you complaining about?

Even more words of other cultures

11 Czech words

Kedlik, weather, Srand, Vseklnik and other animals

11 Swedish words

from Ombudsman to a break on FIKA Coffee

9000

11 German words

"Ordnung", "bratwurst" and "sadness because of the imperfection of the world"

12 Korean words

Walking in the mountains, sweet behavior and doshirak

12 Italian words

Bello! Porca miseria! As well as old-haired women and other Cose

12 Estonian words

Electronic state, snow with rain and skating on swings

11 Persian words

Good wisdom and the insisted vehicle

Images: Images: Images: Entertainment at the Xuande Emperor's court.

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