Chinese words for giving

The Chinese word for giving is 给予 (Jǐyǔ) or simply 给 (gěi). 给予 (Jǐyǔ) is used mostly in writing or in formal speech. Ordinarily, you would just use 给 (gěi), such as in the following two sentences:

请给我一个微笑.
Qǐng gěi wǒ yīgè wéixiào.
Please give me a smile.

我给了他一份有用的礼物.
Wǒ gěi le tā yī fèn yǒuyòng de lǐwù.
I gave him a useful gift.

In the sense of giving a gift to someone, you would use 给 (gěi) in combination with 送 (sòng), which means to gift, to deliver, to send or to send off. Therefore, you could make the above statement this way:

我送给了他一份有用的礼物.
Wǒ sòng gěi le tā yī fèn yǒuyòng de lǐwù.
I gave him a useful gift.

Or, this way:

我送了他一份有用的礼物.
Wǒ sòng le tā yī fèn yǒuyòng de lǐwù.
I gave him a useful gift.

授予 (shòuyǔ) means to grant a right, an approval, or an award. Here, the giver, which could be an institution, holds a higher position than the receiver.

大学授予了他名誉博士学位.
Dàxué shòuyǔ le tā míngyù bóshì xuéwèi.
The university conferred the honorary doctorate degree to him.

赐 (cì) means to bestow, as in bestowing a title to someone. This word is also used when a gift is given from someone in a high position, such as God, an emperor, or a high court official. To hyperbolize one’s gratitude for a precious gift, favor or blessing received, one might say or write:

谢谢您的恩赐.
Xièxiè nín de ēncì.
Thank you for the great favor.

献 (xiàn), or 奉献 (fèngxiàn), means to offer or to present with great respect. 捐献 (juānxiàn) is to donate, and 献金 is the money donated.

The Chinese word 借 (jiè) can be interpreted as either “to lend” or “to borrow”, depending on the context in which it is used.

他借给了我他的自行车.
Tā jiè gěi le wǒ tā de zìxíngchē.
He lent me his bicycle.

我忘记带钱包了. 我可以向你借10美元吗？
Wǒ wàngjì dài qiánbāole. Wǒ kěyǐ xiàng nǐ jiè 10 měiyuán ma?
I forgot to bring my purse. May I borrow $10 from you?

没问题.
Méi wèntí.
No problem.

归还 (guīhuán, or 还 (huán) for short, means to return a borrowd item to the owner. With respect to borrowing, let’s mind this saying:

有借有还, 再借不难.
Yǒu jiè yǒu huán, zài jiè bù nán.
Borrow and return, then it won’t be hard to borrow again.

The word 让 (ràng) corresponds to the English word “let” and can take on a few different meanings: to allow, to relinquish or to rent or lease to.

我的衣服让洒水器弄湿了.
Wǒ de yīfú ràng sǎshuǐ qì nòng shīle.
My clothes got wet from the sprinkler.

他让我用他的电脑.
Tā ràng wǒ yòng tā de diànnǎo.
He lets me use his computer.

他让出了座位.
Tā ràng chūle zuòwèi.
He gave up his seat.

他出让了他的商店.
Tā chūràng le tā de shāngdiàn.
He rent out his store.

One who does not hesitate to give or share is a generous person, or 慷慨的人
(kāngkǎi de rén). 吝嗇 (lìnsè) or 小气 (xiǎoqì) means stingy.

圣诞节即将来临,
Shèngdàn jié jíjiāng láilín,
Christmas is around the corner,

而新年即将到来.
ér xīnnián jíjiāng dàolái.
and New Year will follow soon.

现在是表现友善和慷慨的好时机.
Xiànzài shì biǎoxiàn yǒushàn hé kāngkǎi de hǎo shíjī.
It’s a good time for showing kindness and generosity.

这是一个给予和分享的时刻.
Zhè shì yīgè jǐyǔ hé fēnxiǎng de shíkè.
It’s a time for giving and sharing.

送什么礼物呢？
Sòng shénme lǐwù ne?
What gifts to give?

中国人送礼的禁忌包括刀, 鞋和时钟.
Zhōngguó rén sònglǐ de jìnjì bāokuò dāo, xié hé shízhōng.
Chinese gifting taboos include knives, shoes and clocks.

他送给了他父亲一条围巾.
Tā sònggěi le tā fùqīn yītiáo wéijīn.
He gave his father a scarf.

她给她妈妈买了一台搅拌机.
Tā gěi tā māmā mǎile yī tái jiǎobànjī.
She bought a blender for her mother.

对了,也可以送手机应用程序, 例如:
Duìle, yě kěyǐ sòng shǒujī yìngyòng chéngxù, lìrú:
By the way, you could also give a mobile app, such as:

袖珍气泡水平仪
Xiùzhēn qìpào shuǐpíngyí
Pocket Bubble Level (Use it like a functional spirit level.)

地契图和立桩划分地区
Dìqì tú hé lì zhuāng huàfēn dìqū
Deed Calls & Stakeout (Use it to create a deed plot and stake the boundary.)

中国人通常不送东西,
Zhōngguó rén tōngcháng bù sòng dōngxī,
Chinese people usually don’t give things as gifts,

而是送红包.
ér shì sòng hóngbāo.
but give red envelopes (containing cash).

今年你会收到大红包吗？
Jīnnián nǐ huì shōu dào dà hóngbāo ma?
Will you receive a big red envelope this year?

有些家庭没有足够的食物吃.
Yǒuxiē jiātíng méiyǒu zúgòu de shíwù chī.
Some families don’t have enough food to eat.

有些人没有地方住.
Yǒuxiē rén méiyǒu dìfāng zhù.
Some people have no place to live.

您会捐赠金钱或物品给慈善机构吗？
Nín huì juānzèng jīnqián huò wùpǐn gěi císhàn jīgòu ma?
Will you donate money or items to charity?

佳节快乐!
Jiājié kuàilè!
Happy Holidays!

How to say “wow” in Chinese

Today we will take a look at a bunch of single-character Chinese words that are similar to the word particles, modal particles, onomatopoeias and interjections in English.

The following are commonly used word particles, which have specific grammatical functions in a sentence: 了 (le), 的 (de), 得 (dé), 吗 (ma), 呢 (ne), 吧 (ba).

了 (le) is used for indicating that an action has been completed. For example:

你做完功课了吗?
Nǐ zuò wán gōngkèle ma?
Have you finished doing your homework?

做完了.
Zuò wán le.
Done.

的 (de) can be used in several different ways.

When appended to a noun or a pronoun, it forms the possessive case, such as in 我的 (wǒ de), 学校的 (xuéxiào de)

When an adjective is followed by the noun it modifies, 的 is placed between the adjective and the noun to smooth out the phrase. For example: 美丽的花 (měilì de huā), 聪明的孩子 (cōngmíng de háizi).

When appended to an auxiliary verb, 的 indicates confirmation. For example: 好的 (hǎo de OK.), 是的 (shì de Yes.), 会的 (huì de I will.)

得 (dé) means to gain. As a word particle, it is placed between a verb and its modifier. For example: 跑得快 (pǎo dé kuài runs fast), 跳得高 (tiào dé gāo leaps high).

Adding 嗎 (ma) to the end of a statement always forms a question. For example:

她要去吗?
Tā yào qù ma?
Is she going?

吧 (ba) can be used in a similar way. In this case, you are asking for confirmation for what you think.

她要去吧?
Tā yào qù ba?
She is going, isn’t she?

呢 (ne) can also be used for forming a question. However, the question must employ the “yes or no” format of the auxiliary verb. For example:

她要不要去呢?
Tā yào bùyào qù ne?
Is she going or not?

呢 (ne) and 吧 (ba) can also be used as modal particles, as shown below.
When a sentence that is not a question ends in 呢 (ne), the speaker just wants to draw attention to what was just spoken. 哩 (lī) and 咧 (liě) are also used in the same way.

她很聪明呢.
Tā hěn cōngmíng ne.
She is quite intelligent, you know.

When a sentence that is not a question ends in 吧, the speaker is making a suggestion or confirming what the other person is saying. For example:

你去看她吧.
Nǐ qù kàn tā ba.
Please go see her.

好吧, 我们回家吧!
Hǎo ba, wǒmen huí jiā ba!
All right, let’s go home

The word 嘛 (ma) can be used to give a short pause to what you are saying so you could give a little thought before continuing.

这个嘛, 让我再想一想.
Zhège ma, ràng wǒ zài xiǎng yī xiǎng.
Well, let me think about this a little more.

When entreating someone to grant your request, you could add 嘛 (ma) or 啦 (la) at the end of the sentence.

不要这样嘛!
Bùyào zhèyàng ma!
Don’t act like this, okay?

别再争论啦!
Bié zài zhēnglùn la!
Stop arguing.

啦 (la) could be considered as the concatenation of 了 (le) and 啊 (a).

做完啦!
Zuò wán la!
Done!

When placed at the end of a statement, 啊 (ā) and 呀 (yā), serve to emphasize the point made.

我刚看到他啊!
Wǒ gāng kàn dào tā ā!
Well, I just saw him!

There are also many commonly used Chinese interjections that help convey the speaker’s sentiment. Here are a few that are uttered on their own or placed at the beginning of a statement:

Exclamation, surprise or shock: 啊! (A!), 啊呀! (Aya!), 哦! (Ó!) Ah! Oh!

Admiration: 哇! (Wa!) Wow!

Questioning: 咦? (Yí!), 哦? (Ó) Huh?

Cry of pain: 哎喲! (Āiyō!) Ouch!

Accosting: 喂! (Wèi!) Hey!
嗨 (Hāi) Hi!
哈囉 (Hā luō!) Hello!

Answering a phone call: 喂? (Wéi?) Hello?

Satirical : 唷 (Yō!) – Oh, my!

嗄 (á, shà, gā or gá) is an onomatopeia that mimics a hoarse voice or a squeaking sound. When pronounced as 嗄 (á), and placed at the beginning of a sentence, it’s synonymous with 啊 (ā ah).

那只鹅一边跑一边发出嗄嗄的声音
Nà zhǐ é yībiān pǎo yībiān fāchū gā gā de shēngyīn.
That goose cried in hoarse sounds while running about.

吱嘎 (zhī gā or zhī gá) and 叽叽嘎嘎 (jī ji gāgā) are squeaking sounds (as of a contraption that needs oiling).

那扇门嘎的一声开了
Nà shàn mén gā de yīshēng kāi le.
That door opened with a jarring squeak.

Following are a few additional examples of onomatopoeia:

Confirmation: 嗯. (Ń.) Um, or yes
Disgruntled: 哼! (Hēng!) – Humph.
Disdain: 嘖! (Zé!) – A click of tongue.
Sighing: 唉. (Āi.) – Sigh.
Hushing: 嘘. (Xū.) – Shh.

With the above, we have actually covered a subset of the many words that take on the “mouth” word radical.

If you are wondering how to make proper sentences in Chinese, then do yourself a favor and get a copy of “Learn Chinese through Songs and Rhymes“, which is available in both print and e-book formats.

If you are looking for supplemental reading material, you might consider the following:

“Inspiring Stories in Chinese: Intermediate Reader” (annotated in pinyin and English)

“The Little Monk“

Traditional Chinese Edition of The Little Monk
on amazon.com

Simplified Chinese Edition of the Little Monk 

on books.apple.com
on kobo.com
at SCRIBD

“The Little Monk: English Edition” (available in print and e-book formats)

About tick bites and Lyme disease in English and Chinese

(Picture Caption)
Many people want to know what a normal tick bite looks like. What they are referring to is the local skin reaction to a tick bite that does not involve a tick-borne disease. Well, different people react differently to a tick bite and the tick’s saliva. Some people might get a wheal similar to a mosquito bite, while others might show a small hard bump. Here is one example of a tick-bite that started out as a red raw lesion and later dried out and darkened, staying smaller than a dime in size.

A few years ago I shared with you my beautiful encounter with a cute little hummingbird.
(8/1/20 Fortuitous encounter in Chinese) Since then I’ve had a few more happy encounters with other hummers. This year I wasn’t as lucky in my garden. One night in July I found a black-legged tick embedded in my right leg. Black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are known vectors for spreading the dreaded Lyme disease. This unlucky encounter (倒霉的遭遇 dǎoméi de zāoyù) prompted me to search the Internet for information about tick bites and the Lyme disease. There are detailed descriptions of the various species of ticks, pictures of the “target” rash that physicians use to confirm the Lyme disease, and good instructions on how to extract an imbedded tick. However, I was only able to find a couple websites that show a picture of what a non-Lyme tick bite lesion looks like. As the tick saliva could cause hypersensitive skin reactions in some people, I would have appreciated seeing some photos of those lesions. Also, there are conflicting instructions on whether or not to seek medical help shortly after being bitten by a tick, and whether or not to get a preventive antibiotics shot for the tick bite. I believe the following summary can be helpful to those unfamiliar with tick bites and Lyme disease in the USA. Who knows, one day you might be surprised to find a tick on you or another family member when you come back from an outing to the countryside. It will take some effort on your part, though, to read through this lengthy blog. Hopefully you will be able to pick up some useful words and phrases along the way.

Two common names for ticks in Chinese are 扁蝨 (Biǎn shī) and 蜱虫 (pí chóng).

有多种扁蝨会携带并且传播疾病.
Yǒu duō zhǒng biǎn shī huì xiédài bìngqiě chuánbō jíbìng.
Several tick species can carry and transmit diseases.

在美国, 鹿蝨和西部黑腿蝨会携带莱姆病和其他合并感染.
Zài měiguó, lù shī hé xībù hēi tuǐ shī huì xiédài lái mǔ bìng hé qítā hébìng gǎnrǎn.
In the USA deer tick and Western black-legged tick can carry Lyme disease and other co-infections.

白足鼠是莱姆病细菌伯氏疏螺旋体的来源.
bái zú shǔ shì lái mǔ bìng xìjùn bó shì shū luóxuántǐ de láiyuán.
White-footed mice are the source of the Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi.

狗蝨会传播落基山斑疹热.
Gǒu shī huì chuánbò luò jīshān bān zhěn rè.
Dog ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

孤星蝨会传播危及生命的疾病.
Gū xīng shī huì chuánbò wéijí shēngmìng de jíbìng.
Lone Star ticks can transmit life-threatening diseases.

扁蝨会将它们的口器嵌入宿主体内来吸血
Biǎn shī huì jiāng tāmen de kǒu qì qiànrù sùzhǔ tǐnèi lái xīxuè.
A tick will embed its mouthpiece into its host to suck blood.

据了解, 成年雄性扁蝨不会传播疾病.
Jù liǎojiě, chéngnián xióngxìng biǎn shī bù huì chuánbò jíbìng.
Adult male ticks are not known to transmit diseases.

若虫和成年雌性扁蝨会吸血, 充血膨胀,
Ruòchóng hé chéngnián cíxìng biǎn shī huì xīxuè, chōngxuè péngzhàng,
Nymphs and adult female ticks will suck blood, become engorged,

并传播严重的疾病.
bìng chuánbò yánzhòng de jíbìng.
and transmit severe diseases.

扁蝨通常需要附着至少 24 小时才能传播莱姆病细菌.
Biǎn shī tōngcháng xūyào fùzhuó zhìshǎo 24 xiǎoshí cáinéng chuánbò lái mǔ bìng xìjùn.
Ticks usually need to be attached for at least 24 hours before transmitting Lyme disease bacteria.

如何拔出嵌入的扁蝨? 点击此处了解详情.
Rúhé bá chū qiànrù de biǎn shī? Diǎnjī cǐ chù liǎojiě xiángqíng.
How to extract an embedded tick? Click here to find out.

对扁蝨唾液的局部反应
Duì biǎn shī tuòyè de júbù fǎnyìng
The local reaction to tick saliva

可能会在几天或几周内痊愈.（见上图.）
kěnéng huì zài jǐ tiān huò jǐ zhōu nèi quányù. (Jiàn shàng tú.)
could heal in days or weeks. (See above picture.)

它通常小于一角硬币, 直径不超过2英寸.
Tā tōngcháng xiǎoyú yījiǎo yìngbì, zhíjìng bù chāoguò 2 yīngcùn.
It is typically smaller than a dime in size, and does not exceed 2 inches in diameter.

对扁蝨叮咬的过敏可能类似于血管炎.
Duì biǎn shī dīngyǎo de guòmǐn kěnéng lèisì yú xiěguǎn yán.
Hypersensitivity to a tick bite could mimic vasculitis.

第一次扁蝨叮咬后的红斑可能不会发痒.
Dì yī cì biǎn shī dīngyǎo hòu de hóngbān kěnéng bù huì fā yǎng.
The lesion from the very first tick bite might not itch.

随后的扁蝨叮咬可能会非常痒.
Suíhòu de biǎn shī chóng dīngyǎo kěnéng huì fēicháng yǎng.
Subsequent tick bites could be very itchy.

如果扁蝨传播了伯氏疏螺旋体细菌,
Rúguǒ biǎn shī chuánbòle bó shì shū luóxuántǐ xìjùn,
If the tick has transmitted the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria,

莱姆病皮疹通常在扁蝨叮咬后 3 至 30 天出现,
Lái mǔ bìng pízhěn tōngcháng zài biǎn shī dīngyǎo hòu 3 zhì 30 tiān chūxiàn,
The Lyme disease rash usually appears 3 to 30 days afater the tick bite,

一般大于 2 英寸.
yībān dàyú 2 yīngcùn.
and is generally larger than 2 inches.

它可能是逐渐蔓延, 均匀分布, 受压会变白的红色皮疹.
Tā kěnéng shì zhújiàn mànyán, jūnyún ēnbù, shòu yā huì biàn bái de hóngsè pízhěn.
It could be a gradually spreading uniform blanching rash.

或者, 它可能表现为逐渐蔓延, 受压会变白,
Huòzhě, tā kěnéng biǎoxiàn wèi zhújiàn mànyán , shòu yā huì biàn bái,
Or, it could be a spreading blanching

看起来像大射击目标的红色皮疹.
kàn qǐlái xiàngde mùbiāo pízhěn.
rash that looks like a large bull’s-eye target.

扩散性皮疹 (游走性红斑, 或称 EM)
Kuòsàn xìng pízhěn (yóu zǒu xìng hóngbān, huò chēng EM)
The spreading rash (erythema migrans, or EM)

是莱姆病的诊断症状.
shì lái mǔ bìng de zhěnduàn zhèngzhuàng.
is a diagnostic symptom of Lyme disease.

在后期, 莱姆病还可引起不同大小的全身皮疹.
Zài hòuqí, lái mǔ bìng hái kě yǐnqǐ bùtóng dàxiǎo de quánshēn pízhěn.
In a later stage, Lyme disease can also cause systemic rash of various sizes.

然而, 许多患有莱姆病的人不会发皮疹.
rán’ér, xǔduō huàn yǒu lái mǔ bìng de rén bù huì fā pízhěn.
However, many people with Lyme disease don’t develop a rash.

他们在早期可能会有类似流感的症状,
Tāmen zài zǎoqí kěnéng huì yǒu lèisì liúgǎn de zhèngzhuàng,
They might have flu-like symptoms in the early stages,

例如发烧, 发冷, 疲劳, 肌肉疼痛和淋巴结肿大.
lìr fà shāo, fā lěng, píláo, jīròu téngtòng hé línbājié zhǒng dà.
such as fever, chills, fatigue, muscle pain and swollen nymph nodes.

有些人早期没有症状，
Yǒuxiē rén zǎoqí méiyǒu zhèngzhuàng,
Some people don’t exhibit early symptoms,

但后来会患上更严重的疾病, 例如
dàn hòulái huì huàn shàng gèng yánzhòng de jíbìng, lìrú
but would later come down with more servere illnesses, such as

关节炎, 神经系统问题, 心脏问题和脑膜炎,
guānjié yán, shénjīng sǔnshāng, shénjīng xìtǒng wèntí, xīnzàng wèntí hé nǎomó yán.
arthritis, neutological problems, heart problems and meningitis.

此外, 许多感染莱姆病菌的人根本不出现任何症状.
Cǐwài, xǔduō gǎnrǎn lái mǔ bìngjùn de rén gēnběn bù chūxiàn rènhé zhèngzhuàng.
Furthermore, many people infected with the Lyme bacteria never have any symptoms.

他们的身体会治愈感染, 无需任何治疗.
Tāmen de shēntǐ huì zhìyù gǎnrǎn, wúxū rènhé zhìliáo.
Their bodies will cure the infection without needing any treatment.

这就是为什么医生在初期很难确定
Zhè jiùshì wèishéme yīshēng zài chūqí hěn nán quèdìng
This is why it’s not easy for physicians to determine early on

被扁蝨叮咬的患者是否需要治疗.
bèi biǎn shī dīngyǎo de huànzhě shìfǒu xūyào zhìliáo.
whether a tick-bite patients requires treatment.

扁蝨叮咬约 2 个月后，
Biǎn shī dīngyǎo yuē 2 gè yuè hòu,
About two months after the tick bite, if the patient develops suspicious symptoms,

医生可能会进行验血
yīshēng kěnéng huì jìnxíng yàn xiě
the doctor might order a blood test

来检查患者体内伯氏疏螺旋体抗体的数量.
lái jiǎnchá huànzhě tǐnèi bó shì shū luóxuántǐ kàngtǐ de shùliàng.
to check the amount of Borrelia antibodies in the patient.

事实上, 美国疾病预防控制中心
Shìshí shàng, Měiguó Jíbìng Yùfáng Kòngzhì Zhōngxīn
In fact, the United States Center for Disease Control

不建议在每次扁蝨叮咬后使用抗生素
bù jiànyì zài měi cì biǎn shī dīngyǎo hòu shǐyòng kàngshēngsù
does not recommend using antibiotics after every tick bite

来预防扁蝨传播的疾病.
lái yùfáng biǎn shī chuánbō de jíbìng.
to prevent tickborne diseases.

对于高风险扁蝨叮咬, 在扁蝨叮咬后 72 小时内给予强力霉素
Duìyú gāo fēngxiǎn biǎn shī dīngyǎo, zài biǎn shī dīngyǎo hòu 72 xiǎoshí nèi jǐyǔ qiánglì méi sù
For high-risk tick bites, Doxycycline given within 72 hours of the tick bite

可以降低患莱姆病的风险.
kěyǐ jiàngdī huàn lái mǔ bìng de fēngxiǎn.
can lower the risk of coming down with Lyme disease.

当然, 预防是关键所在.
Dāngrán, yùfáng shì guānjiàn suǒzài.
Of course, prevention is key.

如何预防扁蝨叮咬? 点击此处获取建议.
Rúhé yùfáng biǎn shī dīngyǎo? Diǎnjī cǐ chù huòqǔ jiànyì.
How to prevent a tick bite? Click here for advice.

最后, 有个好消息: 莱姆病疫苗预计将于 2026 年上市.
Zuìhòu, yǒu gè hǎo xiāoxī: Lái mǔ bìng yìmiáo yùjì jiāng yú 2026 nián shàngshì.
Finally, a piece of good news: A Lyme disease vaccine is expected to be available in 2026.

How to say “green thumb” in Chinese

Most idioms and expressions came into being through popular culture, shared experience or historical events. Often metaphores and similes are employed, and inferences made, so that a verbatim translation of such expressions doesn’t always make sense to a foreign person.

A well known example is the translation of the saying: “The spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak.” When translated from English to Russian and then back to English, it became: “The Vodka is good, but the meat has spoiled.” This reminds me of the interesting term “wall breaker” that is mentioned in some food recipes. As the high-power blenders are touted to be able to break cell walls and make the nutrients more readily available, the Chinese refer to them as 破壁机 (pò bì jī). Therefore, don’t be surprised when you are instructed to use a “wall breaking machine” or a “wall breaker” to prepare a slurpee.

Some of the English idioms and expressions have found their way into the Chinese language. People now know what you are talking about when you mention such things as a lame duck (跛脚鸭 bǒjiǎo yā), teacher’s pet (老师的宠物 lǎoshī de chǒngwù), last straw (最后一根稻草 zuìhòu yī gēn dàocǎo), free lunch (免费午餐 miǎnfèi wǔcān ), brainstorm (头脑风暴 tóunǎo fēngbào) and green thumb (园艺拇指 yuányì mǔzhǐ). However, many other English expressions will make them scratch their heads even after looking up those expressions on the Internet. You might get a good laugh, too, when you see the verbatim translation provided on certain websites for some of those expressions. For example, the expression “Give me a break.” is often misinterpreted as “Let me take a little rest.” One way to say this in Chinese is:

饶了我吧!
Ráole wǒ ba!
Spare me!

In the following list, I will place the English expressions above their Chinese equivalent.

with a grain of salt
半信半疑
bànxìnbànyí

see eye to eye
有一致的看法
yǒu yīzhì de kànfǎ

keep an eye on
密切关注
mìqiè guānzhù

bull’s eye
靶心
bǎxīn

whistle blower
举报人
jǔbào rén

The ball is in your court.
看你了.
Kàn nǐ le.

hit the sack
去睡覺了
qù shuìjiào le

hit the road
上路
shànglù

bark up the wrong tree
找错了对象
zhǎo cuòle duìxiàng

don’t care a fig
根本不在乎
gēnběn bùzàihū

to kick the bucket
翘辫子
qiàobiànzi
(colloquial way of saying “to die”)

to bite the dust
完蛋
wándàn
(colloquial way of saying “to be done for”)

raining cats and dogs
下着倾盆大雨
xiàzhe qīngpén dàyǔ

Break a leg.
祝你好运.
Zhù nǐ hǎo yùn.

to have butterflies in my stomach
覺得很心慌
juédé hěn xīnhuāng

beat around the bush
拐弯抹角
guǎiwānmòjiǎo

costs an arm and a leg
非常贵
fēicháng guì

cut corners
偷工减料
cōugōngjiǎnliào

bite the bullet
咬紧牙关
yǎo jǐn yáguān

a piece of cake
易如反掌
yìrúfǎnzhǎng
or
a piece of cake
小菜一碟
xiǎocài yī dié

Let’s call it a day.
今天就这样吧.
Jīntiān jiù zhèyàng ba.

lose one’s marbles
失去理智
shīqù lǐzhì

up in the air
尚未确定
shàngwèi quèdìng

not my cup of tea
不是我喜欢的
bùshì wǒ xǐhuān de

spill the beans
走漏消息
zǒulòu xiāoxī

out of the blue
晴天霹雳
qíngtiān pīlì

拜托 (bàituō) translates to “respectfully request” or “please” in Englsih. For example:

我拜托他给我哥哥介绍一个女朋友.
Wǒ bàituō tā gěi wǒ gēgē jièshào yīgè nǚ péngyǒu.
I asked him to kindly introduce a girlfriend to my elder brother.

别再唠叨了, 拜托!
Bié zài láo dāo le, bàituō!
Stop nagging, please.

拜托 (bàituō) can also be used sarcastically to remind someone of a fact that the latter missed, as in:

他已经三十岁了, 拜托!
Tā yǐjīng sānshí suìle, bàituō!
He is already thirty years old, for God’s sake!

If you are wondering about how to say a certain English expression in Chinese, post a comment, and we can discuss.

中秋节快乐！
Zhōngqiū jié kuàilè!
Have a Happy Moon Festival (or Mid-autumn Festival)!

Sing “Around the World in 80 Days” in Chinese

夏季是旅游的最佳时候.
Xiàjì shì lǚyóu de zuì jiā shíhòu.
Summer is the best time travel.

天气好, 学生们也都放暑假了.
Tiānqì hǎo, xuéshēngmen yě dōu fàng shǔjià le.
The weather is nice, and the students are on summer vacation.

今年夏天你打算去哪里度假?
Jīnnián xiàtiān nǐ dǎsuàn qù nǎlǐ dùjià?
Where are you going on vacation this summer?

去夏威夷, 去哥斯达黎加, 还是环游世界?
Qù xiàwēiyí, qù gēsīdálíjiā, háishì huán yóu shìjiè?
Go to Hawaii, go to Costa Rica, or travel around the world?

I watched the movie “Around the World in 80 Days” as a kid, and my parents had a rotating wind-up music box that played the theme tune over and over again. However, it wasn’t until recently that I became aware that there were also lyrics written for the music. I was deeply moved by the sentiment depicted in the lyrics, and of course also by Nat King Cole’s mesmerizing singing voice. So much love is expressed without mentioning the word “love” (愛 ài).

Around the World in 80 Days
composed by Harold Adamson and Victor Young

Around the world, I’ve searched for you.
I traveled on when hope was gone
To keep a rendezvous.
I know somewhere, sometime, somehow
You’d look at me
And I would see the smile you’re smiling now.

It might have been in Country Down,
Or in New York,
In Gay Paree or even London Town.
No more will I go all around the world.
For I have found my world in you.

If you would like to sing this song in Chinese, here is my translation of the lyrics.

环游世界八十天
Huán Yóu Shìjiè Bāshí Tiān
Around the World in 80 Days

踏破铁靴, 我寻找你.
Tàpò tiě xuē, wǒ xúnzhǎo nǐ.
Wearing out my iron boots, I looked for you.

游荡四方, 希望渺茫,
yóudàngsìfāng, xīwàng miǎománg,
Wandering everywhere, although with little hope,

也未曾放弃.
yě wèicéng fàngqì.
still I never gave up.

我深知总会有一天,
Wǒ shēn zhī zǒng huì yǒu yītiān,
I knew deep inside that eventually one day

你将望着我, 对着我微笑,
nǐ jiāng wàngzhe wǒ, duìzhe wǒ wéixiào,
you would look at me and smile at me,

就像今天.
Jiù xiàng jīntiān.
just like today.

未知在何处会遇见你.
Wèizhī zài hé chù huì yùjiàn nǐ.
I had no idea where I would finally meet you.

是在纽约, 是在伦敦, 还是在巴黎?
Shì zài niǔyuē, shì zài lúndūn, háishì zài bālí?
Would it have been in New York, in London, or in Paris?

今后无须再走漫山遍野 –
Jīnhòu wúxū zài zǒu mànshānbiànyě –
From now on there’s no need to walk all over the mountains and plains –

我已经找到了我的世界.
Wǒ yǐjīng zhǎodàole wǒ de shìjiè.
I’ve already found my world.

总会有一天 (zǒng huì yǒu yītiān), or 总有一天 (zǒng yǒu yītiān), is a popular expression that means “There will be a day when ….”.

总有一天我会有足够的钱环游世界.
Zǒng yǒu yītiān wǒ huì yǒu zúgòu de qián huán yóu shìjiè.
One of these days I will have sufficient money to travel around the world.

If you would like to play an easy version of this tune on the piano, please look for the music sheet under the “Free Music Sheets” tab on this blog site.

夏天快乐！
Xiàtiān! kuàilè!
Happy Summer!