More about the Chinese character – Square

3 squared equals 9.

Now we will discuss some of the extended meanings of 方 (fāng).

First, a little math. 平方 (píngfāng) represents “squared”. Therefore 平方公尺 (píngfāng gōngchǐ) means square meters. In three-dimensional space we have 立方 (lìfāng), standing for a cubed quantity.

三的平方是九.
Sān de píngfāng shì jiǔ.
3 squared is 9.

In the above sentence, you could substitute 是 (shì is) with 等于 (děngyú equals).

An equation is called 方程式 (fāngchéngshì). This could be a mathematical equation or a chemical equation.

In so far as 方 (fāng) means a direction or a side, it also represents an aspect of a matter or a party in a transaction.

方面 (fāngmiàn) means an aspect or a side of an issue.

这方面我不很清楚.
Zhèi fāngmiàn wǒ bù hěn qīngchǔ.
I don’t know much about this aspect of the matter.

对方 (duìfāng) means the other party (the party opposite you).

对方同意了吗?
Duìfāng tóngyì le ma?
Did the other party agree?

双方都同意了.
Shuāngfāng dōu tóngyì le.
Both parties agreed.

In a sales transaction, the purchasing party is referred to as 买方 (mǎifāng), while the seller is referred to as 卖方 (màifāng).

官方 (guānfāng) means official or pertaining to the government. 警方 (jǐngfāng) refers to the police.

方 (fāng) is also the abbreviation of 方法 (fāngfǎ), which means method or means.

这个方法不错.
Zhègè fāngfǎ bùcuò.
This method is not bad.

处方 (chǔfāng) is a prescription. Specifically, a medical prescription is called
药方 (yàofāng).

A 方案 (fāngàn) is a plan or a scheme.

比方说 (bǐfangshuō) means “as an example” or “for instance”.

方 (fāng), being square and not crooked, implies honesty and uprightness. This may be why it is used as a Chinese surname.

大方 (dàfang) means generous or gracious.

他的女朋友美丽又大方.
Tā de nǚpéngyou měilì yòu dàfang.
His girl friend is beautiful and gracious.

方 (fāng) can also be used as an adverb. 方才 (fāngcái) means just now and is synonymous with 刚才 (gāngcái).

我方才看到他.
Wǒ fāngcái kàndào tā.
I saw him just a moment ago.

方 (fāng) and 才 (cái), when standing alone as an adverb, take on the meaning of “not until”. 方 (fāng) is the formal version. Use 才 (cái) in everyday speech.

我现在才知道他真的爱我.
Wǒ xiànzài cái zhīdào tā zhēnde ài wǒ.
Now I realize that he truly loves me.
(Hope it’s not too late.)

As an adjective 方便 (fāngbiàn) means convenient. As a verb, it means going to the lavatory.

Following are a few more commonly used words that take on the 方 (fāng) radical.

仿 (fǎng) means to imitate, as in 模仿 (mófǎng), or to be like, as in 仿佛 (fǎngfú), which is a formal way of saying 好像 (hǎoxiàng).

施 (shī) is to hand out or to apply or carry out. In the sense of handing out, it is synonymous with the word 给 (gěi to give).

芳 (fāng), with the “grass” radical on top, means fragrant. It is a favorite character for girls’ names.

Learn Chinese word radical – Square

Grid for writing Chinese characters

The Chinese character 方 (fāng) means “square”. Like the English word “square”, it can be used and interpreted in a number of different ways. Today we will look at this word as it pertains to square shapes, locations and directions.

So, a square shape is called 方形 (fāngxíng) or 正方形 (zhèngfāngxíng). 长方形 (chángfāngxíng) is a rectangle.

Any square piece is called 方块 (fāngkuài). Chinese characters are often referred to as 方块字 (fāngkuàizì).

方格 (fānggě) is a square grid. When we were in elementary school, we practiced writing Chinese characters by filling pages and pages of square grids. The narrower space on the right side of each square is for adding the zhuyin notation.

方糖 (fāngtáng) are sugar cubes.

方 (fāng) also means directions. The commonly used word for direction or orientation is 方向 (fāngxiàng). 方位 (fāngwèi) means position or bearing.

东方 (dōngfāng) is the east direction or the East. 西方 (xīfāng) is the west direction or the West.

前方 (qiánfāng) means ahead or the front. 后方 (hòufāng) is the rear of something such as a building or an army.

四方 (sìfāng) are the four directions. It also means a shape with four right angles, i.e. a square or a rectangle. 四方 (sìfāng) and 八方 (bāfāng eight directions) are often used to refer to all sides or all directions. The number eight refers to the eight points of the compass.

方针 (fāngzhèn) is the pointer on the compass. This word refers to a policy or a guiding principle.

地方 (dìfang) means a place, a spot or a space.

这篇文章还有许多可以改进的地方.
zhè piān wénzhāng hái yǒu xǔduō kěyǐ gǎijìn de dìfang.
There is still plenty of room for improvement in this composition.

As flags are usually of a square or rectangular shape, it is not surprising that the word for flags, 旗 (qí), takes on the “square” radical.

房 (fáng) is a house or a room. It features a space under a roof.

防 (fáng) is to defend one’s turf or guard against someone or something. This word features the “ear” radical as well.

放 (fàng) is to place, to put or to release.

旁 (páng) means side or on the side.

他把那封信放在一旁.
Tā bǎ nà fēng xìn fàng zài yī páng.
He set that letter on the side.

族 (zú) means clan, race, nationality or a group with common features.

旋 (xuán) is to spin or revolve around something.

地球绕着太阳旋转.
Dìqiú rào zhe tàiyáng xuánzhuǎn.
The earth revolves around the sun.

訪 (fǎng) is to visit, to call on or to interview someone.

他拒绝接受访问.
Tā jùjué jiēshòu fǎngwèn.
He refused to be interviewed.

旅 (lǚ) is to travel. 旅客 (lǚkè) could be a passenger, a traveler or a hotel guest.

旅游 (lǚyóu) means touring.

If you are traveling to a Chinese-speaking country, you might find the cheat sheet in Chapter 32 of “Learn Chinese through Songs and Rhymes” helpful.

Talking about soccer in Chinese

Soccer is the most watched sports game in the present world. Its rules are fairly easy to understand. Since this game is played using the feet, it is appropriately named in Chinese as 足球 (zúqiú).

足 (zú) is the formal word for the foot. It features as a radical in many words related to the feet. For example, 踢足球 (tī zúqiú) means to kick or play the soccer ball. To see a few other words featuring the foot radical, please review the lesson posted on 10/16/13.

足球隊 (zúqiú duì) is a soccer team. The soccer team members are called 足球队员 (zúqiú duìyuán). You can refer to the members of any team as 队员 (duìyuán), and you can refer to any ball players as 球员 (qiú yuán).

足球场 (zúqiú chǎng) is a soccer playing field. 球 (qiú) is a ball, and 門 (mén) is a door or a gate. Therefore 球門 (qiúmén) is the goal in a sports game like soccer or hockey.

比赛 (bǐsài) means a match or a competition. As a verb, it means to compete in a match. You can refer to a soccer game as 足球比赛 (zúqiú bǐsài) or 足球赛 (zúqiú sài).

世界 (shìjiè) means the world. 杯 (bēi) is a cup or a trophy. Therefore, the Chinese word for World Cup is 世界杯 (shìjiè bēi).

Last Sunday the German team won the World Cup for the fourth time in history. Their formidable opponent had won the World Cup twice before.

德国比阿根廷多得一分, 赢得了世界杯.
Déguó bǐ Ägēntín duō dé yī fèn, yíngdé le shìjiè bēi.
Germany got one point over Argentina, winning the World Cup.

A penalty shot or a penalty kick is called 罚球 (fáqiú). At this link is a video showing how a soccer ball sometimes has a mind of its own.

意大利球员踢出一个罚球.
Yìdàlì qiú yuán tī chū yī gè fáqiú.
The Italian soccer player made a penalty kick.

那足球碰到球门框, 反弹了回来.
Nà zúqiú pèng dào qiúmén kuàng, fǎn tán le huílái.
That ball hit the frame of the goal and bounced back.

对方守球门的队员喜出望外.
Duìfāng shǒu qiúmén de qiú yuán xǐchūwàngwài.
The goalie of the opposing team was overjoyed.

没想到那足球落地后竟然自动跳进了球门里.
Méi xiǎngdào nà zúqiú luòdì hòu jìngrán zìdòng tiào jìn qiúmén li.
Unexpectedly, after touching the ground, that soccer ball actually bounced back into the goal on its own.

Which ball game do you enjoy the most? Why not look up the Chinese terms associated with that activity?

Roughly in Chinese

When you are asked about the quantity or extent of something but you do not know the exact amount or measurements, you could qualify your answer with the help of such words as “about”, “approximately” or “roughly”.

大约 (dàyuē) means roughly or approximately. The formal equivalents are
约略 (yuēlüè rougly, approximately) and 略 (lüè approximately).

阿帕拉契亚山脉有多高?
Ā pà lā qì yà shānmài yǒu duō gāo?
How long is the Appalachian mountain range?

大约一千五百英里.
Dàyuē yī qiān wǔ bǎi yīnglǐ.
About 1500 miles.

大概 (dàgài) also means roughly, but it can also mean generally or probably.

车站距离这儿多远?
Huǒchēzhàn jùlí zhèr duō yuǎn?
How far is the railway station from here?

大概要走十分钟.
Dàgài yào zǒu shífēn zhōng.
It’s about a ten minutes walk.

她大概不会来.
Tā dàgài bùhuì lái.
She is probably not coming.

现在几点钟?
Xiànzài jǐ diǎn zhōng?
What time is it now?

差不多 (chàbuduō) means nearly, almost or similar. Literally, 差不多 (chàbuduō) translates to “not much different”.

现在差不多三点.
Xiànzài chàbuduō sān diǎn.
It’s almost three o’clock now.

他们两兄弟差不多一样高.
Tāmen liǎng xiōngdì chàbuduō yīyàng gāo.
The two brothers are about the same height.

There are also words and phrases that give one a rough idea of the amount or the extent.

一点儿 (yīdiǎnr) means a little or a bit.

请你给我一点儿水.
Qǐng nǐ gěi wǒ yīdiǎnr shuǐ.
Please give me a little water.

稍微 (shāowēi) and 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) mean a bit or a trifle. Often they are used together.

我稍微有点儿累.
Wǒ shāowēi yǒudiǎnr lèi.

一眨眼的工夫 (yīzhǎyǎn de gōngfu) means in a blink.

喝一杯茶的工夫 (hè yī bēi chá de gōngfu) means the amount of time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

芝麻大小 (zhīmá dàxiǎo) means the size of a sesame seed.

拳头大小 (quántou dàxiǎo) means fist-size.

If you do know the quantities or measurements of the items, then you will need to specify the units for the value you provide. The various units of measure are discussed in Chapters 6 and 7 of “Learn Chinese through Songs and Rhymes“.

Sing “America the Beautiful” in Chinese

Blueberries ripening

July 4th, 七月四日 (qīyuè sì rì), is the birthday of the United States of America. 祝 (zhù) is to express good wishes. 祝福 (zhùfú) is to give blessing to someone. This word can also be used as a noun. 庆祝 (qìngzhù) is to celebrate. There are a number of patriot songs to help us express our feelings while celebrating the national day, or 国庆日 (guóqìng rì), notably the one with lyrics written by Katharine Lee Bates and music composed by Samuel A. Ward – “America the Beautiful”. The Chinese word for America is 美国 (Měiguó). 美丽 (měilì) means beautiful.

忠贞 (zhōngzhēn) means being loyal and steadfast. 爱国 (àiguó) means being patriotic. So, 忠贞爱国 (zhōngzhēn àiguó) describes a person who is loyal to his country and loves it dearly, and patriotic songs are called 爱国歌曲 (àiguó gēqǔ).

At this link is a nice rendition of “America the Beautiful”. If you would like to sing this song in Chinese, here is my translated version:

啊, 多美丽! 蓝天辽阔,
Ā, duō měilì! Lán tiān liáokuò,
Oh, how beautiful – the spacious blue skies

麦田里漾金波.
màitián li yàng jīn bō.
and the golden waves rippling in the wheat fields.

高山峻岭, 气势磅礴,
Gāoshān jùn lǐng, qìshìpángbó,
High mountains and mountain ranges, so powerful and majestic,

遍地布满花果.
biàn dì bùmǎn huā guǒ.
and the land covered with flowers and fruits.

美丽家园, 美丽家园!
Měilì jiāyuán, měilì jiāyuán!
Beautiful homeland, beautiful homeland!

愿天父保佑你.
Yuàn tiānfù bǎoyòu nǐ.
May the Heavenly Father protect and bless you.

从南到北, 由西到东,
Cóng nán dào běi, yóu xī dào dōng,
From south to north, from west to east,

四海内皆兄弟.
sìhǎi nèi jiē xiōngdì.
within the four seas we are all brothers.

啊, 多美丽! 同心协力,
Ā, duō měilì! Tóngxīnxiélì,
Oh, how beautiful – the shared aspiration, the concerted effort

不断英勇建国.
bùduàn yīngyǒng jiànguó.
and the endless valor in founding the nation.

大城小镇亭亭玉立,
Dà chéng xiǎo zhèn tíngtíng yù lì,
Big cities and small towns now stand upright,

在泪光里闪烁.
zài lèi guāng li shǎnshuò.
shimmering in our tears.

美丽家园, 美丽家园!
Měilì jiāyuán, měilì jiāyuán!
Beautiful homeland, beautiful homeland!

愿天父保佑你.
Yuàn tiānfù bǎoyòu nǐ.
May the Heavenly Father protect and bless you.

从南到北, 由西到东,
Cóng nán dào běi, yóu xī dào dōng,
From south to north, from west to east,

四海内皆兄弟.
sìhǎi nèi jiē xiōngdì.
within the four seas we are all brothers.

辽阔 (liáokuò) means vast and expansive.

高山峻岭 (gāoshān jùn lǐng) is a popular phrase for describing high mountains.

气势磅礴 (qìshìpángbó) is a commonly used four-character idiom describing the power or momentum of someone or something.

英勇 (yīngyǒng) means heoric and courageous, as when speaking of the brave soldiers who help defend our country.

同心协力 (tóngxīnxiélì) is a commonly used four-character idiom describing two or more people working together with one heart and in full cooperation.

What are the things that you love the most or are most proud of about your own country? Would you like to share them with us in a comment either in English or Chinese?

美国国庆日快乐!
Měiguó guóqìng rì kuàilè!
Have a Happy July 4th!

Or,

美国国庆快乐!
Měiguó guóqìng kuàilè!
Have a Happy July 4th!