Learning Chinese can be difficult in the beginning. However, once you get the hang of it, it is both interesting and fun to learn words in Chinese. It is really possible to learn words in Chinese in just 5 minutes a day. The most important thing in learning Chinese is not to stress too much about getting the tone or pinyin right at first, but rather put emphasis on learning as many Chinese words as possible.
Today, we will learn 5 Chinese words and the story behind these words in Chinese.
上当 shàng dàng (to be cheated)
If you are not a beginner in learning words in Chinese, I am sure you have learned or have come across this Chinese word. It is a Chinese word we use very often whenever we want to say someone has suffered loss or from being cheated. It has a similar meaning to 被骗 Bèi piàn or 受骗 Shòu piàn.
Pawning articles is known as上当
This word in Chinese came about during the Qing Guang Xu reign period. In that period, there was a rich family surnamed Wang. They owned a profitable pawn shop in the city and the business was growing in leaps and bounds. However, after a few years in the business, they grew tired and decided to hire a manager to run the business for them so that they could pursue leisure rather than toiling in the shop.
The manager who was running the pawn business had no interest in the business at all. He was more interested in books. As such, the Wangs wanted to get some money for themselves and started to bring useless things from home to pawn at their own shop. The Wang set the prices and the manager had to give them whatever they asked. Within a few months, the pawn shop ran out of capital and the manager had to borrow from other businesses. However, as the pawn shop had no capital, the manager could not pay off the loan. In less than a year, the pawn shop went bankrupt.
How the Chinese word 上当 became a synonym
Due to this, the people in the village composed a jingle “清河王, 自上当” [Qīnghé wáng, zì shàng dàng] to satirizing the Wang of cheating from their own. In those days, pawning articles was known as上当 shàng dàng. As the pawn shop went bankrupt due to Wang’s own self-deceit, this word in Chinese became a synonym for being cheated or suffers loss.
别上他的当。
Bié shàng tā dí dàng
Don’t be fooled by him.
他不听劝告结果上当受骗。
Tā bù tīng quàn gào jié guǒ shàng dàng shòu piàn.
He did not listen to advice and was deceived.
东西 Dōng xi (Things) Dōng xī （Directions)
Why things are called “东西”
Do you know why things are called “东西” as in East West in English? Well, this Chinese word originated from this story that happened in Shanxian County. There was a scholar who though talented and very learned, he could only passed the lowest of the civil service examination but not the highest level. Because of that, he lived in poverty due to lack of influential connections.
When he failed the civil examination for the third time, he decided to call it quits and learned how to weave bamboo baskets for a living. After he had master the trade, he sold bamboo baskets in the market. Whenever he went to the market to sell, he would bring along his writing brush and ink in order to write the names of the purchasers on the baskets. His baskets became the talk of the town because they were sturdy, finely made and on top of that, his calligraphy was beautiful.
One day, a local man left to the capital with two baskets filled with presents to pay respect to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was not interested in the present except the calligraphy on the baskets. Learning the poor scholar made the baskets, he entrusted the local man an invitation letter to invite the scholar to his house.
“What is the use of the bamboo basket?”
The scholar went to the Prime Minister’s house and he asked him to demonstrate his calligraphy skill. He was greatly impressed with his writing brush skills as well as his knowledge in the Four books and Five Classics. The Prime Minister then asked “What is the use of the bamboo basket?”. The scholar said it can hold “the East and the West”, meaning 东西 in Chinese. Can it hold “the North and the South too”? No, the scholar said. What about the centre? Yes, just a little.
Ying and Yang and the Five elements
The scholar explained later that in the Ying and Yang and the Five elements, East belongs to wood and West belongs to metal. All things made of wood and metal can be carried in a basket. As North belongs to water and South belongs to fire, they cannot be placed in the basket. Centre belongs to the Earth category, thus the basket can hold a little of it.
The Prime Minister was amazed by his unique explanation that he recommended him to the Emperor. He later became the magistrate of Shanxian county. Thereafter, 东西 became a widely and daily used word in Chinese.
这是什么东西？
Zhè shì shén me dōng xi?
What is this thing?
你算什么东西?
Nǐ suàn shén me dōng xi?
Who do you think you are?
朋友 Péng yǒu (Friend)
This Chinese word is so familiar and commonly used. Do you, however, know where this Chinese word 朋友originated from?
Story of Gao Peng and Hao You
The story was about two woodcutters, one was named Gao Peng and another was Hao You. They were sworn brothers and assisted each other in every ways. One day, Gao Peng went into the forest to chop firewood. As he did not return after dusk, Hao You went into the forest with an axe to look him. He saw Gao Peng surrounded by fierce wolves. Hao You did not care about his own safety and charged at the wolves. After a short battle, both men managed to escape and returned home safely.
On another occasion, Hao You and Gao Peng went wood cutting in the mountain and Hao You broke his leg after falling down a steep slope. Gao Peng carried him on his back down the mountain and called a doctor to treat him. He was by Hao You’s side night and day until he was healed completely. People in their village were impressed by their sincere friendship and wished that people could help each other in times of trouble. As time goes by, people who are closed and helping each other are called “朋友”.
他们是多年的好朋友。
Tā men shì duō nián de hǎo péng yǒu.
They have been friends for may years.
朋友应该互相帮忙。
Péng yǒu yīng gāi hù xiāng bāng máng
Friends should help each other.
团团转 tuán tuán zhuàn (go round and round)
Whenever a person is in a difficult situation, he is often said to be “ going round and round”. Believe it or not, this word in Chinese is connected to a small island outside the north gate of the city of Wuxi, in Jiangshu Province.
Circular island called Jiangjianshang
In the olden times, there was a canal outside the north gate of Wuxi. In the middle of it, there was a circular island called Jiangjianshang. People who lived in the island had to take a ferry boat to go ashore because there was no bridge.
One day, a scholar was visiting his relatives on the island. His visitation took longer than expected and by the time he reached the pier, the ferry already left. At a loss of what to do, he found himself going round and round in circle because Jiangjianshang is round. From then, this saying “团团转” is applied on anyone who is in a predicament with no solution in sight.
孩子病了，妈妈急得团团转。
Háizi bìng le, māmā jí dé tuán tuán zhuàn
The mother is at a loss of what to do because her child is ill.
破天荒 Pò tiān huāng ( occur for the first time)
This word in Chinese is commonly used in our daily conversation. But, when did this Chinese phrase started? This Chinese word dated back more than 1000 years ago during the Tang dynasty. In those days, those sitting for the civil examination were sent to the capital under guard by his native district.
Why Jingzhou known as 天荒 ?
There was a place called Jingzhou, in the Yangtze River basin. Every year, a candidate would go to the capital to take the examination, but for many years, none of them could pass the examination. As such, people started to call Jingzhou as 天荒, uncultivated wasteland in English. But in the fourth year of Tang emperor Xuan Zong, Liu Tui became the first scholar from Jingzhou to pass the examination. People then called him “破天荒”, cultivation of a wasteland for the first time. This word in Chinese now means doing things for the first time.
在众人前唱歌我还是破天荒的第一次。
Zài zhòng rén qián chàng gē wǒ hái shì pò tiān huāng de dì yī cì.
This is the first time I sang in front of so many people.
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