Chinese Advanced Vocabulary and Idioms Syllabus

What does the proverb 水滴石穿 teach?

水滴石穿 (shuǐ dī shí chuān): 'Dripping water wears through stone.' It teaches that persistence and constant effort, however small, eventually achieve great results.

Explain the proverb 良药苦口 (liáng yào kǔ kǒu).

'Good medicine tastes bitter'—often extended as 良药苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行. It means honest advice, though unpleasant to hear, is beneficial.

State the proverb 一分耕耘，一分收获 and its meaning.

一分耕耘，一分收获 (yī fēn gēngyún, yī fēn shōuhuò): 'One measure of plowing, one measure of harvest'—you reap what you sow; effort is proportional to reward.

What does 有志者事竟成 mean?

有志者事竟成 (yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng): 'Where there is a will, there is a way'—a determined person will ultimately succeed.

Give the proverb 己所不欲，勿施于人 and its source.

己所不欲，勿施于人 (jǐ suǒ bù yù, wù shī yú rén): 'Do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself.' It is Confucius's version of the Golden Rule, from the Analects.

What is the meaning of the proverb 授人以鱼不如授人以渔?

授人以鱼不如授人以渔: 'Giving a person a fish is not as good as teaching them to fish.' It stresses teaching self-sufficiency over providing a one-time handout.

In Business Chinese, what is 谈判 (tánpàn) and 签合同 (qiān hétong)?

谈判 means 'to negotiate / negotiation.' 签合同 means 'to sign a contract' (签 = sign, 合同 = contract). Both are core terms in business dealings.

Define the business terms 公司 (gōngsī), 有限公司, and 上市公司.

公司 = company. 有限公司 (yǒuxiàn gōngsī) = limited liability company (Ltd.). 上市公司 (shàngshì gōngsī) = a publicly listed company traded on a stock exchange.

What are 批发 (pīfā) and 零售 (língshòu), and how do they contrast?

批发 means wholesale—selling goods in bulk. 零售 means retail—selling goods individually to end consumers. They are the two contrasting distribution stages.

In Business Chinese, explain 报价 (bàojià) and 折扣 (zhékòu).

报价 means 'to quote a price / a quotation.' 折扣 means 'discount.' Note: 打八折 means a 20% discount (you pay 80% of the price), not 80% off.

Decode the Chinese discount expression 打七五折. What percentage does the customer pay and save?

打七五折 means paying 75% (七五 = 0.75) of the original price. The customer pays $75\%$ and saves $25\%$. In general, 打X折 means paying $\frac{X}{10}$ of the price.

What are 进口 (jìnkǒu) and 出口 (chūkǒu) in trade Chinese?

进口 means 'import' (goods coming into a country). 出口 means 'export' (goods sent out to another country). Together they form 进出口贸易 (import-export trade).

Define the business terms 利润 (lìrùn), 成本 (chéngběn), and 营业额 (yíngyè'é).

利润 = profit. 成本 = cost. 营业额 = turnover/revenue. Relationship: $\text{利润} = \text{营业额} - \text{成本}$ (profit = revenue − cost).

What is 投资 (tóuzī), and what are the related terms 股票 and 股东?

投资 = to invest / investment. 股票 (gǔpiào) = stock/share. 股东 (gǔdōng) = shareholder—a person who owns 股票 in a company.

In a Chinese business meeting, what do 董事长, 总经理, and 经理 refer to?

董事长 (dǒngshìzhǎng) = Chairman of the Board. 总经理 (zǒngjīnglǐ) = General Manager / CEO. 经理 (jīnglǐ) = manager. They rank from highest to lower authority in that order.

Explain the business etiquette term 名片 (míngpiàn) and the proper way to exchange it.

名片 means 'business card.' Etiquette: present and receive it with both hands (双手), text facing the recipient, and take a moment to read it respectfully rather than pocketing it immediately.

What is 发票 (fāpiào), and why is it important in Chinese business?

发票 is an official tax invoice/receipt issued under China's fapiao system. It is legally required for expense reimbursement, accounting, and tax deduction—an informal receipt (收据, shōujù) is not equivalent.

Define 现金流 (xiànjīnliú) and 预算 (yùsuàn) in financial Chinese.

现金流 = cash flow (the movement of money in and out of a business). 预算 = budget (a planned allocation of financial resources).

What does 双赢 (shuāngyíng) mean, and in what business context is it used?

双赢 literally means 'double win'—a win-win outcome. It is used in negotiations to describe an agreement that benefits both parties.

In technical/IT Chinese, what are 电脑 (diànnǎo), 软件 (ruǎnjiàn), and 硬件 (yìngjiàn)?

电脑 = computer. 软件 = software. 硬件 = hardware. 软 means 'soft' and 硬 means 'hard,' mirroring the English terms.

What are the Chinese technical terms 数据 (shùjù), 数据库 (shùjùkù), and 云计算 (yúnjìsuàn)?

数据 = data. 数据库 = database (库 = storehouse). 云计算 = cloud computing (云 = cloud, 计算 = computing/calculation).

Define 人工智能 (réngōng zhìnéng) and its common abbreviation.

人工智能 means 'artificial intelligence'—人工 = artificial/man-made, 智能 = intelligence. It is commonly abbreviated as AI or 人工智能 (AI).

What are 网络 (wǎngluò), 互联网 (hùliánwǎng), and 网站 (wǎngzhàn)?

网络 = network. 互联网 = the Internet. 网站 = website (网 = net/web, 站 = station/site).

In engineering Chinese, distinguish 温度 (wēndù), 压力 (yālì), and 速度 (sùdù), and give their SI units.

温度 = temperature, unit kelvin $K$ or degrees Celsius ${}^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. 压力 = pressure, unit pascal $\mathrm{Pa}$. 速度 = velocity/speed, unit $\mathrm{m/s}$.

What is the Chinese technical vocabulary for the basic circuit quantities 电压, 电流, and 电阻, and what law relates them?

电压 = voltage ($V$), 电流 = current ($I$), 电阻 = resistance ($R$). They are related by Ohm's law: $V = I \cdot R$.

Give the Chinese terms for the arithmetic operations 加, 减, 乘, 除 and write the identity for area of a circle using 半径 (bànjìng).

加 = add (+), 减 = subtract (−), 乘 = multiply (×), 除 = divide (÷). 半径 = radius. Area of a circle: $A = \pi r^{2}$.

What are the Chinese terms 平方 (píngfāng), 立方 (lìfāng), and 平方根 (píngfānggēn)? Illustrate each with notation.

平方 = square, e.g. $x^{2}$. 立方 = cube, e.g. $x^{3}$. 平方根 = square root, e.g. $\sqrt{x}$. (立方根 = cube root, $\sqrt[3]{x}$.)

In technical Chinese, what do 分子 (fēnzǐ), 原子 (yuánzǐ), and 化学反应 (huàxué fǎnyìng) mean? Give a sample reaction.

分子 = molecule, 原子 = atom, 化学反应 = chemical reaction. Example combustion of hydrogen: $\ce{2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O}$.

What are 频率 (pínlǜ) and 波长 (bōcháng) in physics Chinese, and how are they related to wave speed?

频率 = frequency (unit hertz, $\mathrm{Hz}$). 波长 = wavelength (unit $\mathrm{m}$). They relate to speed $v$ by $v = f \lambda$, where $f$ is 频率 and $\lambda$ is 波长.

Define the technical/scientific terms 质量 (zhìliàng) and 加速度 (jiāsùdù), and state Newton's second law using them.

质量 = mass ($m$, unit $\mathrm{kg}$). 加速度 = acceleration ($a$, unit $\mathrm{m/s^{2}}$). Newton's second law: $F = m a$, where $F$ is 力 (force, unit newton $\mathrm{N}$).