Depending on the country, time period etc, how you say something in Chinese can vary.
The same thing can be called a different name.
For example, in China, a soup spoon is commonly known as 勺子. Imagine the puzzled look on a China host when a Singapore guest asks for a 汤匙 to drink soup with.
Another example: if you time travel to ancient China, asking for 筷子 eat your noodles with would get you nowhere. Chopsticks were called 箸 back then.
You don't have to travel to another country or back in time to encounter different names being used for a familiar object.
You can come across such references when watching Chinese dramas or talking to a China national.
You can also run into Chinese sayings like 成语 & 俗语 with ancient terms, e.g., 鸡犬不宁，猫哭耗子假慈悲.
Knowing the name specific to a country or time period is extremely handy. It opens the door to:
facilitating communication
improving vocabulary
understanding Chinese sayings better
increasing cultural sensitivity
boosting general knowledge.
Find out how extensive your vocabulary is for such terms. Pick up interesting trivia (e.g., tomatoes contain nicotine!) too.
Have fun with the Do You Know game.
This fun Chinese word game is debuting 4 Dec 2024.
Get a kick out of it when you can figure out what the different name means.
Mark your calendar!
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