(bù jiàn de) - Not necessarily

The phrase "不见得" is used to express that something is not necessarily the case, or that something may not happen even though it seems likely.

Usage:

小明: "如果去美国读书的话，我的英文一定会变好!"

"rúguǒ qù Měiguó dúshū dehuà, wǒ de Yīngwén yídìng huì biàn hǎo!"

小红: "如果你一直跟中国人当朋友你的英文不见得会变好..."

"rúguǒ nǐ yìzhí gēn Zhōngguó rén dāng péngyǒu, nǐ de Yīngwén bù jiàn dé huì biàn hǎo..."

Translation:

XiaoMing: "If I go to the US to study, my English will definitely improve!"

XiaoHong: "If you only hang out with Chinese people, your English may not necessarily improve..."

(zài A de tóngshí, yě B) - At the same time as A, also B

This structure is often used to express the idea of doing two things at the same time.

• The first part of the structure, "在 A 的同时", means "at the same time as A," where A is the activity being done concurrently.
• The second part of the structure, "也 B", means "also doing B," where B is another activity being done at the same time as A.

Usage:

我在台湾学中文的同时，也在补习班教英文。

wǒ zài táiwān xué zhōngwén de tóngshí, yě zài bǔxí bān jiāo yīngwén.

Translation:

I am learning Chinese in Taiwan while also teaching English at a cram school.

(yǔ qí A bù rú B) - Rather than A, it's better to do B

"与其 A 不如 B" suggests that instead of doing A, it is better to do B. The structure is composed of three parts:

• "与其" (yǔ qí) means "rather than" or "instead of".
• "A不如" (A bù rú) means "A is not as good as".
• "B" is the preferred alternative to A.

This grammar is often used to indicate that one option is clearly better than another, or to encourage someone to reconsider their choices and take a different course of action.

Usage:

与其天天抱怨不如试着改变你的生活。

yǔ qí tiān tiān bào yuàn bù rú shì zhuó gè gǎi biàn nǐ de shēng huó.

Translation:

It's better to try to change your life than to complain every day.

(miǎn de) - To avoid

免得 is a conjunction that indicates a preventative action to avoid a negative consequence. It is often used to express a cautionary statement or warning.

Usage:

跟网友第一次见面应该选公共场合免得他对你性骚扰。

gēn wǎng yǒu dì yī cì jiàn miàn yīng gāi xuǎn gōng gòng chǎng hé miǎn dé tā duì nǐ xìng sāo rǎo.

Translation:

When meeting an online friend for the first time, you should choose a public place to avoid being sexually harassed by them.

(hé bì) - Why bother？

"何必" is a phrase used to express that there is no need or reason to do something. It can be used to discourage unnecessary or excessive actions. It is often followed by a verb or action, such as "何必那么生气" (Why bother getting so angry?).

Usage:

现在美国都用刷卡的，何必带现金。

xiàn zài měi guó dōu yòng shuā kǎ de, hé bì dài xiàn jīn.

Translation:

Nowadays in the United States, everyone uses cards, why bother carrying cash?

(zǒng ér yán zhī) - In conclusion

"总而言之" is a phrase used to introduce a summary or conclusion after a long discussion or explanation. It is similar to saying "in short" or "to sum up" in English. It is often used at the end of a speech, article, or presentation to wrap up the main points and bring the discussion to a close.

总而言之 is composed of the following characters:

• 总 (zǒng) - "overall" or "in summary"
• 而 (ér) - a conjunction meaning "but" or "however"
• 言 (yán) - "words" or "speech"
• 之 (zhī) - a classical Chinese particle that indicates possession or relationship, similar to "of" or "'s" in English

Together, the phrase 总而言之 means "in summary" or "in conclusion", and is often used to summarize or conclude a statement or discussion.

Usage:

"大家好，欢迎参加我的TED演讲，这次我想讨论的主题是自信。 首先...."
(演讲内容...）

"dà jiā hǎo, huān yíng cān jiā wǒ de TED yǎn jiǎng, zhè cì wǒ xiǎng tǎo lùn de zhǔ tí shì zì xìn. shǒu xiān...."
(yǎn jiǎng nèi róng...)

"总而言之我希望今天的演讲对你们都有帮助，相信自己是独一无二的存在。最后谢谢你们来听我的演讲"
（拍手）

"zǒng ér yán zhī wǒ xī wàng jīn tiān de yǎn jiǎng duì nǐ men dōu yǒu bāng zhù, xiàng xìn zì jǐ shì dú yī wú èr de cún zài. zuì hòu xiè xiè nǐ men lái tīng wǒ de yǎn jiǎng"
(pāi shǒu)

Translation:

"Hello everyone, welcome to my TED talk. The topic I want to discuss today is self-confidence. First of all..."
(speech content)...

"In conclusion, I hope today's talk has been helpful to all of you. Believe that you are a unique and irreplaceable individual. Finally, I want to thank you all for coming to listen to my speech."
(Applause)

(qīng guó qīng chéng) - Extraordinary beauty

"倾国倾城" is an idiom that is used to describe a woman's extraordinary beauty. It is often translated as "the beauty that topples a country and captivates a city."

倾国倾城 is composed of two parts:

• 倾国 (qīng guó) - to cause the downfall of a country, to win the hearts of a country
  • 倾 (qīng) - to tilt, to pour out, to fall
  • 国 (guó) - country, nation
• 倾城 (qīng chéng) - to win the hearts of a city, to be extremely beautiful and charming
  • 城 (chéng) - city, town

The phrase is often used in literature and poetry to describe a woman's incomparable beauty that has the power to captivate everyone around her.

Usage:

我姐姐拥有倾国倾城的美貌，所以常常吸引很多男生的注意，但在此同时，也常受到同性的嫉妒。

wǒ jiějie yǒngyǒu qīng guó qīng chéng de měimèi, suǒyǐ chángcháng xīyǐn hěn duō nánshēng de zhùyì, dàn zài cǐ tóngshí, yě cháng shòudào tóngxìng de jídù.

Translation:

My older sister is breathtakingly beautiful, which often attracts the attention of many boys, but at the same time, she also often faces jealousy from other women.

(dà gōng gào chéng) - Mission accomplished

"大功告成" is a Chinese idiom that means "great success achieved, the task is completed". It's often used to describe the successful completion of a project or a long-term goal. The literal translation of "大功告成" is "great effort leads to success and completion". This idiom is commonly used to express congratulations or to motivate people to work hard and achieve their goals.

Here's a breakdown of each character:

• 大 (dà) - big, great
• 功 (gōng) - merit, achievement
• 告 (gào) - to announce, to declare
• 成 (chéng) - to succeed, to accomplish

It can be used in a sentence but also independently, like when you say, "congrats!" or "mission accomplished!" when someone finishes something they have been working on for a long time.

Usage:

我们公司接下这个任务以来，已经花了快一年的时间，就在明天即将大功告成，发表给客户看，希望他们会满意。

wǒmen gōngsī jiē xià zhège rènwù yǐlái, yǐjīng huāle kuài yī nián de shíjiān, jiù zài míngtiān jíjiāng dà gōng gàochéng, fābiǎo gěi kèhù kàn, xīwàng tāmen huì mǎnyì.

Translation:

It has been almost a year since our company took on this project, and now we are nearing the finish line! Tomorrow, we will present it to the clients, and we hope they will be satisfied.

(quán lì yǐ fù) - To go all out

"全力以赴" is an idiom that means "to do everything possible" or "to go all out". It emphasizes the importance of putting in maximum effort to achieve a goal, without holding back or leaving any stone unturned.

Literally, the characters break down as follows:

• 全 (quán) - whole, entire
• 力 (lì) - strength, energy
• 以 (yǐ) - with, by means of
• 赴 (fù) - go to, attend

Together, the phrase implies giving everything one has, using all of one's energy and resources, to accomplish a task or achieve a goal.

Usage:

他是一个什么事都追求完美的人，这种个性使他总是全力以赴，都尽力把所有的事都做到无可挑剔，当然也给他满满的成就感。

tā shì yī gè shénme shì dōu zhuīqiú wánměi de rén, zhè zhǒng gèxìng shǐ tā zǒngshì quánlìyǐfù, dōu jìnlì bǎ suǒyǒu de shì dōu zuò dào wúkě tiāoti, dāngrán yě gěi tā mǎnmǎn de chéngjiù gǎn.

Translation:

He is someone who pursues perfection in everything, and this personality trait drives him to give his all and do everything impeccably. This, of course, gives him a great sense of achievement.

(jiàn sè wàng yǒu) - Abandoning friends for a relationship

"见色忘友" is an idiom that translates to "to forget friends in pursuit of love." It describes a situation where someone abandons their friends or neglects their friendships because they are too focused on pursuing a romantic interest.

Here's a breakdown of each character:

• 见 (jiàn) - see, meet
• 色 (sè) - color, appearance, beauty
• 忘 (wàng) - forget, neglect
• 友 (yǒu) - friend

The idiom carries a negative connotation, implying that the person is being shallow and short-sighted by prioritizing their own romantic desires over their existing friendships. It's often used to caution against being too consumed by romantic pursuits and neglecting important relationships with friends and family.

However, you can also say it jokingly to remind your close friends to take some time for you, and not to forget about you when they have a new romantic interest.

Usage:

我这位单身的朋友总是渴望爱情，所以只要他一交女友马上就变了一个人，约他出去根本不可能，永远是女友优先，说他见色忘友还不承认！分手了就不要哭着找我！

wǒ zhè wèi dānshēn de péngyǒu zǒng shì kěwàng àiqíng, suǒyǐ zhǐyào tā yī jiāo nǚyǒu mǎshàng jiù biàn le yī gè rén, yuē tā chūqù gēnběn bù kěnéng, yǒngyuǎn shì nǚyǒu yōuxiān, shuō tā jiàn sè wàng yǒu hái bù chéng rèn! fēnshǒu le jiù bùyào kūzhe zhǎo wǒ!

Translation:

My single friend always yearns for love, so as soon as he gets a girlfriend, he changes completely. It's impossible to make plans with him, his girlfriend always comes first. Even though it's obvious that he's putting his relationship above his friendships, he won't admit it! Don't come crying to me after the breakup!