Chinese language

Language & Meaning

Can you search by drawing?

When you cannot pronounce a character, its shape can still be a starting point.

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Language & Meaning

What gets lost when a poem travels?

A short Tang poem can hold sound, form and hints that English cannot copy all at once.

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Language & Meaning

Does one character mean “home”?

One familiar character can do more work than a single English translation suggests.

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Language & Meaning

Can a sentence leave out who did it?

Mandarin can sometimes leave a person unspoken when the conversation makes them clear.

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Language & Meaning

Which way do you read a vertical page?

A vertical page changes more than the direction your eyes travel.

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Language & Meaning

Where did the tone marks go?

A Mandarin lesson may show tone marks that ordinary typing leaves out at first.

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Language & Meaning

How do you look up a character you can’t read?

A dictionary can begin with what a character looks like, not what it sounds like.

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Chinese food

Can a menu word tell you how food was cooked?

A translated menu can lose the cooking method that makes a dish interesting.

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History, Arts & Traditions

The question written on a Shang turtle shell

An identified inscription from Anyang records a paired divination about victory, giving a specific glimpse of late Shang writing.

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History, Arts & Traditions

Why is a seal more than a signature?

A carved seal can identify someone and become an artwork in its own right.

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Language & Meaning

Can a brand name be translated?

A name crossing languages may need to sound familiar and say something sensible at the same time.

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Language & Meaning

Four characters, a whole story

Some compact expressions carry a history that will not fit into a literal translation.

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