Characters with Character

I have Chinese lessons twice a week with Katie and, this semester, we're really enjoying our teacher. Her name is Nong Fei and she's about our age with a fun personality and good teaching style. Nong Fei has a passion for the Chinese language, especially the characters. The more I learn, the more I'm amazed at the complexity, intricacy, and depth of meaning wrapped up in each Chinese character (especially as you learn to break them down into their component parts). Nong Fei likes to tell us folk stories and proverbs in class too which always produces interesting vocabulary and sheds light on many cultural aspects.

I thought I'd share a few words, phrases and sayings that I've learned recently that I thought were funny, insightful, poignant, or especially picturesque. I figure this is a good way to review, too. I hope the Chinese characters show up on your computer!

(I'll write them out characters, pronunciation, literal translation, idiomatic meaning)

找不着北 zhăo bù zháo bĕi = Can't find north = Unable to find direction in life


被炒鱿鱼 bèi chăo yóu yú = Have your squid fried = to get fired


白马王子 bái mă wáng zi = White horse prince = Prince Charming, Mr. Right


旧的不去，新的不来 jiù de bù qǜ, xīn de bù lái = If the old doesn't go, how can the new come? (said as a way of comfort/support when a friend loses something)


种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆　zhòng guā de guā, zhòng dòu de dòu = Plant melon, get melon; plant beans, get beans = You reap what you sow


白眼 bái yăn = the white of the eye = a disdainful look, look down on someone


水蛇腰　shǔi shé yào = water snake waist = a thin waist, hour-glass figure (curvy like a snake is the idea)


水桶 shǔi tǒng = water bucket = pear-shaped figure, overweight (slang, as a joke)


伤脑筋 shàng nǎo jīn = injure one's brain = trying and troublesome


凹凸 āo tū = concave/sunken and convex/protruding (these characters are about a pictographic as you can get . . . They look like Legos to me. Makes me laugh that they're real characters!)


哭 kū = cry (can you see the two empty eye and the tear drop?)