Tag: Related Expressions

Categories
Theocratic

guānxīn

guānxīn (guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

One of the publications that is now recommended to be used on Bible studies is the Yǒngyuǎn Xiǎngshòu Měihǎo de Shēngmìng—Hùdòng Shì Shèngjīng Kèchéng ((Yǒng·yuǎn Eternally · {Far (in Time)} 永远 永遠) (Xiǎng·shòu Enjoy · Receive 享受) (Měi·hǎo Beautiful · Good 美好) (de ’s 的) (Shēngmìng Life 生命)—(Hù·dòng {Each Other} · Moving → [Interactive] 互动 互動) (Shì (Type 式) (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) (Kè·chéng Lessons · Procedure → [Course] 课程 課程) → [Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course (lff)]) (Enjoy Life Forever! (lff)) book. The section of this book entitled “Kāishǐ (Kāi·shǐ Open · Begin 开始 開始) Dú (Reading 读 讀) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) Ba ([ptcl indicating a suggestion, request, or mild command] 吧/叭)!” (“Get Started Reading the Bible”) cites 1 Peter 5:7, which in English says that God “cares for you”. This week’s MEotW, guānxīn (guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心), is used to translate “cares for” in this scripture in the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible.

The Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus unofficial rendering of this scripture, which can be found on the web here, is:

📖 📄 📘 Yào ({(you) must} 要) bǎ (hold 把) suǒyǒu (suǒ·yǒu {(all) which} · {(you) have’s} → [all (your)] 所有) yōulǜ ({being anxious} → [anxiety] 忧虑 憂慮) xiègěi (xiè·gěi {to be unloaded} · {to be given to} 卸给 卸給) Shàngdì (Shàng·dì Above’s · {Emperor → [God]} → [God] 上帝), yīnwei (yīn·wei because · for 因为 因為) tā (he 他) guānxīn (guān·xīn {closes → [concerns]} · heart (with) → [cares for] 关心 關心) nǐmen (nǐ·men you · [pl] 你们 你們).

Closing Off One’s Heart?

“Guānxīn (Guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心)” literally means “to close heart”, which may seem odd for an expression that effectively means “to care (about/for)”. However, whereas in English a closed heart means one that is closed off from others, Mandarin seems to use “guān (shut; {close [up]} [→ [{lock up}; confine | concern; involve; implicate | connection | crux; {critical juncture}; {turning/key point} | {mountain pass}]] 关 關/関)” in this and related expressions to refer to closing with or approaching someone or something, or perhaps to refer to enclosing or embracing someone or something—apparently it’s all in the (implied) prepositions.

Related Expressions

Considering some other Mandarin expressions with “guān (shut; {close [up]} [→ [{lock up}; confine | concern; involve; implicate | connection | crux; {critical juncture}; {turning/key point} | {mountain pass}]] 关 關/関)” in them may help to improve our understanding of how this morpheme is used in Mandarin:

  • guān’ài (guān’·ài {closing [with] → [being concerned [about]]} · love 关爱 關愛)
  • guānhuái (guān·huái {close [with] → [[be] concerned [about]]} · {(carry in) bosom → [think of; be thoughtful toward; cherish]} 关怀 關懷)
  • guānxi (guān·xi {closing [with] → [involving]} · {tying → [relating]} → [relationship; relation | (sexual) relations | bearing; impact; relevance; significance; influence] 关系 關係)
  • guānyú (guān·yú {closing → [concerning; involving; relating]} · to; towards 关于 關於)
  • guānzhù (guān·zhù {close with → [be concerned about]} · {pour into → [concentrate on]} [→ [follow with interest; pay close attention to; follow (on social media)]] 关注 關注)

For convenience:

The direct link for the current generation Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus resource for the Enjoy Life Forever! book is:

The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Enjoy Life Forever! book is:

More Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) and Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web material based on the Mandarin Enjoy Life Forever! book will be made available in the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web resource as time allows.

Categories
Current Events

dòngdàng‐bù’ān

dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

[Notes: Tap/click on a Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to reveal its “flashcard”; tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to hide the “flashcard”. 📖 📄 📘 icons mean 📖 Reveal All, 📄 Reveal Advanced, and 📘 Reveal None re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

At the time of this writing, jw.org was featuring the article “2022: A Year of Turmoil—What Does the Bible Say?”. Although we do not participate in New Year’s celebrations, we may find it beneficial to talk to people who are looking back on the past year at around this time, and who may be a little more contemplative than usual about the significance of the things that happened over the course of that tumultuous year.

To correspond with the sense of the English word “turmoil” (a noun), the Mandarin version of the above-mentioned article uses this week’s MEotW, “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” (an adjective phrase which can mean “suffered turmoil”), to describe the year 2022.

Related Expressions

The “dòng (move [→ [stir | arouse | change; alter]] 动 動)” in “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” literally means “moving”, and is used in a wide variety of other expressions. These include expressions as different as “dòngcí (dòng·cí moving · word → [verb] 动词 動詞)”, “dònglì (dòng·lì moving · force 动力 動力)”, “gǎndòng (gǎn·dòng feeling · moved | {make to feel} · move 感动 感動)”, and “dòngwù (dòng·wù moving · thing → [animal] 动物 動物)”.

The “ān ({set (sb.’s mind) at ease; calm} | {rest content; be satisfied} | {place in a suitable position [→ [install; fix; fit; set up]]} | {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm; quiet [→ [[is] safe; secure; in good health]]} 安)” in “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” has several different meanings, and it appears in well-known expressions such as “ānníng ({being peaceful}; {being tranquil} [→ [peace; tranquillity]] 安宁 安寧)”, “píng’ān (píng’·ān {[is] flat, level, even → [[is] peaceful]} · {[is] safe, secure} (nwtsty-CHS Appx. A2 says this term mainly refers to things being smooth and stable, safe and secure, free of danger) 平安)”, “ānquán (ān·quán {[being] safe} · {[being] whole} → [[being] safe; secure | safety; security] 安全)”, and “ānpái (ān·pái {placing in a suitable position} · {arranging; putting in order; sequencing; lining up} → [arranging | arrangement] 安排)”. It was also chosen to be included in the Mandarin version of the name “Anna”, “Ānnà (Anna 安娜)”, which is a past MEotW.

Neeta introduces herself to Jade (with Mandarin subtitle)
“Wǒ (I 我) jiào ({am called} 叫 叫/呌) Ānnà (Anna 安娜)”

Usage Example

Here is an example of “dòngdàng (dòng·dàng {[is] moving} · {[is] swinging; shaking; swaying} → [[is] suffering unrest/upheaval/turmoil; unstable; turbulent; chaotic] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · {[is] peaceful; tranquil; calm} 不安)” in use, adapted from the above-mentioned article:

English:

2022 was a year of turmoil. During 2022, war, economic hardship, and environmental disasters have dominated the news.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Dòngdàng (Dòng·dàng moved · swayed → [suffered turmoil] 动荡 動蕩/盪)‐bù’ān (bù’·ān not · peaceful 不安) de (’s 的) 2022 nián (year 年 年/秊), zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng war · contending → [war] 战争 戰爭), jīngjì (jīng·jì {(of) managing of} · {crossing of a river → [helping]} → [economic] 经济 經濟) wēijī (wēi·jī {(for) ridge of a roof → [(for) danger]} · occasions → [crises] 危机 危機), huánjìng (huán·jìng surrounding · {boundaries → [(bounded) place] → [situation]} → [environmental] 环境 環境) wèntí (wèn·tí asking · problems → [problems] 问题 問題) zhī (’ 之) lèi (kind 类 類) de (’s 的) bàodǎo (bào·dǎo reporting · instructing (things) → [news reports] 报导 報導) zhànjùle (zhàn·jù·le seized · occupied · [indicates a change] 占据了 占/佔據了) xīnwén (xīn·wén new · {(that which) is heard} → [news] 新闻 新聞) tóutiáo (tóu·tiáo head · {strips → [articles]} → [lead news stories] 头条 頭條).

Categories
Culture Language Learning Names Nations

chūshēng rìqī

chūshēng rìqī ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date]) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

[Notes: Tap/click on a Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to reveal its “flashcard”; tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to hide the “flashcard”. 📖 📄 📘 icons mean 📖 Reveal All, 📄 Reveal Advanced, and 📘 Reveal None re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

At the time of this writing, jw.org was featuring the article “When Was Jesus Born?”. Considering that it’s getting to be the middle of December, that’s not surprising—while we Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Christmas, this relatively unusual stand means that we sometimes need to explain why we don’t celebrate this holiday that many in the world like so much. Knowing a bit about “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])”, this week’s MEotW that’s used in the Mandarin version of the above-mentioned article, will help us to do so to Mandarin-speaking Bible students, etc.

One thing we should note is that “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])” is subtly different from “shēngri  (shēng·ri {given birth to} · {sun → [day]} → [birthday] 生日)”, a common expression that many Mandarin field language learners likely have heard of. Comparing the English and Mandarin versions of the above-mentioned article, “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])” corresponds with “birth date” or “date of birth”, while the one occurrence of “shēngri  (shēng·ri {given birth to} · {sun → [day]} → [birthday] 生日)” corresponds with “birthday”. The dictionaries I checked confirm this distinction.

Morphemes and Related Expressions

The morphemes in “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])” are relatively commonly used, but interesting.

Besides just meaning “out”, the “chū ({go/come/put… out}; out 出)” in “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])” can also mean “[a verb] out”, e.g., “go/come out”, “put out”, etc. For example, check out the literal meanings in these Mandarin expressions that contain this “chū ({go/come/put out}; out 出)” (Tap/click on the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression if the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus “flashcard” is not already visible.):

  • Chū‐Āijí‐Jì ((Chū {Going Out from} 出)‐(Āijí Egypt 埃及)‐(Jì Record 记 記) → [The Book of Exodus])
  • chūbǎn (chū·bǎn {put out} · {printing block [of] → [edition [of]]} → [publish] 出版)

The “shēng ({give birth to}/{was given birth to}; {give life to} | grow | exist; live | {[is] living}; {[is] alive} | {[is] unripe} | {[is] raw}; {[is] uncooked} | {[is] unfamiliar}; {[is] strange} | {[is] unprocessed}; {[is] crude} | existence; life; living | {be afflicted with}; get; have | very; keenly; much | pupil; student; scholar | [n suf used in names of occupations] 生)” in “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])” is highly polysemous (having multiple meanings), as can be seen from its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus “flashcard”. Some notable expressions that contain it are:

  • shēngmìng (life (both life in general and the life of an individual) 生命)
  • yǒngshēng (yǒng·shēng eternal; everlasting · life 永生)
  • xuésheng (xué·sheng learning · {growing (one) → [student]} → [student; pupil] 学生 學生)
  • fāshēng (fā·shēng {issue forth} · {come to life} → [happen] 发生 發生)
  • mòshēng (mò·shēng {(from) footpath between fields → [strange; unfamiliar; foreign]} · {unripe → [unfamiliar; strange]} → [strang; unfamiliar] 陌生)

Heavenly Bodies, Times, Radicals, and Japan

As for the “rì ({sun [→ [day]]} | {suns → [daily | daytime]} 日)” in “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])”, it literally means “sun”, but it is often used to mean “day”, since to us here on Earth it looks like the sun travels across the sky once a day. Similarly, “yuè (moon [→ [month | monthly]] 月)” literally means “moon”, but is often used to mean “month”, because we here on Earth see the moon go through all its phases in a month.

Speaking of “yuè (moon [→ [month | monthly]] 月)”, the character for it (月) is a radical that’s used in the character for the “qī ({period of time}; phase; stage [→ [issue (of a periodical); term (of a training class, etc.) | time]] | {scheduled time} 期 期/朞)” in “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])”. (Radicals are components of Chinese characters, that are a not very systematic system within the not very systematic system that is the characters. Thus, they can be justly thought of as a rabbit hole within a rabbit hole. Those who love characters often really love radicals, but otherwise, consider yourself warned!)

Changing the subject back to “rì ({sun [→ [day]]} | {suns → [daily | daytime]} 日)”, this morpheme appears in the Mandarin name for Japan, “Rìběn (Rì·běn Sun’s · {Root → [Origin]} → [Japan] 日本)”. This name literally means “Sun’s Root” (or “Sun’s Origin”), since from the point of view of China, the sun rises where Japan is, to the east. In turn, the English expression “Land of the Rising Sun” comes from this meaning.

Usage Examples

Here are a couple of examples of “chūshēng rìqī  ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth; birth date])” in use, taken from the above-mentioned article:

English:

The Bible does not give a specific date for the birth of Jesus Christ…

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) bìng (actually 并 並/竝/并) méiyǒu (méi·yǒu not · has 没有 沒有) jìzǎi (jì·zǎi recorded · {written down} 记载 記載) Yēsū (Jesus 耶稣 耶穌) Jīdū (Christ’s 基督) jùtǐ (jù·tǐ having · body → [specific] 具体 具體) de (’s 的) chūshēng rìqī ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth])…

English:

“The exact date of Christ’s birth is not known.”—Encyclopedia of Early Christianity.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 📘 “Méiyǒu (Méi·yǒu (there) not · {is having} 没有 沒有) rén (person 人) quèzhī (què·zhī truly · knowing 确知 確知) Jīdū (Christ 基督) de (’s 的) chūshēng rìqī ((chū·shēng {had coming out of} · {being born} → [was born] 出生) (rì·qī {sun → [day]} · {scheduled time} → [date] 日期) → [date of birth]).”—Zǎoqī Jīdū‐Jiào Bǎikē‐Quánshū ((Zǎo·qī Early · Period 早期) {(Jīdū Christ 基督)‐(Jiào Teaching → [Religion] 教) → [Christianity]} {(Bǎi·kē {Hundred → [Numerous]} · {Branches of Study} → [Encyclopedic] 百科)‐(Quán·shū Complete · Book 全书 全書) → [Encyclopedia]} → [Encyclopedia of Early Christianity]) (Yīngyǔ (Yīng·yǔ English · language 英语 英語)).