1. abandoned: no longer cared for by friends or family – 有被抛弃的感觉 [synonyms:deserted; forsaken]2. absorbed: having one’s thoughts totally occupied with something – 集中精力的；专注；专心 [synonyms: engrossed, focused; antonym: distracted]3. adventurous: willing to take a risk – 有冒险性精神 [synonyms: bold, daring]4. alert: being totally awake and ready for something – 警觉；警惕 [synonyms:attentive; on-guard; wary; see also: awake]5. alienated: separated from one’s friends or family – 疏远 [synonyms: estranged, excluded, isolated]6. alive: full of vitality – 生机勃勃 [synonyms: lively, sprightly; antonym: dead]7. ambivalent: having contradictory feelings simulatenously – 有矛盾看法；有矛盾心态的；矛盾心理的8. amused: having been entertained – 开心9. angry: feeling anger – 生气；愤怒；火大 [synonyms: cross, mad, pissed (slang);pissed off (slang); see also: annoyed; furious]10. annoyed: a little angry about something – 讨厌；厌烦 [synonyms: aggravated, agitated, irritable, irritated, vexed; see also: angry; furious]11. antisocial: unwilling to communicate with others – 自闭 [antonym: social]12. anxious: full of anxiety about something unknown – 焦虑；担心 [synonyms:alarmed, apprehensive, concerned, discombobulated, distraught, distressed, frantic, frenzied, neurotic, panicked, panicky, uneasy, troubled, upset, worried; see also:nervous]13. apathetic: feeling nothing – 无所谓 [synonyms: complacent, indifferent, passionless, uncaring]14. appreciated: recognised by other people as being valuable – 被别人欣赏 [synonyms: valued; antonym: unappreciated]15. ashamed: feeling shame – 惭愧 [synonyms: shamed, shameful; antonym: proud; see also: embarrassed]16. average: feeling just like every other day – 一般；老样子 [synonyms: mediocre, normal, okay, ordinary, regular; antonym: off]17. awake: not asleep – 清醒 [see also: alert]18. awesome: exteremely good (colloquial) – 太好了；太棒了 [synonyms: groovy, wicked; see also: great, wonderful]19. awkward: uneasy or uncomfortable – 别扭 [see also: uncomfortable]20. bad: in low spirits – 不好 [synonyms: crummy (informal), dodgy (slang), lame(informal), lousy, poor; antonym: good]21. belittled: feeling like someone has made one feel inferior – 被别人轻视22. better: in higher spirits than before – 好多了23. bitter: harbouring negative emotion – 愤恨 [synonyms: hateful, resentful, spiteful]24. bittersweet: feeling both good and bad emotions at the same time – 哭笑不得

25. blah: not knowing what to feel – 没感觉 [synonyms: blank, whatever, vague]26. bloated: feeling as if one has eaten or drinken too much – 饱胀；撑着了 [see also:full]27. bored: feeling annoyed because one has nothing meaningful to do – 无聊；枯燥 [synonyms: idle]28. brave: feeling as if one can face one fears – 勇敢 [antonym: scared]29. burdened: experiencing heavy pressure or hardship – 觉得压力很大30. busy: having a lot of things to do – 忙 [see also: rushed, swamped]31. carefree: without worries – 无忧无虑；畅快32. chaotic: lacking order or logic – 混乱 [synonyms: hectic]33. cheerful: in a good mood – 兴奋 [synonyms: bubbly, cheery, chipper, lively, perky, sunny, upbeat; antonym: cranky]34. claustrophobic: fearing small spaces – 遭受幽闭恐惧症 [see also: stifled]35. clean: not dirty – 干净 [synonyms: pure; antonym: dirty]36. cold: feeling low in one’s body temperature – 冷 [synonyms: chilly, freezing, icy;antonym: hot; see also: cool]37. comfortable: experiencing comfort – 舒服；爽 [synonyms: comfy (informal), cozy, pleasant, settled; antonym: uncomfortable]38. committed: feeling as if one has made a commitment to someone or something – 忠诚 [synonym: dedicated]39. competitive: in the mood for competition – 有竞争力40. complete: feeling as if one does not need anything else – 完整 [antonym:incomplete]41. confident: feeling as if one can achieve one’s goals – 自信42. confused: not knowing what to do or how to understand something – 困惑 [synonyms: befuddled, bewildered, discombobulated, flustered, muddled, puzzled]43. contemplative: deep in thought – 在沉思中 [synonyms: introspective, reflective, thoughtful]44. content: feeling as if one has everything one wants or needs in life – 满足[synonyms contented, fulfilled; antonym: discontent]45. convinced: feeling as if one agrees with something – 服气 [synonyms: persuaded]46. cool: feeling pleasantly cold – 凉快 [antonym: warm; see also: cold]47. cranky: in a bad mood – 烦躁 [synonyms: crabby, grouchy, grumpy; antonym:cheerful]48. creative: in the mood for creating something – 很富有创造力 [synonyms: artistic, constructive, productive]49. curious: wanting to know more about something – 好奇 [synonyms: inquisitive]50. dead: feeling as if one is not living – 要死了 [synonyms: lifeless; antonym: alive]

51. delirious: so tired, frustrated and/or angry that one has become crazy or ecstatic –精神错乱52. depressed: very unhappy – 忧郁；沮丧 [synonyms: blue (informal), gloomy, melancholy, miserable, moody, mopey, wretched]53. destructive: wanting to destroy things – 具有毁灭性 [antonym: productive]54. detached: feeling no emotion about something – 冷酷无情 [synonyms: cold, disconnected]55. determined: wanting to achieve something – 有决心56. devastated: extremely sad or disappointed – 伤心欲绝 [synonyms: broken down, crushed, shattered; see also: disappointed]57. dirty: not clean – 脏；肮脏 [synonym: filthy; antonym: clean]58. disappointed: feeling disappointment – 失望 [synonyms: deflated, disillusioned; see also: devastated]59. discontent: feeling not content – 不满足 [synonyms: discontented, incomplete, unfulfilled; antonym: content]60. discouraged: worried about an impending situation – 气馁 [synonyms: daunted, disheartened, fazed put off]61. disgusted: having an intense dislike about something – 感到恶心；厌恶；作呕；反感62. dissatisfied: not feeling satisfied about something – 不满；不满足；不满意 [synonym: disgruntled, unsatisfied; antonym: satisfied]63. distracted: being unable to maintain one’s full attention – 精神不集中的 [synonyms:diverted; preoccupied; scattered; unfocused; antonym: focused]64. drunk: in a state of intoxication caused by excess consumption of alcohol – 喝醉 [synonyms: hammered (informal), inebriated, intoxicated, pissed (informal), smashed(informal); antonym: sober; see also: tipsy]65. ecstatic: extremely happy – 狂喜；心花怒放 [synonyms: blissful, euphoric, elated, enthralled, giddy, hyper, rapturous, uplifted; see also: happy, satisfied]66. embarrassed: feeling shameful discomfort due to a certain situation – 尴尬 [synonyms: discombobulated, flushed; see also: ashamed]67. emotional: overcome by strong emotions – 易动情的；心情激动的 [synonyms:worked up]68. empty: not feeling any kind of emotion – 大脑感觉空白的；空洞的；无意义的 [synonyms: bereft, emotionless, hollow, numb, void]69. energetic: high in energy – 活泼；意气风发；积极 [synonyms: lively]70. enthusiastic: interested in something – 热情；热心 [synonyms: ardent, eager, keen, passionate, zealous]71. excited: having great enthusiasm – 兴奋；激动 [synonyms: stimulated, thrilled]72. exhausted: extremely tired –  精疲力竭；精疲力尽；极其疲倦；耗尽 [synonyms:drained, frazzled; see also: tired]73. festive: in the mood to celebrate – 喜庆的状态

74. free: feeling able to do whatever one wants – 自由的感觉 [antonym: constrained;see also: wild]75. frustrated: in a bad mood because one cannot get what one wants – 有挫败感的；泄气；挫败 [synonyms: disgruntled, fed up]76. full: having eaten enough – 吃饱了 [see also: bloated]77. furious: extremely angry –暴怒；发狂 [synonyms: enraged, go crazy, go mad, irate, wrathful; see also: angry, annoyed]78. generous: in the mood for giving money or resources to people who need it – 慷慨；大方 [synonyms: charitable]79. good: in high spirits – 好 [synonyms: fine, nice, pleasant, super (dated); antonym:bad]80. grateful: thankful about other people’s goodwill – 心存感激的；感谢；领情 [synonyms: appreciative, thankful; antonym: ungrateful]81. great: in very high spirits – 很好；不错 [synonyms: excellent, grand, peachy(informal), swell (dated); see also: awesome, wonderful]82. guilty: having a sense of guilt – 有负罪感的；内疚 [see also: regretful]83. happy: feeling happiness – 快乐；高兴；幸福；愉快 [synonyms: gay (dated), glad, gleeful, jolly (dated), jovial, joyful, joyous, merry (dated), well; antonym: sad; see also:ecstatic, satisfied]84. healthy: in good health – 健康 [synonyms: well; antonym: sick]85. heartbroken: suffering from sorrow after a failed romance – 心碎 [synonyms: jilted]86. hesitant: wanting to put off doing something – 犹豫不决；下不了决心87. high: intoxicated on illicit substances – 感觉神智恍惚 (no exact term exists – literally, “feeling one’s mind is in a trance”) [synonyms: baked (slang), stoned]88. homesick: missing one’s home – 想家；四乡；乡愁89. honoured: feeling one has received honour – 荣幸90. hormonal: strongly affected by one’s hormones, especially of women – 感到荷尔蒙紊乱 — I’m so hormonal today, I can’t stand to see anyone. — 我今天荷尔蒙紊乱，不能去见任何人。91. horny: in the mood for sex – 欲火焚身；“想要” (euphemism) [synonyms: aroused, lustful, turned on]92. hot: feeling high in one’s body temperature – 热 [antonym: cold; see also: warm]93. humbled: feeling the positive effects of humility – 深深感觉到责任之重 (no exact Chinese equivalent – literally, “feeling a deep sense of responsibility”) — I felt sohumbled to help out during the disaster relief appeal. — 我深深感觉到援助救灾工作的责任之重。94. humiliated: feeling deprived of one’s dignity – 受到侮辱；使丢脸 [synoynms:degraded, disparaged]95. hungover [synonyms: groggy, seedy] – feeling the after-effects of alchol consumption – 宿醉 (formal)

96. hungry: wanting food – 饿；饥饿 [synonyms: starving; see also: peckish97. hurt: to be in emotional pain – 伤心 [synonyms: cut (slang), injured, pained, torn, torn up, wounded]98. impatient: being unable to wait – 感到不耐烦 [antonym: patient]99. impressed: feeling a favourable impression about something – 留下深刻的印象 (no exact Chinese equivalent – literally, “leaving a deep impression”) — I was impressed by the exhibition. — 这个展览给我留下了深刻的印象。100. impulsive: feeling as if one wants to do something unexpected – 一时冲动 [synonyms: spontaneous]101. inadequate: feeling not good enough – 不充分102. incomplete: feeling as if something is missing in one’s life – 不完整 [antonym:complete]103. indescribable: unable to put into words – 难以形容的；难以名状；不可名状的；不可描述的 [synonyms: inexpressible]104. inferior: feeling not as good as everyone else – 自卑 [antonym: superior]105. insane: mentally deranged – 精神失常；精神错乱；疯狂；发狂 [synonyms: crazy, mad, nuts (informal), psycho (informal); antonym: sane]106. insecure: feeling uncomfortable or unconfident about oneself – 没信心；无保障；没把握 [synonyms: threatened, unsafe; antonym: secure]107. inspired: feeling inspiration to do something – 受启发 — 通过跟你的聊天，我觉得很受启发。— I feel so inspired after talking with you. [synonyms: stimulated; antonym:uninspired]108. intense: feeling strong emotions – 紧张 [synonyms: extreme]109. invincible: feeling as if one cannot be harmed by anyone – 不可战胜的 [synonyms:undefeatable]110. invisible: feeling as if one is being ignored by everyone – 感觉被人忽视了111. itchy: feeling as if one needs to scratch – 痒112. jaded: feeling exhausted and/or cynical due to past experiences – 厌倦；厌烦113. jealous: feeling resentful of someone for a perceived advantage – 嫉妒；妒忌[synonyms: envious]114. lazy: not in the mood for doing anything productive  – 懒；懒惰 [synonyms:unmotivated; antonym: motivated]115. listless: lacking energy or enthusiasm – 无精打采 [antonym: manic]116. lonely: unhappy on account of lack of human contact – 孤独 [synonyms: alone, lonesome]117. lost: not knowing what to do next – 迷茫 [synonyms: dazed, disoriented, misplaced, perplexed]118. loved: feeling other people’s love – 别人喜欢自己；被爱 [synonyms: beloved, cherished; antonym: unloved]

119. lucky: feeling favoured by success – 幸运；运气好 [synonyms: blessed, fortunate, privileged]120. manic: having great energy (especially in the manic phase of manic-depression/bipolar disorder) – 躁狂 [antonym: listless]121. meaningless: feeling as if one’s current mood or life has no meaning – 感到没意义122. moody: feeling as if one’s mood is likely to change quickly – 喜怒无常 [synonyms:temperamental]123. morbid: fascinated with death – 对于死亡着迷的124. motivated: in the mood to do something – 有动力 [synonyms: ambitious, driven, enthusiastic; antonym: lazy]125. moved: emotionally altered by something – 感动 [synonyms: affected, touched]126. nauseous: feeling unwell and wanting to vomit – 感到恶心；想呕吐 [synonyms: dizzy, nauseated, faint]127. neglected: feeling as if other people have forgotten one – 感到冷落；感到被忽视了 [synonyms: forgotten, ignored, rejected, unwanted; antonym: wanted]128. nervous: feeling slightly anxious about something – 紧张 [synonyms: alarmed, agitated, edgy, jumpy, jittery, nervy, on edge, shaky, strained, tense; see also: anxious]129. nostalgic: yearning about the past – 怀旧130. obligated: feeling as if one has an obligation towards someone or something – 有责任；有义务 [synonyms: committed, expected, obliged, responsible]131. obsessed: fixated on one particular thing – 着迷；痴迷；入迷 [synonyms: fixated, obsessive, preoccupied]132. off: not feel one’s normal self – 心不在焉 [synonyms: absent-minded; antonym:average]133. offended: feeling upset about other’s remarks or behaviour – 冒犯 [synonyms:insulted]134. optimistic: focusing on the positive – 乐观 [synonyms: hopeful, positive; antonym:pessimistic]135. overwhelmed: feeling unable to deal with some kind of pressure or situation – 压垮；不知所措 [synonyms: overcome; antonym: underwhelmed]136. paranoid: feeling irrational fear of or distrust in others – 疑神疑鬼137. pathetic: feeling as if others should take pity on oneself – 可怜；可悲 [synonyms:pitiful, wretched]138. patient: being able to wait without losing one’s temper – 感到耐烦 [antonym:impatient]139. patriotic: love one’s country – 爱国的感觉140. peckish: a little hungry – 觉得有点饿 [see also: hungry]

141. pessimistic: preoccupied with negative aspects – 悲观 [synonyms: desperate, desolate, despondent, hopeless, negative; antonym: optimistic]142. philosophical: in the mood for talking about the meaning of life – 有哲学态度143. powerful: feeling as if one has a lot of power – 有权利；有势力 [synonyms: mighty; antonym: powerless]144. powerless: lacking power or strength – 无能为力 [synonyms: helpless, impotent, paralysed; antonym: powerful]145. proud: satisfied with one’s achievements – 自豪；骄傲146. psychotic: suffering from psychosis – 精神病；神经病147. random: wanting to do something strange or unpredictable (slang) – 情绪变化得很奇怪 (no exact Chinese equivalent – literally, “mood turning strange”) [see also: weird] — I don’t know why I felt so random that day, I just wanted to run down the street in the pouring rain with no pants on. — 不知道为什么，我那天情绪怪怪的，突然想在大雨之中光着裤子在大街上跑。148. ready: feeling prepared to do something – 准备好的 [synonyms: organised, prepared]149. rebellious: wanting to do something that goes against societal norms – 叛逆150. reborn: feeling as if one has been born again – 觉得再生复活151. refreshed: feeling better and more comfortable – 神清气爽 [synonyms:rejuvenated, renewed, rested, revitalised]152. regretful: feeling bad about something one has done – 感到后悔 [synonyms:remorseful; see also: guilty]153. relaxed: feeling peaceful and unworried – 放松 [synonyms: at ease, at peace, calm, easy-going, mellow, peaceful, serene, unbothered, unruffled; antonym: nervous]154. relieved: happy because one’s stress or discomfort has been removed – 感到宽慰[synonym: alleviated, comforted, reassured]155. reluctant: feeling unwilling or hesitant to do something – 不情愿；勉强 — I feel reluctant to accept this. 我感觉接受很勉强。156.resigned: feeling that one has accepted a less than satisfactory situation – 逆来顺受157. respected: feeling that other people respects one – 觉得很受尊敬158. responsible: feeling accountable for a certain act – 感觉有责159. restless: unable to stay still –烦躁；焦躁；焦急不安；坐立不安 [synonyms: fidgety]160. ridiculous: deserving of ridicule – 可笑；荒谬 [synonyms: absurd, foolish]

161. romantic: in the mood for love – 浪漫 [synonyms: amorous]162. sad: very low in spirits – 难过；悲伤 [synonyms: dejected, dispirited, down, flat,gloomy, glum, low, melancholic, melancholy, morose, pensive, sullen, unhappy;antonym: happy]163. sane: in a healthy mental state – 神志正常；头脑清楚；头脑清晰 [antonym: insane]164. satisfied: feeling as if one’s needs or desires have been fulfilled – 满意；满足；高兴 [synonyms: glad; pleased; antonym: dissatisfied; see also: ecstatic, happy]165. scared: feeling fear – 害怕；惊恐 [synonyms: afraid, chicken, fearful, frightened, intimidated; antonym: brave; see also: terrified]166. secure: feeling unafraid or unworried about life – 安心 [synonyms: safe; antonym:insecure]167. sensitive: easily offended – 敏感168. sentimental: feeling overly emotional – 多愁善感 [synonyms: emotional]169. sexy: feeling extremely attractive – 性感170. shocked: very surprised, either in a good or bad way – 大吃一惊；震惊，震撼[synonyms: amazed, dazed, disturbed, perturbed, startled, stunned, taken aback; see also: surprised]171. shy: unwilling to approach others – 害羞；腼腆；羞涩；怕人；怕羞 [synonyms:bashful, coy, meek, reserved, sheepish, timid]172. sick: in poor health – 病 [synonyms: ill, queasy, sickly, unhealthy, unwell, woozy, yucky; antonym: healthy]173. silly: showing a lack of good sense and wisdom 傻；愚蠢 [synonyms: foolish, goofy; see also: stupid]174. smart: appearing to have great intelligence – 聪明 [synonyms: intelligent; antonym:stupid]175. sober: not drunk and/or clear-headed – 清醒 [antonym: drunk]176. social: in the mood to communicate with others – 愿意与人交流 [synonyms:sociable; antonym: antisocial]177. sore: feeling a certain part of one’s body is in pain – 酸178. sorry: feeling regret about something one has done – 抱歉；后悔 [synonyms:apologetic, regretful, remorseful]179. speechless: unable to say anything – 哑口无言；说不出话来；目瞪口呆 [synonyms: dumbstruck; stupefied]180. spoilt: feeling as if others have been overly generous to you – 被溺爱；被宠坏 [synonyms: pampered]181. stable: feeling as if it is likely one won’t experience any sudden changes in mood – 稳定 [synonyms: balanced, steady; antonym: unstable]182. stifled: feeling as if other people are controlling or repressing you – 被限制 — I feel stifled.我觉得好像被限制一样。[synonyms: boxed in, confined, constrained, constricted, cramped, oppressed, pent-up, restricted, smothered, suffocated, suppressed, trapped; see also: claustrophobic]

183. stressful: feeling considerable stress or pressure – 紧张；感到压力 [synonyms:pressured, stressed]184. strong: having great strength – 强；强壮；强健；强大；强劲  [antonym: weak]185. stupid: appearing as if lacking intelligence – 傻；蠢；迟钝；笨 [synonyms: dumb, foolish, idiotic, retarded (un-PC), thick; antonym: smart; see also: silly]186. suicidal: contemplating suicide – 有自杀倾向 [see also: unstable]187. superior: feeling better than other people – 自傲；优越 [antonym: inferior]188. supported: feeling the support of others – 被支持 [synonyms: backed]189. sure: certain in one’s beliefs – 清楚；确定 [synonyms: certain; antonym: unsure]190. surprised: feeling good about something unexpected – 吃惊；惊讶；出人意外[synonyms: astonished; see also: shocked]191. surreal: resembling a dream – 玄妙的 (of mood); 超现实的 (of genre) [synonyms:fantastical; unreal]192. swamped: extremely busy – 非常忙 [synonyms: overloaded, snowed under; see also: busy]193. terrible: very unpleasant – 糟糕；差劲 [synonyms: awful, crappy, dreadful, foul, horrible, horrid, nasty, rotten, shit, shitty; antonym: wonderful]194. terrified: extremely scared – 极度恐惧；非常害怕 [synonyms: horrified, petrified;see also: scared]195. thirsty: wanting hydration – 渴 [synonyms: dehydrated]196. tipsy: a little drunk – 有点醉 [see also: drunk]197. tired: lacking energy – 累；疲劳 [synonyms: buggered (vulgar; slang), drowsy, fatigued, fucked (vulgar; slang), lethargic, sleepy, spent, stuffed, weary; see also:exhausted]198. unappreciated: feeling as if other people do not value oneself – 被别人无视 [synonyms: disregarded; antonym: appreciated]199. uncomfortable: experiencing discomfort – 不舒服；不爽 [synonyms: misplaced, unpleasant, unsettled; antonoym: comfortable; see also: awkward]200. underwhelmed: feeling unimpressed – 未给…留下深刻印象 [synonyms:unimpressed; antonym: overwhelmed]201. ungrateful: not feeling gratitude – 不领情的；忘恩负义 [synonyms: unappreciative, unthankful; antonym: grateful]202. uninspired: not feeling inspiration to do something – 不受启发203. unloved: feeling not loved by others – 觉得没人爱自己 [antonym: loved]204. unready: feeling as if one is not prepared – 没准备好的 [synonyms: unprepared;antonym: ready]205. unstable: not stable – 不稳定 [synonyms: unbalanced, unsteady; antonym: stable;see also: suicidal]206. unsure: uncertain – 不清楚；不确定 [synonyms: uncertain; antonym: sure]207. unwelcome: feeling as if one is not welcome – 不受欢迎

208. unworthy: feeling as if one lacks characteristics needed for something – 不配 [synonyms: undeserving]209. used: feeling as if other people have taken advantaged of oneself – 被利用 [synonyms: taken advantaged]210. useful: feeling as if one can be of help – 有帮助 [synonyms: helpful; antonym:useless]211. useless: feeling as if one is of no help – 没用；毫无帮助 [antonym: useful]212. validated: feeling as if others have confirmed the validity of one’s emotions – 感到自己的价值受到别人的肯定；感觉自己得到了别人的认可213. violated: feeling as if one has been sexually abused or humiliated – 感觉好像一个人被玷污了；性侵犯214. vulnerable: feeling as if one is likely to be attacked or harmed – 感觉容易受伤 [synonyms: bare, nude, stripped, threatened, unprotected, weak]215. warm: feeling pleasantly hot – 暖和 [antonym: cool; see also: hot]216. weak: lacking strength – 弱；虚弱；衰弱；软弱 [synonyms: fragile, frail; antonym:strong; see also: vulnerable]217. weird: feeling different from normal – 奇怪 [synonyms: abnormal, bizarre, funny, freaky, odd, peculiar, queer (dated), strange, unusual; see also: random]218. welcomed: having received a warm welcome – 受到热烈的欢迎；倍受欢迎 [antonym: unwelcome]219. wild: feeling unaffected by inhibitions – 野生 [synonyms: uninhibited; unrestrained; unruly; see also: free]220. wonderful: surprisingly excellent – 感觉太棒了；奇妙 [synonyms: amazing, awesome (informal), brilliant, divine, extraordinary, fabulous, fantastic, glorious, gorgeous, incredible, lovely, shiny (slang), spectacular, sublime, terrific, tremendous, unbelievable, unreal (slang); antonym: terrible; see also: great, awesome]221. worse: feeling not as good as before – 感觉更糟糕了222. worthless: having no value to society, friends, family, etc – 无用 [synonyms: cheap]如魚得水（如鱼得水）Pinyin: rú yú dé shuǐEnglish: like a fish to water; naturallyExample:Traditional投資臉書（Facebook）、Groupon等新興網路媒體的創投業者如魚得水，擴大募資。Traditional投资脸书（Facebook）、Groupon等新兴网路媒体的创投业者如鱼得水，扩大募资。Pinyintóuzī liǎnshū (Facebook), Groupon děng xīnxīng wǎnglù méitǐ de chuàngtóu yèzhě rúyúdéshuǐ, kuòdà mùzī.EnglishVenture capitalists who invested in Facebook, Groupon and other up-and-coming Internet media companies, like a fish to water, upped their fundraising.

2. 一石二鳥（一石二鸟）Pinyin: yī shí èr niǎoEnglish: to kill two bird with one stoneExample:Traditional專家認為，這些藥物都非常有效，如果小心正確使用，它會發揮很多潛在的作用，一石二鳥完全有可能。Simplified专家认为，这些药物都非常有效，如果小心正确使用，它会发挥很多潜在的作用，一石二鸟完全有可能。Pinyinzhuānjiā rènwéi, zhè xiē yàowù dōu fēicháng yǒuxiào, rúguǒ xiǎoxīn zhèngquè shǐyòng, tā huì fāhuī hěnduō qiánzài de zuòyòng, yīshíèrniǎo wánquán yǒu kěnéng.。EnglishExperts believe that this medicine is very effective, and if used sensibly can exhibit lots of hidden effects, possibly killing two birds with one stone.

3. 亡羊補牢（亡羊补牢）Pinyin: wáng yáng bŭ láoEnglish: to fix the pen after the sheep are lost; to close the stable door after the horse has boltedNote: The usage of this idiom is a bit different than the English equivalent, with the Chinese version often meaning ‘better late than never’, which would alter the meaning of the example below. If anyone has any thoughts on the usage of this idiom please comment below.

Example:Traditional有鑑於 ALA PUB大火造成重大傷亡，台中市觀光旅遊局亡羊補牢，將積極配合消防局加強各觀光遊樂業、旅館業及民宿消防安全檢查與宣導工作

Simplified有鉴于 ALA PUB大火造成重大伤亡，台中市观光旅游局亡羊补牢，将积极配合消防局加强各观光游乐业、旅馆业及民宿消防安全检查与宣导工作Pinyinyǒu jiànyú ALA PUB dàhuǒ zàochéng zhòngdà shāngwáng, táizhōngshì guānguānglǚyóujú wángyángbŭláo, jiāng jījí pèihé xiāofángjú jiāqiáng gè guānguāng yóulèyè, lǚguǎnyè jí mínsù xiāofáng ānquán jiǎnchá yŭ xuāndǎo gōng zuòEnglishIn light of the injuries caused by a fire at Ala pub, Taichung City Tourism Board is effectively closing the stable door after the horse has bolted by working with the fire department to increase fire control safety checks and education for the tourism industry, hotels, and hostels.

4. 漏網之魚（漏网之鱼）Pinyin: lòu wǎng zhī yúEnglish: to slip through the net; the fish that escaped the netExample:Traditional新莊地政所人員指出，原本新北市升格後，市府就有專人稽核各機關網站上尚未改名之處，但仍然有漏網之魚，因此活動本意是希望網友幫忙找出未改為新北市的地方。Simplified新庄地政所人员指出，原本新北市升格后，市府就有专人稽核各机关网站上尚未改名之处，但仍然有漏网之鱼，因此活动本意是希望网友帮忙找出未改为新北市的地方。Pinyinxīnzhuāng dìzhèng suǒ rényuán zhǐ chū, yuánběn xīnběishì shēnggé hòu, shìfŭ jiù yǒu zhuānrén jīhé gè jīguān wǎngzhàn shàng shàngwèi gǎimíng zhī chù, dàn réngrán yǒu lòuwǎngzhīyú, yīncǐ huódòng běnyì shì xīwàng wǎngyǒu bāngmáng zhǎochū wèi gǎiwéi xīnběishì de dìfāng.EnglishHsinchuang government officials indicated that after the promotion to ‘New Taipei City’ specialists checked department websites for places where the name had not been changed, though some still slipped through the net. So the purpose of this activity is to have Internet users help by finding places where the name has yet to be changed to ‘New Taipei City’.

5. 馬馬虎虎（馬馬虎虎）Pinyin: mǎ mǎ hŭ hŭEnglish: careless or casual; not so good; just so soExample:Traditional如果政黨馬馬虎虎選出總統候選人，這是不負責的政黨Simplified如果政党马马虎虎选出总统候选人，这是不负责的政党Pinyinrúguǒ zhèngdǎng mǎmǎhŭhŭ xuǎnchū zǒngtǒng hòuxuǎnrén, zhè shì bú fùzé de zhèngdǎng

EnglishIf the government carelessly chooses a presidential candidate, then it is an irresponsible government

6. 虎頭蛇尾（虎头蛇尾）Pinyin: hŭ tóu shé wěiEnglish: to start strong but finish weak (to have a dragons head but a snakes tail)Example 1:Traditional我告訴隊友們，我不想繼續再虎頭蛇尾下去！Simplified我告诉队友们，我不想继续再虎头蛇尾下去！Pinyinwǒ gàosù duìyǒumen, wǒ bù xiǎng jìxù zài hŭtóushéwěi xià qù!EnglishI told the team, I don’t want to continue like this, starting off strong but finishing weak!

Example 2:Traditional金融股尾盤也下跌，造成指數反彈表現虎頭蛇尾Simplified金融股尾盘也下跌，造成指数反弹表现虎头蛇尾Pinyinjīnrónggŭ wěipán yě xiàdié, zàochéng zhǐshù fǎndàn biǎoxiàn hŭtóushéwěiEnglishAt the end of the trading day financial stocks had tumbled, causing the rebound of the index to start of strong but finish weak

7. 豬狗不如（猪狗不如）Pinyin: zhū gǒu bù rúEnglish: to be lower than a pig or dog; (inferior to a pig or dog)Example:Traditional我希望警察能幫我，懲罰這些豬狗不如的變態，他們都是惡魔和瘋子Simplified我希望警察能帮我，惩罚这些猪狗不如的变态，他们都是恶魔和疯子Pinyinwǒ xīwàng jǐngchá néng bāng wǒ, chéngfá zhè xiē zhūgǒubùrú de biàntài, tāmen dōu shì èmó hé fēng ziEnglishI hope the police can help me by punishing these ‘lower than a pig or dog’ perverts, they are demons and insane

8. 鳳毛麟角（鳳毛麟角）Pinyin: fèng máo lín jiǎo (jué)English: to be very rare; rare as “phoenix feathers and unicorn horns”

Example:Traditional免擔保的個人消費貸款幾近鳳毛麟角

Simplified免担保的个人消费贷款几近凤毛麟角Pinyinmiǎn dānbǎo de gèrén xiāofèi dàikuǎn jījìn fèngmáolínjiǎoEnglishunguarenteed personal loans are almost as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns

Example 2:Traditional市場競爭的白熱化使得大部分網路公司的利潤也只能維持生存，能夠發展壯大的也只是鳳毛麟角Simplified市场竞争的白热化使得大部分网路公司的利润也只能维持生存，能够发展壮大的也只是凤毛麟角Pinyinshìchǎng jìngzhēng de báirèhuà shǐdé dàbùfèn wǎnglùgōngsī de lìrùn yě zhǐnéng wéichí shēngcún, nénggòu fāzhǎn zhuàngdà de yě zhǐshì fèngmáolínjiǎoEnglishThe white hot competition in the market has caused most Internet company’s profit to be barely enought to continue existing, the ability to develop and expand is extremely rare

9. 池魚之殃（池鱼之殃）Pinyin: chí yú zhī yāngEnglish: to be caught in the crossfire; to be inadvertently affected -  “fish pond calamity”, from a story of fish who were inadvertantly killed as the water from their pond was drained to extinguish a fireExample:Traditional進口大豆價高“失寵” 沿海加工企業遭池魚之殃Simplified进口大豆价高“失宠” 沿海加工企业遭池鱼之殃Pinyinjìnkǒu dàdòu jiàgāo “shī chǒng” yánhǎi jiāgōng qìyè zāo chíyúzhīyāngEnglishThe high price of imported soyo beans has caused them to fall out of favour, inadvertently affecting the coastal processing industry

10. 雞犬升天（鸡犬升天）Pinyin: jī quǎn shēng tiānEnglish: to ride on someone else’s success;Shortened from 一人得道，雞犬升天 (When a man attains the Tao, even his pets ascend to heaven.)

Example:Traditional蘋果不只帶訂單給台廠，受惠 iPhone、iPad、Macbook Air接連大賣，台股也相當熱愛蘋果題材，只要躋身蘋果供應鏈，股價通常也能跟著雞犬升天Simplified苹果不只带订单给台厂，受惠 iPhone、iPad、Macbook Air接连大卖，台股也相当热爱苹果题材，只要跻身苹果供应链，股价通常也能跟着鸡犬升天Pinyinpíngguǒ bùzhǐ dài dìngdān gěi táichǎng, shòuhuì iPhone, iPad, Macbook Air jiēlián dàmài, táigŭ yě xiāngdāng rèài píngguǒ tícái, zhǐyào jīshēn píngguǒ gōngyīngliàn, gŭjià tōngcháng yě néng gēnzhe jīquǎnshēngtiānEnglishApple not only brings orders to Taiwanese factories,  after benefitting from the continued sales of the iPhone, iPad and Macbook Air, Taiwanese stocks are also in love with Apple. All you have to do is move up the supply chain, and stock prices will also follow suit and ride on the success.

 带来In Chinese texts, abstract emotions like happiness, pressure and benefits may be “brought”, but in English this is usually considered, at the very least, a bit awkward or, at the very worst, bizarre. In any case I would advise forgetting the word “bring” altogether and substituting it for a specific verb or a different structure. Some examples as follows:

带来快乐 - “Bring happiness” is a little weird to my ears; depending on context, “brighten up”, “make someone happy”, “please” (as a verb) and other structures would be much preferred. Thus:

他的课给我们带来很多快乐。

Might be rendered as: “His classes make us so happy” or perhaps “His classes really brighten us up.”  You could even say, “His classes put us in a good mood.” A literal translation of “His classes bring us a lot of happiness” sounds strange in English.

带来压力 - “Bring pressure” is possible, though a bit awkward. In English the common collocations are “put pressure on someone/something” or “feel pressure from something/someone”. But there are other ways to express the same thing, economically, in English, as can be demonstrated in this example:

这个作业给我带来很多压力。You might say: “This work is really stressful” and avoid a literal translation altogether. Again, avoiding the word “bring” works wonders. Another good example:

这个情况给不少企业带来压力。My suggested translation is: “This situation puts a lot of pressure on a number of enterprises.” Of course, the main idea is that you avoid using the word “bring”.

带来利益 - You may have come across the Chinglish expression “bring benefits” which, whilst is not unheard of in English, could be improved greatly by simply using the verb “benefits”. “Something has benefits” or “something is beneficial” may also be possible. Consider:

娱乐园的正式开放，给周边的很多行业都带来利益。Literally: “The official opening of the amusement park has brought benefits to many of the surrounding industries.”More naturally: “The official opening of the amusement park has benefited many of the surrounding industries.”It’s not a case of right or wrong – and, indeed, there’s nothing grammatically wrong with the first translation. However in good, formal English redundant words tend to be exchanged for more succinct expressions.

2. 正确Put simply, in Chinese logic, opinions can be labelled as “right” or “wrong”, “correct” or “incorrect” with relative ease. Whilst this kind of extreme reasoning may be used from time to time in English, you will sound a lot more intelligent if you use higher-quality adjectives such as:

convincing or persuasive (有说服力的) appropriate or suitable (合适的) logical or rational (逻辑的；有道理的) credible, believable or plausible (可信的) equitable or fair (公平的) rational or reasonable (合理的)

Now you might say, “But we do say things are right and wrong, correct and incorrect in English!” and this is true. In conversation, for example, you may render 我觉得你说

得对 as “I think you’re right” and that’s totally fine. However in formal writing the vocabulary should be suitably high-level. Take a look at:

这个论点是正确的。As you can imagine, there are many possible translations, but I would advise avoiding “right” or “correct” in any case for stylistic reasons. (If you really must know, I think “This point is convincing” is a good translation, but even “point” may be omitted depending on the situation, since English prefers brevity wherever possible.)

3. 培养To be brief, whilst 培养 is often translated as “cultivate”, my opinion is this word has largely been replaced by “foster” in recent times.

性格培养 - To “build one’s character” or “character-building” (as a noun and attributive) are decent, albeit formal, translations.

4. 外国的 / 外来的For whatever reason, the word “foreign” has developed slightly negative connotations in the past few decades and, as a result, you should avoid using it when translating 外国的 or 外来的. Take, for instance, the fact that you’ll probably never hear a native speaker refer to students from other countries as “foreign students” unless it was a negative context – “international students” or “overseas students” are the standard expressions. More examples are as follows:

外国人 - “Foreigner[s]” is a totally acceptable translation but my feeling is native speakers of English would avoid this term. What would they substitute it with? I would think in most cases they would try to use a more specific term like “Chinese”, “Korean”, etc, or even say something like “international guests” or “visitors from overseas”.

外国旅客 - “Foreign tourist[s]” sounds so Chinese to me; “international tourist[s]” is much better, and more common according to Google.

外国投资者 - “Foreign investor[s]” is fine; “international investor[s]” is more natural.

外语 - This may be one of the exceptions; “foreign language[s]” appears to be the accepted term. “A as a second language” is a very common structure as well.To sum up, I’m not saying that English native speakers never use the word “foreign” in a positive or neutral sense, but rather that the word seems to be falling out of fashion and thus should be avoided whenever possible. This could be seen as part of the Political Correctness (PC) phenomenon, a broad concept which goes beyond the idea behind this post.

5. 高技术When translating 高技术 “high technology” is perfectly acceptable but “advanced technology” is much more common in English according to Google. Note that there are no problems with the adjective “high-tech”.

6. 导致 / 造成导致 and 造成 have three main renderings in English, the small differences of which I will try to explain here:

Result in / cause – implies a relatively quick result, e.g., “The government’s proposal will cause / result in higher unemployment rates.” (政府的提议会导致更高的失业率。)

Produce / create/ engender (formal) – implies a relatively quick result, usually in the form of a product, e.g., “His behaviour created a bad impression.” (他的行为造成了不好的印象。)

Breed – implies a negative result that is gradually formed, e.g., “Disaster breeds famine” (灾难造成饥荒) or “Hatred breeds ignorance” (仇恨导致无知).

Notably, the differences here are very subtle and consequently the three senses may be interchangeable at times. One good strategy you can use to avoid getting confused with the structures these words produce is to introduce a phenomenon in one sentence and then start a new sentence with “As a result…” or “Consequently…”. I would imagine this structure is more common in modern, formal English anyway.

7. 引发In contrast to 导致, one should remember that 引发 suggests a gradual process and thus is better expressed as “lead to”, “trigger”, “give rise to” or “bring about”. I’ve also seen “initiate” as a translation but my feeling is that this is less common in English. Consider this example sentence:

科学家们认为污染排放会引发严重的环境问题。My suggested translation is: “Scientists believe pollution emissions will trigger serious environmental issues.” The good thing about “trigger” is it is much more economical compared to the other possible translations mentioned before; it also carries imagery (think of the “trigger” of a gun).8. 不管 / 无论To put it bluntly, in formal English writing, I try to avoid translating these words at all. This is because if you can get away with avoiding translating 不管 or 无论 altogether you’ll end up with something a bit more natural. This can be demonstrated in the following translation of an old cliche by the famous PRC politician Deng Xiaoping:

无论是黑猫还是白猫，能捉到老鼠的就是好猫。And here are some possible translations:

Black cats and white cats are both good cats so long as they can catch mice. It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white as long as it can catch a mouse. A good cat catches mice – whether it is black or white is besides the point. There’s more than one way to skin a cat. (using the English proverb which is

more or less the same)Another example of avoiding the translation of these error-prone conjunctions:

不管是晴天，还是雨天，他总是一个人走在校园里。Suggested translation: “He is always walking alone on campus, rain or shine.”

Now, if you really want to use the conjunctions “no matter” or “regardless of”, you need to remember that they must be followed by either a) a conjunction such as who, what, when where, how, etc OR b) an article such as a, an or the. Consider the following example sentences:

No matter what you do. (无论你做什么。) No matter where you go. (无论你走到哪里。) No matter how long it takes. (无论花多长时间。) Regardless of what you think about him personally, his policies have been

shown to be effective. (不管你个人是如何看待他，他的政策确实很有效。) Regardless of whether you are rich or poor, we should all care about this issue.

(不管是富人还是穷人，我们都应该去关注这个问题。)9. 关注In English “pay attention” is more commonly used in every day situations – you should pay attention to the road when you’re driving to school, one pays attention to the teacher in class, etc. However when expressing 关注 in a formal context “pay [close] attention to” is just not good enough and you’d be better off substituting it for “prioritise”, “emphasise” or “focus on”. I’ve also seen it translated as “follow with interest” in dictionaries but I find that phrase incredibly boring.

Consider:

政府应该关注这个问题。One possible translation is “Governments should prioritise this issue” but “Governments should make this issue a priority” would work too.10. 引起注意The obvious translation is “attract attention” but it’s too boring and anyway that phrase is more commonly used in colloquial contexts, for instance, if you do something crazy to attract someone’s attention. The formal equivalent would be “captivate”, as in:

这部电影已经引起人们的注意。My translation: This movie has captivated audiences.10. 很少Attention Chinese students: the word “seldom” is seldom used nowadays. Use “rarely” (or “hardly ever” is less formal situations). Some translation examples:

这个问题很少在主流媒体中被讨论。 — This issue is rarely talked about in the mainstream media.

总统很少去和恐怖分子们交涉。— The president rarely negotiates with terrorists. 他很少出门。— He rarely goes out. (He’s a homebody.)

11. 社会稳定This is not so much a note about translation but about cultural/institutional difference. Whilst “social stability” and “stability and harmony” are totally acceptable translations of 稳定社会 and 安定和谐 respectively, in some contexts you might want to re-express this as “law and order”, the Western equivalent. Whilst the processes are different, the outcomes are arguably much the same – the maintenance of a stable society – and the extremely pervasive and historical notion of “law and order” holds much more relevance to Western audiences than “social stability” as a sociological mechanism.

12. 马马虎虎 / 一般Again I must draw the attention of Chinese students: “so-so” is so old-fashioned. Use “OK”, “not bad” or “average”.13. 生动Regarding 生动, my feeling is that “vivid” is a bit of a Chinese cliche and is going out of fashion in modern English; it seems to be more common in novels and poetry. As for “lively”, this is usually limited to people and events and is not a particularly interesting adjective. I would recommend using a more interesting word such as:

explicit (明确的) detailed (详细的) engaging (有吸引力的) realistic (逼真的) colourful (丰富多采的) dynamic (动态的) interactive (互动的)

14. 随着Whilst “with” and “following” are possible translations of 随着, I prefer using “as” since it is easier to create a smooth sentence. It also gives a better sense of a continuous action, as in:

随着科学的发展，人们对宇宙的认识将更加深入。— As science develops so our knowledge of the universe deepens.

随着居民生活水平的提高，人们对物质的需求也不断提升。— As the standard of living rises, material needs continue to elevate.

Note that if it’s a negative development you might say “in the wake of” or “in the deluge of”, e.g. in:

仇恨不会随着某人的死而消亡。— Hatred cannot just die out in the wake of someone’s death.

15. 机关I’ve often seen 机关 translated as “organ” in some official literature which, to me, sounds bizarre. I would imagine it’s translated thus due to its communist background. Regardless, “office”, “body” or “government organisation” are a thousand times more common in English and read much more naturally. I would only use “organ” if I deliberately wanted to “foreignise” the translation.

呵呵 Ha ha 嘻嘻 Hee hee

哈哈 Haha 爱你 Love you

晕 Dizzy 泪 Tear

馋嘴 Glutton 抓狂 Crazy

哼 Hum 可爱 Cute

怒 Anger 汗 Sweat

困 Sleepy 害羞 Shy

睡觉 Sleep 钱 Money

偷笑 Giggle 酷 Cool

衰 Decline 吃惊 Surprise

闭嘴 Shut up 鄙视 Despise

挖鼻屎 Digging booger 花心 Lovestruck

鼓掌 Applaud 失望 Disappointed

思考 Thinking 生病 Sick

亲亲 Kiss 怒骂 Curse

太开心 So happy 懒得理你 Not care you

右哼哼 Humph (Right) 左哼哼 Humph (Left)

嘘 Hiss 委屈 Wronged

吐 Spit 可怜 Poor

打哈气 Yawn 顶 Bump (to the top)

疑问 Doubt 做鬼脸 Make faces

握手 Shake hands 耶 Yeahgood good 弱 Weak

不要 Do not ok ok

赞 Like 来 Come

蛋糕 Cake 心 Heart

伤心 Sad 钟 Clock

猪头 Pig 咖啡 Coffee

话筒 Microphone 月亮 Moon

太阳 Sun

一無所有（一无所有）

Pinyin: yī wú suǒ yǒu

English: to have nothing left at all

Usage

Traditional

他除了身上的衣服一無所有

Simplified

他除了身上的衣服一无所有

Pinyin

tā chúle shēnshàng de yīfú yīwúsuǒyǒu

English

He’s got nothing left except the clothes on his back

还 (hái) and 还 (huán)

还, pronounced hái and meaning “still,” is one of the earliest characters learned by students of Chinese. However, it also frequently appears with the pronunciation huán, where it means “to return,” both in the sense of returning something that has been given to you, and returning to a place or condition.

One easy way to tell the difference between these two is that 还 (hái) is generally found either alone or in a phrase (like 还是 or 还不错), whereas when 还 is found as a component in a word it is generally pronounced huán.

为 (wéi) and 为 (wèi)

The two flavors of 为 can be maddening, as they differ only in tone but carry different meanings, so if you’re not listening carefully it can be quite hard to tell the difference between the two.

The rule is that 为 is only pronounced wèi when it means “for” or “on account of,” and in certain words (specifically: 为了 (wèile), 为着 (wèizhe), 为什么 (wèishenme), and 因为 (yīnwèi)), and in all other cases 为 is pronounced wéi. You’ll most often encounter this second tone pronunciation in words that mean “to be,” “to become,” or related concepts, such as 成为 (chéngwéi) and 认为 (rènwéi).

For a little more talk about 为 (and 为了), please check out our recent Qing Wen episode on the topic.

重 (zhòng) and 重 (chóng)

Unlike the two different 为 s, 重 (zhòng), meaning “heavy,” and 重 (chóng), meaning “again,” are distinct enough that they’re pretty easy to keep straight. Mostly it confuses elementary students when it takes its chóng form, because it is mostly (and first) encountered as zhòng, and thus causes some serious double-takes when first encountered in force. Compounds containing 重 (zhòng) greatly outnumber 重 (chóng), though 重新 (chóngxīn, again; anew; afresh) and 重复 (chóngfù, to repeat) are common enough that you should know them if you don’t already.

行 (xíng) and 行 (háng)

行 is a pretty cool character. As xíng, it can both mean “to be acceptable” and to move or to travel (such as the word bicycle, 自行车 (zìxíngchē) — self move vehicle, or a vehicle that you yourself can move). As 行 (háng), though, it takes one a totally different meaning, sometimes meaning “a line” (i.e., a line of text), but more often meaning “shop” or “business” (as in bank, 银行 (yínháng) — a store/shop for silver).

Interestingly, in many dialects (such as Cantonese) two different 行 s are pronounced either identically or much more similarly than they are in Mandarin.

长 (cháng) and 长 (zhǎng)

长 (cháng) and 长 (zhǎng) are a pair that still throw me sometimes when I’m skimming text. The first one you’ll likely encounter is 长 (cháng), which means “long,” but 长 (zhǎng) — which alternatively means “to grow” or, as would follow, “elder” or “senior.” While they obviously have different meanings and are different parts of speech, the fact that both can be used by themselves as words makes parsing a bit harder than with some of the 多音字 above.