中秋节快乐！ 🎑🥮 zhōngqiū jié kuàilè!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Here’s art of me and a moon cake to celebrate~ ✨

中（zhōng）： middle

秋（qiū）：autumn

节（jié）：festival

快乐（kuàilè）： happy

They even sound the same! How can words be so similar, without meaning the same thing?

It boils down to this main difference: 的 is used with nouns and 得 is used with verbs. The last one, 地, is mainly used to modify verbs (like the “ly” in English).

1. Noun + 的 + Noun

Possessive words (my, your, her, his, our, their, etc.) don’t directly translate into one word in Chinese, you add 的 to the end of the pronoun (I – 我) to make it possessive (My – 我＋的）.

For example:

我的书

wǒ de shū

my book

2. Attribute + 的 + Noun

When 的 is used between an attribute and noun, it gives the noun the attribute:

很漂亮的老师

hěn piàoliang de lǎoshī

pretty teacher

3. Verb + 得 + State

This particle is used after a verb and indicates effect, degree, possibility, etc:

飞得快

fēi de kuài

to fly quickly

4. Adj + 地 + Verb

This particle is mainly used as an adverb, like “ly” in English. It’s used before a verb.

For example:

慢慢地走

màn màn de zǒu

to walk slowly

5. Adj + 地 + Adj

地 can also be used to modify/qualify an adjective:

特别地珍贵

tè bié de zhēn guì

心（xīn) : heart

秋（qiū) : autumn

禾（hé）：grain

光 guāng - light, ray

阳光 yángguāng - sunshine

光明 guāngmíng - radiance

晨光 chénguāng - early morning light

彩霞 cǎixiá - rosy clouds at sunrise or sunset

櫻花 (樱花) yīnghuā - cherry blossom

星座 xīngzuò - constellation

露水 lùshuǐ - dew; fig. ephemeral

暮靄 (暮霭) mù'ǎi - evening mist

花蕾 huālěi - flower bud

白日夢 (白日梦) báirìmèng - daydream

雪花 xuěhuā - snowflake

蜂蜜 fēngmì - honey

雨傘 (雨伞) yǔsǎn -umbrella

星星 xīngxing - star

棉花糖 miánhuatáng - cotton candy

花火 huāhuǒ - firework

香味 xiāngwèi - fragrance

落花 luòhuā - fallen petals

紛飛 (纷飞) fēnfēi - to flutter around (of snowflakes, flower petals)

火 huo3 fire

火上加油 huo3 shang4 jia1 you2 lit. to add oil to the fire, fig. to make matters worse

火中取栗 huo3 zhong1 qu3 li4 lit. to pull chestnuts out of the fire, fig. to be used by another person to accomplish a goal

火冒三丈 huo3 mao4 san1 zhang4 to get really angry

刀山火海 dao1 shan1 huo3 hai3 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames, fig. extreme danger

火烧火燎「火燒火燎」huo3 shao1 huo3 liao2 restless with anxiety, unbearable hot

火烧眉毛「火燒眉毛」huo3 shao1 mei2 mao lit. the fire burns one’s eyebrows, fig. desperate situation, extreme emergency

急如星火 ji2 ru2 xing1 huo3 lit. as hurried as a shooting star, fig. requiring immediate action, extremely urgent

洞若观火「動若觀火」dong4 ruo4 guan1 huo3 lit. clear as a flame, fig. to see things absolutely clearly

纸包不住火「紙包不住火」zhi3 bao1 bu4 zhu4 huo3 lit. you can’t wrap fire in paper, fig. the truth will out

赴汤蹈火「赴湯蹈火」fu4 tang1 dao3 huo3 lit. to go through water and tread on fire, fig. not afraid of any difficulty

隔岸观火「隔岸觀火」ge2 an4 guan1 huo3 lit. to watch the fires burning across the river, fig. to delay entering the fray until all others have been exhausted by fighting among themselves

飞蛾投火「飛蛾投火」fei2 e2 tou2 huo3 lit. like a moth flying into the fire, fig. to choose a path to certain destruction

starting off strong with my favourite: green hats / 绿帽子 (lǜmàozi) the word for “green hat” is 绿帽子 (lǜmàozi), which is slang for “cuckhold”. please use this knowledge wisely

pears / 梨 (lí) the word for “pear” 梨 (lí) sounds just like 离 (lí) which can mean “to leave” or “to part”. pears are also often used as offerings for the dead or funeral gifts

sharp objects / 尖的东西 (jiān dedōngxī) gifting items like scissors or knives can imply that you want to sever your relationship with the recipient

umbrellas / 雨伞 (yǔsǎn） in the West, opening an umbrella inside is considered bad luck. similarly, in China, gifting one is bad luck. the 伞 (sǎn) in 雨伞 (yǔsǎn) sounds like 散 (sàn), which means “to break up”

clocks / 钟 (zhōng) “to give a clock” in Chinese is 送钟 (sòng zhōng). this sounds identical to the phrase for attending a funeral, 送终 (sòngzhōng). clocks can also imply the loss of time, making it especially taboo to give to the elderly

mirrors / 镜子 (jìngzí) mirror are associated with attracting ghosts. also they are delicate and like in the West, breaking them is unlucky

the number 4 / 四 (sì) the word for “four” 四 (sì) sounds similar to 死 (sǐ “death”). the number four is generally avoided in China. many buildings will even skip 4, 14, 24, etc. when numbering floors

shoes / 鞋 (xié) the word for “shoes” is 鞋 (xié), which sounds like the word for “evil” or “bad luck” 邪 (xié)

好 hǎo good

大 dà big

小 xiǎo small

冷 lěng cold

热 rè hot

高兴 gāoxìng happy

快乐 kuàilè happy

漂亮 piàoliang beautiful

忙 máng busy

快 kuài fast

慢 màn slow

远 yuǎn far

近 jìn close

好吃 hǎochī delicioous

累 lèi tired

新 xīn new

贵 guì expensive

便宜 piányi cheap

晴 qíng fine