#beginnerchinese

Mygosh. This was hard to get my head around at first!

Because you start Chinese and get fooled by the Subject + Object + Verb similarity. And get lulled into a false sense of security. 

And then oh jokes. Its nothing like English. Not at all. Oh help. 

credit:

https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/A1_grammar_points

all content learnt from here^ i just made it pretty for myself :)

There are many types of people with many types of personalities. In Chinese we use different words to categorize different interpersonal characteristics. One such word is “闷葫芦 (mèn húlu)”. This type of person isn’t necessarily popular, because he/she is considered to be overall quiet, a silent type. It’s hard to know what exactly this person is thinking. Most of the time you have to guess at what he/she is thinking because he/she will not communicate it directly.

We use this word often in daily conversation around the office, at home, school, etc.

When I come across this type of person, I brace myself for a more difficult relationship–not because the person is a bad person, just because it can be harder to understand this type of person (since I am more outgoing), and keep a positive/healthy and open relationship.

So what does “闷葫芦 (mèn húlu)” mean, exactly?

闷葫芦 (mèn húlu): complete mystery; silent person.

How do we use it in daily conversation?

My friends and family often say: “他真是个闷葫芦，把什么都闷在心里。 (Tā zhēnshi gè mènhúlu, bǎ shénme dōu mèn zài xīnlǐ.) He is a really silent person and never...

Are you still single? You’re not the only one. In China more and more people are choosing to remain “单身 (dānshēn) single.” In fact, the number of single people in China has reached 200 million. So what’s the reason? There are a few, actually:

1. 性别失衡 (Xìngbié shīhéng) Gender Imbalance.

Do you know about China’s one-child policy? It limited the number of girls that were allowed to be born in China. This law stems from the traditional Chinese culture perspective that boys are considered to be more valuable to the family and to the society, whereas girls are shunned.

2. 钱 (Qián) Money.

When men and women in China are dating, money is definitely an issue. For men in particular it is important for them to take their own income into consideration before choosing a spouse. For women, they are in search of men who are financially stable. When it comes to most families in China, if a man doesn’t have a car, a house, and a stable job, he would not be eligible, or “单身 (dānshēn) single” women would not be encouraged to marry this man. But this economic expectation stands in stark contrast to the fact that it is difficult for young people in China to buy these things. Often they rely on their parents to support them.

3. 受高等教育的女性增加 (Shòu gāoděng jiàoyù de nǚxìng zēngjiā) An Increasing Highly-Educated Female Population...