Free Chinese Lesson - What this means -

> Learning Chinese > Reading and Writing
What this means
Home New Posts

Login: Pass: Log in or register for standard view and full access.








oly2006 -

i've atached 2 photos with chinese writing..i'm interested to know what they means...thanks a lot



Pleco Software Learn Chinese with our Dictionaries for Palm and Pocket PC.
Learn Chinese in China Learn to speak Chinese 1MonthChinese.com -Mandarin School in China.
Chinese Textbooks Wide range, cheap, varied languages. Also Chinese cartoons, toys, gifts.
Study Chinese in Beijing Affordable Mandarin language courses at BLCU with ChinaUnipath.com.
HNHSoft Dictionary Learn Chinese on Smartphone and PDA with real person's voice.
XueXueXue IQChinese Get beyond the plateau.Take your Mandarin to a new level.
Chinese in Lijiang Short term Chinese study in a beautiful town with a focus on daily life.
MandarinTube Chinese Access to current everyday Chinese language and culture, 24/7.
Learn Chinese Homestay Chinese course, cultural activities & volunteer events in China.
Learn Chinese Online 1-on-1 instant tutoring, diverse courses, native teachers. FREE trial now!
Nihao Chinese Progam Free one-on-one Chinese lesson. Win 5-years of free lessons now!


About Ads (and how to hide them) -- Your message here









HashiriKata -

盆栽 (pen2zai1): bonsai, miniature trees & plants










Koneko -

That's actually a Japanese phrase.
It's commonly known as 盆景 (pén jǐng) in Chinese.

K.










skylee -

盆栽 is a Chinese term (it is also used in Japanese). The meaning and pronunciation are as what
HashiriKata said.










HashiriKata -

I've had a look in the dictionary and I think Koneko and skylee are both right. The word "bonsai"
in Japanese includes the 2 disctinct senses of "pén zāi" and "pén jǐng" in Chinese; and this
can be expected, as there are usually no exact matches cross languages.










Koneko -



Quote:


Originally Posted by skylee

盆栽 is a Chinese term (it is also used in Japanese).


Hmm... Not originally though. This term was actually created by the Japanese first, and then
borrowed by the Chinese.

It's known as 和製漢語 (Wasei Kango) in Japanese.

More examples include:-

電話 denwa (telephone)
漫画 manga (comics)
哲學 testugaku (philosophy)
社会 shakai (society)
經濟 keizai (economy)

etc

經濟 is quite interesting. The original meaning in Chinese was "the workings of the state", when
the phrase was exported to Japan from China, it became "economy". Its new meaning was later
re-introduced back to China as "economy"

Hence, 盆栽 is a Made-in-Japan Chinese term; whereas 盆景 is a Made-in-China Chinese term.

K.










HashiriKata -

I know about 和製漢語, but where did you find out that 盆栽 is one of them? It should be a
useful source to know.










Koneko -

Behold, the naked truth of bonsai...

Fact 1:-



Quote:


Originally Posted by Wikipedia

While mostly associated with the Japanese form, "bonsai" originated in China and was originally
developed from Chinese penjing.


Fact 2:-



Quote:


Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Penjing is very similar to and the precursor of the Japanese art of bonsai


K.










HashiriKata -

Hehe!

Fact 1: I've looked at your facts but couldn't find anywhere that states that the word "盆栽"
originated from Japan.

Fact 2: I did say in post #5 that in Japanese, 盆栽 includes the meaning of "penjing". So we're
in agreement in the first place, aren't we?










Koneko -

So you see, it's first invented by Chinese as penjing, then introduced by the Japanese to the West
as bonsai.

It's a bit like 經濟 example but with two seperate terms.

K.












All times are GMT +8. The time now is 06:51 PM.














Learn Chinese, Learning Mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet