词汇问题:舅舅,去世,计算机,计算器 and 竞争
Hello,
I had some vocabulary questions today.
1) My textbook says 舅舅 is "maternal uncle" (mother's brother). Does it matter if it's her older or younger brother? For example, my mom has two brothers, one older and the other younger. In Chinese, would they both be considered my 舅舅 or are there different words?
2) Is 去世 more polite than 死?
3) True or False: 计算机 is a computer and 计算器 is a calculator, correct? *If so, how is 计算机 used differently from 电脑? Also, if there is no difference between 电脑 and 计算机, which is more commonly used?
4) My textbook says 竞争 means "competition" is business but NOT in sports. What would be the word used in sports?
Thank you!
Search from various English teachers...
Answers · 9
1
1) yes, you can call him 舅舅. But there is a little different between all families. For example, you have two uncles, so you call call the order one ‘大舅‘, and the other is ‘二舅’ or ‘小舅‘. If you had three uncles, you can call him 大舅,二舅,三舅......ect. It is also suitable if you want to use ‘name + uncle’.
2) Yes, you are right.
3) I use 计算机 as calculation, and 电脑 is refer to PC. I think what you say is professornal terminology. And maybe it is also a little different between every region.
4) 比赛, 竞赛 are more appropriate. But I don’t think 竞争 only use on business. It is okay if there is competition about scores between two students.有很多种用法, you can penetrate it by lots of sentences.
0
2. Technically, it should be 去逝. 逝 has the same pronunciation as 世 but you won't be misunderstood.
3. When computers first came into this world and embraced by the Chinese, 电脑 is coined not on the Mainland and so Taiwan, HK and overseas use "electronic brain". Another one is "software" which is 軟体, a direction translation from English before the Mainland. In the older days, all the chemical elements were from Taiwan and so to avoid confusion, the Mainland also uses them. However, the newer elements, they have two forms due to politics!
4. “竞争” = 为了己方的利益而跟人争胜, has a negative connotation because of the character, 争. The translation should be "vying" , rivalry. 竞賽 has a positive nuance as in healthy competition to better the good of the entire industry etc.
0
1. It doesn’t matter if he is older or younger than your mother. Suppose there are 5 brothers/sisters in a family:
A: a lady - the oldest
B: a gentleman - the second oldest
C: a lady – the third oldest, and your mother
D: a gentleman – the fourth oldest
E: a gentleman - the youngest
Then you should call A “大姨”(the oldest aunt),call B “大舅”(the oldest uncle),call D“二舅”(the second oldest uncle),and call E“三舅”(the third oldest uncle).
Basically the point is, in Chinese we don’t care someone is relatively younger or older than your mother, but we care about the absolute order of their birthday.
2. Yes, “去世” is much more polite than “死”;
3. Yes, “计算机” is computer, and “计算器” is calculator. And we actually use “电脑” more commonly. “计算机” means computing machine, and “电脑” means electronic brain, they means the same but “计算机” is a more scientific way to say it.
4. “竞争” means competition, can be used not just in business.
0
1) Don't bother to think about it. I even don't figure it out sometimes. “叔叔”“婶婶”would be OK.
2) Yes.
3) Correct. 计算机 is the equivalent of 电脑. Both commonly used. But there's a tendency for 电脑 to broadly use.
4) 竞赛、角逐
0
3.True.
计算机 is mostly used in professional or official context. for example, in a law text, it has to use 计算机 but not 电脑.
电脑 is more used in everyday life especially when someone has no background of computer science.
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!
Start Learning Today
