这边元的用法属于外来语翻译。 ‘元’ 的概念其实来自于英语里的meta一词。 比如 元数据=meta data， 简单来说就是描述数据的数据。 OK，那么放到机器零件上面，被叫做元件的东西，一般都是细小的，更为具体跟精密的零件，套用之前的概念就是组成零件的零件。 所以，如同别人所说的，电子元件之类都是很细小或者很精密的零件， 而机器零件就是相对来说比较大件的东西了。

hi, both are OK. I think u don't have to distinguish the extremely tiny difference between them. To be honest , I use both of them but I can not tell which one to use at a certain time.... One correct for the sentence in your question: '一个中国人在我们的房子呆了' should be '一个中国人在来我家了' or ‘一个中国人到我们的住处’, ur usage sounds weird. BTW, someone mentioned '丢了' means 'gonna get orgasm' in ancient Chinese pornographic novels, well, just be aware of this, it has never been defined for this meaning in any formal dictionary or grammar books, and never try to express this meaning by using it this way, it'll make people feel u'r not having good manners.

I don't know the context of this phrase. I just give the following info which I hope will help u. According to Chinese culture, people like even numbers , they think they can bring lucky and auspicious stuff. Typically , number 2 is the most frequently used one in many phrases which always have the meaning of good wish, good luck, good future or good life, and also may be used to describe the happy or good moment (examples: 二龙戏珠, 成双成对,双喜临门,比翼双飞) number 2 is some kind of general reference, does not mean real number 2 in some cases. so TIPs for you: 1. when u attend Chinese people's wedding, if you want to give a gift or cash gift, then make it doubled. say, Chinese people give 200/600/800 RMB as cash gift and don't give 100/300/500. (why not 400? coz 4 in Chinese stands for death). 2. don't think 2 （二）is always a good number ~ in northern China, if you say, 这人有点二/这人太二了， that means he is kinda stupid... what's more, 二比/二逼 or other sounds like this, stands for IDIOT, well, this is only an oral use...

at this place, 所长 is a noun which means the director of an Institute( research org / government entity, and in China it mostly stands for a government entity like a police station or tax administration). 老 means he has long credentials of the service as a director in this institute(so he is also possibly old). And by using 老 , respect is shown here. Some Cases: 1. 老 for showing respect and feeling being close to the one 他可是我的老上司. he is/was my elder boss.( might not be the current boss ) 他可是我的老朋友了. he is my old friend 2. 老 for showing repulsion 我恨这个老女人 . I hate this old women. Summary: Being aware of this typical usage of 老 is enough, it is not grammatical level but some kind of sense, so not very easy for a learner to use it in such detailed area. You can use other concise words which follow the definite language rule to express ur idea well. For example, if you want say my former boss, then use 我以前的老板; if you want to express that ur current boss is old, then use 我现在的老板，年纪有点大. In this way, you can make a Chinese understand you without any difficult, without any strange feeling, and you also have a definite grammar rule to guide urself.

1. 杀人不犯法我也下不去手 I won't kill people even if it does not break the law. '下不去手' here means he is a kind person with a soft heart and won't kill people. 2. 看一眼就魂飞魄散 one single glance scares me rigid. '魂飞魄散' here means u r seriously scared by what u see, and u even lose ur soul, can't control ur body. In Chinese old saying, a human has 3 魂s and 7 魄s which make the soul of him (something like soul in western world).

This is dialect from some places in northern China, like Henan/Shangdong/Shanxi province. “这件事情中不中” , this kind of sentence sometimes will be used in rural novels . CASE: A: 这件事情中不中？ is this OK? B：中！OK, of course. TIPS: being aware of it is enough, you do not have to use it in daily life as it is not a formal use.

区别就是使用的字体不同（繁体字跟简体字） 在德国跟瑞士的时候时常遇到来自台湾，香港的学生跟游客，他们说的国语跟大陆的几乎是一样的，偶尔有些语气，语调上的不同。个人觉得完全可以认为是使用习惯跟口音的上的差别。 有些东西说法上有不同， 那只是各地习惯用法不同而已。 简单记住一点，往前数个几十年，大家说的都是一样的官话，毫无区别，书面上用的是白话文，而不是文言文。 文言文是从古代中国流传到现在的一个瑰宝。