I used to be puzzled by “等红灯 (děng hóng dēng)”. I found out it means “Wait for the green light”, but it seemed strange to me. The first time I heard my Chinese friend say this, I thought they were joking. “红灯 (hóng dēng, red lights)” clearly means “stop,” and “绿灯 ( lǜ dēng, green lights)” means “go,” so why say “等红灯 (děng hóng dēng)”? What’s even stranger is that my friend didn’t find this Chinese phrase odd at all, as if everyone in the world should understand its meaning. As a foreigner who had just started learning Mandarin, this felt like a “hidden level” of language learning, giving me a profound first impression of Mandarin’s “mysterious powers”.
My confusion with Mandarin didn’t stop at “等红灯 (děng hóng dēng)”. For instance, a friend once mentioned “生鱼片 (shēng yú piàn, sashimi)”. I immediately pictured a live, wriggling fish, only to realize it referred to thin slices of raw fish—which I thought should be called “死鱼片 (sǐ yú piàn, dead fish slices)”. Another example is the phrase“原则上可以 (yuán zé shàng kě yǐ, in principle, yes)”. It seems optimistic on the surface, but in reality, it’s a polite way of saying”不行 (bù xíng, no)“.
These multi-meaning words and fixed expressions made navigating daily life a challenge. Whenever I tried expressing my thoughts in Mandarin, I would often create funny moments or even small misunderstandings.
At first, I thought I could resolve these issues by using a dictionary and watching TV shows. However, dictionaries only provide literal meanings of words and fail to explain their meanings in specific contexts. As for TV shows, the dialogue moved so quickly that I couldn’t keep up, making my self-study inefficient.
Eventually, I realized I needed professional help. That’s when I enrolled in a one-on-one personalized Mandarin course. Under my teacher’s guidance, I learned how to distinguish between the different usages of multi-meaning words. My teacher used real-life scenarios to help me understand these words more deeply. For example, I now understand that “等红灯 (děng hóng dēng, waiting for the red light)” essentially refers to waiting for the result—the green light—not the red light itself. Similarly, with “生鱼片 (shēng yú piàn, sashimi)”, I learned that “生 (shēng)” means “raw,” not “live” — the opposite of “熟 (shú, cooked)”.
Through these kinds of explanations, I began to understand that many Mandarin expressions are deeply connected to Chinese cultural backgrounds and ways of logical thinking.
My teacher also assigned fun, practical exercises, which gradually helped me overcome my fear of multi-meaning words. The course’s flexible schedule allowed me to learn at my own pace, fitting lessons around my busy work routine. These personalized lessons not only deepened my understanding of Mandarin’s cultural nuances but also equipped me with the tools to use the language confidently in real-life situations.
If you’re struggling with confusing phrases and multi-meaning words, you’re not alone. These complexities fill Mandarin, which makes the language so fascinating. But with the right guidance, you can quickly overcome these challenges and feel more confident in your Mandarin skills.
I’ve seen real results in my career as well. During a recent business negotiation, I came across the phrase “走走形式 (zǒu zǒu xíng shì)”, which literally means ”to do something just for show”. If I had taken it at face value, I might have thought the other party wasn’t serious.
However, my studies revealed that in business, this phrase signals a willingness to move forward with the deal, even if some steps are just formalities. Understanding this helped me adjust my approach, ultimately allowing me to secure a significant contract.
Learning Mandarin has not only equipped me with a new language but also deepened my understanding of Chinese culture. It’s proof that no matter how complex a language challenge may seem, it can be overcome with the courage to take the first step.
Don’t let language barriers hold you back. With personalized, one-on-one Mandarin courses, you’ll master multi-meaning words and expressions while gaining the cultural insights needed to succeed. If you want to master Mandarin the way I did, sign up for a free trial lesson and get started today.
