ChinaWWIIPilot Posted August 13, 2011 at 11:23 PM Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 at 11:23 PM Any one that would be able to translate (de xing) for me? Thank you! Does it mean 'star in the sky'? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonny Posted August 14, 2011 at 12:34 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 12:34 AM virtue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkhsu Posted August 14, 2011 at 01:40 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 01:40 AM Can you provide more context? Where did you hear it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbradfor Posted August 14, 2011 at 01:44 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 01:44 AM 星 does mean star. No idea on what the "de" could be. 的星? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChinaWWIIPilot Posted August 14, 2011 at 01:58 AM Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 01:58 AM Those were the only two words I was given after a greeting by another person via email. They did say it was Mandarin. Hope this helps and thank you...let me know if you come up with something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChinaWWIIPilot Posted August 14, 2011 at 02:03 AM Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 02:03 AM @jbradfor- I came up with similar translations for xing, i.e. spring, star, travel, movement, carryout and engage in. As to de- there were many variations, i.e. virtue, honor, and quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkhsu Posted August 14, 2011 at 02:07 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 02:07 AM It could mean 1. 的信 = the letter 2. 的心 = the heart Edit - I am adding this note before I lose any more reputation pts. I am assuming the OP could have meant "de xin" as well because xin and xing can sometimes get confusing when it is heard. Since the OP doesn't have the characters, I am taking some guesses based on the little context I have. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChinaWWIIPilot Posted August 14, 2011 at 02:39 AM Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 02:39 AM @jkhsu- thanks for your interpretation... the heart might make more sense in the context used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChinaWWIIPilot Posted August 14, 2011 at 02:53 AM Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 02:53 AM Any one else care to take a try at 'de xing'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbuchtel Posted August 14, 2011 at 03:37 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 03:37 AM Does it sound anything like your name? Or their name? If their message was "Hello de xing" it would make sense if it were a name... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChinaWWIIPilot Posted August 14, 2011 at 04:15 AM Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 04:15 AM @hbuchtel- here is the context: And you win a prize...or you will "DE XING". Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkhsu Posted August 14, 2011 at 05:10 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 05:10 AM It's probably "的信誉". You will win a prize or gain reputation. Edit - I am adding this note before I lose any more reputation pts. I am assuming the OP could have meant "de xin" as well because xin and xing can sometimes get confusing when it is heard. Since the OP doesn't have the characters, I am taking some guesses based on the little context I have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hofmann Posted August 14, 2011 at 05:41 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 05:41 AM Perhaps "stars" are something worth winning, perhaps able to be exchanged for something. 得星 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaocai Posted August 14, 2011 at 06:45 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 06:45 AM jkhsu you do realise that xin and xing are different...? OP I don't know if it will be convenient for you to post the full record of the conversation, or at least give us more background information (e.g. whether this is from a business letter, or a game, or something else...). You may be aware of that Mandarin Chinese only has about less than 400 unique syllables if you ignore the tones, so even we try hard to make it out, it could be completely wrong and there is no way that we can verify it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkhsu Posted August 14, 2011 at 07:09 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 07:09 AM Yes I do know that xing and xin are different. Based on the OP's post I figured it could be either. I took the assumption that this was something the OP heard or someone had written based on what they heard. If it was truely written in Chinese we would see the characters instead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest realmayo Posted August 14, 2011 at 09:29 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 09:29 AM Wenlin (a dictionary) gives me, for "de xing": 得幸 déxìng v.o. have won the favor of the throne 德行/性 déxing {E} 〈coll./derog.〉 s.v. ①vexing; disgraceful ②〈topo.〉 disgusting; shameful ◆n. ①affectation; mannerism ②morality and conduct 德行 dé-xíng {E} n. ①morality and conduct ②moral integrity/conduct; virtue first one seems the likeliest? EDIT: actually, no idea at all! B) seem a few 得幸失命s on google (win distinction but lose your life???). but also by looking at results from google does 得幸 also mean "get lucky"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaocai Posted August 14, 2011 at 09:35 AM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 09:35 AM But the thing is 性 行 星 and 幸 all sound very awkward no matter what kind of context I try to fit those words in based on OP's explanation. So I really wish to know more about as for under what kind of circumstances the person said it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChinaWWIIPilot Posted August 14, 2011 at 04:27 PM Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 04:27 PM To all- great translations and thank you for your time in helping me with this one! To explain the context of the letter- it was an exchange of challenges. I had said it would impress me if the person could translate the term 'Ding Hao' as my father was a WWII pilot who flew the Himalayas, these pilots used Ding Hao as a salutation to one another after completion of a mission and I go by that as my email name. The term 'de Xing' was then used as a challenge to me to translate it's meaning. I think the translation by realmayo "you won the favor of the throne" is the best fit. thumbs up to all of you- good show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkhsu Posted August 14, 2011 at 06:40 PM Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 06:40 PM And you win a prize...or you will "DE XING". Were you given that exact sentence ending in "or you will DE XING. (using 得幸)? I was asking a native speaker about this and they said that they haven't seen 得幸 at the end of a sentence this way in vernacular Chinese. It's usually in something like "A 得幸 B" (B loves/likes A) Edit: this sentence is in Classical Chinese. 得幸失命s on google (win distinction but lose your life???). 得幸失命 comes from 得之我莘，失之我命 which means 得到是我的幸运，得不到是我的命运。(something like if I get it, it's my luck but if I don't get it, it's fate) It doesn't mean "win distinction but lose your life". It could be used in this example: 得幸失命, 不外如是(something like, "that's life"?) Disclaimer: I asked a native speaker who told me this in their own words in English so I may not have the exact/proper English way of saying these meanings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChinaWWIIPilot Posted August 14, 2011 at 07:01 PM Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 at 07:01 PM @ jkhsu- the way in which a translation was challenged (see my last post)would also fit what you found... 'You win distinction' as well, it was written in English not in Chinese. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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