LinZhenPu Posted February 17, 2017 at 12:05 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 12:05 PM Google translate says 'flat ground' is 平地 but using this word with a Chinese person she doesn't understand. She asked me what attracted me to come to China and I jokingly said 平地。She doesn't get it. So how is this usually said in Chinese? Quote
NotChinese Posted February 17, 2017 at 12:18 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 12:18 PM If you meant it in some kind of metaphorical way it probably made no sense. It could be that 平地 also means 'to level the ground' (according to Pleco), so it could have been taken to have some other meaning. "Levelling the ground" in that sense has a sinister tone to it, heh. If quite literally you live in a hilly place and want to be somewhere flatter, then I suppose just bulk out the description. A yearning for 'flat ground' is vague in any language if you don't have any context to go from! If it were me I'd say 在我的家乡山很多，所以我很想住在比较平的地方。I don't even know if the grammar is correct there but it's what I'd try. Quote
Mati1 Posted February 17, 2017 at 12:38 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 12:38 PM 但是这里有山那里有山。 Quote
Shelley Posted February 17, 2017 at 01:49 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 01:49 PM Do you mean flat ground as in level playing field? Used to mean equal opportunities for all? If so I think you probably just have to say that. Not all things like that translate. Quote
Publius Posted February 17, 2017 at 02:35 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 02:35 PM 2 hours ago, NotChinese said: If it were me I'd say 在我的家乡山很多，所以我很想住在比较平的地方。I don't even know if the grammar is correct there but it's what I'd try. I would consider the expression 一馬平川. 1 Quote
LinZhenPu Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:10 PM Author Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:10 PM 1 hour ago, Shelley said: Do you mean flat ground as in level playing field? Used to mean equal opportunities for all? If so I think you probably just have to say that. Not all things like that translate. No I mean literally flat ground. As in China is a flat place, apart from the mountains. Quote
Publius Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:20 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:20 PM In that case, how about 我喜歡這裡的一馬平川. Quote
LinZhenPu Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:20 PM Author Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:20 PM What does that mean? Google translate just spits out the pinyin Quote
Publius Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:22 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:22 PM https://zh.wiktionary.org/zh-hant/一马平川 Quote
LinZhenPu Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:24 PM Author Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:24 PM lol that's all in chinese, 看不懂。 Quote
Publius Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:29 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 03:29 PM Yea I realized it's a literary word. Maybe too literary even. Basically it means a flat land where horses can gallop. 平原 (plain) may also work. Or 我喜歡這裡地勢平坦. EDIT: Yeah, I think this could work: -- What attracted you to come to China? -- 平原 (Plains). Quote
NotChinese Posted February 17, 2017 at 04:18 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 04:18 PM 50 minutes ago, LinZhenPu said: lol that's all in chinese, 看不懂。 If you use google chrome, search for the Zhongwen Chinese popup dictionary add-on. With the dictionary turned on, you can just hover the mouse over any Chinese on screen and it gives you a translation. For the thing you 看不懂，I get, "Flat land one could gallop across." 1 Quote
Shelley Posted February 17, 2017 at 04:31 PM Report Posted February 17, 2017 at 04:31 PM And if you use Firefox you can use Perapera, same as Zhongwen but for firefox. Quote
arrow Posted February 18, 2017 at 03:04 AM Report Posted February 18, 2017 at 03:04 AM Simply 这儿平原多 will do Quote
LinZhenPu Posted February 18, 2017 at 03:33 PM Author Report Posted February 18, 2017 at 03:33 PM What about Opera? (the web browser) Quote
Flickserve Posted February 18, 2017 at 03:43 PM Report Posted February 18, 2017 at 03:43 PM On 17/02/2017 at 11:10 PM, LinZhenPu said: I mean literally flat ground. As in China is a flat place, apart from the mountains Even you had said this in English to me, I would be totally blank.... Just like your chinese friend. Quote
LinZhenPu Posted February 18, 2017 at 03:44 PM Author Report Posted February 18, 2017 at 03:44 PM Just now, Flickserve said: Even you had said this in English to me, I would be totally blank.... Just like your chinese friend. Yep, I thought that was the problem.. Quote
thinkpanda Posted February 18, 2017 at 04:06 PM Report Posted February 18, 2017 at 04:06 PM you came to china on main purpose of finding some "flat ground" ? LMAO 1 Quote
Shelley Posted February 18, 2017 at 04:24 PM Report Posted February 18, 2017 at 04:24 PM if you want flat ground, may I suggest Holland? Quote
LinZhenPu Posted February 18, 2017 at 04:27 PM Author Report Posted February 18, 2017 at 04:27 PM 3 minutes ago, Shelley said: if you want flat ground, may I suggest Holland? Been there, done that. It's really just a joke. She asked me what attracted me to come to China and I just replied with "flat ground". Quote
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