2014年12月20日星期六

Chinese Lesson Online: 黄牛(huang2 niu2)



With the traditional Chinese Spring Festival coming, a kind of people called “黄牛(huang2 niu2)” is emerging. Many Chinese newly-learners may be puzzled about this phrase. so in this Chinese lesson, I will explain “黄牛(huang2 niu2)” to all of you.
From the literal meaning, it is easy to know “(huang2)” means yellow and that “(niu2)” is the bull. Considering you have attended many Chinese language lessons, you may not be satisfied with the explanation of “yellow bull”. You will ask yourself “what is the yellow bull and what does it refer to in Chinese?”
黄牛” first appeared in the Shanghai dialect. In the Chinese old society, there was a special transportation called “黄包车(huang2 bao1 che1), which means jinrikisha”. Because the carrier of this car always wore yellow clothes, people call it “黄牛车(huang2 niu2 che1)”. Latter on, with the development of the public transportation such as trains and planes, many citizens asked these men to help them buy the tickets of the train or the plane. It was more convenient for them to buy the tickets because they usually worked near the train station. In this way, the phrase of “黄牛党(huang2niu2dang3)” appeared.
Nowadays, “黄牛(huang2 niu2)” has become a derogatory word that is used to describe those who make a living by buying and saving all kinds of tickets. They usually buy the tickets at a lower price but sell them at a high price. They can often get the tickets by every means including cheating, using some illegal tools or some other ways.
Although we are attending Chinese lessons now, I want to remind you that do be careful of those “黄牛”. Say no to “黄牛党” to make our society more harmonious.
To know more about “黄牛”, you can visit our website and take our Chinese lesson online. You will gain a lot. 

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