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Some Useful Chinese 马(mǎ) Slang

Everyone loves horses.Running across the fields,their hair combed by the wind, horses have become a symbol of freedom and loyalty. However, you may not know justhow many Chinese slang phrases revolve around our word for “horse!” Chances are you’ll find some of these pretty funny – let’s take a look.

1. 马屁精 (mǎpìjīnɡ)

马屁精literally means “pickthank,”which in English we might refer to as a “suckup:’ someone who refers to people who flatter others, usually aninferior who flatters his superiors.

e.g

He is just a pickthank in our company, so we don’t like to see him at all.

在我们公司,他就是一个马屁精,所以我们都不喜欢看到他。

(Zài wǒmen ɡōnɡsī,tājiùshì yíɡè mǎpìjīnɡ,suǒyǐ wǒmen dōu bù xǐhuɑn kàn dào tā.)

2. 马大哈(mǎ dà hā)

马大哈 refers to a person who is really careless. Just as in the picture above, where the man clearly should have receivedsurgery on his right leg, the doctor performed surgery onhis left leg. This doctor is obviously a 马大哈.

e.g

At the hospital, doctorsare very important. They must not be careless people.

在医院,医生们非常重要,他们千万不能是马大哈。

(Zài yīyuàn   , yīshenɡ men fēichánɡzhònɡyào , tāmen qiānwàn bùnénɡshì mǎdàhā.)

3. 马后炮(mǎ hòu pào)

In the above example, something has just happened, everyone had expected the result would be something like the horse winning. We might use马后炮to describe this – to refer to someone’s subjective awareness of an expected outcome, or theaction behind the actual objective.

e.g

A man shouldbe honest and kind, do not be always belated.

做人要诚恳,不要总是马后炮。

(Zuò rén yào chénɡkěn , bú yào zǒnɡshì mǎhòupào.)

4. 马虎眼(mǎhu yǎn)

We usually use the phrase“打马虎眼(dǎ mǎhu yǎn)” in a sentence in order to describe someonepretending to be ignorant of  something in order to gloss over it.

e.g

Don’t pretend to be ignorant in front of me! I am not a three year old.

你不要跟我打马虎眼 , 我不是三岁的小孩儿。

(Nǐ búyào ɡēn wǒ dǎ mǎhuyǎn, wǒ búshì sānsuì de xiǎoháir.)

 

Are you ready to try using the different “horses”? Please try to fill in the blanks with the phrases we just learnt.

1. (Qíshí lǐnɡdǎo bù zǒnɡshì xǐhuɑn _____ 。 Yīnwèi _____ jīnɡchánɡshuōjiǎhuà.)
其实领导不总是喜欢   _____ 。因为 _____ 经常说假话。

Actually, leaders do not always like____. Because ____often tell lies.

2. Nǐzhēn shìɡè ____! Zhèxiēshìqínɡ nǐquán zuò cuò le !
你真是个 ____! 这些事情你全做错了!

You are really a _____! You’ve done all these things wrong!

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