Friday, September 24, 2010

Defining "Qi"

The Chinese word "Qi" is often mistranslated as "energy" in English. "Qi" is not energy.

"Qi" cannotes both substance and function. Substance and function are two different concepts but they are closely related and cannot be entirely separated. This is because each function must be based on a certain substance, while a certain form of substance is bound to demonstrate a corresponding function. -Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture, p. 36

While not easy to translate, a better term than "energy" is "Air" or "Vital Air".

Monday, September 6, 2010

Oxford Dictionary adds Popular Chinese Terms

The 115-year-old prestigious Oxford Dictionary will now include popular new Chinese terms like "shanzhai" "youtiao" and "fangnu", as part of the modern Chinese language.

As China plays a more and more important role in the world economy, the Chinese language is forever evolving, attracting more attention from people who want to understand this ancient yet vibrant language.
For more see: Oxford Dictionary adds Popular Chinese Terms