to come / (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) / hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2lai5]) / ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[zi4gu3 yi3lai2]) / for the past (amount of time) / (prefix) the coming ... / the next ... (as in 來世|来世[lai2shi4]) / (between two verbs) in order to / (after a round number) approximately / (used after 得[de2] to indicate possibility, as in 談得來|谈得来[tan2de5lai2], or after 不[bu4] to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來|吃不来[chi1bu5lai2])
(third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he / him / his / (bound form) other / another / some other (as in 他日[ta1ri4] and 他人[ta1ren2])
quilt / to cover (with) / (literary) to suffer (a misfortune) / used to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, if the doer is not mentioned, before the verb) / (since c. 2009) (sarcastic or jocular) used to indicate that the following word should be regarded as being in air quotes (as in 被旅遊|被旅游[bei4 lu:3you2] to "go on a trip")
from / through / via / (bound form) to follow / (bound form) to obey / (bound form) to engage in (an activity) / (used before a negative) ever / (bound form) (Taiwan pr. [zong4]) retainer / attendant / (bound form) (Taiwan pr. [zong4]) assistant / auxiliary / subordinate / (bound form) (Taiwan pr. [zong4]) related by common paternal grandfather or earlier ancestor
(in elections for village committees in the PRC since the 1990s) unrestricted nomination, a type of election where 1. everyone in the community is eligible to nominate somebody 2. voting is done by writing the name of one's nominee on the ballot, and 3. one's nominee can be anyone in the community (Nominees who receive the highest number of votes may be thereby elected or, more often, presented as the candidates in a further round of voting.) / (in other contexts) selection of the best contender in a process open to all comers / (in the entertainment industry) open audition
lit. to hang upside down / fig. topsy-turvy and inequitable, e.g. manufacturing and trading costs exceed the sale price (of some goods) / to borrow more than one can ever repay
(PRC) (since 1985) graduation certificate, which certifies that the student has graduated, but not necessarily met all requirements to be awarded a degree certificate 學位證書|学位证书[xue2 wei4 zheng4 shu1] / (1981-1985) graduation certificate, which certified that the student graduated, and, if it included a final sentence indicating a degree type, also certified that the student met all the requirements for a degree
lit. source is distant and the flow is long (idiom) / fig. sth goes back to the dim and distant past / a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then
constellation (arch., now 星座) / one of the 28 constellations of traditional Chinese astronomy and astrology / motion of stars since one's birth (predetermining one's fate in astrology)
Zhao Ziyang (1919-2005), PRC reforming politician, general secretary of Chinese Communist Party 1987-1989, held under house arrest from 1989 to his death, and non-person since then
lit. to clasp the Buddha's feet (without ever having burned incense) (idiom) / fig. to profess devotion only when in trouble / panic measures in place of timely preparation
Since they have come, we should make them comfortable (idiom). Since we're here, take it easy. / Since this is so, we should accept it. / Now we have come, let's stay and take the rough with the smooth. / If you can't do anything to prevent it, you might as well sit back and enjoy it.
(idiom) as one climbs higher on the path of righteousness, one faces ever greater challenges from evil / no sooner does one overcome one obstacle than another arises
(idiom) to act like the scholar who wrote at length about buying a donkey without even mentioning the word "donkey" / to write at length without ever getting to the point
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