{"id":10458,"date":"2018-06-30T08:04:55","date_gmt":"2018-06-30T08:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/?p=10458"},"modified":"2023-06-08T01:35:46","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T01:35:46","slug":"homophones-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html","title":{"rendered":"Decoding Chinese Homophones: Understanding the Meaning Behind Similar Pronunciations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Homophones can be one of the biggest enigmas learners face when it comes to the Chinese language. First, picture this: two sentences, both containing the character “\u82b1” (hu\u0101), yet discussing entirely unrelated concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. \u4e00\u6735\u6f02\u4eae\u7684\u82b1<\/u><\/span>\u513f\u3002(Y\u012b du\u01d2 pi\u00e0oli\u00e0ng de hu\u0101r.<\/em> )<\/li>
  2. \u4ed6\u4eca\u5929\u82b1<\/u><\/span>\u4e86\u4e00\u767e\u5143\u3002(T\u0101 zu\u00e1ti\u0101n hu\u0101 le y\u012bb\u01cei yu\u00e1n.)<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    How can a single character mean completely different things? Are they one word or two? And why do they sound exactly the same? Today, we\u2019ll crack the code on several groups of homophones to help boost your Chinese comprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Homonyms in Chinese are words that sound the same but have unrelated meanings. This is common in many languages because there are limited syllables, and new concepts require new words that will inevitably share the same pronunciation as existing words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mandarin Chinese has around 1200 syllables thanks to its four tones, resulting in numerous homonyms. Homonyms in Chinese can be classified as homographs or homophones, and we’ll focus on the latter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Homophones are words that share the same pronunciation and character but possess different, unrelated meanings. It’s important to note that homophones are distinct words, unlike polysemes, which have multiple meanings within a single word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Take another look at the two examples mentioned earlier:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u82b11<\/sup> (hu\u0101):<\/strong> \u4e00\u6735\u6f02\u4eae\u7684\u82b1<\/u>\u513f\u3002(Y\u012b du\u01d2 pi\u00e0oli\u00e0ng de hu\u0101r. )<\/em>
    A beautiful flower. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u82b12  <\/sup>(hu\u0101):<\/strong> \u4ed6\u6628\u5929\u82b1<\/u>\u4e86\u4e00\u767e\u5143\u3002(T\u0101 zu\u00e1ti\u0101n hu\u0101 le y\u012bb\u01cei yu\u00e1n.)<\/em>
    He spent 100 yuan yesterday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The meanings of these sentences are distinctly unrelated – the first refers to a “flower,” while the second refers to “spending.” Surprisingly, they share the same character. Hence, \u82b11<\/sup>(hu\u0101)and \u82b12<\/sup>(hu\u0101)belong to a group of homophones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, look at the following two sentences :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. \u4ed6\u5728<\/u><\/span>\u6559\u5ba4\u91cc\u3002 (T\u0101 z\u00e0i ji\u00e0osh\u00ec li.) <\/em> He is in the classroom now.<\/em><\/li>
    2. \u4ed6\u4eec\u5728<\/u><\/span>\u98df\u5802\u91cc\u5403\u996d\u3002(T\u0101men z\u00e0i sh\u00edt\u00e1ng li ch\u012b f\u00e0n. )They have meals in the canteen.<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Sentence (1) uses \u5728(z\u00e0i) as a verb, indicating the location of a person or thing, while in sentence (2), \u5728(z\u00e0i) \u00a0functions as a preposition expressing both location and time. Are they homophones? No, they aren’t, as there is a clear connection between the meanings – they both indicate location. Therefore, these two meanings belong to a single word, \u5728(z\u00e0i).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In the next section, we\u2019ll analyze several groups of homophones to look at their meanings in different contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n

      1. \u82b1\uff08\u82b11<\/sup>\u3001\u82b12<\/sup>\uff09<\/h2>\n\n\n

      In the book “International Curriculum for Chinese Language Education<\/em>“, the character \u82b1(hu\u0101) is categorized as a level three (HSK3<\/a>) word. This character, originally created in ancient China, was initially a pictographic representation and later evolved into a phonogram. The illustration below demonstrates this transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"hic_1\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      The meaning of \u82b11<\/sup>(hu\u0101) represents the very essence of a plant from which seeds or fruits develop. It often refers to brightly colored and short-lived components. Other meanings of \u82b11<\/sup>(hu\u0101), as depicted in the chart below, are derived from this primary definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \u82b11<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      Flower; blossom; bloom<\/td>\n\u4e00\u6735\u82b1 (y\u012b du\u01d2 hu\u0101<\/em> ) a flower<\/td>\nnoun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Anything resembling a flower<\/td>\n\u96ea\u82b1 (xu\u011b hu\u0101)<\/em> snowflake<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Fireworks<\/td>\n\u70df\u82b1(y\u0101n hu\u0101)<\/em> fireworks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Young and beautiful girl or woman<\/td>\n\u6821\u82b1(xiào hu\u0101)<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Multicoloured; coloured\uff1bvariegated<\/td>\n\u5c0f\u82b1\u72d7(xi\u01ceo hu\u0101 g\u01d2u) <\/em>spotted puppy\n

       <\/p>\n

      \u82b1\u8774\u8776(hu\u0101 hú dié) <\/em>variegated butterfly<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		adj<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      blurred; dim<\/td>\n\u773c\u82b1(y\u01cen hu\u0101)have dim eyesight<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Fancy; florid; flowery; showy<\/td>\n\u4f60\u7684\u5b57\u592a\u82b1\u4e86\u3002(N\u01d0 de zì tài hu\u0101 le .)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Your handwriting is too fancy.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

      On the other hand, \u82b12<\/sup>(hu\u0101) functions as a verb, indicating the action of “spending” or “expending.” For instance, it is used in phrases like “\u82b1\u94b1” (hu\u0101qi\u00e1n, spend money) or “\u82b1\u65f6\u95f4” (hu\u0101 sh\u00edji\u0101n, spend time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \u82b12<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      spend\uff1bexpend<\/td>\n\u82b1\u94b1(hu\u0101 qián) spend money\n

       <\/p>\n

      \u5f88\u82b1\u65f6\u95f4 (h\u011bn hu\u0101 shí ji\u0101n ) take a lot of time<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n

      2. \u767d (\u767d1<\/sup> \u3001\u767d2<\/sup>\u3001\u767d3<\/sup>\u3001\u767d4<\/sup>)<\/h2>\n\n\n

      When you learn about colors, one example is \u767d\u8272(b\u00e1is\u00e8) which means white. In the book “International Curriculum for Chinese Language Education,” \u767d(b\u00e1i) is classified as a level 2 (HSK2<\/a>) word, but it doesn’t explicitly mention that \u767d(b\u00e1i) is part of a group of homophones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u767d(b\u00e1i) has four different meanings that we\u2019ll explore. Similar to \u82b1(hu\u0101), this character originated in ancient China and originally depicted the shape of candlelight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"hic_2\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      The first meaning of \u767d(b\u00e1i) is “bright and clear,” as seen in phrases like “\u4e1c\u65b9\u53d1\u767d\u201d (d\u014dngf\u0101ng f\u0101 b\u00e1i), meaning “the east turns white,” and “\u771f\u76f8\u5927\u767d\u201d (zh\u0113nxi\u00e0ng d\u00e0 b\u00e1i) meaning “the truth becomes clear.” Later, it also came to represent the color white, as in the sentence “\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u4e00\u6761\u767d\u88d9\u5b50\u201d (W\u01d2 m\u01cei le y\u012bti\u00e1o b\u00e1i q\u00fanzi) which translates to “I bought a white dress.” There are further meanings for \u767d1<\/sup> (b\u00e1i), which you can explore in the chart below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \u767d1<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      Bright<\/td>\n\u4e1c\u65b9\u53d1\u767d(d\u014dngf\u0101ng f\u0101 bái)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      The eastern sky is turning grey; day breaks.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		adj<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Clear<\/td>\n\u771f\u76f8\u5927\u767d(zh\u0113nxiàng dà bái)<\/em> Come out in the wash.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      White<\/td>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u4e00\u6761\u767d\u88d9\u5b50\u3002(W\u01d2 m\u01cei le y\u012b tiáo bái qúnzi.)\n

       <\/p>\n

      I bought a white dress.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

      Nothing inside<\/td>\n\u767d\u5f00\u6c34 (báik\u0101ishu\u01d0)<\/em> Plain boiled water.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Funeral affairs<\/td>\n\u767d\u4e8b(báishì)<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Look at somebody with the white of the eye\u2014give somebody a condescending or superior look<\/td>\n\u6211\u767d\u4e86\u4ed6\u4e00\u773c\u3002 (W\u01d2 bái le t\u0101 y\u012b y\u01cen.)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      I gave him a condescending look.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		verb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

      As an adverb, \u767d2<\/sup>(b\u00e1i)” has the following meanings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \u767d2<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      In vain; to no purpose; for nothing<\/td>\n\u767d\u8dd1\u4e86\u4e00\u56de (bái p\u01ceo le y\u012b huí)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Make a fruitless trip<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		adv<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Free of charge<\/td>\n\u767d\u9001  (bái sòng)  <\/em>give away free (of charge)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

      \u767d3<\/sup>(b\u00e1i) functions as an adjective and indicates something written or pronounced incorrectly, specifically referring to a Chinese character. For instance, “\u4f60\u628a\u5b57\u5ff5\u767d\u4e86”( n\u01d0 b\u01ce z\u00ec ni\u00e0n b\u00e1i le) means “you pronounced the character incorrectly,” which has the same meaning as “\u4f60\u628a\u5b57\u5ff5\u9519\u4e86”( n\u01d0 b\u01ce z\u00ec ni\u00e0n cu\u00f2 le).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \u767d3<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      (of a chinese character) written incorrectly or mispronounced<\/td>\n\u4f60\u628a\u5b57\u5ff5\u767d\u4e86\u3002(N\u01d0 b\u01ce zì niàn bái le. )<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      You pronounced the character incorrectly.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		adj<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

      \u767d4<\/sup>(b\u00e1i) requires combination with other morphemes to form a complete word and cannot be used alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \u767d4<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      State; explain<\/td>\n\u6211\u5bf9\u5979\u8868\u767d\u4e86\u3002(W\u01d2 duì t\u0101 bi\u01ceobái le.)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      I expressed love for her.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n

      3. \u522b \uff08\u522b1<\/sup>\u3001\u522b2<\/sup>\u3001\u522b3<\/sup>\u3001\u522b4<\/sup>\uff09<\/h2>\n\n\n

      The word \u522b(bi\u00e9) is categorized as a level two (HSK2) word and belongs to a group of four homophones,\u00a0 each with its own distinct meaning. The character \u522b(bi\u00e9) originated as an associative compound, with a knife on the left side and a bone on the right. By combining these two parts, \u522b(bi\u00e9) originally meant “to dissect” or “to separate” (\u5206\u5256, f\u0113np\u014du). This is also the primary meaning of \u522b(bi\u00e9)1, as illustrated in the chart below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"hic_3\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \u522b1<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      Leave; part<\/td>\n\u522b\u4e86\uff0c\u6211\u7684\u5bb6\u4e61\u3002(Bi\u00e9 le, w\u01d2 de ji\u0101xi\u0101ng.)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Goodbye, my hometown.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		verb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Other; another<\/td>\n\u522b\u4eba  (bi\u00e9r\u00e9n)<\/em>  other people<\/td>\npronoun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      \u522b2<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      Differentiate;\n

       <\/p>\n

      distinguish<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		\u533a\u522b\u771f\u5047 (q\u016bbi\u00e9 zh\u0113n ji\u01ce)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      distinguish whether it\u2019s true or false<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		verb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Difference; distinction<\/td>\n\u7537\u5973\u6709\u522b (n\u00e1nn\u01da y\u01d2u bi\u00e9)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      there is a distinction between the sexes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		noun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Classification;\n

       <\/p>\n

      category<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		\u6027\u522b (x\u00ecngbi\u00e9)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      gender<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

      \u522b3<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      Fasten with a pin or clip<\/td>\n\u628a\u8868\u683c\u522b\u5728\u4e00\u8d77\u3002\n

       <\/p>\n

      (B\u01ce bi\u01ceog\u00e9 bi\u00e9 z\u00e0i y\u012bq\u01d0.)<\/p>\n

      Pin \uff08or clip\uff09the forms together.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		verb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Stick in<\/td>\n\u628a\u95e8\u522b\u4e0a (b\u01ce m\u00e9n bi\u00e9 sh\u00e0ng)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      bolt the door<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

      \u522b4<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      (used in giving commands or advice) don\u2019t ; had better not<\/td>\n\u522b\u5fd8\u4e86\u3002(Bi\u00e9 w\u00e0ng le.)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Don\u2019t forget.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		adv<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n

      4. \u751f\u6c14 \uff08\u751f\u6c141<\/sup>\uff0c\u751f\u6c142<\/sup>\uff09<\/h2>\n\n\n

      Polysyllabic words can also be homophones, such as the word \u751f\u6c14(sh\u0113ng q\u00ec) \u00a0which. Take a look at the chart below for more examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \u751f\u6c141<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      angry<\/td>\n\u5988\u5988\u5f88\u751f\u6c14\u3002(m\u0101ma h\u011bn sh\u0113ngqì.)<\/em>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Mother is very angry.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		verb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      \u751f\u6c142<\/sup><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      lively<\/td>\n\u5c0f\u5b69\u5b50\u662f\u6700\u6709\u751f\u6c14\u7684\u3002\n

       <\/p>\n

      (Xi\u01ceo háizi shì zuì y\u01d2u sh\u0113ngqì de.)<\/em><\/p>\n

      Children are the most lively people.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

      		noun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

      We hope this article has provided you with some insights into the homophones found in Mandarin Chinese, where one word can carry multiple unrelated meanings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      By gaining this understanding, you can enhance your vocabulary and expand your Chinese comprehension. Embracing the nuances of homophones in the language will empower you to communicate more precisely and naturally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Now it\u2019s your turn to put these terms into practice and master them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Homophones can be one of the biggest enigmas learners face when it comes to the Chinese language. First, picture this: two sentences, both containing the character “\u82b1” (hu\u0101), yet discussing entirely unrelated concepts. \u4e00\u6735\u6f02\u4eae\u7684\u82b1\u513f\u3002(Y\u012b du\u01d2 pi\u00e0oli\u00e0ng de hu\u0101r. ) \u4ed6\u4eca\u5929\u82b1\u4e86\u4e00\u767e\u5143\u3002(T\u0101 zu\u00e1ti\u0101n hu\u0101 le y\u012bb\u01cei yu\u00e1n.) How can a single character mean completely different things? Are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":10464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,176],"tags":[79,86,93,78,80,84],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-10458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-mandarin-online","category-usage","tag-advanced","tag-chinese-characters","tag-how-to-use","tag-intermediate","tag-self-study","tag-vocabulary","entry","has-media"],"yoast_head":"\nDecoding Chinese Homophones: Understanding the Meaning Behind Similar Pronunciations<\/title>\n <meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=index-1224.html \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Decoding Chinese Homophones: Understanding the Meaning Behind Similar Pronunciations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Homophones can be one of the biggest enigmas learners face when it comes to the Chinese language. First, picture this: two sentences, both containing the character “\u82b1” (hu\u0101), yet discussing entirely unrelated concepts. \u4e00\u6735\u6f02\u4eae\u7684\u82b1\u513f\u3002(Y\u012b du\u01d2 pi\u00e0oli\u00e0ng de hu\u0101r. ) \u4ed6\u4eca\u5929\u82b1\u4e86\u4e00\u767e\u5143\u3002(T\u0101 zu\u00e1ti\u0101n hu\u0101 le y\u012bb\u01cei yu\u00e1n.) How can a single character mean completely different things? Are…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-30T08:04:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-08T01:35:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/homophones-in-chinese.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"845\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"449\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Zhang Yu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@digmandarin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@digmandarin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Zhang Yu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html\",\"name\":\"Decoding Chinese Homophones: Understanding the Meaning Behind Similar Pronunciations\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/homophones-in-chinese.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-06-30T08:04:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-08T01:35:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f918d3af3bfb9bc5b930f8fa2353eb1e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/homophones-in-chinese.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/homophones-in-chinese.jpg\",\"width\":845,\"height\":449},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/homophones-in-chinese.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Decoding Chinese Homophones: Understanding the Meaning Behind Similar Pronunciations\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/\",\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f918d3af3bfb9bc5b930f8fa2353eb1e\",\"name\":\"Zhang Yu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/zhang-yu.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/zhang-yu.png\",\"caption\":\"Zhang Yu\"},\"description\":\"After graduating from University majoring in Teaching Chinese As A Second Language in 2011, Zhang Yu worked as a book editor about Chinese traditional culture and juvenile reading for 3 years. 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