English Expressions with Chinese Logic
Explore the fascinating intersection of languages where literal translations create new, often poetic, English phrases.
Chinglish refers to English expressions influenced by Chinese grammar and idioms.
Some have become widely accepted, while others remain delightfully confusing. We document these linguistic gems where cultures collide.
Most popular phrases
Fresh from the streets and internet
你问我,我问谁? - How would I know?
Used when someone expects you to know something you couldn't possibly know.
Read Full Story →开门见山 - Get straight to the point
A direct translation of the idiom meaning to speak frankly without preamble.
Read Full Story →马马虎虎 - So-so, careless
Often used to describe average quality or careless work.
Read Full Story → "Long time no see" first appeared in English literature in 1900
It was used in W.F. Drannan's "Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains".
"Add oil" (加油) was added to Oxford English Dictionary in 2018
Recognized as a Hong Kong English expression expressing encouragement.
Chinglish reflects how 1.4 billion people think in English
It's not just "broken English", but a new dialect forming in real-time.
Help us grow this collection by submitting phrases you've encountered in the wild.
Chinglish Hub
