Search from various English teachers...
Yuan
Today, I just want to talk about a concept of “formal/informal” in Chinese, similar to the English meaning of it. Before I learn English which checking every word of formal or informal, I have not realized enough the concept actually exists in my first language as well, Chinese popular dictionary does not give the certain terms labels, doesn’t sort them out. In Chinese, formal words mean accurate and brief, so they are seen in writing, official speeches. However, If a person speaks with formal words in casual conversations, they will be perceived as arrogant and showing off their literary knowledge. We love formal words but hate them on the other hand, and that led to a revolution in literature approximately one hundred years ago, inform language, which considered to be wordy spoken language, have begun appearing in the places where formal language used to be. One more interesting thing is, some then-formal words are outdated whereas some then-informal words are formal these days, I suppose it’s a result of language development.
Feb 20, 2026 7:48 AM
Yuan
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English, Spanish
Learning Language
English, Spanish
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