In order to help foreign students understand the meaning and usage of Chinese colloquial idioms, give concise explanations and examples here.

A Course in Chinese Colloquial Idioms

Today I'm going to talk about wearing a face mask in Japan. The Japan government has announced that people can decide by themselves if they wear or not face masks since March 13th, 2023.  Yes, we don't need wear face masks if we want!  However, I found a lot of people have worn their face masks even when they are outside. Why we, Japanese doesn't take off our face masks?
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「マスク、はずしてもいい？」
2023年3月13日月曜日　コロナの緊急事態宣言から2年9か月ぶりに　マスク着用が自由になりました。　つまり、部屋の中でも　外でも、「個人の判断」で　マスクを付けるか付けないかを決められるようになったのです。
「マスク緩和」の宣言がされてから2週間が過ぎましたが、町を歩く人の多くはマスクをしています。コロナが心配というよりは、花粉が多い季節だからかもしれません。私の知り合いも、暖かくなって空気中に飛んでいる花粉の量が多いから、マスクを外せないと言っています。マスクをしていないと、くしゃみ、鼻水がひどくて、仕事どころじゃないそうです。　でも、電車やスーパーマーケットなど人が集まりやすい場所では、ほとんど全員がマスクをしています。　そんなにたくさんの人が花粉症なわけはないので、どうやら花粉だけがマスクをしている理由でもないようです。　
日本人は他の人と違うことをして目立ちたくないと考える人が多いことが、マスクを外さない一番の理由かもしれません。周りの様子を観察して、マスクをしている人が多ければ、自分もしておこうと考えるのだと思います。　みんなと違うことをしていると、何か間違ったことをしてしまったような感覚になってしまうのでしょう。　これから夏に向かって気温が上がって暑くなれば、マスクを外す人も増えてくると思います。そうなれば、マスクをしない人がどんどん増えていくのではないかと思っています。
でも、女の人はマスクを使い続けるかもしれません。　コロナ前のことですが、日常的にマスクをしている人になぜマスクをしているのかという理由を尋ねているテレビ番組を見たことがあります。　その番組では若い女性にマスクをしている人が多いと言っていました。　顔を見せるのが恥ずかしいからマスクで隠していると答えていた人もいました。また、マスクには顔を小さく見せる効果があるので、マスクをしているという人もいました。マスクで自分の顔の欠点を隠したいということでしょうか。　あるいは、すべてを見せない、「隠す」ことに日本人が美意識を感じているからかもしれません。もともとマスクをすることに抵抗がなかった日本人。　まだまだ、マスクを付ける人は減りそうにありませんね。
今日は　マスクについてお話ししました。


やさしい日本語（にほんご）

マスクをはずしてもいい？　”No need wearing face masks？”

¿Has escuchado a alguien alguna vez decir algo como "tengo la ilusión de..."? Vamos a hablar de esto porque puede ser que lo estés malinterpretando.

Curiosidades sobre el español y su cultura

La palabra "ilusión"

In this episode I talk the world's top 4 spoken languages and the international 普通话.
Take an English Lesson with Carl
https://italki.com/teacher/1947582

Streetwise English

SWE 137 Top 4 languages in the world

In this episode, we explore the subtle but important difference between the Italian verbs "parlare" and "dire". While both verbs can be translated as "to speak" or "to say", they have distinct meanings and usage.

Italiano Chiaro Grammatica

Difference between Parlare and Dire

Los ácidos grasos son esenciales para el buen funcionamiento del cuerpo humano.

VIDA SANA EN ESPAÑOL

ÁCIDOS GRASOS ESENCIALES

In this episode we discuss language related to making a good first impression when you start a new job. Best for intermediate students!

New English US

Business English: How to make a good first impression at work (B1: intermediate)


The boardroom. A crucial client meeting. A high-stakes sales call. These scenarios demand clear and confident communication. Here are five best practices to elevate your language and project unwavering self-belief:

Power Verbs:  Replace wishy-washy verbs with action-oriented ones. Instead of saying, "We could explore this new marketing strategy," say, "We will implement this data-driven strategy to boost brand awareness by 20%." This injects decisiveness and ownership into your message.

Be Specific:  Unspecific claims lack impact.  Instead of "Our product is the best," showcase its strengths with data. Say, "Our software boasts a 98% customer satisfaction rate and a 25% reduction in processing time compared to competitors." Specifics build trust and credibility.

Direct Address: Engage your audience directly. Ditch phrases like "I think" or "in my opinion." Say, "We can deliver this project on time and within budget." This conveys authority and ownership of your ideas.

Positive Framing: Focus on the strengths of your solutions.  Instead of, "This plan might have a tight deadline," say, "This fast-track approach allows for agility and capitalizes on current market trends." Highlighting positives reassures and motivates your audience.

Conciseness is Key: Eliminate unnecessary words and filler phrases.  Instead of, "We believe that this approach might be a good way to proceed," say, "We propose this solution to achieve optimal results." Concise communication delivers a clear message and maximizes impact.

I use confident language every day with my clients. I also use it with family, friends and any chance I get. Many of us use language that is unclear or passive habitually, without intent or purpose. 

One of the first habits I work on with my clients is the overuse of - I think, maybe, and I don't know. 

Start being aware of the phrases that you use, especially at the beginning and end of your sentences. 


The Global Professional Podcast

The 5 Best Practices of Confident Language - EP 31

Você sabe como pluralizar as palavras compostas? Bom, neste episódio demonstraremos as regras a fim de que você possa entendê-las e utilizá-las.

No português, palavras compostas podem vir de diferentes classes gramáticas, ou seja, na palavra composta podemos encontrar um substantivo e um adjetivo, dois substantivos, um verbo e um adjetivo, um verbo e um substantivo, como também preposições entre as palavras. E cada forma, possui uma regrinha diferente, vamos observá-las? 

Primeiramente, verifiquemos as palavras consideradas variáveis e invariáveis, as variáveis são aquelas que mudam de acordo com o gênero, número e grau, como: Substantivo, Artigo, Adjetivo, Numeral, Pronome e Verbo. As invariáveis não mudam, como: Advérbio, Preposição, Conjunção e Interjeição.

Basicamente, quando se pluraliza as duas palavras: substantivo + substantivo (país-membro/países-membros), numeral + substantivo (segunda-feira/segundas-ferias) e adjetivo + substantivo (gentil-homem/gentis-homens), substantivo + adjetivo (onça-pintada/onças-pintadas) pois todas são variáveis.

Palavras compostas ligados por preposição, apenas a primeira se pluraliza, a segunda é se torna invariável: Pé de moleque - Pés de moleque (um doce feito de amendoim) 
Cara de pau - Caras de pau (que é uma expressão para identificar uma pessoa sem nenhuma vergonha). O pão de queijo - pães de queijo e O por do sol - pores do sol. Acesse para continuar com a transcrição: https://obrasileirissimo.wordpress.com/2023/12/04/os-plurais-das-palavras-compostas/


