Hi there readers!

Today, let’s take a closer look at some of the recent BYKI words featured on the Twitter feed.

自己 (zi4ji3) is defined as meaning “self,” but that’s not the only way it’s used. Take the example below.

这是你自己想要的  - This is what YOU wanted.  Note that in the translation, there’s nothing like “you yourself.” It’s closer to “YOU’RE the one who wanted this.”  Alternatively you could use 你才想要这个. (It was you who wanted this).
一会儿 (yi(2)4hui4(3)r) Pronunciation note here-, it’s not like “hui-er ” in pronunciation.  In practice, the combination of the two words sounds like the English word “were” with an “h” in front. Also, the tone can vary.  Some will pronounce huier with a second tone, while others use the fourth tone.
马路(ma3lu4) is defined as meaning “street.” - although it can mean “street,” bear in mind that it can be like “road” as well.  The word 街 (jie1) is also used to refer to streets. There is an idiom which means “in the streets and alleys” -  街头港尾 - jie1tou2gang2(3)wei3.
爱(ai4) is defined as meaning “to love”.  It is important to note here that “love” is not used in exactly the same way in Mandarin as it is in English.  If you see a piece of clothing you want to buy, you wouldn’t say “I love that!”  Love is usually used between people and to describe someone’s fondness of doing something.  For example:

我不爱吃汉堡.  - I don’t love eating hamburgers.         This can be taken as “I don’t like hamburgers” as interpreted by an English speaker.