Today, let's take a look at heteronyms (The word that has the same spelling but different pronunciations and meaning.) and get to know them in a somewhat rhythmic way. Before we start, I want to remind you that the ones listed below are the more commonly used ones, so there might be fewer here than what you would find in a dictionary.
草率的率是效率的率
ㄕㄨㄞˋ(shuài)
- n. Role model / Example = 表率
- 身為老師，你應該是學生的表率，但你竟然偷吃我的布丁！
As a teacher, you should be a role model for your students, but I can't believe you ate my pudding! - v. To lead / To command = 率領
- 表姊率領了一眾友人，聲勢浩大的出門，應該不是要去抓姦吧？
My cousin led a large group of friends out the door with a formidable and imposing presence. They aren't going out to catch a cheating partner, are they? - "聲勢浩大" signifies that the resulting sound is incredibly loud and that the force displayed is awe-inspiring. Together, these qualities represent a formidable and impressive energy.
- adj. Careless / Hasty = 草率的
- 在了解所有事情前，請不要草率的做出決定。
Please do not make a hasty decision before knowing all the facts. - adj. Frank / Straightforward = 直率的
- 我很欣賞她直率的個性。
I really appreciate her straightforward personality.
ㄌㄩˋ(lǜ)
- n. The ratio of the effort exerted to the effect achieved.
- 他辦事有效率，深得上司讚賞。
He works efficiently and is highly appreciated by his boss. - 平均速率的計算公式為：平均速率等於總路徑長除以總時間。
The formula for average speed is: average speed equals total distance divided by total time.
肩膀的膀是膀胱的膀
The 部首(radical) of "膀" is ⺼ (meat), not 月 (moon). You can check the link below to learn more. Most characters with this 部首 are related to body parts.
ㄅㄤˇ(bǎng)
- The part of the human body between the shoulder and the elbow.
- 在電腦前面坐太久，我的肩膀好僵硬啊。
My shoulders are really stiff from sitting at the computer for too long. - The wings of birds or poultry. = 翅膀
- 聽說老鷹在教小鷹飛翔時，會一翅膀把小鷹拍下懸崖，不知道是不是真的。I've heard that when eagles teach their young to fly, they knock them off a cliff with one smack of their wing. I wonder if that's actually true.
- The upper part of a pig's hind leg. = 蹄膀。
Be careful, as this word is often mispronounced as "tí páng." - 我阿姨和我媽每年都在吵誰滷的蹄膀比較好吃。明明都是同一個媽教的。
My aunt and my mom argue every year over whose braised pork hock tastes better. They were all taught by the same mom! - 明明：It means "obviously" or "clearly." However, we use it when an undeniable fact completely contradicts the current situation. It adds a tone of frustration, disbelief, or irony, as if to say, "It's an obvious fact that... yet..." So, in this context, the obvious fact is that they were taught by the same mom, which means their recipe is the same, and I think it's ridiculous that they argue about it.
- 明明沒看過他讀書，怎麼每次考試他都拿滿分？
He obviously didn't study at all, so how does he get a perfect score on every test? - 我明明說過我不喜歡吃茄子，我媽媽卻堅持那是我的最愛。
I clearly told my mom I don't like eggplant, yet she insists it's my absolute favorite.
ㄆㄤˊ(páng)
- Only one word uses this pronunciation: "膀胱" (bladder): The organ in the urinary system that stores urine.
- 如果你一直憋尿，對膀胱可能不太好喔。
If you keep holding your urine, it might be bad for your bladder.
茄子的茄是雪茄的茄
ㄑㄧㄝˊ(qié) 茄子 = Eggplant
ㄐㄧㄚ(jiā) 雪茄 = cigar
I've heard that in the 江南(Jiangnan) region, "茄" is often pronounced as "jiā". So, originally, both pronunciations referred to the exact same thing: eggplant. However, in Taiwan today, these two pronunciations refer to completely different things: "ㄑㄧㄝˊ(qié)" is for eggplant, and "ㄐㄧㄚ(jiā)" is for cigar.
- 聽說雪茄之所以叫雪茄是因為"燃灰白如雪，煙草捲如茄"。所以音譯時就使用"茄"這個字。但我覺得兩者的形狀一點都不像！
I've heard that cigars are called "xuějiā" because "the burning ash is as white as snow(雪), and the tobacco is rolled like an eggplant(茄)." So, the character "茄" was used for the phonetic translation. But honestly, I don't think their shapes look anything alike!
牛仔的仔是仔細的仔
ㄗㄞˇ(zǎi)
- Young or small: Such as "豬仔", which means a small pig or piglet.
- 看農場裡那些胖嘟嘟的豬仔，真的好可愛噢！
Look at those chubby piglets on the farm; they are so adorable!
ㄗˇ(zǐ)
- Careful or meticulous: As in "仔細".
- 他仔細檢查每個實驗步驟，試圖找出哪裡有錯誤。
He carefully checked every step of the experiment, trying to figure out what went wrong.
牛仔 cowboy & 牛仔褲 jeans
According to the Ministry of Education's dictionary, the official pronunciation for the term is actually "ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄗˇ(niú zǐ)" However, most of the time, you will hear Taiwanese people pronounce it as "ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄗㄞˇ(niú zǎi)".
- 牛仔穿的褲子就叫牛仔褲。The pants that cowboys wear are simply called "cowboy jeans."
行業的行是行走的行
ㄒㄧㄥˊ(xíng)
- To walk: People who walk on the street are called "行人" (pedestrians).
- 行人穿越道又叫做斑馬線。
A pedestrian crosswalk is also known as a zebra crossing. - To do / To commit:
- There is an ancient saying: "多行不義必自斃". It means if you commit too many bad deeds, you will inevitably bring destruction upon yourself.
- To implement: Such as 執行
- 這個計劃很完美，只是可行性不高。
The plan is ideal in theory, but it's hard to implement. - A worthwhile experience: such as "不虛此行"describes a trip, visit, or experience that was highly worthwhile, meaning no time or energy was wasted.
- 單是能見識到這片風景就已經不虛此行了。
Just being able to see this scenery makes the whole trip worthwhile. - \Capable / Competent:
- 他在這方面很行，這件事情交給他不會出問題的。
He is really good at this; there won't be any problems if we leave this matter to him. - Behavior / Conduct: Such as "行為" (behavior).
- 媽媽對著2歲的寶寶說：「這個行為壞壞！不可以！」
The mother said to her 2-year-old toddler, "That is bad behavior! No!"
ㄏㄤˊ(háng)
- Row / Line: A horizontal line reading from right to left is called a "行"
- 他留下了一行字就離開家，從此杳無音訊。
He left a line of words and left home, and has never been heard from since. - 杳無音訊 means having absolutely no news. It describes a situation where all communication is cut off, and you have no way of knowing the other person's condition. It's commonly used when someone goes missing or an event has no follow-up updates.
- Seniority among siblings: Such as "排行".
- 聽說排行老大的女生都很愛管人！
I've heard that eldest daughters love to boss people around! - Business firm / Institution: Such as "銀行" (bank) or "商行" (merchant shop).
- 新北市的老街巷弄裡，隱藏著一家傳承三代的茶葉商行，保留了最傳統的烘焙技術。
Hidden in the alleys of an old street in New Taipei City is a third-generation tea merchant shop that has preserved the most traditional roasting techniques. - Profession / Industry: 行業 (a type of business)
- 行行出狀元 Every profession produces its own top expert.
- 三句話不離本行: Someone who can't speak three sentences without "talking shop" (talking about their own profession).
I hope you found this useful! To master these words, make sure to check out the video above for native audio examples. Happy learning!
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