What Should You Say Next? Send a Legendary Reply!

The first word is "神 (shén)." This word typically means "god," but in some cases can be used to mean smart or funny. The second word is "回复 (huífù)." This word means "to reply" to someone. So together "神回复 (shén huífù)" means to give a godly reply to someone's question.

A: Nǐ wèishénme zhème hēi?
A: 你 为什么 这么 黑？
A: Why is your skin so tan?

B: Yīnwèi wǒ bù xiǎng bái huó yíbèizi.
B: 因为 我 不 想 白 活 一辈子。
B: Because I don't want to waste my life.

In this example, the character "黑 (hēi)" is an adjective which means black or tan and the character "白 (bái)" can be used as an adjective or as an adverb. In its adjective form it describes something that is the color white. But, as an adverb it describes something that is...Read more

Chǔguó yǒu gè guìzú.
楚国 有 个 贵族。
During Chu dynasty, there was an aristocrat.

Jì guò zǔzong yǐhòu, tā bǎ yì hú jìjiǔ shǎng gěi bāngmáng de púrén.
祭 过 祖宗 以后，他 把 一 壶 祭酒 赏 给 帮忙 的 仆人。
After worshiping the ancestors (on one day), he gave a jug of libation to the servants who helped him.

Púrén shāngliang shuō:
仆人 商量 说:
"Wǒmen dōu lái huà shé, shuí xiān huà hǎo, shuí jiù hē zhè hú jiǔ."
"我们 都 来 画 蛇， 谁 先 画 好， 谁 就 喝 这 壶 酒。"
The servants discussed among them and said: "Every servant would draw a snake on the ground. The man who finished first would drink the wine."

Yǒu yí gè rén hěn kuài bǎ shé huà hǎo le.
有 一 个 人 很 快 把 蛇 画 好 了。
One man finished very quickly.

Tā duān qǐ jiǔhú zhèng yào hē, kàndào biérén hái zài máng zhe huà shé,
他 端 起 酒壶 正 要 喝，看到 别人 还 在 忙 着 画 蛇，
jiù déyì de shuō: "Wǒ nénggòu zài gěi shé tiān shàng jǐ zhī jiǎo ne!"
就 得意 地 说：" 我 能够 再 给 蛇 添 上 几 只 脚 呢！"
He was about to drink the wine. However, when he saw others were still busy drawing, he said in triumph: "I can add feet to my snake."

Read the whole story

Dialogue:

A: Nǐ zài huà shénme ne?
A: 你 在 画 什么 呢？
A: What are you drawing?

B: Wǒ zài huà nà zhī māo.
B: 我 在 画 那 只 猫。
B: I'm drawing that cat.

You may be interested in more Chinese Idioms related to the Chinese Zodiacs:

Chinese idiom: 亡羊补牢 It's never too late to take action (Beginner)

Chinese idiom: It is neither a horse nor a tiger. But what is it?

Why 2016 makes an ancient Chinese idiom contradict itself?