Top 3 Chengyus to Describe FluentU Launch

If you are currently reading this, no doubt you have already signed up for FluentU beta (and if not, then stop reading and go!)

After months of humbly blogging away while quietly designing and building our buttery-smooth video engine featuring the web’s best authentic Chinese content, it has been a hectic few weeks welcoming hundreds of new users, while happily reading the awesome feedback pouring in from around the web.

Staying true to our Chinese-geek roots, amid all the excitement, we couldn’t help but think of the perfect chengyus to describe our current status. As always, we found three we think aptly capture our recent emotions.

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1. 别出心裁 (bié chū xīn cái) — Original Approach

Chengyu components:

别 (bié) — other, another
出 (chū) — out, come out
心裁 (xīn cái) — idea, conception

This idiom means to take an original, unique approach when tackling a problem. It has artistic connotations, emphasizing creativity and originality. To depart from established practice when approaching a problem, somebody who 别出心裁 will find an ingenious method or solution.

As many of our users have noted, the very simple, yet profound idea of using fun, authentic Chinese content as the foundation for studying Chinese is quite original!

Example A:

索尼爱立信的手机向来在外形设计上别出心裁，其独特的时尚气质大受年轻人的欢迎。

(suǒ ní ài lì xìn de shǒu jī xiàng lái zài wài xíng shè jì shàng bié chū xīn cái, qí dú tè de shí shàng qì zhí dà shòu nián qīng rén de huān yíng.)

Sony Ericsson phones have always used an original approach in their design, their unique and fashionable style has been popular with the youth.

Example B:

师生别出心裁用英语唱秦腔 外国人都能听懂。

(shī shēng bié chū xīn cái yòng yīng yǔ chàng qín qiāng wài guó rén dōu néng tīng dǒng.)

Teacher and students take an original approach, sing Shaanxi Opera in English, foreigners can understand.

2. 冰山一角 (bīng shān yī jiǎo) — Tip of the Iceberg

Chengyu components:

冰山 (bīng shān) — iceberg
一角 (yī jiǎo) — one corner, a corner of

This idiom (or 俗语 — sú yǔ — saying) can be directly translated as “tip of the iceberg.” As in English, this means to have only a small part of a larger whole showing, indicating there is much more to be discovered.

With so many more features to introduce—from SRS vocab review, more intuitive video recommendations, to hyper-personalized learning experiences—we’re just getting started. It starts with providing the best video-based Chinese learning experience, but the possibilities for this concept are great! This is just the beginning.

Example A:

“北大丑闻”只是冰山一角？

(“běi dà chǒu wén” zhǐ shì bīng shān yī jiǎo?)

Could this “Beijing University scandal” just be the tip of the iceberg?

Example B:

对于深圳楼市未来庞大的旧改项目而言，这还只是冰山一角？

(duì yú shēn zhèn lóu shì wèi lái páng dà de jiù gǎi xiàng mù ér yán, zhè hái zhǐ shì bīng shān yī jiǎo?)

As for this Shenzhen property market redevelopment project, is this only the tip of the iceberg?

3. 拭目以待 (shì mù yǐ dài) — To Eaglery Await the Result

Chengyu components:

拭 (shì) — wipe
目 (mù) — eyes
以 (yǐ) — preposition meaning “so,” “in order to”
待 (dài) — wait, stay

Ok, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s try a more modest one. Literally to “rub eyes and wait,” this chengyu means to “eagerly await the result.” Although we are off to a good start, FluentU is still a brand-new product from a new, ambitious team.

Perhaps you are still a bit skeptical and don’t want to try a new product quite yet, and would rather give us some more time to prove ourselves before trying it out. Great! If this is your attitude, you can say you prefer not to 趋新求异 (qū xīn qiú yì — pursue that which is new and different), but would rather 拭目以待.

Example A:

拭目以待：2015年白光LED成本降低80%。

(shì mù yǐ dài: 2015 nián bái guāng LED chéng běn jiàng dī 80%.)

Worth looking forward to: By 2015, the costs of LED technology will decrease by 80%

Example B:

拭目以待 2012第七届山东工业装备展即将登场。

(shì mù yǐ dài 2012 dì qī jiè shān dōng gōng yè zhuāng bèi zhǎn jí jiāng dēng chǎng.)

Looking forward to the 2012 7th Shandong Industrial Equipment Exhibition’s coming debut.

 

Thanks for celebrating FluentU’s launch with us! With these three chengyus, you can now better express your feelings toward certain events or experiences.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)