· Your current location: Home  >  Explore Shanghai  >  Special coverage

'Local lingo: Express yourself!' Episode 41: 拎不清 (Lin Bu Qing)

Thursday, 14 December 2023 16:24:00

Language is the road map of a culture.

In this column, we will invite expats to introduce their favorite Chinese words, phrases, idioms, poems and more in a one-minute video. We hope this will serve as a window through which you can better understand Chinese culture, mindset and wit.

"拎不清" (līn bù qīng) is a commonly used slang term in colloquial speech in Eastern China that is derived from the Shanghai dialect. Typically, this term is used to describe situations when someone is unable to distinguish between right and wrong or when something is complex and not easily comprehensible. Let's check out how Ben Saltzman, from America, uses this phrase.

Share with us the Chinese proverbs that you think are timeless. Please contact juliezhu@shanghaidaily.com.

Edited by Wang Xinzhou. Reported by Wu Huixin. Subtitles by Wang Xinzhou.

'Local lingo: Express yourself!' Episode 41: 拎不清 (Lin Bu Qing)
Li Yi / SHINE