Chapter 1, Lesson 5: Otaku (Grammar)

Question 1

囊括 vs. 包括

Answer 1

囊括 (to encompass)
Means to encompass or include everything within a certain range; it emphasizes completeness or comprehensiveness. Suggests covering “everything” or being all-encompassing.

包括 (to include)
Means to include or consist of certain parts but does not necessarily imply all parts are included. More neutral, does not emphasize totality.

Question 2

忠诚 vs. 忠实

Answer 2

忠诚 (loyal)
Refers to deep loyalty to a person, organization, or belief, often tied to emotional and moral devotion. Focuses on emotional commitment and moral obligation.

忠实 (faithful)
Refers to being reliable, truthful, and adhering to duties or facts; can also mean “faithful to the original” (e.g., a translation). Refers to being reliable, truthful, and adhering to duties or facts; can also mean “faithful to the original” (e.g., a translation).

Question 3

固然 vs. 虽然

Answer 3

固然 (indeed, admittedly)
Acknowledges a fact while introducing a contrasting or more important point, often meaning “admittedly… but…”. Conveys agreement but qualifies it with a condition or limitation.

虽然 (although)
Indicates a contrast between two facts, typically used to introduce a subordinate clause that contradicts the main clause, meaning “although”. Neutral, focuses on contrasting ideas.

Question 4

脱离 vs. 离开

Answer 4

脱离 (to break away from)
Emphasizes breaking free from something undesirable or a constraint, often voluntarily. Implies liberation or escape from a negative situation.

离开 (to leave)
Simply means to leave a place or situation, more neutral. Can refer to physical places or abstract contexts without the connotation of escape.

Question 5

得到/受到/备受…..（的）青睐

Answer 5

‘to gain popularity, favour or approval from…’

This pattern is often used in a formal context. 青睐 literally means ‘(to gaze on with) darken eyeball’, implying ‘to fix one’s gaze on’. This sentence structure can also appear as the phrase 备受青睐, in which case the agent of 青睐 can either exist elsewhere in the sentence or in a previous context.

i.e.
黑色晚装一直备受好莱坞明星青睐，是他们走红地毯时的首选。
Or
好莱坞明星们走红地毯时，黑色的晚装总是备受青睐。Black evening wear is always a popular choice for Hollywood stars when walking down the red carpet.

Question 6

和/ 与…密不可分

Answer 6

‘inseparable from…; inextricably linked with…; depend on each other’

i.e. 这部电影的成功与导演的才能密不可分。The success of this film is inextricably linked to the director’s talent.

Question 7

对…持…态度

Answer 7

‘hold a…attitude towards…’

This structure describes the attitude one holds towards a subject or person, e.g. 支持 ‘supportive’, 反对 ‘against’, 欢迎 ‘welcoming’. In this structure, 对 means ‘towards’ and is followed by the subject matter or person which one has an opinion on. 持 is a formal way of saying ‘to have opinions or beliefs’. 持 can also be used as a verb on its own, meaning 握 ‘to grasp’ and 拿 ‘to hold’, e.g. 持枪, 持刀.

i.e. 政府应该对垃圾回收持支持的态度。The government should hold a supportive attitude towards waste recycling.

Question 8

在…的同时,…

Answer 8

‘while / whilst …’

同时 means ‘at the same time’. This sentence pattern describes two incidents occurring simultaneously with slightly more emphasis on the latter event. This sentence pattern can also be used for transition, linking previous arguments to a new one.

i.e. 社交媒体在改善人们沟通方式的同时也带来了一些挑战。Social media has brought some challenges whilst also improving the way people communicate.

Question 9

和/跟/与…接轨

Answer 9

‘to connect or integrate with; to be in step with; to bring in line with; to align’

接轨 literally means ‘to join rail tracks’ or 连接铁轨. However, the phrase is more commonly known for its extended meaning, which is to bring a system, standard or concept in line with another, in order to integrate or connect the two.

i.e. 由于医学理论互不兼容，传统的中医药很难与西药接轨。It is difficult for traditional Chinese medicine to integrate with western medicine because of their incompatible theories of medicine.