I bought this bag so it could protect delicate clothing that I throw into the washing machine. Now its packaging says I should wash and protect the bag!?
This syntax is common in Chinese people’s translation of English sentences or phrases. I think it has largely to do with the fact that the noun and verb forms of many Chinese words are similar. The verb “wash,” for instance, xidi; the noun ashing” (as in the process of washing) is alsoxidi. The verb “protect” and its noun form “protection” are bbaohu.
When you go to Chinese-English dictionaries, the first translation you get for a Chinese verb/noun is its English verb, hence the request for me to “preserve” my purchase.The bag is called different things: wash bag, washing bag, mesh wash bag, laundry wash bag, lingerie bag, mesh lingerie bag ... No wonder the Chinese manufacturer chose the simpler “wash and protect the bag.
Blacklist
This is a column of words or phrases commonly misused by Chinese speakers. If you’re planning to be an English teacher, reporter or employee of a multinational company, then watch out for this page each week
1. It’s no accident
Professor Zhu Shida (ZS): “Accident” is a noun that means something that happened by chance and resulted in damage or loss. You cannot say, It’s no accident; you need to use the adjectivorm “accidental,” which means something unplanned, unexpected. “It’s not accidental.” Similarly, you cannot say, It’s no surprise that he is late for the meeting; you have to say, It’s not surprising that he is lathe meeting.
