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Daily Chinese Expressions (Beginner)
Are You a Trend-Follower or a Trend-Bender?
The Easy Way to Learn Chinese – Who's Very “潮 (Cháo) Fashionable?”
The basic use of “潮(cháo)” is a noun which refers to tides or tidal waves, such as in the phrases “潮汐 (cháo xī) morning and evening tides” and “潮水（cháo shuǐ）the tide.”
Example:
Zài Zhōngguó, měi nián bā yuè hěn duō rén dōu huì qù Qiántángjiāng guān cháo.
在 中国， 每 年 八 月 很 多 人 都 会 去 钱塘江 观 潮。
Every August in China, crowds of people go to watch the tide at the Qiantang River.
在 中国， 每 年 八 月 很 多 人 都 会 去 钱塘江 观 潮。
Every August in China, crowds of people go to watch the tide at the Qiantang River.
Beside this usage, the phrase has been used to express the tide or trends of society, such as in the phrase “潮流 (cháoliú).”
Example:
Xiāngnài’er zǒng shì néng yǐnlǐng shíshàng cháoliú.
香奈儿 总 是 能 引领 时尚 潮流。
Chanel is always setting the fashion trends.
香奈儿 总 是 能 引领 时尚 潮流。
Chanel is always setting the fashion trends.
There are many people who are “跟随潮流的人 (gēnsuí cháoliú de rén)” trend-followers. In contrast, there are some people who are “反潮族 (fǎn cháo zú) trend-bender,” which refers to a group of people whose life habits and behaviors go against the grain to bring back vintage styles and trends. They’re often well-educated individuals with fine jobs and considerable incomes. Although they are able to purchase a car, but they insist on using a bicycle; they prefer to communicate with friends by hand-written letters instead of E-mail; they like reading hard copies instead of e-books, and so on.
Recently, 潮 (cháo) has taken on a different usage (as an adjective). It is frequently used by people born in the 80s’ and 90’s to mean fashionable or in fashion, such as in the following phrases: 潮人 (cháo rén) trendsetter, 潮文 (cháo wén) the popular online post, 潮男潮女 (cháo nán cháo nǚ) fashionable boys and girls and 潮到爆 (cháo dào bào) extremely fashionable.
Example:
Lady Gaga hǎo cháo a!
Lady Gaga 好 潮 啊！
Lady Gaga is so stylish!
Lady Gaga 好 潮 啊！
Lady Gaga is so stylish!
Discussion
I have learned Survival Chinese courses here for a week and noticed that in Lesson 4 of the Survival Chinese course there is the measure word "个." The usage of this is not very clear to me? Could you explain it? Thanks!
- Tina
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