Teacher Liu, yesterday when I was watching a palace drama, I heard a concubine say to another, ‘Aren’t you doing pretty well?’ But her tone sounded very angry. What does that mean?

That’s sarcasm in Chinese! On the surface it sounds like praise—‘you’re doing well’—but in fact it’s ironic and expresses disappointment. It really means, ‘I thought you were a good person, how could you do something like this?’

Wow, that’s so subtle! No wonder sometimes I can’t understand what my Chinese friends are really saying. Are there other similar expressions?

There are many! For example, ‘I almost believed you.’ Literally it means ‘I was about to believe it,’ but in reality it means ‘I don’t believe you at all.’ This kind of sarcasm makes criticism more humorous and less direct.

I see! Then how can I tell whether someone is being sarcastic?

The key is to pay attention to tone, facial expression, and context. If the tone sounds ironic or disappointed and the expression is serious, it’s likely sarcasm. You also need to judge it based on the situation.

It really takes a lot of practice to master this. Chinese expressions are truly profound!

Exactly! Sarcasm and indirect expressions are part of the charm of Chinese. They add layers and subtlety to the language. Once you understand them, you’ll appreciate the finesse of Chinese conversations much more deeply.