OneDotDot Chinese · Vocabulary
Newspaper Formal Words
正式用语
Chinese newspapers, official announcements, and formal writing lean on a set of words that rarely show up in everyday speech. Here are over eighty everyday words and phrases lined up against their more formal, written counterparts, each with a full news-style example sentence for context — organized alphabetically by their English meaning, the same way the original reference works. Tap the speaker icon to hear anything read aloud.
Top 10 to Learn First
If you only have time for a handful, start here — these are the pairs you’ll run into constantly.
A–G
English
Formalabsolutely not
→ 决非Experts say this drop in stock prices was absolutely not caused by a single event.
according to
→ 依Police arrested three suspects in accordance with the law.
afraid to
→ 恐The new bill may spark a strong backlash from the business community.
all
→ 均, 皆The leaders of every country attending this summit expressed support for the climate agreement.
a little bit
→ 稍, 偏Affected by rising raw material costs, consumer prices rose slightly this month.
already
→ 已After three years of construction, this cross-sea bridge has officially been completed and opened to traffic.
although
→ 虽Although this bill faced strong opposition from the opposition party, it ultimately still passed in the legislature.
and
→ 并While cutting interest rates, the government also announced a series of new economic-stimulus policies.
and
→ 以及, 与This report points out that a country’s education level is closely linked to its economic development.
and also
→ 且The two sides in the negotiation still haven’t reached consensus — we’ll have to see how things develop next week.
another
→ 另This car accident killed one person on the spot, while another two were sent to the hospital for treatment.
arrive
→ 达Thanks to growth in overseas orders, total exports last month reached a historic high.
about, approximately
→ 大约According to preliminary statistics, the event attracted approximately three thousand participants.
at
→ 于, 位于The leaders of the two countries are expected to hold talks in Geneva, Switzerland, next week.
because
→ 由于Due to days of heavy rain causing flooding in many areas, the event was forced to be postponed.
become
→ 成As more and more people respond, this environmental movement has gradually become a social consensus.
but
→ 但, 可, 然而Official data shows this year’s economic growth rate rose, but the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high.
but not
→ 并非Prosecutors emphasized that this corruption case was not the work of a single official.
by
→ 以The public can pay their utility bills through convenience-store collection, or online by credit card.
by means of
→ 借由, 经由The company hopes to speed up the development of new drugs through international cooperation.
change
→ 更换After its shareholders’ meeting, this listed company announced a change of CEO.
difficult to
→ 难以Because there are too many variables, experts admit the current situation is difficult to predict precisely.
estimate
→ 估According to preliminary investigations, this factory fire is estimated to cause hundreds of millions in losses.
continuously
→ 持续Affected by the drought, this reservoir’s water level has continuously declined for three months.
every, any
→ 凡是, 凡The organizers stated that anyone holding a ticket to this event may enter.
exceed
→ 逾Since this border conflict broke out, the number of casualties has already exceeded one hundred.
first
→ 首This candidate was successfully elected, becoming the city’s first female mayor.
for
→ 为In response to inflation pressure, the government decided to issue living subsidies for low-income households.
former
→ 原Due to major budget cuts, the city government’s originally planned expansion project has been cancelled.
H–S
English
Formalhelp
→ 协助After the earthquake, several countries sent rescue teams to help with the search-and-rescue effort.
how
→ 如何Facing the coming of an aging society, experts are calling on the government to plan early on how to respond.
if
→ 倘若, 若The weather bureau warned that if the typhoon continues to strengthen, it may head straight for eastern Taiwan.
immediately
→ 立即, 即刻, 立马After receiving the report, the fire department immediately dispatched several ambulances to the scene.
inappropriate
→ 不当This official sparked controversy over inappropriate remarks and ultimately announced his resignation.
make
→ 使, 令Soaring raw material prices have caused many daily necessities to rise in price as well.
more
→ 较, 较为Compared to last year, economists are more optimistic about this year’s economic outlook.
mostly
→ 多This poll shows that the majority of respondents support the new policy.
must
→ 须, 务必The health authority reminds inbound travelers that they must comply with the airport’s epidemic quarantine rules.
never
→ 从未Local residents say an area like this has never experienced such severe flooding in decades.
not allow
→ 不得According to the newly revised regulations, businesses are not permitted to sell alcoholic beverages to minors.
not necessarily
→ 未必Experts remind consumers that products labeled organic are not necessarily actually healthier.
no need
→ 不必, 不需Health authorities clarified that this case is an isolated one, and the public need not panic excessively.
not only
→ 非但没Contrary to market expectations, the company’s stock not only didn’t fall after the earnings report, but surged instead.
now
→ 目前The company is currently actively seeking overseas buyers, hoping to turn around its losses.
occasionally
→ 不时Since the territorial dispute remains unresolved, this border area has occasionally seen sporadic conflicts in recent years.
original
→ 本The court ruled that a formal oral argument hearing for this case will be held next month.
once
→ 曾Geologists point out that this fault zone once experienced a magnitude-7 earthquake a century ago.
only
→ 仅According to the latest poll, only about 10 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with the current government.
our
→ 本Following its board resolution, our company announced it will expand its investment scale in overseas markets.
possible or not
→ 可否This highly controversial urban renewal plan is being closely watched by all sectors to see whether it can ultimately be carried out.
really
→ 确实, 的确The latest published statistics do indeed show that export momentum is gradually recovering.
recently
→ 近来Affected by geopolitical tensions, international oil prices have recently seen sharp fluctuations.
seems like
→ 似, 彷彿, 如As the two sides begin a new round of talks, this months-long deadlock seems to be showing signs of a breakthrough.
appears to
→ 看似Judging from the latest published data, inflationary pressure appears to be gradually easing.
should
→ 应Representatives from all countries at the meeting agreed that the international community should work together to address climate change.
show
→ 呈Statistics show that the number of tourists to this city has shown a steady growth trend over the past five years.
so
→ 因此Because raw material supply remains short, manufacturers have had to raise their factory prices.
still
→ 仍然Despite several rounds of negotiations, the two sides still have no consensus on the tariff issue.
still ok
→ 尚可Although the outbreak has warmed up slightly, health authorities say current medical capacity can still cope.
still yet
→ 尚Prosecutors say the identity of the mastermind behind this major fraud case is still being investigated.
suddenly
→ 骤Affected by a strong cold front moving south, temperatures across Taiwan suddenly dropped ten degrees overnight.
T–Z
English
Formalthat
→ 其This new policy has only just taken effect, and its actual impact on the housing market remains to be seen.
that time
→ 届时The organizers say the list of winners will be announced at that time, on the day of the award ceremony.
then
→ 便, 即As soon as the press conference ended, the spokesperson immediately convened an internal emergency meeting.
then
→ 则Negotiators said that if the two sides cannot reach a consensus before the deadline, the talks will then be postponed.
this
→ 此Environmental groups strongly criticized that this move could cause irreversible damage to the surrounding ecosystem.
to
→ 至The organizers announced that this large art exhibition will continue on display until the end of the month.
to
→ 于In response to the wave of public skepticism, the department’s spokesperson responded yesterday.
to be
→ 为According to the weather bureau’s statistics, this heat wave is the most severe in nearly a decade.
unexpectedly
→ 竟After the vote count came out, this candidate who was not expected to win unexpectedly won the election.
unexpectedly
→ 不料The emergency repair work, originally scheduled to finish that day, unexpectedly ran into another pipeline burst.
very
→ 极其, 十分The prosecutor in charge admitted that investigating this cross-border money-laundering case was extremely complex.
very
→ 相当As soon as this newly launched subsidy measure took effect, public response was quite enthusiastic.
wait
→ 待Prosecutors say the key evidence in this cold case still awaits further forensic analysis.
where
→ 何处The scene was chaotic when it happened, and where the vehicle involved fled to is still under investigation.
when
→ 何时The transportation ministry has not yet clearly stated when this new metro line will officially open.
whether or not
→ 能否Whether this public works project, costing billions, can be completed on schedule is being closely watched by all sectors.
whether or not
→ 是否Regarding the rumored merger, the company spokesperson said it would not be appropriate to confirm whether it is true.
will
→ 将After passing its third reading in the legislature, this new law will officially take effect next January.
will
→ 将According to the official schedule, this head of state will attend the forum’s opening ceremony this Friday.
yet
→ 尚未Due to the severity of their injuries, the identities of the two people hurt in this accident have still not been disclosed.
yours
→ 贵To speed up the reimbursement process, please have your company provide the relevant supporting documents by the end of this month.
(object marker)
→ 将In response to the impact of the declining birth rate, the government decided to allocate more budget to education-related items.
Test Yourself
Pick the formal word that completes each news sentence.
政府在调降利率的同时，＿＿＿宣布一系列振兴经济的新政策。
While cutting interest rates, the government ___ announced a series of new economic-stimulus policies.
由于连日豪雨导致多处淹水，这场活动＿＿＿延期举行。
Due to days of heavy rain causing flooding in many areas, the event ___ was postponed.
官方数据显示，今年经济成长率提高，＿＿＿失业率依然居高不下。
Official data shows economic growth rose this year, ___ unemployment remains high.
这位候选人成功当选，成为该市＿＿＿位女性市长。
This candidate was elected, becoming the city’s ___ female mayor.
该公司股价在财报公布后非但没下跌，＿＿＿大涨。
The company’s stock not only didn’t fall after the earnings report, but ___ surged instead.
该公司＿＿＿积极寻求海外买家，盼挽救亏损局面。
The company is ___ actively seeking overseas buyers, hoping to turn around its losses.
这项耗资百亿的公共工程＿＿＿如期完工，各界都在密切关注。
Whether this public works project can be completed on schedule ___ is being closely watched by all.
从最新公布的数据来看，通胀压力＿＿＿已逐渐趋缓。
Judging from the latest published data, inflationary pressure ___ gradually easing.
＿＿＿连日豪雨导致多处淹水，这场活动被迫延期举行。
___ days of heavy rain caused flooding in many areas, the event was forced to be postponed.
经过三年施工，这座跨海大桥＿＿＿正式完工通车。
After three years of construction, this cross-sea bridge has ___ officially been completed and opened to traffic.
这起边境冲突爆发至今，伤亡人数已＿＿＿百人。
Since this border conflict broke out, the number of casualties has already ___ one hundred.
根据最新民调，＿＿＿有一成左右的受访者对现任政府表示满意。
According to the latest poll, ___ about 10 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with the current government.
环保团体强烈批评，＿＿＿举恐将对周边生态造成不可逆的破坏。
Environmental groups strongly criticized that ___ move could cause irreversible damage to the surrounding ecosystem.
立法院三读通过后，这项新法＿＿＿于明年一月正式上路。
After passing its third reading in the legislature, this new law ___ officially take effect next January.
疾管署提醒，入境旅客＿＿＿配合机场的防疫检疫规定。
The health authority reminds inbound travelers that they ___ comply with the airport’s epidemic quarantine rules.
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