Flowers of Shanghai

Flowers of Shanghai 1998

海上花 hǎishàng huā

At the end of the 19th century, Shanghai is divided into several foreign concessions. In the British concession, a number of luxurious “flower houses” are reserved for the male elite of the city. Since Chinese dignitaries are not allowed to frequent brothels, these establishments are the only ones that these men can visit. They form a self-contained world, with its own rites, traditions and even its own language. The men don’t only visit the houses to frequent the courtesans but also to dine, smoke opium, play mahjong and relax. The women working there are known as the “flowers of Shanghai”.

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4.02 Intermediate

Vocabulary

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不想 不想 bù xiǎng unexpectedly; to one's surprise ∼HSK 1
这种 這種 zhè zhǒng this kind of ∼HSK 1
一次 一次 yī cì first; first time; once; (math.) linear (of degree one) ∼HSK 1
打瞌睡 打瞌睡 dǎ kē shuì to doze off ∼HSK 1
没了 沒了 méi le to be dead; not to be, or cease to exist ∼HSK 1
日没 日沒 rì mò sunset; sundown ∼HSK 1
想来 想來 xiǎng lái it may be assumed that ∼HSK 1
好玩 好玩 hǎo wán amusing; fun; interesting ∼HSK 1
看一看 看一看 kàn yī kàn to have a look ∼HSK 1
早起 早起 zǎo qǐ to get up early ∼HSK 1
半个 半個 bàn ge half of sth ∼HSK 1
明 明 Míng bright, light, brilliant; clear ∼HSK 1
坏了 壞了 huài le shoot!; gosh!; oh, no!; (suffix) to the utmost ∼HSK 1
试试看 試試看 shì shì kàn to give it a try ∼HSK 1
送去 送去 sòng qù to send to; to deliver to; to give sb a lift (e.g. in a car) ∼HSK 1
走你 走你 zǒu nǐ (neologism c. 2012) (interjection of encouragement) Let’s do this!; Come on, you can do this! ∼HSK 1
在先 在先 zài xiān to come first; previous; prior; beforehand; first; formerly ∼HSK 1
在前 在前 zài qián ahead; formerly; in the past ∼HSK 1
儿 兒 rén son, child; KangXi radical 10 ∼HSK 1
这是 這是 zhè shì 这: this, the, here · 是: indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that ∼HSK 1
几天 幾天 jǐ tiān several days ∼HSK 1
没事 沒事 méi shì it's not important; it's nothing; never mind; to have nothing to do; to be free; to be all right (out of danger or trouble) ∼HSK 1
好去 好去 hǎo qù bon voyage; Godspeed ∼HSK 1
听不进去 聽不進去 tīng bù jìn qu not to listen; to be deaf to ∼HSK 1
在那儿 在那兒 zài na r (adverbial expression indicating that the attention of the subject of the verb is focused on what they are doing, not distracted by anything else); just...ing (and nothing else) ∼HSK 1
多大 多大 duō dà how old?; how big?; how much?; so big; that much ∼HSK 1
有钱 有錢 yǒu qián well-off; wealthy ∼HSK 1
说说 說說 shuō shuo to say sth ∼HSK 1
一会 一會 yī huì a moment; a while; in a moment; also pr. [yi1 hui3] ∼HSK 1
上月 上月 shàng yuè last month ∼HSK 1
客 客 kè guest, traveller; customer ∼HSK 1
中用 中用 zhōng yòng useful; helpful; Taiwan pr. [zhong4 yong4] ∼HSK 1
兴 興 Xīng thrive, prosper, flourish ∼HSK 1
十二 十二 shí èr twelve; 12 ∼HSK 1
老客 老客 lǎo kè peddler; old or regular customer ∼HSK 1
说好 說好 shuō hǎo to come to an agreement; to complete negotiations ∼HSK 1
拿来 拿來 ná lái to bring; to fetch; to get ∼HSK 1
对了 對了 duì le Correct!; Oh, that's right,... (when one suddenly remembers sth one wanted to mention); Oh, by the way,... ∼HSK 1
我人 我人 wǒ rén we ∼HSK 1
点大 點大 diǎn dà (of a child etc) small as a mite; minuscule ∼HSK 1
你好 你好 nǐ hǎo hello; hi ∼HSK 1
家去 家去 jiā qù (dialect) to go home; to return home ∼HSK 1
慢走 慢走 màn zǒu Stay a bit!; Wait a minute!; (to a departing guest) Take care! ∼HSK 1
开门 開門 kāi mén to open a door (lit. and fig.); to open for business ∼HSK 1
十几 十幾 shí jǐ more than ten; a dozen or more ∼HSK 1
个个 個個 gè gè each one individually; each and every ∼HSK 1
零用钱 零用錢 líng yòng qián pocket money; allowance; spending money ∼HSK 1
正要 正要 zhèng yào to be just about to; to be on the point of ∼HSK 1
没有什么 沒有什麼 méi yǒu shén me it is nothing; there's nothing... about it ∼HSK 1
上路 上路 shàng lù to start on a journey; to be on one's way ∼HSK 1