10 Words or Phrases in Chinese That I Find Annoying

1)  壽 shou4:  Longevity

It's going to take you a few years off your life trying to get this right.

2)  持/待/侍/寺  chi2/dai4/shi4/si4

to maintain/to deal with, to wait for /to attend on/temple

I especially hate dai4 and shi4

3)  乾/幹 qian2/gan4

Part of the name of a Qing Dynasty Emperor/ to fornicate

"I will smack any of you if you get this wrong" --- Former Chinese professor

4)  ANY 4-word idiom, aka 成語

e.g.  囫圇吞棗：Out of confusion, swallow jujubes
This means when you encounter something confusing, you can't digest it, figuratively and literally.  Just say I don't get it!  Goodness!

5)   橙子，橘子，桔子 deng4zi1, ju2zi1, jie2zi1

These all mean oranges, but different sizes.  My parents always scold me for not knowing the difference.  It's all citrus!!!!

6) 纖 xian1: fiber

Ugly, just..., I can't....

7)  牽/宰/牢     qian1/zai3/lao2  :  to pull/to butcher/to jail

I could never get these right.

8) 龜  gui1:  turtle

I can draw a turtle faster than I can write this character.

9)  由/以/已/為/於/卻/而 you2/yi3/yi3/wei234/yu2/que2/er2

Imagine all the pronouns could use in English, and switch them interchangeably whenever you feel like for 3000 years.  You end up with this monstrosity.

10)  瑞典/瑞士 rui4dian3/rui4shi4:  Sweden/Switzerland

RAY-DIAN and RAY-SHI does not sound like "Sweden" or "Switzerland."  I'm not to worried, the Chinese embassy can barely get this straight either.