Both language students and language teachers can be troubled by new words, expressions, or usage in Chinese. A new use of an old word or expression is particularly difficult for a more advanced or experienced speaker, less so for a beginner. The growing popularity of abbreviations is another kind of change creating problems. Two kinds of abbreviations are commonly found: the use of fewer characters (often just two) representing a longer term, and the number-character-number-character form. These may require substantial research before they are understood. A third problem arises from the civilian use of military terms, such as "troop training" for a form of vocational training. Shifts in parts of speech, such as an adjective used as a verb, create new grammatical usages and require an alertness to structure. Euphemisms created to suit new social and political preferences can be misleading. Finally, entirely new expressions are not uncommon and may also not be found in a dictionary. It is important not to take some of the new forms literally without more knowledge of possible hidden meanings, and the help of a native speaker is valuable in understanding them. (MSE)