In daily communication, some jokes are made by the students who study in Mandarin language courses in China because they fail to distinguish the tiny differences between two similar words. For example, both the words 期间and时期relate to time but should be applied in different situations. The former one indicates a certain time is a certain period which can be short or long. The attribute is essential to modify it to form the structure of …期间 like 考试期间and春节期间. You can make sentence like 你考试期间要注意劳逸结合.

However, 时期is a relatively long period of time which is more often has certain features. It emphasizes a long period of time starts from certain time and end up with certain time. Usually, the adjectives such as 新、长and短are usually applied to collocated with this word. For instance, 最近一段时期，本事发生了几起重大火灾.

Another important group of similar words that the students often feel confused are 凄凉and凄惨, both of which carries the meaning of being lonely and sad. As an adjective, 凄凉is mostly used to describe the environment, landscape, time and feeling which are cold and cheerless. You can say 晚景凄凉and生活凄凉. However, 凄惨has a stronger tone and mostly used for sound, tune and expression and ending. It has the tone of being miserable like 生活十分凄惨and凄惨的哭声.

In addition, the word 朴素is frequently in the daily conversation to show not luxury. With the opposite meaning of being luxurious, the word 朴素emphasizes saving, mainly for costumes and environment arrangement. For example, 虽然现在条件好了，但艰苦朴素的优良传统不能丢. At the same time, students who study Chinese need to know the meaning of the similar word 朴实, which is to describe things are pure without decoration. It is more often applied to describe the quality and style of people. You can say朴实的性格and人很朴实.