User Comments - ElijahW
ElijahW
Posted on: 4 Tones of Zhu
September 10, 2018 at 12:17 PMThis series is a great idea. As a Newbie, I could usually remember a tone pretty well, until I learned another word that sounded the same, but had a different tone. Then it became difficult to keep them straight.
Posted on: Making Apologies
September 9, 2018 at 1:41 AMThat's unfortunately one of the exasperating things about learning a foreign language spoken by a vast and diverse swath of the world population: The different ways things are done that are both actually OK. That is, until you meet a stuck-up prescriptivist who thinks there's only one right way.
When I first moved to China, I learned some Chinese a certain way. Then I moved to another area to go to school - where I was ferociously corrected. Then, after graduation, I moved to another area - where I was ferociously re-corrected.
It's kind of like being caught in the middle of a fight between your parents. Except in this case, instead of two parents, we've got over a billion of them!
Posted on: Greater Bay Area 大湾区
September 7, 2018 at 5:21 PMThanks for the great lesson! This is the first lesson of the year that I'm putting into my study schedule with a tutor.
Main suggestion: The "Vocabulary" tab is rather empty, considering the level of vocabulary in this lesson. Lots of critical terms, such as "粤港澳大湾区," aren't there. And, since they're not in the Vocabulary, they're also not in the Vocab Review. I depend on that Vocab Review to get these stubborn words into my slow brain.
Posted on: Making Apologies
September 7, 2018 at 5:04 PMI have the same problem.
Posted on: Making Apologies
September 7, 2018 at 2:58 PM哈哈哈，太逗了！ 读研的时候，我有一个来自英国的女朋友，她的父母在美国开了个英国饭店。有一次他们需要我来帮忙当服务员，结果很糟糕！估计他们很后悔，但是他们还是很宽容，没有跟我说什么。
Posted on: Lesson
September 1, 2018 at 2:05 PM我今天问了老婆，“我是一个严肃的人吗？”她居然笑了回答说，“应该算比较严肃的。” 
Posted on: 周末你有什么活动？/ What activities are you doing this weekend？
August 31, 2018 at 11:28 PM我周末计划去南卡查尔斯顿，先去木兰庄园再去看航母。
Posted on: 商务发言 3：产品卖点
August 30, 2018 at 2:57 PM这个系列比我想象的有趣多了。本来我觉得，“商务中文太没意思了，但我还是要硬着头皮去学习一点”。没想到，David很不错的口才能让商务中文变得有这么多吸引力。
Posted on: Can you help me find...?
August 27, 2018 at 1:04 PMI remember as an elementary learner that listening to directions was really hard. The lessons Directions with a Map 1 and Directions with a Map 2 were really helpful, since I could look at a map while the directions were given.
Posted on: Making Apologies
September 11, 2018 at 8:27 PMHere's what I've observed about "le" and "liao"...
When speaking, "liao" generally refers to the ability to accomplish something, whereas "le" refers to all the other meanings 了 can carry. That holds true in China's northwest where I went to school, but not so much in other places I've lived. In other places, I've heard "liao" a lot more.
When singing, 了 is generally pronounced "liao" regardless of meaning. This holds true everywhere I've been, kind of like how 的 is almost exclusively pronounced "di" when singing.
In this context, I would definitely say "le" and sing "liao," no matter where I was. But I must admit: I don't know of a song about selling out of 春卷!