User Comments - John

Posted on: Focus and Specialization

Transcripts can be both a blessing and a curse. They feel like a blessing when you really can't understand some key language, but they can also become a crutch. Forcing yourself to listen to something you don't have a transcript for is a good thing for your learning, like it or not.

Also, I am sure that the learners doing the work of actually producing the transcripts are learning far, far more from the experience than the ones just reading them.

Posted on: Plane Ticket Prices

I'm a little unclear what you're asking, but 回 (huí) means both "to come/go back" and "to return," depending on how you want to translate it in to English. You are correct that you can use "qù or lái just to specify whether one is going back or coming back, respectively."

Posted on: What do you do?

Sure!

从来没 (cónglái méi) is used to express that you "have never done" something (your whole life leading up until now). This usage is usually paired with 过 (guo) after the verb.

从来不 (cónglái bù) is used to express that you "never do" something (as a rule or habit). You don't use 过 (guo) for this.

That's it!

Posted on: Getting an Official Receipt

They're mostly the same. Two differences:

1. You use 随意 (suíyì) when drinking, to say that the other party doesn't need to drink the entire glass; they can drink "as much as they like." You don't use 随便 (suíbiàn) in this situation.

2. You can say 随便你 (suíbiàn nǐ) or 随你的便 (suí nǐde biàn), but you can't use 随意 (suíyì) in either case.

Posted on: We're lost

I agree that the translation sounds a little harsh, because the Chinese original is intended to voice concern, and your alternative translation (showing a little more concern) is fine.

别 is not used with 一下, and 吧 isn't normally used (in the positive or the negative) for actions which are not intentional.

Posted on: Networking Event

词语 means "word or expression"

短语 means "phrase"

There is some overlap, as an expression is often a phrase.

Posted on: National Stereotypes

There's also a foreign actor in the "Peter the Businessman" series from quite a few years ago (the one where he wants to source hammers).

We try not to do it too much.

Posted on: National Stereotypes

Yep, that was Greg.

Posted on: National Stereotypes

Nice! You should like these:

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003394.html

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005495.html

Posted on: National Stereotypes

I've heard: 英国男人都很绅士。