User Comments - John
John
Posted on: How to Eat a Hairy Crab
November 22, 2011 at 1:38 AMVery interesting! The "洗澡蟹" name is funny.
Posted on: Visa Issues
November 15, 2011 at 6:16 AMChris,
That is correct! There are quite a few patterns like this in Chinese (I often call them "sandwich patterns") where one or both parts can be omitted.
Posted on: Visa Issues
November 15, 2011 at 6:14 AMCorrect! Those usages are all slightly more formal.
We'll check the Qing Wen playbook!
Posted on: Visa Issues
November 15, 2011 at 6:13 AMYou don't strictly need the "guo" in this sentence, but the meaning changes slightly without it. The question is asking, "have you EVER worked in China," and for this type of question about life experience, you use "guo."
Without the "guo," you'd simply be asking "Have you worked in China before?" It places less emphasis on the existence of the experience.
Posted on: Buying a Book
November 15, 2011 at 6:09 AMGood question!
The 了 here is going with the time, rather than the verb. You're right that you don't normally use 了 when you use 没 to negate a past event.
Remember this pattern?
你在中国多久了？
三年了。
The 了 indicates that the 3 years is continuing through NOW.
In the original sentences, it would be essentially the same information if you just said "这么多年了"; the 没见 just makes it more specific what HASN'T happened in all these years. That's why I say the 了 goes with the time, rather than with the 没见 part.
Is that clearer?
Posted on: The Glorious 了(le): Part 2
November 15, 2011 at 6:02 AM1) Yes, they are the "change of state le," but this one sort of carries a general tone of "already" with it.
2) The "le" isn't needed after the "qu" because there are a series of actions: (1) going to the supermarket, and (2) buying a bunch of stuff. In a series of actions, you only need to put the "le" after the last verb. You do need it after the "mai", the, to communicate that you successfully completed the act of buying.
Posted on: Shopping for the Wife
November 15, 2011 at 1:57 AMI agree that this notion is appalling.
Posted on: Shopping for the Wife
November 15, 2011 at 1:56 AMIt's coming!
Posted on: Plane Ticket Refunds
November 8, 2011 at 8:45 AMGrambers,
The 了 is actually not optional here, because the "越来越漂亮" describes a real change that has actually taken place (a change of state).
Posted on: Sina's Microblogs
November 22, 2011 at 5:39 AM种 means "kind" or "type" in an abstract sense.
迷你 is a very specific style with a physical form, so 型 is more appropriate. You'll often see 型 following a specific size (as in 大型), and it's also used for blood types (A型, AB型, O型, etc.).