User Comments - John

Posted on: Insecticide

timlb,

Yes to all of the above! The construction is quite flexible, and you seem to have grasped it well.

Note that this construction is not exclusive to the word 多少. It's used with all kinds of question words:

要什么就吃什么

想怎么做就怎么做

看到谁就爱上谁

We once tackled this topic in a Qing Wen: Whatever, Wherever, Whoever.

Posted on: Meeting in Real Life

Heh. There are no 笔 in the 网. :)

Posted on: Meeting in Real Life

There is a difference.

网上 (wǎngshàng) means "online." It is a (virtual) "place."

上网 (shàngwǎng) means "to go online" or "to use the internet." It's a verb.

Posted on: How's business?

Both 生产 (shēngchǎn) and 产生 (chǎnshēng) are real words.

生产 (shēngchǎn) is "produce" in the sense of manufacturing a physical product.

产生 (chǎnshēng) is "produce" or "generate" in a more abstract sense, as in something like, "produce an effect."

Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent

You can add the bathrooms into the mix, using 卫 as the abbreviation, which is short for 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān).

But you're right, it seems by default, bathrooms aren't included. Either it's just not that important to the Chinese, or it's just less important than brevity?

Posted on: Where Are You Going In China?

I had a great trip to Yangshuo in 2003 or so.

I'm a little worried that all the best scenery is going to get ruined by the breakneck pace of development, though.

Posted on: Shanghai Sightseeing

Yes, it was made just for you! :)

Welcome to Shanghai...

Posted on: We're lost

Wow, nice detailed explanation! I'm curious how you learned these rules. I know from experience that they are true, but you don't tend to see tone sandhi explanations in this level of detail in a textbook.

Posted on: Using 又 (yòu) and 再 (zài)

Well, 重 (chóng) also appears as part of words. 重复 (chóngfù) is simply a verb meaning "to repeat."

Posted on: Words with Heart

Yes, it's usually used to refer to a person.