User Comments - Lantian
Lantian
Posted on: 连锁咖啡店
June 3, 2007 at 10:34 AMHi Clarence. I believe percentages matter. If you are only 100% hearing poor models, then yes it will affect your output. This is how we all gain our local accents. So depending on your environment, try to find a nice ratio. For example, if you have plenty of correct input 80%, then talking 20% of the time to whoever, is not going to stop your brain from forming the correct structures. If you are also writing/copying from say Cpod dialogues 80% of the time, and use 20% of the time to keep things 'interesting' by working on the student posts, then no problem. :) IMO, that teacher was actually one of the better ones. If you really find the comments interesting, there are plenty of posts from Connie, Amber, Jenny, Aggie in Chinese (that is absolutely correct). These are the models to really pour over if that helps you. I often notice errors in my own posts and other student learners, I read/write with a grain of salt, it helps me to be more aware. But 90% of my input and models come from living in China.
Posted on: Where Children Come From
June 2, 2007 at 4:19 PMcorrection: 妈妈回来了
Posted on: Where Children Come From
June 2, 2007 at 4:18 PMTHE BIRDS AND THE AIRPLANES - I just saw this in an in-flight magazine! (At the airport in the waiting lounge, a mother and her son are waiting for a plane.) 妈妈： 宝贝坐着别动，妈妈去一下洗手间， 很快回来。 宝贝：好！ 妈妈： 妈妈吗回来了，宝贝乖不乖啊 宝贝： 乖。 宝贝： 妈咪，我是从哪里来的呢？ 妈妈： 这个。。。 （真么给孩子解释清楚呢？） 妈妈： 从前有一只蝌蚪，遇到一朵玫瑰花。。。。 宝贝： 好复杂 妈妈： 宝宝真聪明， 因为这本来就是很复杂的事。。。。 宝贝： 可是刚才这个叔叔为什么说他是从北京来的。
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 15: Uncomfortable Encounter in a Bar
June 2, 2007 at 1:33 AMCHANGING STRIPES - Hi franch, very interesting, your comments. Although people say that Chinese doesn't conjugate, it seems to me that in a way it kinda does, but depending upon position and words before and after. Conjugate in the sense that any particular word can sometimes function as a verb, noun or adjective depending on various factors. And then at other times they don't. Words are definitely only nouns, or adjectives. How does one tell? Can someone sort of summarize it for me? I've never seen a good English explanation about this. About "礼貌 is a noun, the adjective should be 有礼貌 / 没礼貌," I think you are definitely correct. What I think I did in my sentence is take a colloquial phrase (没（有）礼貌）and adapted it a bit （他不礼貌 ）。 I don't know if the adaptation is correct. My current 'interlanguage' does funny things. I do think though that I have 'heard' someone use 他不礼貌, were you just saying that the English translation was off? In 他有特别！I think I am adapting from 他有性格。 What's interesting is that now, looking at my dictionary, I see that as you said, indeed 特别 is an adjective and 性格 is a noun. Is it impossible or wrong for me to use 特别 as a noun? That's what you're saying right? I would have to either use a noun or add something after the 特别 like 这个菜特别好，他的性格特别好。 Hmm, as I write this I see how that noun really needs to sneak in their to relate to the adjective... 有趣！ After I wrote the post, I actually did think, I wanted instead to have said "他有特色”, and now looking at a dictionary I see that '特色' is a noun! I don't think I have the inclination or ability to first learn the grammar and then apply it, but it is fascinating to use the grammar to see where my current 'interlanguage' is. Thanks for the reply franch, I learn A LOT from this. Anyone else! :)
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 15: Uncomfortable Encounter in a Bar
June 1, 2007 at 8:04 AMONLINE PINYIN KEYBOARD - Hi Zane, even easier if you're on the road, don't want to install anything, etc. is this online keyboard (unless this is what you meant by copy and pasting, anyway here it is). http://chinese.cari.com.my/ime/py.html
Posted on: Playing the Stock Market
June 1, 2007 at 5:24 AM保重 - I think it's unfair to simply argue that China should let the value of the yuan rise. It's like asking China to reduce internal employment for the sake of another country. Other countries should push for things that increase employment in both countries, 双赢好不好？ 我觉得国外的国家对中国的要求不太对。怎么会让中国多杀工作的机会？中国怎么会同意？ Regarding the stock market, from my experiences in the U.S. internet bubble, Chinese stock players should prepare themselves for over 90% drops in some individual stock prices. If you can't sustain that kind of drop in any one or two or three of your stocks in your portfolio, then you should start to lower the risk by getting out of those stocks. Take your 20, 50, 70% profits and be happy! 昨天多中国朋友们聊聊了那些炒股的事，他们说‘底。。“ how does one say the market dropped?
Posted on: I can't buy my size
May 31, 2007 at 3:52 PMHi Piers, actually no, I had no idea what your level was. There are lots of poddies that post only in English but their Chinese is spectacular. I didn't post the translation or pinyin, cause you know, I wanted to see if you actually could put the 'de' you were so adamant about in an actual conversation after all your 'grammar and pattern' type learning. 好的。哪，别只在这里批评这里的方法。 谁真知道什么学法适合别人。我们先用中文聊聊好吧？看一下你的想法对你自己好不好用。:) Okay. So, don't just criticize the methods here. Who really knows what the best method is for others. How about we first chat a little in Chinese first? See if your methods have been useful to yourself. I was curious to see how you'd respond, now I know. Peace out.
Posted on: I can't buy my size
May 31, 2007 at 4:46 AMHi Piers! 好的。哪，别只在这里批评这里的方法。 谁真知道什么学法适合别人。我们先用中文聊聊好吧？看一下你的想法对你自己好不好用。:)
Posted on: My New MP3 Player
May 30, 2007 at 6:03 AMAZERDocMom, 你好棒！！！ (ni hao bang! Spectacular) That was a great lesson. And nice video to go along with the show. I have a couple questions. 1.) When you say "shu1 fu" (comfortable) I don't hear the "h" as in the English ”shoo shoo go away". This made me wonder if I overpronounce the 'sh' or maybe your pronunciation is a somewhat Taiwanese or other variant pronunciation with a more 'suu'. 2. 差不多 cha4 bu4 duo1, about I think your usage was slightly wrong, I would have answered with a 左右 zuoyou (about). My feeling is that chabuduo is used with one quantity, like how much of the bottle of medicine did you use. As in, did you drink all three teaspoons? Answ. dui chabuduo. With number of times, "Did you drink it three times?" I'd answer "Ya, three times, just about." “对三次左右”。 BTW, not to detract from your lesson at all, it was really great, I hope my questions （and some feedback from our ever helpful Cpod academic staff) can help clarify some of these points in my own mind, and maybe yours and others. 大家合作！
Posted on: Returning an Item
June 6, 2007 at 6:42 AMDE - not related to the podcast, but people have said to me many times in the past "de le be ni" ..de 了 be 你, I know it's some kind of retort, somewhat sarcastic, response to something I did. But it's interestingly very 'vague' in my mind. What does it mean, and what's the hanzi? :)