User Comments - Mingmao

Posted on: How to Use 了: Emphasis

Thank you for tackling this topic.

I have often heard that 的 is used for emphasis. How do we know, when constructing our own sentences, when to 的 and when to use 了 for emphasis? 

Also, one of your examples sounds to me like a change-of-state 了：

我们今天就弄到这儿了。
wǒmen jīntiān jiù nòng dào zhèr le.
Let's finish here today.

You have come to a point where the work is sufficiently done for you to be able to stop. Could this be considered a dual-purpose 了, for both change-of-state and emphasis?

Thanks.

Posted on: How to Say 'Probably' in Chinese

爸爸恐怕不回家了。
Would you be so kind as to explain the function of 了 in this sentence? How does the sentence differ from:

爸爸恐怕不回家。

Thanks.

Posted on: Ways To Talk About Holiday

So useful, thank you.

Curious, if I take time off to attend a training seminar of some kind that is for my own interest and not for work, would that be a 休假 or a 度假? For example, I've taken time off to go to a one-month yoga teacher training course in the Czech Republic, or a one-month intensive Mandarin course in China?

Posted on: How to Use 了: Action Complete

What is Constance saying at 1:55?
"shímào 的语言" -- What is this "shímào"?

Posted on: CNY Calligraphy Special (video)

At first I heard Fiona's name as 甜心. So nice to finally see the actual characters of her name. May we know 方老师's given name as well?

Posted on: Opinions on Poetry

Thank you for clarifying.

Posted on: Pulling Out Wisdom Teeth

I don't know if you guys have had your 拔智齿 ordeal dealt with yet, but I wish you the best of luck if it's still upcoming, and I hope you're all healed up well, and that it wasn't too traumatic if you've gotten it over with by now.

Posted on: Describing Personalities 2

Hi there, I was wondering if you could explain a couple of things more thoroughly. (I did ask in the forum, but my questions were not answered there.)

风趣: I run across this word sometimes, but never with enough context to really understand it. Could you please explain more about the connotations of this word, and what it implies, who it would apply to, how it differs from 幽默?

Also, Fiona used an expression, 社交手腕. This does not appear to be in the dictionary. Could you explain what this term means? Thank you.

Posted on: The Three De's: 的/得/地

Many Chinese "verbs" are actually subject-object compounds. For example, 吃饭, "to eat" is made up of the verb 吃 and the noun, 饭. Since 得 must directly follow the verb, you have to repeat the verb part of a verb-object compound: 我吃饭吃得很快。

说中文 follows the same concept, even though it is translated into English as two words, "speak Chinese" (an obvious verb+noun) rather than as just a verb (吃饭, "to eat"). But if you look at the characters, the pattern is the same in both. So you need to repeat the verb, 说, so that 得 can follow it directly. 

Incidentally you can simplify things by skipping the first verb altogether and starting with the noun: 中文说得很好。

Posted on: The Three De's: 的/得/地

I love when Connie speaks naturally during elementary lessons. Something for everyone. 

I always got away with: 

我的，你的，这个“的” ／ 觉得的"得" ／ 地方的"地"

彳 - This is listed in the transcript and dictionary as chi4, but the hosts pronounce it as chi1. This leaves me wondering how to pronounce it. Like the dictionary? Like the hosts? Is this a Taiwanese pronunciation? Is this a modern pronunciation? If there is a discrepancy between the pronunciation used by the hosts and that indicated by the dictionary, it would be very nice if the hosts could address this in the lesson.