User Comments - Purrfecdizzo
Purrfecdizzo
Posted on: Buying Makeup
June 07, 2015, 07:12 PMIn the grammar section, it states that 不过 may be used to mean 'only'. Would someone please give some example sentences of it used in this way? Thanks
Amesbury George
Posted on: Heat Stroke
August 20, 2013, 04:32 PMWelcome Romontana,
If you are new to studying Chinese, I just want to say 'stick with it and don't give up' because if your experience is like mine (and it very well could be different) the hardest part is the beginning, but it did get better. If you have been around for a while, I hope that we can learn from each other in the future. Once again, welcome.
Sincerely,
George
Posted on: Aren't you.... (不是.... 吗)
August 19, 2013, 09:42 AMIn contrast, how might the first be expressed in Chinese?
Thanks,
George
Posted on: Powerpoint Presentation Problems
August 19, 2013, 09:39 AM" but I guess the reference to 谈恋爱 is that in China's modern digital era young sweethearts might think it is fun to send each other cute "emoticons" via smartphone apps. "
Hey, if you are right, I would say that this is the missing puzzle piece that connects all the other parts. Makes sense to me.
George
Posted on: Sensitive Topics
August 17, 2013, 05:30 PMWell, I have some experience on this topic.... I think that there are some things that I might avoid when teaching in China...
- Avoid asking about student's family. This can create a difficult situation in some cases such as divorce or death.
- Avoid criticism of China or Chinese people as a group. Although usually there is no bad intent, this will normally not be well received, or understood in a way that we would understand this type of criticism back home
- Avoid putting students into situations where they need to express too much emotion. Some students will enjoy it, but many will really be uncomfortable.
- Death is a topic that is very sensitive in this culture, and joking about it will not be received well in this culture. Death is not the best subject back home, but sometimes people may joke about it and it is funny. This type of humor is almost never funny or appreciated here.
- If possible, give students time to prepare. Sometimes, this is not possible, or even the wisest choice. If this is given, students may feel more relaxed.
- Many students are loathe to participate in the group, but they may be interested in learning. The result of this is that students may not seem motivated. If you are confident in your topic and method of instruction, then don't worry about this and don't take it personal.
Just my experience. Hope this helps. George.
Posted on: Powerpoint Presentation Problems
August 16, 2013, 03:15 PM
Hey guys,
I listened to this lesson and dialogue and it is pretty much straight forward, but there is something I can't quite grasp.. It is a minor thing, and I hope mentioning this isn't too petty, but I can’t stop thinking about it, so I figured that I would mention it here on the website.... In this dialogue, the boss tells 小邵 '小姐,这是工作,不是谈恋爱。’Now, from a language standpoint, this is easy to understand, but I don't quite get the cultural meaning. What seems plain to me is that the boss wants to express that she is working in a professional environment and that the dog and cat are inappropriate. The part that I don't quite get is the fact that the boss used the phrase '谈恋爱'. I would think (I know that what I think has no value, but I mention it to maybe cue others into why I can't quite grasp the true meaning) that he might be better to say 玩, i.e., 这是工作,不是玩. Maybe this is because I am thinking from a different perspective? I am not quite sure... Anyhow, I have some questions...
- Why 谈恋爱? as opposed to some other phrase?
- How strong is this criticism, as such, how offended or upset might she be?
- Do cats and dogs have some type of relationship with dating that I don't understand? I have dated a few Chinese women, but never encountered this type of thing in our interactions.
- Perhaps this phrase is just a token phrase or expression that is used in Chinese that is not intended to be taken at face value... If that is the case, how should it be interpreted?
Perhaps I am puzzled by this because dating is mentioned in this, but I cannot reconcile anything in this dialogue with dating.
I hope no one takes offense to this type of inquiry. Really, I am not trying to be trivial, insulting, annoying or anything, and if anything I am writing makes people feel unpleasant or indignant toward me in any way, I would like to first express my sincere apology. I don't mean to do any of these things, and I am not looking for a fight or argument. Maybe you may consider this a small matter, and perhaps you are right, but I have been thinking and wondering about this for the past few days and just want some other perspective.
Thanks,
George
Posted on: Aren't you.... (不是.... 吗)
August 16, 2013, 02:45 PMHey guys, quick question... in the sentence;
中国人不是最会打乒乓球吗
Is the meaning here
- Aren't Chinese people all supposed to be able to play ping-pong?
or
- Aren't Chinese people, as a group, the best ping-pong players?
Thanks,
George
Posted on: You Smell Terrible!
August 14, 2013, 04:50 PMYeah, I would agree... People tend to be direct in certain matters. I might extend a word of caution.... Don't always assume that they are direct about everything, I have found that there are cases where it is best to be indirect. Maybe the best course of action is to talk to people to get a broader perspective before directliy complaining to your Chinese friends about things.
Posted on: Lo and La (咯 & 啦)
August 09, 2013, 09:20 AMmy stepfather in the United States used to say 'yous', so I am not necessarily convinced that the usage of that term is limited to Scotland.
Posted on: Buying Makeup
June 07, 2015, 09:29 PMappreciate you taking the time to post these examples.
regards