User Comments - Right-Wingnut
Right-Wingnut
Posted on: What's That in Chinese?
October 14, 2012 at 4:09 AMAlso in the text-only version, you have:
书 shū Chinese (instead of 'book')
Posted on: What's That in Chinese?
October 13, 2012 at 6:12 AMThe Supplementary Vocabulary does not appear on the text-only version of the PDF for this lesson.
Posted on: Do You Live Alone?
October 12, 2012 at 9:14 AMYou are comparing these 2 sentences, right? :
他住在上海。
他在上海住了五年。
In the first sentence, you are answering the question 'Where does he live?'.
The focus of the verb 住 is "在上海".
In the second, you are answering the question "How long has he lived there (Shanghai)".
The focus of the verb 住 is the duration of the stay "五年". The fact that the stay was in Shanghai is only incidental or background information. In Chinese, such information is typically thrown to the front of the sentence to set the scene for the 'action' to follow. This is also the reason that time of day is thrown to the front of a sentence in Mandarin.
I could hypothesise about your second question, but I don't like receiving guessed answers to my own questions, so I will leave it alone.
Posted on: The Play's the Thing
October 11, 2012 at 8:32 PMI have enough trouble trying to figure out what is being said when I see the words in print. Watching the plays, I have absolutely no idea what is being said. I might as well be watching opera - now there is something I just don't get.
Posted on: Washing Clothes on the Road
October 11, 2012 at 7:52 AMThere's a slight error in the 6th expansion sentence:
'Why don't you ...' should be 'Why doesn't he ...'
Posted on: Hamsters, Snakes, and Owls
October 9, 2012 at 11:15 AMRich, I think all three of us were responsible for inflaming the situation at various points in the thread. Even if it were true that your comment started things off, you are not responsible for what followed, as you took a very diplomatic approach after that. I could have pulled out at any time, but pride got the better of me. But I am not the only one (not referring to you of course) who should be saying exactly that on reflection.
Posted on: Light and Dark Colors of Clothing
October 8, 2012 at 9:03 AMThanks
Posted on: “失独”的老人
October 7, 2012 at 10:51 AMI've been studying Intermediate for some time, and I only recognise 5 of those 11 words. Just wondering, is the filling up of space really an issue? I certainly hope those words remain there by the time I reach the Advanced level (hopefully before John and Jenny enter a 养老院).
Posted on: Rich and Poor
October 7, 2012 at 10:40 AMDefinition of Bedsitter from thefreedictionary.com:
n. Chiefly British. A one-room apartment that serves as a bedroom and a living room.
Granny Flat from Wikipedia:
A mother-in-law apartment is a small apartment accessory to a primary residence. Alternative names include "granny flat", "granny suite","in-law suite", and "accessory apartment", the first being used primarily in Australia, Britain and New Zealand, where it is the most familiar of these terms, but also in parts of the United States. Such apartments are frequently used to accommodate an elderly relative who is not capable of living on their own, but is not ready for a nursing home environment or other similar facility.
The apartment may or may not have a communicating door to the main house, but virtually always has a separate entrance and is usually not part of the original design. Many are located above the garage of the main house or as a separate building in the rear yard.
So I guess you're from the 'wrong' part of the US. Not sure in which parts the term is used though.
Posted on: Marketing Proposal
October 14, 2012 at 6:27 AMThe text-only version of the Expansion Sentences has no Pinyin.