User Comments - anonymous519113
anonymous519113
Posted on: Introducing Kids to Each Other
June 2, 2011 at 7:35 AMThat's what I was originally getting at. Does adding the 了(le) make it snarky, as in "I know (why are you telling me?)" ?
Posted on: Introducing Kids to Each Other
June 2, 2011 at 7:31 AMIt's the same where I'm from (England). But what about what you were saying about your experiences in China?
Posted on: Introducing Kids to Each Other
June 1, 2011 at 5:02 AMIn my workplace, an English school, its common for the Chinese staff to refer to each other by their English names. They do know each others' Chinese names, though! I guess in Chinese as in English, nicknames can be more affectionate, so people tend to use them more often.
I'm sure when I was a kid I might have met people and for a while only known their nickname, but this doesn't happen when you're older, does it? When you're introduced to someone, you're told their actual name.
The Chinese nickname culture is interesting, but it doesn't seem that different from the way people are given nicknames in the West. Usually, there's some story behind it. I guess the difference might be that in the West its usually an embarrassing story!
Posted on: Introducing Kids to Each Other
June 1, 2011 at 4:49 AMWould it be any different to use 我知道了 (Wǒ zhī dào le) in this context?
Posted on: I don't smoke
May 20, 2011 at 8:12 AMThe treadmill is the best place for smoking. Helps you get that smoke really deep into your lungs!
Posted on: I don't smoke
May 20, 2011 at 8:06 AMI had a health check when I arrived too, and the doctor was smoking the whole time, even when he was giving me an x-ray (I think it was an x-ray anyway!). Quite surprising.
Posted on: Checking into a Hotel
May 9, 2011 at 11:48 AMThanks for that helpful link! I live in China, so I'm familiar with the WCs. Squatting does have its advantages, I think, but not if you've been eating street food and have an upset stomach.
Posted on: Checking into a Hotel
May 3, 2011 at 6:13 AMEven if there's lots of creaky atmospheric noises, the clerk's insane, and one of the other residents, a certain 张先生, is probably up to no good?
Posted on: Checking into a Hotel
May 3, 2011 at 6:05 AMI think its right to say that 好and 好的(hǎode) are interchangeable expressions, because they both mean 'okay/good', but 好吧 is more of a suggestion, like "Are you okay with this?"
Posted on: Introducing Kids to Each Other
June 3, 2011 at 8:02 AMThere's other ways of asking each others' names, such as 您贵姓？nǐn guì xìng? (what's your family name?). I also doubt its polite here to offer your name unless asked, which is why you never hear people say "你 好，我叫...". People are much more concerned with appearing modest here.