User Comments - bababardwan

Posted on: New Year's Wishes

seeing 实现 in this lesson is just another continuing teaching method here that I find really beneficial.Only the other day we were introduced to 实在 [虽然，实在，小phil一定介绍我到这个词在他的发贴】，所以我们可以看到the common element 实 here.

Posted on: New Year's Wishes

哈哈大笑，这个课已经是我的最喜爱的课程在这个全年代。多谢CPod；这个年代开始非常好；我看到我们继续收到课越来越好。加油 ：） ：） :)

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

jianqing,

Thanks for the link [and ji_li thanks also].Re:

As complicated as family terms are in Chinese, they're still a lot more economical than English with its "second cousin twice-removed"

..now this was an interesting comment.I'm interested in genealogy so once you understand the second cousin-twice removed thing in English it's really quite systematic and logical.I looked at those excellent links but couldn't find anything that was going to explain these outer branches of the family tree though.I would be very interested to hear the Chinese equivalent of a relationship such as second cousin twice removed ,and the system for describing these relationships in general.By economical I'm guessing you may just be referring to the fact that Chinese uses less characters than the long winded English approach...or do you know what the Chinese equivalent is?

as an aside,the Australian Aborigine's have an interesting classification of their family tree relationships,which is different to the European take on things.

Posted on: What have you done in 2009?

jianqing,

Great stuff.Welcome,and thanks for 潜水.I can't believe with all the talk of lurkers in recent times that it hasn't come up [unless I missed it ] so an excellent debut,hehe.The double meaning of lurker and swimming underwater makes one think of Jaws.Jeepers,I hope you don't bite.

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

misterjess,

I think by "non-learner" John was referring to native speakers posting on the boards mainly looking for language partners by using a one week trial,but let John correct me if he's still online.

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

changye and helen,

thanks for clearing that up;much appreciated.

but not anymore in China.

..interesting.I wonder when and why the Chinese dropped the distinction.

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

Thanks John for clarifying about 搞

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

我有一个问题。大概在七分的时候我觉得挺一样Jenny说：

那“姑姑”；如果大家能看到这个汉字，看到有一个女子旁

。。不过，我看到mdbg说 “旁” 是right hand side of a split Chinese character.Should it have been 偏 or are these distinctions not too rigid [or have I got it all completely wrong ?] ?

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

The breakdown of this character 亲 meaning relative is interesting.The top half has 立。。meaning to stand or set up,and the bottom half děng [can't seem to type the radical] meaning wait or rank.So it could refer to those that you stand and wait on [how nice],but I suspect that it is more about the set up of rank..how you are related..where you stand on the tree.

This character 搞 given as meaning "confusing" in the vocab tab is confusing as it's the same 搞 that means "to do" etc,and mdbg and my rollover don't give the "confusing" definition,but I guess it's just another meaning and these online dictionaries are often incomplete.But it begs the question...is it used in this "confusing" sense very often ?

I'd love to have the forms of address for all in-laws and paternal and maternal grandparents and grandchildren.It would be nice to have that wrapped up on this discussion all in the one lesson.

As Jenny said at the start, 很实用的课。。我同意。谢谢

Posted on: What have you done in 2009?

bodawei,

hehe,I was having the same ponderings myself this arvo.It's interesting how learning another language can make you examine your own language a bit closer and draw comparisons and postulate reasons for the differences.I was particularly pondering the falling.Made me think of Anna Karenina.I think the 上 [on] does sound more positive.Talking of colds,we also say coming down with a cold so it almost makes love sound like an affliction [hehe;I know some would assert that it is indeed]