User Comments - bodawei

bodawei

Posted on: Set the Alarm Clock

September 17, 2010 at 4:04 PM

I wonder if they have bedside buttons in China, or do you just yell loudly 护士!护士!? Actually, my best guess is that at most hospitals they have the button... but it doesn't work. Back in China barely three weeks and already so cynical. :( I think it is because my alarm clock just broke. I didn't want to mention this higher up in the thread because, you know, it would create a negative tone, a bad vibe. I had the same alarm clock for more than twenty years (a treasured possession), and it finally died, I bought a Chinese one and it lasted .. say, three months. And it was lucky to make it that far. It made a horrible whirring noise, ALL the time, not just to wake you up at the appointed time. I know why they are called 闹钟 - I was just too respectful to say why higher up.

Posted on: Set the Alarm Clock

September 17, 2010 at 10:03 AM

my dictionary has two verbs 鸣 míng and 响 xiǎng; both seem to be used for rings, or is ringing. 鸣 seems to be onomatopoeic (like a bird?)

diànhuà líng xiǎng/míng

我坐汽车时闹铃鸣了。 wǒ zuò qīchē shí nàolíng míng le. (I was in the car when the alarm rang.)

But apparently bells also 叫 like animal sounds.

她按了床边的铃叫护士来。 tā àn le chuáng biān de líng jiào hùshì lái

She rang the bedside bell for a nurse (to come.)

Actually I am not sure about that last comment - the 叫 meaning 'call' could mean that the bell substitutes for someone calling out? Well, the bell is still doing the calling. But I doubt that you could substitute 鸣 or 响 for 叫 here. Maybe someone else would like to comment on this one.