User Comments - calkins

Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Hunan

Here's another example of implied/understood words.

Just like in English, if I'm holding up some things, I wouldn't necessarily say "Are all of these things yours?" I'd probably shorten it and say "Are all of these yours?", or maybe shorten it even more and say "Are these yours?"

Chinese is the same. So much of Chinese is based on context, so words can often be omitted, as is the case with this expansion sentence:

這些 (東西) 都是你的嗎？ zhèxiē (dōngxi) dōu shì nǐde ma? (Are all of these things yours?)

You don't need to say 東西 because it is already implied. Less is more.

Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Hunan

Often times, we shouldn't translate sentences word-for-word. Also, 你們 nǐmen is like the "understood you" in English. For example:

"Open your books to page 21."

The subject is "You", but because of an understood context between you and the teacher, he wouldn't say "You open your books to page 21."

The sentence in the dialogue is similar:

你們這兒什麼菜好吃？nǐmen zhèr shénme cài hǎochī ? (What dishes here are good?)

Taken literally, "You here what dishes tasty?" The "You" is understood, and when transferred to English, "What dishes are good here?" is okay.

Another example where you might see this:

你們幾點打烊？ nǐmen jǐdiǎn dǎyàng? (When does the store close?) or (When do you close?). Though "When do you close?" is probably more accurate and more often used, either translation would be okay.

Translations can be pretty loosy-goosy sometimes!

Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Sichuan

Hi bertson, thought I'd help you out with your questions, hope my answers will help.

In the sentence above, you could translate it as "must", but 要 yào has many different subtleties. It could also mean "want", "may", "would like", "will", "have to", etc.

In this translation, "have to" is pretty much the same meaning as "must", it's just perhaps a bit more cordial.

It's just friendlier to say "You have to get that on the street", instead of saying "You must get that on the street."

Another thing to note is that Chinese is not always as "cordial" as English. For instance, if I am in America and I go to Starbucks to buy a latte, I would say:

"I would like a latte please."

If I am using Chinese, I would say:

我要一杯拿鐵。wǒ yào yī bēi nátiě. (I want a latte.)

Most polite people in the West would never say "I want a latte", but that's perfectly fine and polite in Chinese.

Chinese is often times much more succinct than English. That's a great thing, but sometimes it's difficult to wrap our western minds around it.

Posted on: Dinosaurs

I hope you're right Tingyun. It's pretty ridiculous they would even contemplate such a thing, but at the same time I wouldn't be surprised.

Posted on: Dinosaurs

“The government says … TV dramas shouldn’t have characters that travel back in time and rewrite history. They say this goes against Chinese heritage.”

Hmmmm, kind of like Mao tried to rewrite Chinese history by destroying its past?

This is yet another way the Chinese government will continue to destroy China's creativity. Unbelievable.

Posted on: Getting to the Bottom of 到底

No problem mate! If anyone is interested in watching 犀利人妻 (The Fierce Wife), you can watch all the episodes here:

http://sugoideas.com/drama-2010/the-fierce-wife/

This is really great because for each episode they have a video with Chinese subtitles (as you would see it on TV in Taiwan) and one with English subtitles. Watch the Chinese first, then the English ... or would vice versa be better?

This show can be stupid, funny, corny, cheesy, sad, and sometimes pretty good, but I think it's a great way to improve your Chinese. I've actually become addicted to it and must watch it every week, ha ha!

Posted on: Getting to the Bottom of 到底

Ha ha, I had to listen to the end of that commercial at least 10 times before I got it. There have been a million times I wanted to do that while watching TV. But to be honest, I think it's a lot easier understanding TV than it is having a normal conversation with people (especially with men, whose words all seem to blend into one long word). The people on TV seem to speak a little more slowly, with clearer pronunciation. I've been watching a Taiwanese "drama" (i.e. soap opera) called the Fierce Wife (犀利人妻) and that has helped a lot actually. It's pretty funny too. Watching TV makes a HUGE difference. I didn't watch TV at all the first year plus that I was here. Big mistake.

I think the reason I could decipher 早餐這樣吃最划算 was because I had learned the word 划算 before. I think I would have had a more difficult time getting the rest of that without knowing 划算. Obviously knowing more vocabulary is better, but I'm always amazed when I hear someone say a word I recently learned, and then how quickly I can pick up the rest of the meaning. Without knowing that one word, I'd have no clue. Unfortunately, there are far tooooooooo many words I don't know, and am often left with no clue. Such is our travels through Chinese!

Baba, 吃 is pretty much like 是, you just drop "most" of the "h" sound. So chi would be more like ci, with a slight hint of the "h". I remember that the "Hungry Traveler - Taiwan" podcast did a pretty good job of replicating the Taiwanese 吃. I'm sure you've listened to that before, but give it another listen...I'm not sure, but I think maybe it was David doing the voice.

Posted on: Getting to the Bottom of 到底

RJ and Baba, I think he's saying the following in the last line:

早餐這樣吃最划算。

"This kind of breakfast is the best value"...or something to that effect.

That 這樣 is really difficult to hear...definitely blends into a "jiang" sound. He should speak more slowly in a commercial!

Posted on: What Would You Say You Do Here?

Thanks John!

kong_yi, regarding using 學習 vs. 學，I think that it's just more common to hear 學. At least here in Taiwan, the language seems a little bit "lazier", so any shortcuts are usually welcomed.

Posted on: What Would You Say You Do Here?

Hi kong_yi,

I'll give it a shot since you haven't heard from anyone else...though I'm no expert.

我是個在一所四川的大學學中文的學生。

Or this might be simpler (less is more!):

我在一所四川的大學學中文。

I hope that helps a little, I hope it's right!