User Comments - danjo
danjo
Posted on: The Olympics on TV
July 13, 2007 at 6:53 AMlai2ha2ma, Yes. 播客 bo1ke4 means "podcast" (any kind I assume) and it is the same bo1. ChinesePod is 中文播客 Zhong1wen2 bo1ke4. Confusingly it is very similar to the Chinese for "blog", 博客 bo2ke4. Is there any difference in tone between using 可惜 ke3xi1 and 遗憾 yi2han4? Judging by the enthusiasm for the World Cup, which China was not even in, the atmosphere in China will be insane during the Olympics.
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 14: Seeking Comfort
July 13, 2007 at 5:05 AMlongfei, A little late but If I understand correctly, the 才 in that sentence is simply adding emphasis, so the second sentence is perfectly correct but less emphatic. In English we usually use tone of voice to show emphasis (ie. How can I EVER get in touch with him?) but since Chinese is a tonal language they use lots of "modal particles" and little tricks to show emphasis and tone of voice. The previous Intermediate lesson, Parking Lot Rage, has a good explanation of 才 being used for emphasis.
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 14: Seeking Comfort
July 13, 2007 at 4:41 AMSo it was explained in the lesson that Liu Xiang says 对不起 because he is apologizing for bringing it up, not because they broke up - so what would you normally say to express sympathy when someone gives you bad news? For example, yesterday a friend told me her father was injured and she needs to return home to help her mother work, and I felt I was awkward trying to express my sympathy in Chinese.
Posted on: #7
July 12, 2007 at 7:00 AMOh since you mention it I did choose the practice plan session with Aggie, as tempting as Dave's love was.... ("I ain't that lonely yet" to quote Dwight Yoakam) Annoyingly, I haven't had internet for almost two days (the occasional frustrations of provincial China) so I missed out on the contest this time. I just listened and got it right away because I just watched this movie in class. It's a great movie to show to Chinese English students. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" also went over really well.
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 13: A Dad Gives Advice to a Broken-Hearted Son
July 12, 2007 at 6:08 AMuser27484, It's confusing but in this sentence 可 and 是 are separate. Sometimes, 可 is used to emphasize something (there are other Intermediate lessons which use it in this way, including "A Guy's Advice on Woman") and so here it is emphasizing that "I REALLY am someone who has been there". And in the second sentence emphasizing that his first love was truly the campus flower.
Posted on: #6
July 8, 2007 at 1:28 AMNo offense to Dave (as I am a fan of Adsotrans) but I might pass on his "love". If anyone is better deserving of Dave's love I'm willing to forfeit the prize.
Posted on: Condoms
July 5, 2007 at 5:42 AMalexyzye, Though the dictionary lists 那 as nà and 这 as zhè, in practice Chinese people prefer to pronounce them as nèi and zhèi, especially when saying 那个 nèige ("that") and 这个 zhèige ("this"). If I'm not mistaken you are correct on 80% off, and 5% off would be... hm I would guess 打九十五折 but I'll let someone else answer that. And from what I've seen condoms are behind the counter at pharmacies, not in supermarket aisles in China.
Posted on: #6
July 5, 2007 at 5:12 AMAh, victorious. Actually I guessed it from John's clues more than the dialogue, I still haven't gotten around to watching the movie, though I've been meaning to. These days I have a healthy (I think) obsession with learning Chinese and I've always liked movies, so by all means keep the movie madness going. 其实学DVD的字幕是一种有用的学中文方法,比如＂杜杜，我想我们不在堪萨斯", "在家千日好。。。", "狮子。。。老虎。。。熊。。。天啊!"
Posted on: Finding Live Music
July 4, 2007 at 5:17 AMI'm a huge music fan but can't say I've been very excited by the music in China. 许巍 Xu Wei and 崔健 Cui Jian have a few good songs. I like the music of Hong Kong duo My Little Airport (http://www.mylittleairport.com/album.htm). I live in Gansu province, not exactly a bastion of live rock music, but there is a local band I've performed with several times, most memorably in the town prison. Mediocre video of one competition performance here, of a relatively well-known Chinese song called 你怎么舍得我难过 ni3 zen2me she2de wo3 nan2guo4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYCo_Hv-jYY
Posted on: Chinese Wedding Customs
July 14, 2007 at 7:32 AMTo add yet another comment to the discussion above, I for one had no problem transitioning from Elementary to Intermediate. The way the Intermediate lessons are done now is perfect, and since John is speaking English and repeating in English most of what Jenny says, there is no need to understand everything Jenny says in Chinese. If you listen closely she uses quite a lot of the same phrases in each lesson and to be honest I find Jenny's Chinese easier than the lesson dialogues. And since the dialogue is the focus of the lesson I've never been much concerned with the Chinese banter I didn't understand, there are only so many new words I want to learn in a day.