User Comments - epyon18

Posted on: Mending Clothing

Also, does Chinese have a phrase for Freudian Slip? Would it be 失言?

Posted on: Mending Clothing

I was thinking the other day on how to say "technically" like "technically speaking". Would you guys say that "倒是" is more like the way we use technically? As per the example in the dialogue.

补倒是可以补，不过补好以后不太好看

It came across to me like this.

Repair it, techinically I can repair it, but afterwards it won't look good.

What do you guys think?

Posted on: I wet the bed!

The other way I learned to say "wet the bed" was "画地图" because the stain it leaves on the bed looks like the map of China. My Beijing friends also said it can be used to say the English phrase "bust a girl's cherry" So use with caution.

Posted on: Preferences and Druthers

宁愿死，不愿被奴役

that's just my guess, but then One must still reply with:

如果你只知道黑暗面的力量

If you only knew the power of the darkside :)

Posted on: How Did You Learn Chinese?

hmmm that is a tricky one, well I had a group of Chinese friends in China that were really helpful, as well as some russian exchange students who had unbelievably pro Chinese. It's really rough though once you leave, now that I'm back in the US it's nearly impossible to find Chinese people to practice with. Must be hiding under rocks or something. :P

Posted on: How Did You Learn Chinese?

We need a Chinesepod WoW guild :p

EDIT: On the chinese version that is 魔兽世界

Posted on: Actually Contrary with 倒

Yeah you said it better. I did mean more that individual word tones don't really change in the sentence. Though I've found younger people try to emulate the way foreigners speak and will change the tones of the ending of their sentence like you said. Not only with a general rise for the whole sentence, but a total disregard for tones by the end of the sentence depending on how excited or angry they are. At that point, I guess we're just left to guess from context.

Posted on: Actually Contrary with 倒

Most of the time I've run into 其实， it is at the start of a sentence. So

“其实这个主意很不错，但是做起来有点难”

I think it falls under those words that are there to define a new idea/sentence, otherwise it would sounds like this "This idea... Actually not bad!" almost like you were mid sentence in a meeting and your friend did a back flip into the room. Also you can't really use tones like we do in English to denote your emotions, so that's why they have these words like 倒 and 到底 to express anger, judgement, or to condone something.

I could be totally wrong though

Posted on: How Did You Learn Chinese?

The best is getting a Chinese boyfriend or girlfriend that is forgiving of your Chinese. Best if you're intermediate or so elementary, and you will see your Chinese grow exponentially month by month.

Posted on: How Did You Learn Chinese?

Shrek was great in Chinese, pretty easy to understand and enjoyable as always. I'd say if you're intermediate and above you'll understand like 80% of shrek.