User Comments - hamshank

Posted on: Set the Alarm Clock

Thanks bodawei...so using your examples

My alarm goes off at 6am every day

每天六點我鬧鐘鳴了 - míngtián liùdiǎn nàozhōng míng le

When my alarm goes off I want to cry

鬧鐘一鳴了就想哭. nàozhōng yī míngle, jiù xiǎng kū

(I really am stabbing in the dark with this one)

my alarm rings very loudly

我鬧鐘的鳴很大聲. wǒ nàozhōng de míng hěn dàshēng

Corrections and better alternatives much appreciated!

Posted on: Set the Alarm Clock

Instead of saying "set" (定 dìng) my alarm (鬧鐘 nàozhōng), how do we say "goes off" or "rings"

So we can say things like.....

my alarm goes off at 6am everyday.

when my alarm goes off I want to cry.

my alarm rings very loudly

多謝

Posted on: An Email Introduction

Just photoshop yourself into the picture in a comedy manner or create a new photo with a cardboard cutout of Ken with you and Jenny...I would approve either option ;)

Posted on: An Email Introduction

Thanks to everyone for the input on this. I have been away for a couple of days and not been able to get involved. I agree with xiaophil, it would be good to have one of the staff come over an give a quick list of all the questions left unanswered in the thread.

Posted on: An Email Introduction

I have some questions...how would I start an email if I was adressing the following:

A company : E.g "Dear Chinesepod"

An unknown person: E.g "Dear Sir/Madam"

A friend (not a group) : E.g "Hey Bob"

Very informally: i.e equivelents of.. "Alright mate", "Now then cocker" etc..

Posted on: Going to the Gas Station

I think a thanks is in order since this was one of the lessons I requested on the suggestions page. 

謝謝你.

Posted on: Which Subway Exit

I guess we are lucky in Taipei then. There are always walking routes between each exit in the subway. You only pay when you go down or exit the platform.

Posted on: Which Subway Exit

My best guesses would be:

I'm outside exit 4

我在四號口外面。

wǒ zài sì hào kǒu wàimiàn

I'm inside the subway at the 4th exit

我在地鐵裡四號口.

wǒ zai dìtiě lǐ sì hào kǒu

I doubt they are both correct since I am an ele too but it's a start. Anybody got any corrections?

Posted on: Please Speak Chinese

Hi xiaophil,

Definitely number one is the norm. The UK has been multi-cultural for some generations so its very normal to assume everyone is British no matter how they look. Which could explain why I rarely see such an issue cropping up.

For me it's actually easier to spot other Europeans from a first glance than it would be to say determine if a person was from India or the UK.

Posted on: Please Speak Chinese

My irrational tuppence worth...

People who are intending to be discriminatory or racist obviously don't have the intelligence to work out we are all equal so I doubt they have the intelligence or interest to learn a new word or two in a different language.

Saying 你好 to a British "Asian looking" person is probably more the result of being socially disabled in most cases (That's probably an un-PC term) by people who actually intend to be friendly or have a conversation in the language they are studying.

It may be different in America but I certainly have only seen that kind of thing happen once in the UK.

I'm not saying that this covers all cases but I do think it's wise for people to try and find out the intention of the person before flying off the handle. Not everyone who prejudges people have evil intentions.

I think prejudging things is needed in some case. Without it we would find it very hard to spot danger. Back home for instance, I would give a large group of youths a wide berth in the street if I thought they looked shifty enough. Now I'm not saying they would do anything but my experience tells me I'm right to be cautious and certainly it certainly wont hurt to avoid them.

Anyway i'm rambling...

PS...This reply isnt aimed at tangmoo...just some general ranting.