User Comments - jennyzhu
jennyzhu
Posted on: Will you Marry Me?
January 10, 2009 at 11:41 AMThe last sentence in the dialogue '我要问问我爸妈' is not a joke. In China, parents (especially the girl's) are a vital part of the proposal. While they don't dictate marriage decisions, it's considered proper to consult them as a way of paying respect and gratitude.
Posted on: The Final Show
January 10, 2009 at 11:02 AMAmber
You are like champagne in human form. It has been wonderful working with you and most of all, knowing you and being your friend. Keep bubbling wherever you are.
Posted on: Will you Marry Me?
January 9, 2009 at 5:43 AMsushan,
While 好好照顾自己 is correct in terms of grammar, we are more likely to say 好好休息/rest up to someone who is ill. The implication is that plenty of rest will help you get better. If you say 好好照顾自己, the implication in the Chinese mind is that you are on your own, and you are the only one who can take care of yourself. It could come across as a bit inconsiderate. Fascniating cultural angle, isn't it?
Posted on: Will you Marry Me?
January 9, 2009 at 3:45 AM许尘，谢谢你！My new year's resolution was 'to be better and funnier in the podcasts'.
愿意 is quite a formal and even slightly sacred word. It's used more prominently in important situations , e.g. proposal and wedding vows, 'I do' is 我愿意. In everyday conversations, you can use 想 as a more colloquial and lighter substitute in 'lighter' situations.
BTW, one of Faye Wong's classics is called 我愿意. It also used to be a popular wedding song.
Posted on: Lost in the Desert
January 7, 2009 at 9:47 AMThe music in the podcast is beautiful. A magnificent kind of forlornness evoked by the desert. But a friend just introduced me to a more residential kind of desert, New Mexico. He always proudly says it's wonderful to live in the desert.
Posted on: Early January News
January 4, 2009 at 7:35 AMMatt loves treating people to good food and drinks. He brings his home made bread, and occasionally Cooper's beer from Australia.
Posted on: Don't push that button
January 4, 2009 at 6:35 AMdedlam,
There is no fixed rule regarding the usage of na3 and nei3. You can pretty much use either in most cases.
Keep your comments coming!
Posted on: Don't push that button
January 4, 2009 at 1:19 AM大家真是好学生！No holiday hiatus. Thank you for the very informative questions and answers you guys have given. The pronunciation of 哪 as poddies have explained, shouold be na3. But in daily speech, many people say nei3 by combining 哪一, which one. Both pronunciations are correct. But I have to say the pronunciation of 圆 is something I and many native speakers don't notice since theoretically there is only one way to pronounce it. But as Pinkjeans pointed out, there is subtle differences. But it's more due to accents or maybe time and age, a different case from 哪. In any case, the different pronunciations are all comprehensible and used by people in conversations.
I learn so much from you guys everyday. Happy 2009!
Posted on: Stop in the Name of the 法 (fǎ)
January 11, 2009 at 3:13 AMTo expand on Pete's list,
办法 /bànfǎ/ a solution; a way of dealing with a situation, problem.
看法 kànfǎ/ a way of looking at things, an opinion.
想法 xiǎngfǎ / a way of thinking about things, an idea.
做法 zuòfǎ / a way of doing things, behaving, acting.
说法 shuōfǎ / an explanation, a way of talking about something.