User Comments - light487

Posted on: Pinyin Section 15

It's odd because it's not actually a hard final to sound out but I do always have trouble with it. Like when I am ordering green tea, which I do a great deal, I always end up using the normal "u" sound rather than the "ü" sound.

绿茶 lüchà

I know there's a difference but I always forget.. :)

Posted on: A Mouse Upstairs

So.. 还我怕 hai wo pa - would be probably better since I am saying that "even though you insist that there is no pain 'I am still scared'" ?

Posted on: A Mouse Upstairs

This is great "listening" lesson because there is a lot words that sound similar to each other. I find that the biggest problem at the early stages is hearing the difference between the way things sound.

楼上 lóushàng - 楼下 lóuxià - 老鼠 lǎoshǔ

All these sound similar to each other, so it's good to hear them all being used in a dialog together.

On the topic of 怕 pà: When I am in the massage place and they ask me if I want acupuncture, I say I don't want and they insist that there is no pain etc (I know there isn't usually any but I've had bad experiences with it).. So I end up telling them I am "害怕 hàipà".. (eg. 我害怕 wǒ hàipà). Can you tell me what the hai is for? When I translate it I get: injure, harm; destroy, kill. So am I right in thinking that 害怕 is referring to a certain type of fear, that is a fear of being harmed/injured (or even killed)? And that there are other 怕's ? Or is this simply a generic way of saying "I'm scared" and I am reading too much into the translation of the individual characters?

Posted on: Pinyin Sections 13-14

Yup yup.. I like to come and listen to these when I am in doubt of how one of the finals or initials differs from other ones.. So definitely is appreciated. Would love a proper 儿 "-r" lesson done because even though I know how to use the most common ones such as 点儿 I have trouble with others like 会儿. Also I have trouble remembering when I can and can not use the 儿.

Posted on: Washing Dishes

Hey all.. been busy busy busy.. but I do have a question..

with the 先...在... rule we can say "first this (happens now) and then that (happens after)".. how do I say: "up until now (ie. in the past) and now this".? I assume it's not the same?

Posted on: Measure Words for Food

My question is related to:

一块巧克力 yī kuài qiǎokèlì
A piece of chocolate

On my way home today, I met a grand mother walking with her small grand child (she was about 6 years old.. very cute.. tee hee), who were selling fundraiser chocolates. I overheard the grand mother speaking Chinese and so I called out to them:

你们卖什么? (nǐmen mài shénme?) - What are you selling?

...And so the conversation was started. :) Of course they were selling chocolate but it was a great opportunity to practise and the chocolate I ended up buying was for the school fund raising.

Anyway, when I declared that I wanted a "block" of chocolate I was unsure whether I should be using 一块巧克力 (yī kuài qiǎokèlì) or whether there is a different measure word for a block of chocolate compared with just a piece of chocolate.

I used the 块 kuài measure word and it seemed to work.. but it was obvious what I wanted as there wasn't a lot of choice... so I am curious if I said it correctly or not.

The little girl was a little dumb-struck by this large, 6'2" Aussie guy speaking Chinese though.. so the grand mother did most of the actual selling.. :)

Posted on: Are You Busy?

Sorry.. which is the way to ask "how long" then? 多久 or 多少点? or both? :)

Posted on: Are You Busy?

Hehe.. I recognised the female actress' voice and accent immediately! :) hee hee.. Her voice is just as cute when she is not acting as a small girl. :)

I have a question about time.. I already knew 什么时候 (shénme shíshòu) but I can nenver quite remember or understand how to say "how long" something will take, or how long someone will be busy for. It's essentially the same question, for example: At what time will you be not busy any more? vs How long will you be busy for? If they reply to the first question with 2:30pm and it's 2:00pm now, then the answer to the second question would of course be 30 minutes. So while the result is essentially the same information, I just hate not being able to say it both ways.

@blubberingfool: I'm not really sure what you mean by Ken repeating too often.. this is how all the lessons at Newbie and Elementary have been. To assume that people listening to an Elementary lesson already know the English for the Chinese is a little odd to me because the whole point of Elementary is that it is one level above beginner. As much as Chinese input is important, without good and thorough explanation, the learner wouldn't learn much but I guess it depends on each person's individual expectations and learning styles.

Posted on: Manila

我只是在逛办公室, 还我休闲.. :)

Posted on: Manila

逛逛 with this word, I am translating it to mean "stroll around".. which I guess in the context might mean to window-shop rather than to browse. Can you explain to me the difference between using this and 看一看?

Nice diplomacy John "...you hear it a lot from modern, young people" :)