User Comments - orangina

Posted on: Dealing with Praise

It was good to review this lesson after being here for a while... but it leads to another question. (I would not be popular in bodawei's class...)

It seems to me that deflecting is actually the proper way to accept a compliment in China. Which is fantastic, I think this is an important skill and shows respect to the person who is being very nice. But what if I actually feel the need to truely deflect a compliment? What would I say differently to indicate that I am not just being polite, but that I genuinely do not have the quality/ability that I am being praised for?

Thanks maktubhelou for putting this lesson back in the limelight!

Posted on: Nearby Tea House

And I don't know if I am just imagining it to preserve my sanity, but I think it is better than Nescafe in the States. Not that it competes with a nice espresso by any means.

Posted on: Shanghai Expo Pavilions

take pleasure in large competitive queuing systems

I think you just put a new spin on getting on the 地铁... I will now think of it as sport and try to enjoy it! Only trouble is, I am not that into sports...

Posted on: A Tour of the Office

Thanks connie and jen_not_jenny...

Good grief! Where did I come up with my phrase and why has no one ever told me I was saying it wrong! At least now I can stop sounding so silly.

Posted on: A Tour of the Office

So, in this lesson we are given the choice between 我来自某某地方 and 我从某某地方来。All this time I have been saying 我从来美国。这说法对不对？*

*smart-alec prevention: I am asking if the grammar of the sentence is correct. According to my passport, I am indeed from the US.

Also, I very much enjoyed the expantion sentence: 我来自火 星

Posted on: Defining a Dashboard and Upcoming Lessons!

在你的女帽有没有一只蜜蜂？或者这只蜜蜂是车引擎盖子里面吗？

Posted on: Blown Fuse

My 2分？That translation for 好像 caught me by surprise too. But I would never say, "Seems like the flashlight is on the table." It sounds weird. Seems like the flashlight is on the table, but perhaps that is just an illusion. I might say, "Seems like I remember seeing the flashlight on the table." But that is taking even more liberties with the translation. So I think "I think it is..." is a reasonable, succinct translation of what the speaker meant.

But sorry, no, I have no other examples.

Posted on: Blown Fuse

Thank you Crystal老师!

I think in English, if you say it with the right tone, "don't bother" can mean "just forget it." So is looks like 别管了only has this meaning. Which I would say is a quite handy phrase to know! And of course also good to know how to tell someone not to go to any trouble... 不用麻烦了。

I am also looking forward to the answer to jen_not_jenny's follow up question, which is actually my question, just stated more clearly.

Posted on: Blown Fuse

I have a question about 不管了。

It is translated as "I'm not dealing with it." Does it always have this connotation? Can it also mean "it doesn't matter"?

How would I say "Don't bother." 别管了？

Posted on: Requesting a Fork

jiangcheng1985, All of us here are language learners... so I think it is reasonable for us to be patient!

Here is a lesson in slang: the -na suffix in wanna and gonna is the "to" that your English teacher insisted you use, so it is still there. Also, I think of it as more of a 口语, spoken language. It is also very informal, and is not something you would say to the president, for example. Since this is an educational website and is used by people of all ages, it would be safest to use standard English. But with that said, I think it is fun to use new words! Don't be too afraid to make mistakes!