User Comments - paulinurus

Posted on: Dropping and Losing 丢, 弄丢，丢掉

@gesang, @mikesch

The 把 ba3 sentence construction is a unique syntax of the Chinese language. This syntax has no English equivalent, that's why most English speaking people find it difficult to understand its usage initially. But once the syntax formula is understood, it becomes quite easy (and useful) using 把 in Chinese sentences.

The formula is:

Noun1  把 Noun2 Verb

Noun1 把 (takes hold) of Noun2 and does something with it.

他把我的书丢掉了。ta1 ba3 wo3 de shu1 diu1diao4 le.

Noun1 (ta1) 把 (ba3) Noun2 ( wo3 de shu1 ) Verb (diu1diao4 le.)

Literal translation: He takes hold my book, lost it.

English translation: He lost my book.

我把他的名字忘了。wo3 ba3 ta1 de ming2zi wang4 le. Literal translation: I, took hold, his name, forgot it. English translation: I forgot his name.

弟弟把蛋糕吃完了。di4di ba3 dan4gao1 chi1wan2 le. Literal translation: Younger brother, took hold, cake, ate finished. English translation: Younger brother ate up the cake.

等等 deng2deng3 and so on and on...

Posted on: Dropping and Losing 丢, 弄丢，丢掉

这个星期的‘请问’实用的例子有的是，很好！This week's QW contains plenty of practical examples, excellent!

Posted on: Which Finger?

在照片的手指是非常苗条和漂亮的，没有忍心砍任何个手指。

Posted on: Tomb Sweeping Festival -- 清明

Discussing again the significance of 'sheppard boy' used in the last line of the poem....

Pete said:

"Thanks for your remarks on the poem. I'm not sure about the shepherd boy-- it seems to me that he's just a local lad who happens to know the way to the nearest watering hole.

Sometimes the significant thing is that the details are not significant. I'm thinking back on bill's comments on William Carlos Williams in an earlier discussion."

mzwang (native Chinese) said:

"We shouldn't focus the attention on who is the kid .It's not the author's purpose.

The main idea of this poem is :  In order to  alleviate the sorrow, and to make the dead  rest assure. I'll go to xing hua village and have a drunk"

So, it appears that there is no reason or intended meaning by Dumu when he penned "sheppard boy" in the last line of the poem. Seems like he just needed "somebody" to show the way to the 'paradise village watering hole' which Pete said has been much discussed as to its whereabouts.

Was Dumu perhaps deeply imbibed himself when he penned 'sheppard boy' which since has no significance or meaning has perhaps weakened this poem?

So, how about we come up with some suggestions of alternative wording to the ‘sheppard boy'. My suggestion is shown below. The spirit (ghost) of the loved one points the way to the watering hole ... ''weep no more for me... time to celebrate my life and yours remaining ... that's the way to the watering hole".哈哈！

《清明》

清明时节雨纷纷，

qīngmíng shíjié yǔ fēnfēn

路上行人欲断魂。

lùshàng xíngrén yùduànhún

 借问酒家何处有？

jiè wèn jiǔjiā héchù yǒu?

精神遥指杏花村。

jing1shen2 yáozhǐ xìng huā cūn

Posted on: How Many Zeroes?

The use of 'anchors' may make it easier for you to  remember numbers. Assuming that you already know how to count from 1 to 99, then there are three anchors to help you remember how to count from 100 to 99,999,999

百 - bai3 = 100. Remember to use bai3 when counting from 100 to 999

千 - qian1 = 1,000. Remember to use qian1 when counting from 1,000 to 9,999

万 - wan4 = 10,000. Remember to use wan4 when counting from 10,000 to 99,999,999

Chinese counting is quite systematic and is based on these three anchors for numbers above 99. So, if you use the anchors as memory "bases", it'll make it easier to remember counting in Chinese, eg:

667 = liu4 bai3, liu4 shi2, qi1

999 = jiu3 bai3, jiu3 shi2, jiu3 

2,894 = liang3 qian1, ba1 bai3, jiu3 shi2, si4

9,999 = jiu3 qian1,jiu3 bai3. jiu3 shi2, jiu3

The Chinese counting from 1 to 9,999 is similar to counting in English. But once you get to numbers from 10,000 to 999,999,999, you need to adjust the comma to the English numbering system to accomodate for the 万 - wan4 counting system, eg:

1,9,999 - yi1 wan4, jiu3 qian1,jiu3 bai3. jiu3 shi2, jiu3

8,9,667 - ba1 wan4, jiu3 qian1,liu4 bai3, liu4 shi2, qi1

38,9,667 - san1shi2ba1 wan4, jiu3 qian1,liu4 bai3, liu4 shi2, qi1

538,9,667 - wu3bai3,san1shi2ba1 wan4, jiu3 qian1,liu4 bai3, liu4 shi2, qi1 (note how once you have accomodated for the '万wan4' anchor, the counting of the wan4 is similar to the English counting system i.e. five hundred and thirty eight 'wan4', nine thousand, six hundred, and sixty seven)

8,538,9,667 - ba1qian1,wu3bai3,san1shi2ba1 wan4, jiu3 qian1,liu4 bai3, liu4 shi2, qi1 (eight thousand, five hundred and thirty eight 'wan4', nine thousand, six hundred, and sixty seven)

9,999,9,999 - jiu3qian1,jiu3bai3,jiu3shi2jiu3 wan4 jiu3 jian1,jiu3bai3,jiu3shi2,jiu.( nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine 'WAN4', nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine)

It may look complicated,  but it is not once you get used to the pattern of using 'wan4' when counting in Chinese.  

Posted on: Tomb Sweeping Festival -- 清明

Hi Pete,

This poem brings me back a year ago this time when my China friends emailed me this poem and mentioned about the tomb sweeping festival.They were not able to translate in English for me to understand the poem completely so I was pleasantly surprised and glad that you featured it this week.

As you can see from the correspondence below, I had questions which you've now cleared up, except one on the sheppard boy. How would a young sheppard boy be knowledgeable on the whereabouts of the perfect place for rest and wine? Seems to me there has to be some sort of significance for the poet to pen that a young sheppard boy would know about the 'perfect village'.

And, as an observation, it seems to me there is a penchant on darkness, drunkenness, and abandonment in the poems you've selected so far.  Almost liken to the Leonard Cohen's carnal view and living of life. Are there poems on the wonderment of life, beautiful hideaways, romance, and courage of the spiritual being?

Friend:

The day before yesterday is the“Tomb Sweeping Day”(5th April) .  It is a traditional festival in China.  People hold memorials for their dead on this day.  I send you a famous poem written by Dumu who lived during the Tang Dynasty.  Have you heard it before?
    清    明
  唐。杜牧
清明时节雨纷纷，
路上行人欲断魂。
借问酒家何处有？
牧童遥指杏花村。

Me:

Hi, thanks for the poem. No I haven't heard this poem. In fact I didn't know about QingMing festival and its significance until someone at _____ mentioned it to me. You're the second person who has mentioned about this festival... so it must be a very important one in China. I am really interested in all the customs and festivals in China, so if there are more coming, do tell me about them and what they mean to the people in China. I have looked at the meanings to the words of this poem, but I don't think I understand the poem  ..  people on the road want to cut the soul? asking the restaurant for the shepard  boy to point out where the village is? Can you explain to me?
 

清明  qing1 ming2 (name of the festival)
  唐。杜牧  tang2:  du4 mu4 (name of poet)
清明时节雨纷纷， qing1 ming2 shi2 jie2 yu3 fen1 fen1 (it rained in succession during qing ming festival)
路上行人欲断魂。 lu4 shang1 xing2 ren2 yu4 duan4 hun2 (pedestrians on the road wish to cut off the soul)
借问酒家何处有？ jie3 wen4 jiu3 jia1 he2 chu3 you3 (may I ask restaurant where have
牧童遥指杏花村。mu4 tong2 yao2 zhi3 xing4hua1cun1 (the shepard boy pointing at the distant village Xing4 hua1 Cun1 (famous for its wine)

Posted on: Does it Have Bones?

penyu,你好！

我同意，骨头对我们的健康做更好，骨头里有蛋白质，可能做身体的肌肉增长更大。但是味精呢？味精怎么可能做身体更好? I agree that bones can improve our health, the protein in bones can make muscles grow bigger. But, wei jing? How does wei jing improve our health? 

Posted on: Does it Have Bones?

英文做的汤没有骨头，中国汤有骨头也有味精。听说味精可以做你的头发掉下。English made soup has no bones, Chinese soup has bones and also wei jing. Heard that wei jing can make you lose hair.

Posted on: Does it Have Bones?

hi changye,

thanks a lot for the help!

Posted on: Does it Have Bones?

Some poddies here may be wondering like I did how to say in Mandarin "give my dog a bone". I looked it up and whoa, there is a measure word (classifier) for bone. It is 根 gen1. Alright, I figured it won't be a hump busting effort (eh... thanks Pete) for me to learn this word.

根 gen1 - classifier for long, thin things. The radical is 木 mu4 = tree. Don't ask me how the Chinese fore fathers figured a tree is a long, thin thing...maybe trees were very thin then, or maybe long, thin objects were gotten from wood, who knows the etymology of this word, but there it is. 

So, the object phrase is 一根骨头 yi1 gen1 gu3 tou5 = a bone.

I give my dog = 我给我的狗 wo3 gei3 wo3 de5 gou3

Put the two together, and I get 我给我的狗 一根骨头wo3 gei3 wo3 de5 gou3 yi1 gen1 gu3 tou5.

Enough to convey the meaning, I hope. 

p.s. since I'm on a roll...

gave my dog a bone  我给了我的狗 一根骨头wo3 gei3le wo3 de5 gou3 yi1 gen1 gu3 tou5.

threw my dog a bone  我仍了给我的狗 一根骨头wo3 reng1 le5 gei3 wo3 de5 gou3 yi1 gen1 gu3 tou5

since my dog is like family to me, i'll forego the 的 : 我仍了给我狗 一根骨头wo3 reng1 le5 gei3 wo3  gou3 yi1 gen1 gu3 tou5

caution: i made up these sentences without the help of a native teacher.