User Comments - punter888

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punter888

Posted on: The Third Tone
February 5, 2008 at 8:57 AM

Hi Xiaohu. That is fantastic advice. You wouldn't believe the hours I've spent trying to rehearse the tone gymnastics of speaking with full 3rd tones all the time! This makes my life so much easier! Phew!

Posted on: The Third Tone
February 4, 2008 at 12:15 PM

Hi and thanks xiaohu. Loud and clear on what you are saying. My confusion is coming from an instruction in the rather official looking Beijing Language & Culture Universtity Press textbook "a 3rd tone syllable becomes a half tone when it is immediately followed by a 1st, 2nd, 4th or neutral tone syllable, i.e. only the first half (the falling part) is articulated". But I haven't come accross a similar rule in cpod or in other tone change explanations.....? Is this referring to textbook Chinese rather than how the language is actually spoken? So assumign the textbook peopel are right and if a 3rd tone followed by, say a 4th tone does indeed become a first-half 3rd tone, what then happens to another 3rd tone that directly precedes the newly morphed tone. In other words, how would I correctly pronounce "ni3 you3 ji3 ge4". If the ji3 becomes like a ji4, then what happens to the you3? Does it still become like a you2 out of respect for the original j3, or would it become like a you4 out of respect for the newly converted ji4? Wo hu tu le!!! Jenny...xiaohu.....help!!!

Posted on: The Third Tone
February 3, 2008 at 7:38 AM

Totally confused about these 3rd tones here. ..I am told that a 3rd tone before any other tone changes to the first half of the 3rd tone....is this right? If so how does it impact the preceding 3rd tones? Any help with an explanation of how I would pronounce the following expression.. Ni3 you3 ji3 ge4

Posted on: Yang Jie's Diary: Date with a Nerd
November 10, 2007 at 3:43 PM

Before learning Chinese I used to be a fun person to be around. Never would say no to a drink or a night on the town. But now I unfortunately have become a SHU DAI ZE! I never go out anymore and I stay home and learn Chinese, what is wrong with me? Amber - tell me that there is a cure! Help!

Posted on: Bazza and Dating Chinese Girls
November 2, 2007 at 1:00 PM

Gee if I go to the cpod office do i get the 3rd degree on my love life also? Scary scary!!!! Have you ever heard the expression "long haired dictionary"?

Posted on: #22
November 2, 2007 at 1:00 PM

Gee if I go to the cpod office do i get the 3rd degree on my love life also? Scary scary!!!! Have you ever heard the expression "long haired dictionary"?

Posted on: Lesson
July 29, 2007 at 5:55 AM

What is the difference between nanhai and nande? Thanks.

Posted on: Lesson
July 29, 2007 at 5:03 AM

Can anybody help to explain the sentence structures in the expansion section...we have 1) Wo jintian qu bangongshi bu tai fangbian 2) Wo xia ge yue bu tai fangbian qu Yingguo The order of these sentences are different. Is there a rule here or does "anything go" when it comes to "bu tai fangbian"?

Posted on: Sweet Watermelon
July 29, 2007 at 1:57 AM

The expansion tells us "Nimen chichi kan, zhende hen tian" = "You try it--it's really sweet." It looks like the "it" isn't translated into Chinese. Does "it" exist in Chinese or is it dispensed with?

Posted on: Pets
July 28, 2007 at 11:40 AM

In the expansion section, the measure word yi zhi mao is used to state "I have a cat". But when the question is asked "do you have a cat", there is no measure word used. Can someone volunteer to explain the dynamics of when the measure words are used and when they are not used?