User Comments - rich
rich
Posted on: 海归女对掐主持人
February 3, 2012 at 5:32 AMWhat? America has the Great Firewall too? And I thought it was China that was good at copying things...haha. But yeah, many sites like sohu's videos can't be viewed in the States.
Posted on: What Would You Like to Eat?
February 3, 2012 at 5:30 AMHi newbie #9 :)
For breakfast, yes, can say 你早上吃什么？nǐ zǎoshang chī shénme?
For lunch, you'd say 你中午吃什么？ nǐ zhōngwǔ chī shénme?
(中午 = noon, the time between 上午 and 下午, basically about 12:00pm to 1:00pm or 1:30pm)
Posted on: Family Member Terms of Address
February 1, 2012 at 3:07 AMDictionaries tend to say that 堂X means paternal side, where as 表X doesn't tend to specify in most dictionaries I've seen. That is a good point, as my father's sister's child does NOT have my surname, but that of my father's brother-in-law. The best definitions I've seen are, as you just said veronique21:
older male cousin with a different surname: 表哥 biǎogē
younger male cousin with a different surname: 表弟 biǎodì
older female cousin with a different surname: 表姐 biǎojiě
younger female cousin with a different surname: 表妹 biǎomèi
---
older male cousin with the same surname: 堂哥 tánggē
younger male cousin with the same surname: 堂弟 tángdì
older female cousin with the same surname: 堂姐 tángjiě
younger female cousin with the same surname: 堂妹 tángmèi
Posted on: Fresh Air vs. Heat
January 31, 2012 at 8:29 AMWent to the huge building in Pudong, Shanghai where one handles visas to help my fiancee extend her visa...the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau... it's a huge glass building, and of course, even though very cold yesterday, 1/3 of all the huge glass panels on this building were open...couldn't help but think of this lesson.
This image is just a model of it....imagine it with tons of windows open in the winter.
Posted on: Birthday on the Lunar Calendar
January 31, 2012 at 7:12 AMI think my parents still ask what MSN means...lol. And of course they at one time thought LOL means "lots of luck"... *sigh*
Posted on: Birthday on the Lunar Calendar
January 31, 2012 at 7:11 AMI would think though, going back to kimiik's post, that it is very rare to say "Happy Solar Birthday", as that would be the same as "Happy Birthday" in all the world. You would more likely specify it is the lunar birthday than the solar birthday, as that is what everyone usually assumes, at least young Chinese people.
Posted on: Getting Picked up by a Driver
January 31, 2012 at 7:05 AMSome examples:
Hello, Ms. Nelson. Welcome to our school.
您好，纳尔逊女士，欢迎您来到我们学校。
Ms. Cameron is young-looking.
卡梅伦女士看起来很年轻。
Do you know the flight number, Ms. Yang?
杨女士，你知道航班号吗？
But of course never used for teachers, always use 老师:
In school this week, Ms. Liu told us to write about our futures.
这周在学校，刘老师告诉我们要写关于我们的未来。
Posted on: Getting Picked up by a Driver
January 31, 2012 at 7:02 AMI know for Ms. as a title you can use 女士 nǚshì (which is also the word when saying Ladies and Gentlemen, 女士们、先生们), but if the woman looks young and you are calling her, can use 小姐 xiǎojiě, but if older, tàitai or āyí I believe are polite.
Just a word of warning, you do have to watch where you use 小姐 xiǎojiě, as even in some parts of China isn't appropriate, even with a waiter, where, as in the North it is ok. It was commonly used in Tianjin where I lived from 2003-2008, but not in Shanghai.
Posted on: Getting Picked up by a Driver
January 31, 2012 at 6:56 AMLu = 卢 :)
Posted on: Toilet Types
February 3, 2012 at 5:37 AMOf course. I find 洗手间 to be more common in both Tianjin (north China) and Shanghai (south). 卫生间 Wèishēngjiān is also often used.
I found in Taiwan though they prefer 厕所, which seems to be more like the British use of "Toilet" (the room, not where we sit). To me I rarely use 厕所 since to me it sounds like the place to sit, so I rarely use it, but can be used as well. So all three are useable in the same sentence, but it may change what is more common based on where you live/travel.