User Comments - toianw
toianw
Posted on: Shanghai Fashion
January 5, 2012 at 4:07 PMHi perrytex967,
The zhě on the end turns the meaning into "a [person who is] sexist". If you want to use the adjective "sexist", just take off the zhě.
Posted on: Traditional Food During the Spring Festival
January 2, 2012 at 12:44 PMYour welcome mate. Happy New Year...and happy 腊八节 (which happened to fall on Jan 1 this year)!
Posted on: Scheduling a Time
December 30, 2011 at 10:05 AMAccording to "Swan: Practical English Usage"...
Singular use of they, their, them:
This use of they/them/their has existed for centuries, and is perfectly correct. It is most common in an informal style, but can also be found in formal written English.
I think you're right though that in the past it was more common to use just he, him or his when the gender was unknown or could be either.
Posted on: Taking the Plunge into Intermediate
December 29, 2011 at 7:18 AMHi Chris,
I think it's 窍门儿。
Posted on: Traditional Food During the Spring Festival
December 25, 2011 at 4:35 PMHi zhong_bide,
I made a few notes as I listened. Hope it helps and there aren't too many mistakes.
Dumplings:
饺子 (jiǎozi) - dumplings
水饺 (shuǐjiǎo) - boiled dumplings
除夕 (chúxī) - Chinese New Year's Eve
年夜饭 (niányèfàn) - New Year's Eve meal
菜肉饺 (càiròujiǎo) - meat and veg dumplings
馅儿 (xiànr) / 馅 (xiàn) - filling
元宝 (yuánbǎo) - old Chinese currency (crescent shaped)
饺子皮 (jiǎozipí) - skin/dough of jiaozi
馄饨皮 (húntúnpí)
菜 sounds like 财 (cái) / 财富 (cáifù) - wealth
小姐，水饺一碗多少钱 / 小姐，睡觉一晚多小钱。
张仲景 (Zhāng Zhòngjǐng) - Famous doctor from Eastern Han Dynasty
饺子 (jiǎozi) sounds similar to 交子 (jiāozǐ)
Sticky rice dumplings/balls:
汤圆 (tāngyuán) 汤团 (tāngtuán) 元宵 (yuánxiāo)
元宵节 (yuánxiāojiě) / 正月十五 (zhēngyuè shíwǔ) - 15th day of first lunar month
Sweet fillings:
豆沙 (dòushā) - red bean paste
黑洋沙 (hēiyángshā) - black sesame paste
黑芝麻 (hēizhīma) - sesame
冰淇淋汤团 (bīngqílín tāngtuán) - ice cream tangtuan
Savoury fillings:
鲜肉 (xiānròu) - fresh meat
菜肉 (càiròu) - vegetables and meat
酒酿小圆子 (jiǔniàng xiǎoyuánzi) - sticky rice balls cooked in 甜米酒 (tiánmǐjiǔ) - sweet rice wine
Foods eaten before Spring Festival:
腊八粥 (làbāzhōu) / 八宝粥 (bābǎozhōu) - Eight treasure porridge
腊月初八 (làyuè chūbā) - eighth day of 12th lunar month
Some of the "treasures":
红豆 (hóngdòu) - red bean
桂圆 (guìyuán) / 龙眼 (lóngyǎn) - longan fruit
花生 (huāshēng) - peanuts
Others:
年糕 niángāo / 糯米糕 nuòmǐgāo - New Year rice cake
桂花 (guìhuā) - Osmanthus flower
Winter food:
羊肉 - yángròu - lamb/mutton
狗肉 - gǒuròu - dog meat
抗寒 - kànghán - protect against the cold
Posted on: An Improved Understanding of Improve
December 20, 2011 at 3:34 PMHi podster,
I guess the most natural opposite of 提高 would be 降低 (jiàngdī)，so you can say 降低价格。In terms of asking for a "better" price as a buyer, I've also heard 优惠 (yōuhuì) used in this context - so you could ask for a 更优惠的价格。Of course in everyday life, the old 便宜 or 打折 will work also.
Posted on: An Improved Understanding of Improve
December 19, 2011 at 1:31 PMHi nicksymondson ,
That's right. In fact many Chinese students who are learning English also often confuse the English words "improve" and "increase". It's probably easiest to think of the basic meaning as "to raise" (raise the price, raise your Chinese level), though "improve" is sometimes a more natural translation depending on context. The individual characters are 提 (tí - to lift up) and 高 (gāo - high)。
Posted on: 孔子拜访老子 1：道可道非常道
December 16, 2011 at 8:59 AM"we read a bit then he asks 'what do you think that means?' I tell him, and he says 不对！"
Ha Ha - I love that! Keep going bozi! As they say (or maybe they don't???) 过程比结果重要。
I'd love to check out your blog too and get a little taster of the 三字经. How can we IM you? Is that something we can do through the chinesepod site?
Posted on: Merry Christmas!
December 13, 2011 at 1:54 AMHi xottle,
The Songs were posted on John's personal blog. It looks like you can still download them. Just follow this link .
Posted on: The Spring Festival Gala
January 22, 2012 at 4:01 PMYes, the moving stage was definitely a highlight this year. Time to go outside and kan the renao!