User Comments - toianw

Posted on: Fire in the Hallway!

When I submit answers to the exercises, your computer refuses to give me any points. All sections go blank and each section gives a mark of null/null points.

Posted on: Can't Get a Taxi

I'll try to give some insight into London cabs for you. Actually, in London many "black cabs" are no longer black. Indeed there has never been any rule about London cabs being black. The simple reason was that the manufacturers produced the cars in black as standard. You had to pay extra if you wanted a different colour, so everyone bought black. Nowadays other colours are also quite popular, especially a darkish green. Some are multicoloured - covered in advertisements.

Red taxis in Beijing? How long is it since you've been to Beijing?

Posted on: A Short Haircut

This sentence in the expansion caught my attention.

你再不来，我就走了。
(If you don't show up again, I'm going to leave.)

Would it also be valid to translate this as "If you don't get here soon, I'm going to leave"?

I've come across 再 used to indicate a "not much time left" kind of feeling before.

Posted on: Too Many Food Allergies

知道了。Thanks Jenny and Jack.

Posted on: Too Many Food Allergies

Thanks Jenny. So is my sentence incorrect? I want to say something like "This kind of allergy is quite common in my country."

Also, how would you say "Do you have any allergies?" or "Are you allergic to anything?" I guess doctors must ask this question a lot. What's the most natural way in Chinese?

Posted on: Too Many Food Allergies

I'd put my money on 种 e.g. 这种过敏挺常见的。

you're right, we don't say 我有(一个)过敏 as Jenny said towards the end of the podcast.

Posted on: National Day Holiday

Hi anzhiru,

I hope I haven't confused you. Actually, it's clear from the diologue that at this company they USUALLY work 5 days a week (Monday to Friday) and that the extra days are just to accommodate the 7 days in a row holiday for 国庆节.

Of course, how many days a week you work will depend on what work you do and who you work for. Many people will work 7 days a week, though 5 days a week is most common for large companies.

Posted on: National Day Holiday

Hi anzhiru,

In this case, the dialogue suggests it's just one day of each of the weekends that you have to work. So during the week before the holiday you work from Sunday through to Thursday. Then you get your seven days off. Then go back to work on Friday and Saturday and have just the Sunday off.

Posted on: Giving Instructions to the Ayi

Check out www.yncoffee.cn

That's what I buy in Beijing. It's loads cheaper than imported brands but takes some looking for.

Posted on: Working in the Countryside

Thank for the clarification John. Do dictionaries exist that tell you this kind of thing? Any recommendations? At the moment, I'm just making a note of all the examples I come across and trying to make sense of it.