User Comments - trevorb
trevorb
Posted on: The Left-handed Child
February 20, 2011, 09:47 PM被 is the use of the passive voice used in the sense of by
The sentence means "I don't want to kill people, I was forced" the 逼 means force.
Posted on: Do you like China?
January 14, 2011, 10:32 PMIn this context 想 means "would like to".
Posted on: Dialing a Nonlocal Phone Number
January 10, 2011, 08:18 PMthis is commonly done in phone numbers and anywhere else a string of numbers is used, the reason I heard for it is that it ensures yi（一） is not mixed up with qi（七）.
Posted on: Do you have a menu?
January 08, 2011, 10:50 PMHi Harry-haokan.
I found this web page useful for helping me with the pronunciation of this but I think that the difference between c and t is one of those things that we just have to achieve with practice.
http://www.sinosplice.com/learn-chinese/pronunciation-of-mandarin-chinese
the t sound seems to sound a bit duller less tchhh but I guess the best way may be to pick a couple of words starting with each, put them in your vocabulary then play them one after another. Look for cài 菜 and tài 太 as these are common and you should easily hear the difference. You could of course look for similar pairs to help fix it...
Posted on: Practicing Kung Fu
January 06, 2011, 06:31 PMInteresting thing is that my kids do 空手道 and their Sensei is really puffed up by his title. When he grades them he had someone write the Japanese for Sensei so he could use it on their certificate which apparently turned out to be 先生 (is this right zhenlijiang if you are still around)。
Of course to me that kinda knocks of the glitter of the title! its not even shifu! Its like regular Mister....
Posted on: Practicing Kung Fu
January 06, 2011, 06:24 PMThere seem to be a lot of full length things on youku
just put this in google 蛇形拳 成龙 and you'll find one of my favourites...the movie that ultimately lead to my banging my head against this language!
Posted on: Practicing Kung Fu
January 06, 2011, 06:20 PMMaybe this is because 功夫 is more common in Hong Kong and most of the early movies westerners would have seen would have been from there?
Posted on: Practicing Kung Fu
January 06, 2011, 06:15 PM你应该试试太极拳。。。。。
Posted on: Practicing Kung Fu
January 06, 2011, 06:14 PMThats what I do with my lunch hour, watch 武术 movies in chinese on my iPod. I'm yet to understand much but the frustration is always eased out by all the fighting....
I guess the kind of language in them is not going to be daily use though well not unless you are a mean drunk...... :-)
Posted on: Video Contest, ChinesePod Korea and the Store
November 06, 2011, 08:47 PMI suspect that using the English version also helps polish your English whilst also learning Chinese so you get to keep two languages on the go at once :-)