<![CDATA[Comments on: A Family of Teachers]]> 2009-07-15 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: quasifrog]]> Maybe a little editing is needed in the expansion section.

]]> Maybe a little editing is needed in the expansion section.

]]> <![CDATA[By: user1283]]> The expansion sentences do not follow audio

]]> The expansion sentences do not follow audio

]]> <![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]> @quasifrog and all Poddies,

We have gone through an AMS (academic management system) upgrade last night. It has led to some glitches in today's vocabulary and expansion sections. We are on the case now. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience. They will be put right very shortly. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

]]> @quasifrog and all Poddies,

We have gone through an AMS (academic management system) upgrade last night. It has led to some glitches in today's vocabulary and expansion sections. We are on the case now. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience. They will be put right very shortly. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

]]> <![CDATA[By: chrisjen]]> 李老师，我爸爸也是老师。

是吗？你妈妈呢？

我妈妈也是老师。

哇……你家都是老师。

]]> 李老师，我爸爸也是老师。

是吗？你妈妈呢？

我妈妈也是老师。

哇……你家都是老师。

]]> <![CDATA[By: helenshen_counselor]]> There was a girl in my middle school class whose mother was an English teacher, I was so jealous of her. I thought her English must be the best in our class, but it turned out not. To my surprise, she couldn't even pass the exam.

]]> There was a girl in my middle school class whose mother was an English teacher, I was so jealous of her. I thought her English must be the best in our class, but it turned out not. To my surprise, she couldn't even pass the exam.

]]> <![CDATA[By: frances]]> I have a question about the use of 爸爸 (bàba) and 妈妈 (māma) in this dialogue and others. As an English speaker, I use the more informal words for father and mother (dad, mom, ma, etc...) only when I am directly addressing my parents, but as an adult talking about my parents they are always "my father" or "my mother".

It seems that this choice is made a little differently in Chinese. Are there common conventions for when these words are used rather than the more formal 父亲 (fùqin) and (母亲) mǔqin? I think I may be overusing the more formal words because of my English-language bias.

]]> I have a question about the use of 爸爸 (bàba) and 妈妈 (māma) in this dialogue and others. As an English speaker, I use the more informal words for father and mother (dad, mom, ma, etc...) only when I am directly addressing my parents, but as an adult talking about my parents they are always "my father" or "my mother".

It seems that this choice is made a little differently in Chinese. Are there common conventions for when these words are used rather than the more formal 父亲 (fùqin) and (母亲) mǔqin? I think I may be overusing the more formal words because of my English-language bias.

]]> <![CDATA[By: kaixin_in_tampa]]> Hi, can the word dōu be used to mean "both" also? In this lesson it means "all".

他和我都是老师。

Tā hé wǒ dōu shì lǎoshī.

Both he and I are teachers.

谢谢

 

 

]]> Hi, can the word dōu be used to mean "both" also? In this lesson it means "all".

他和我都是老师。

Tā hé wǒ dōu shì lǎoshī.

Both he and I are teachers.

谢谢

 

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: lanfei90du]]> 老师是世界上最伟大的职业

]]> 老师是世界上最伟大的职业

]]> <![CDATA[By: frances]]> Carlos,

Yes, 都 (dōu) can be either "all" or "both". "All" and "both" really mean almost exactly the same thing, except that we choose to make groups of two into a special case. Chinese doesn't do that.

If you want to make it clear in Chinese that you mean all of exactly two, you can say "两个都" (liǎnggè dōu), literally "all of these two". Usually this is just redundant, though.

]]> Carlos,

Yes, 都 (dōu) can be either "all" or "both". "All" and "both" really mean almost exactly the same thing, except that we choose to make groups of two into a special case. Chinese doesn't do that.

If you want to make it clear in Chinese that you mean all of exactly two, you can say "两个都" (liǎnggè dōu), literally "all of these two". Usually this is just redundant, though.

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> Hi frances

You can use "妈妈" and "爸爸" in conversations with adults such as your friends, colleagues and relatives, but they are basically casual words. So “父亲，母亲，父母亲” are more appropriate in a formal situation and when talking with your boss, customers, and elderly people, for example. Of course, it also depends on "familiarity". Anyway, I wouldn't say "胡主席，您的妈妈今年多少岁数了？", hehe.

]]> Hi frances

You can use "妈妈" and "爸爸" in conversations with adults such as your friends, colleagues and relatives, but they are basically casual words. So “父亲，母亲，父母亲” are more appropriate in a formal situation and when talking with your boss, customers, and elderly people, for example. Of course, it also depends on "familiarity". Anyway, I wouldn't say "胡主席，您的妈妈今年多少岁数了？", hehe.

]]>