<![CDATA[Comments on: Chinese New Year Fireworks]]> 2007-02-15 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: JohnT]]> <![CDATA[By: jaysea]]> <![CDATA[By: ]]> Sandra
Egads! I didn't mean to be this early. I'll check back later for the additional vocabulary. But it sounds like a red hot lesson.]]> Sandra
Egads! I didn't mean to be this early. I'll check back later for the additional vocabulary. But it sounds like a red hot lesson.]]> <![CDATA[By: ]]> 金平 Tsin_Ping
Again, great lesson we have today!!! I kinda notice that your dialogues are getting way better than last year.. It has background music.. sound effects and there's too much drama, as if it's like I'm listening to a radio drama show... hehehe!!! Great job again, guys!! Anyway, Jenny, I agree to what have you said that 爸爸 and 妈妈 are 4th tone and Neutral tone, and it reflects on their mood! Both are angry but sometimes calm... :) By the way, ChinesePod, looks like we got a competition here... I came across this site >> Active Chinese (http://www.activechinese.com/) and it's all about teaching Mandarin Chinese too!! Guys, we need to do something to prove that we are still the best language podcast in the whole 世界!! (Now I remember the 手 around the 世界 of Aric) But no matter what happens, I'll gonna stay in ChinesePod forever and ever and ever... That's a promise!! 新年快乐!!! 恭喜发财!!!]]> 金平 Tsin_Ping
Again, great lesson we have today!!! I kinda notice that your dialogues are getting way better than last year.. It has background music.. sound effects and there's too much drama, as if it's like I'm listening to a radio drama show... hehehe!!! Great job again, guys!! Anyway, Jenny, I agree to what have you said that 爸爸 and 妈妈 are 4th tone and Neutral tone, and it reflects on their mood! Both are angry but sometimes calm... :) By the way, ChinesePod, looks like we got a competition here... I came across this site >> Active Chinese (http://www.activechinese.com/) and it's all about teaching Mandarin Chinese too!! Guys, we need to do something to prove that we are still the best language podcast in the whole 世界!! (Now I remember the 手 around the 世界 of Aric) But no matter what happens, I'll gonna stay in ChinesePod forever and ever and ever... That's a promise!! 新年快乐!!! 恭喜发财!!!]]> <![CDATA[By: ]]> Mike in Jubei
Jenny/ Ken and the CPod Factory Team - Happy New Year Hard to sleep here in Jubei because of the firecrackers at night. Now I am trying to ponder the verbs of this lesson. Here is my problem except for the new words for firecracker and dangerous all the rest are in my comfort level. However, If I were to write the lesson in Hanzi from listening to the English translation of the dialogue only, my guess is I would have gotten the verbs right only about 50% of the time. I know your Academic Team puts alot of effort into these dialogues so lets take a look at my problem: A Line 1 我 要 wǒ yào --> I want B Line 2 不行 bùxíng ---> you can't A Line 3 我 可以 wǒ kěyǐ --> can I B Line 4 你 得 nǐ děi --> you must A Line 5 你也 要 nǐ yě yào --> you need to be Perhaps it is the English but can and can't in this case different verb not 不 可以 but 不行 ; want, must, need to be. I might have used 必须 bìxū or 應該[应该] yīnggāi or 須要[须-] xūyào for must Line 4 or 5 would I have been wrong. Any help on what seem like simple verbs would be helpful. Ah Half a day more and then time to relax for a week. Except for studing Chinese of course. Mike in Jubei]]> Mike in Jubei
Jenny/ Ken and the CPod Factory Team - Happy New Year Hard to sleep here in Jubei because of the firecrackers at night. Now I am trying to ponder the verbs of this lesson. Here is my problem except for the new words for firecracker and dangerous all the rest are in my comfort level. However, If I were to write the lesson in Hanzi from listening to the English translation of the dialogue only, my guess is I would have gotten the verbs right only about 50% of the time. I know your Academic Team puts alot of effort into these dialogues so lets take a look at my problem: A Line 1 我 要 wǒ yào --> I want B Line 2 不行 bùxíng ---> you can't A Line 3 我 可以 wǒ kěyǐ --> can I B Line 4 你 得 nǐ děi --> you must A Line 5 你也 要 nǐ yě yào --> you need to be Perhaps it is the English but can and can't in this case different verb not 不 可以 but 不行 ; want, must, need to be. I might have used 必须 bìxū or 應該[应该] yīnggāi or 須要[须-] xūyào for must Line 4 or 5 would I have been wrong. Any help on what seem like simple verbs would be helpful. Ah Half a day more and then time to relax for a week. Except for studing Chinese of course. Mike in Jubei]]> <![CDATA[By: ]]> ChinesePod
Supplementary vocab for this lesson: 烟花 (yānhuā) fireworks 焰火 (yànhuǒ) fireworks 放烟花 (fàng yānhuā) set off fireworks 太巧了。(Tài qiǎo le.) It's such a coincidence. 太响了。(Tài xiǎng le.) It's too loud. 热闹 (rènao) loud and lively 春节 (Chūnjié) Spring Festival; Chinese New Year 过年 (guònián) celebrate/spend Chinese New Year 拜年 (bàinián) pay a New Year's call; wish someone Happy New Year 新年快乐！(Xīnnián kuàilè!) Happy New Year! 恭喜发财！(Gōngxǐfācái!) May you be happy and prosperous! (traditional Chinese New Year greeting) ~Connie]]> ChinesePod
Supplementary vocab for this lesson: 烟花 (yānhuā) fireworks 焰火 (yànhuǒ) fireworks 放烟花 (fàng yānhuā) set off fireworks 太巧了。(Tài qiǎo le.) It's such a coincidence. 太响了。(Tài xiǎng le.) It's too loud. 热闹 (rènao) loud and lively 春节 (Chūnjié) Spring Festival; Chinese New Year 过年 (guònián) celebrate/spend Chinese New Year 拜年 (bàinián) pay a New Year's call; wish someone Happy New Year 新年快乐！(Xīnnián kuàilè!) Happy New Year! 恭喜发财！(Gōngxǐfācái!) May you be happy and prosperous! (traditional Chinese New Year greeting) ~Connie]]> <![CDATA[By: ]]> ChinesePod
Many of the staff have already gone home to their families for Chinese New Year. Starting tomorrow, we'll all be on vacation. Of course, the podcasts will continue, but we thank everyone for your patience if we're a little slower about replying to comments in the podcasts. Happy Chinese New Year! -John]]> ChinesePod
Many of the staff have already gone home to their families for Chinese New Year. Starting tomorrow, we'll all be on vacation. Of course, the podcasts will continue, but we thank everyone for your patience if we're a little slower about replying to comments in the podcasts. Happy Chinese New Year! -John]]> <![CDATA[By: ]]> ChinesePod
Mike in Jubei, I think when approaching a question like this, the most important thing to remember is that translations are always approximations. Thus the question is which words are most appropriate to the context, and the emphasis moves from the exact meaning of the words to the level of formality of the words chosen. With this point in mind, let's look at your questions.
A Line 1 我 要 wǒ yào –> I want B Line 2 不行 bùxíng —> you can’t A Line 3 我 可以 wǒ kěyǐ –> can I B Line 4 你 得 nǐ děi –> you must A Line 5 你也 要 nǐ yě yào –> you need to be Perhaps it is the English but can and can’t in this case different verb not 不 可以 but 不行 ; want, must, need to be. I might have used 必须 bìxū or 應該[应该] yīnggāi or 須要[须-] xūyào for must Line 4 or 5 would I have been wrong.
不可以 (bù kěyǐ) would also work instead of 不行 (bù xíng). 不行 (bù xíng) has more of a "not gonna happen" feel to it, where 不可以 (bù kěyǐ) has a "that is not allowed" feel to it. 必须 (bìxū) is too formal and a little too strong for this situation. 应该 (yīnggāi) is too weak for a father telling his son what to do when safety is a concern. 需要 (xūyào) would not be really wrong here, but it's more formal than 要 (yào), and so is less appropriate to a casual father-son exchange. In this case, both sentences also end with 哦 (ō), which is a good indication that it's definitely an informal exchange. -John]]> ChinesePod
Mike in Jubei, I think when approaching a question like this, the most important thing to remember is that translations are always approximations. Thus the question is which words are most appropriate to the context, and the emphasis moves from the exact meaning of the words to the level of formality of the words chosen. With this point in mind, let's look at your questions.
A Line 1 我 要 wǒ yào –> I want B Line 2 不行 bùxíng —> you can’t A Line 3 我 可以 wǒ kěyǐ –> can I B Line 4 你 得 nǐ děi –> you must A Line 5 你也 要 nǐ yě yào –> you need to be Perhaps it is the English but can and can’t in this case different verb not 不 可以 but 不行 ; want, must, need to be. I might have used 必须 bìxū or 應該[应该] yīnggāi or 須要[须-] xūyào for must Line 4 or 5 would I have been wrong.
不可以 (bù kěyǐ) would also work instead of 不行 (bù xíng). 不行 (bù xíng) has more of a "not gonna happen" feel to it, where 不可以 (bù kěyǐ) has a "that is not allowed" feel to it. 必须 (bìxū) is too formal and a little too strong for this situation. 应该 (yīnggāi) is too weak for a father telling his son what to do when safety is a concern. 需要 (xūyào) would not be really wrong here, but it's more formal than 要 (yào), and so is less appropriate to a casual father-son exchange. In this case, both sentences also end with 哦 (ō), which is a good indication that it's definitely an informal exchange. -John]]> <![CDATA[By: ]]> Bob Mrotek
Charles, I really appreciate the way that you and Mike in Jubei use the characters, the pinyin, AND the English in your posts. That makes it much easier for Newbies and Elementaries like me to follow. You guys are real leaders. Thank you.]]> Bob Mrotek
Charles, I really appreciate the way that you and Mike in Jubei use the characters, the pinyin, AND the English in your posts. That makes it much easier for Newbies and Elementaries like me to follow. You guys are real leaders. Thank you.]]> <![CDATA[By: ]]> Lantian
Banner Hanzi - Bian1 Pao4 鞭炮 爸爸！我要放鞭炮！ bian1 pao4 ba4ba5！ wo3 yao4 fang4 bian1pao4！ firecrackers Notes: Take notice of the 便 bian phonetic in the first character. And the 包 bao/pao phonetic in the second character. Nicely it is also coupled with the 火 huo component for fire. And it's a fourth tone like a sharp cracking explosion 'POW!' The 革 ge2 in the first hanzi is a little more obscure, but as the character means whip/lash or string of firecrackers, it makes sense as firecrackers in China often come tied together in long strings, the component means leather or expel/dismiss 放鞭炮!]]> Lantian
Banner Hanzi - Bian1 Pao4 鞭炮 爸爸！我要放鞭炮！ bian1 pao4 ba4ba5！ wo3 yao4 fang4 bian1pao4！ firecrackers Notes: Take notice of the 便 bian phonetic in the first character. And the 包 bao/pao phonetic in the second character. Nicely it is also coupled with the 火 huo component for fire. And it's a fourth tone like a sharp cracking explosion 'POW!' The 革 ge2 in the first hanzi is a little more obscure, but as the character means whip/lash or string of firecrackers, it makes sense as firecrackers in China often come tied together in long strings, the component means leather or expel/dismiss 放鞭炮!]]>