<![CDATA[Comments on: How was your flight?]]> 2010-06-29 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: bill]]> 这节课很有用. 多谢 ...

]]> 这节课很有用. 多谢 ...

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> Complete transcript of this lesson here:

http://chinesepod.com/community/conversations/post/9569

]]> Complete transcript of this lesson here:

http://chinesepod.com/community/conversations/post/9569

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> So many things I liked about this lesson I don't know where to start 【but I'm now not sure if I should thank our CPod team 朋友们 for such a useful and well taught lesson ;)]. I've heard this advice before about using xiexie,but I still can't get my head around not saying thanks to Chinese friends where I think it would be appropriate in my culture. I find it a little confusing because it feels right to me [and rude not to thank where appropriate] and yet I don't want to give out the message that I don't think we're good friends.怎么办？[is it different for foreigners anyway?...I gather not really]

]]> So many things I liked about this lesson I don't know where to start 【but I'm now not sure if I should thank our CPod team 朋友们 for such a useful and well taught lesson ;)]. I've heard this advice before about using xiexie,but I still can't get my head around not saying thanks to Chinese friends where I think it would be appropriate in my culture. I find it a little confusing because it feels right to me [and rude not to thank where appropriate] and yet I don't want to give out the message that I don't think we're good friends.怎么办？[is it different for foreigners anyway?...I gather not really]

]]> <![CDATA[By: jgwilson]]> 信息=The tones should be xìnxí. Why did you teach xìnxī? Is that the way people in Shanghai speak it?

]]> 信息=The tones should be xìnxí. Why did you teach xìnxī? Is that the way people in Shanghai speak it?

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiaophil]]> Well, I can't speak for CPod, but I think xìnxī is correct. That's what my textbooks taught me, and that's what nciku.com says. Where are you getting your info from?

http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E4%BF%A1%E6%81%AF/1316985

]]> Well, I can't speak for CPod, but I think xìnxī is correct. That's what my textbooks taught me, and that's what nciku.com says. Where are you getting your info from?

http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E4%BF%A1%E6%81%AF/1316985

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> mandarin popup and mdbg also have it as 4th and 1st

]]> mandarin popup and mdbg also have it as 4th and 1st

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> 信息 (xìnxī) is correct. 息 can be neutral tone, but as far as I know it's never second tone. Where did you hear that?

]]> 信息 (xìnxī) is correct. 息 can be neutral tone, but as far as I know it's never second tone. Where did you hear that?

]]> <![CDATA[By: svik]]> that's second tone in Taiwan, I think

]]> that's second tone in Taiwan, I think

]]> <![CDATA[By: danchao]]> Yeah, I say xìnxí,, and my parents are from Taiwan. Didn't realize there was that discrepancy.

]]> Yeah, I say xìnxí,, and my parents are from Taiwan. Didn't realize there was that discrepancy.

]]> <![CDATA[By: dunderklumpen]]>

I think it's interesting that the word for picking up (jie1) a person is the same as the one for answering (jie1) the phone.

http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E6%8E%A5/1307674

]]>

I think it's interesting that the word for picking up (jie1) a person is the same as the one for answering (jie1) the phone.

http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E6%8E%A5/1307674

]]> <![CDATA[By: brigrainger]]> Wow ! 18 hour journey time without taking into account any time(zone) difference ,which I would love to know how to say in Chinese.

]]> Wow ! 18 hour journey time without taking into account any time(zone) difference ,which I would love to know how to say in Chinese.

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> My guess would be "zhèxié ge hángbān xūyào yìgōng shí bā ge xiáoshī. (These flights altogether take 18 hours).

Or maybe "lútú shíjiān xūyào shí bā ge xiáoshī. (travel time take 18 hours).

]]> My guess would be "zhèxié ge hángbān xūyào yìgōng shí bā ge xiáoshī. (These flights altogether take 18 hours).

Or maybe "lútú shíjiān xūyào shí bā ge xiáoshī. (travel time take 18 hours).

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> It was interesting to hear John's discussion around asking about the trip, and the actual flights.  I was thinking similarly to John that lútú doesn't really have a counterpart in English, but I guess it does. We would just say, "how was the flight?", rather than "how was the trip?"  But I guess Chinese wouldn't say, "Nǐ de hángbān zěnmeyáng?" Or would they?

I've had the opportunity to speak with local Chinese, and Yali and Yu Liang sound very wealthy compared with some Chinese i've talked to. Most of the locals are saying that they've never left the country, and that flying out of the country is something they've never experienced, let alone flying from North/South America.

]]> It was interesting to hear John's discussion around asking about the trip, and the actual flights.  I was thinking similarly to John that lútú doesn't really have a counterpart in English, but I guess it does. We would just say, "how was the flight?", rather than "how was the trip?"  But I guess Chinese wouldn't say, "Nǐ de hángbān zěnmeyáng?" Or would they?

I've had the opportunity to speak with local Chinese, and Yali and Yu Liang sound very wealthy compared with some Chinese i've talked to. Most of the locals are saying that they've never left the country, and that flying out of the country is something they've never experienced, let alone flying from North/South America.

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> Oh, and why is there a China Eastern airplane the graphic on a lesson that mentioned United Airlines? And why is it a China Eastern Airbus A321 instead of a United Boeing 777? :-)

]]> Oh, and why is there a China Eastern airplane the graphic on a lesson that mentioned United Airlines? And why is it a China Eastern Airbus A321 instead of a United Boeing 777? :-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> Hehe! time for 小题大做!

]]> Hehe! time for 小题大做!

]]> <![CDATA[By: voland]]> 时差

]]> 时差

]]> <![CDATA[By: go_manly]]> Some corrections/suggestions:

Firstly, that xié. Do you mean xiē (些). That is a measure word. You wouldn't have two consecutive measure words.

Secondly, yìgōng. I could be wrong, but I think that should be placed after the time.

Thirdly, xiǎoshī should be xiǎoshí.

Fourthly, lútú should be lǚtú.

I'm thinking it should be:

Zhège (or zhèxiē) hángbān xūyào shíbā ge xiǎoshí de shíjiān yìgōng.

]]> Some corrections/suggestions:

Firstly, that xié. Do you mean xiē (些). That is a measure word. You wouldn't have two consecutive measure words.

Secondly, yìgōng. I could be wrong, but I think that should be placed after the time.

Thirdly, xiǎoshī should be xiǎoshí.

Fourthly, lútú should be lǚtú.

I'm thinking it should be:

Zhège (or zhèxiē) hángbān xūyào shíbā ge xiǎoshí de shíjiān yìgōng.

]]> <![CDATA[By: go_manly]]> pretzellogic

Just letting you know (in case you didn't already) that you can enter ü by typing v.

]]> pretzellogic

Just letting you know (in case you didn't already) that you can enter ü by typing v.

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> I didn't know that. Thanks.

]]> I didn't know that. Thanks.

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> if you think about it, it's not much different from the way we use "get". example "can you get me at the airport at 8pm?" and "get the phone". it pays to think generic sometimes.

]]> if you think about it, it's not much different from the way we use "get". example "can you get me at the airport at 8pm?" and "get the phone". it pays to think generic sometimes.

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> this reminds me of being in chinese class, where anybody with a Taiwanese background will swear that we are all saying it wrong. some pretty good examples are 建筑 which is two fourth tones in Chinese and fourth and second in Taiwan.

]]> this reminds me of being in chinese class, where anybody with a Taiwanese background will swear that we are all saying it wrong. some pretty good examples are 建筑 which is two fourth tones in Chinese and fourth and second in Taiwan.

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> i can back John up on thanking the parents for taking us to a Sizzler or some restaurant after a special occasion like picking relatives up at the airport. this is an important cultural point. seems like it's always safe to not thank people when in china and always thank people in america. coming from an american perspective it's hard to not thank people all the time, and getting picked up at the airport is definitely one of those extreme cases.

]]> i can back John up on thanking the parents for taking us to a Sizzler or some restaurant after a special occasion like picking relatives up at the airport. this is an important cultural point. seems like it's always safe to not thank people when in china and always thank people in america. coming from an american perspective it's hard to not thank people all the time, and getting picked up at the airport is definitely one of those extreme cases.

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> this is also the case for 星期, which in china is two first tones and in taiwan is first and third. i remember seeing a table of all the differences in tones between Taiwan and China, don't remember where. some dictionaries are good at making a note of that. i must have come across at least 20 - 30 differences. must be hundreds.

]]> this is also the case for 星期, which in china is two first tones and in taiwan is first and third. i remember seeing a table of all the differences in tones between Taiwan and China, don't remember where. some dictionaries are good at making a note of that. i must have come across at least 20 - 30 differences. must be hundreds.

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> i wondered about this too... i think we are so used to immediately showing thanks, but like John said the thanks for chinese is a kind of heartfelt gratitude. maybe it's a good lesson for us to practice letting the thanks go to our heart and not just blurt it out of our mouths. if we internalize our thanks, perhaps we might be able to later externalize it better in a more meaningful way. also, we might be able to stop thanking people so much for useless things, like every time the waitress fills our water, or puts the fork on the table... are we really thankful for that or is it just her job duty?

]]> i wondered about this too... i think we are so used to immediately showing thanks, but like John said the thanks for chinese is a kind of heartfelt gratitude. maybe it's a good lesson for us to practice letting the thanks go to our heart and not just blurt it out of our mouths. if we internalize our thanks, perhaps we might be able to later externalize it better in a more meaningful way. also, we might be able to stop thanking people so much for useless things, like every time the waitress fills our water, or puts the fork on the table... are we really thankful for that or is it just her job duty?

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> also, "pick me up at the aiport" and "pick up the phone".

]]> also, "pick me up at the aiport" and "pick up the phone".

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> i think we may be underestimating the english word "trip". i think it's also used to refer to just the travel portion of a vacation or travelling from point a to point b.

]]> i think we may be underestimating the english word "trip". i think it's also used to refer to just the travel portion of a vacation or travelling from point a to point b.

]]> <![CDATA[By: dunderklumpen]]> That's true. I forgot one can say "pick up the phone". It's not possible to use the same words for those two actions in Swedish. We'd say answer the phone and fetch a person at the airport (literally translated).

]]> That's true. I forgot one can say "pick up the phone". It's not possible to use the same words for those two actions in Swedish. We'd say answer the phone and fetch a person at the airport (literally translated).

]]> <![CDATA[By: danchao]]> Holy cow, you're right! I've lived in China for 13 years and I still talk with a Taiwanese accent. Haha. Somehow I don't notice these things.

]]> Holy cow, you're right! I've lived in China for 13 years and I still talk with a Taiwanese accent. Haha. Somehow I don't notice these things.

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]> I am guilty of feeling irritated when people in China don't say thank you or sorry, but I should remind myself that it's not that they are being rude!

Whilst I'm not about to stop voicing my gratitude when people help me out, it's really helpful to bear in mind this important cultural difference.

]]> I am guilty of feeling irritated when people in China don't say thank you or sorry, but I should remind myself that it's not that they are being rude!

Whilst I'm not about to stop voicing my gratitude when people help me out, it's really helpful to bear in mind this important cultural difference.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]>

it's not that they are being rude

...this I completely understand and have no problem with. I'm merely talking about my own behaviour and the difficulty of teaching an old dog new tricks. For me it raises the old question...should I change anyway? I find it an interesting question. I'm sure I don't expect Chinese to change who they are when they come here. If there is something cultural that other Aussies would find strange in their behaviour for me it is a cause for celebration. I enjoy the cultural differences. I accept them for who they are.

But it also makes me wonder how much this is the case in China as it is a much more homogenous society as far as I can tell and I think the pressure to conform is greater. How much this pressure/attitude extends to foreigners I do not know and I would be very interested in any insight into this.

]]>

it's not that they are being rude

...this I completely understand and have no problem with. I'm merely talking about my own behaviour and the difficulty of teaching an old dog new tricks. For me it raises the old question...should I change anyway? I find it an interesting question. I'm sure I don't expect Chinese to change who they are when they come here. If there is something cultural that other Aussies would find strange in their behaviour for me it is a cause for celebration. I enjoy the cultural differences. I accept them for who they are.

But it also makes me wonder how much this is the case in China as it is a much more homogenous society as far as I can tell and I think the pressure to conform is greater. How much this pressure/attitude extends to foreigners I do not know and I would be very interested in any insight into this.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jgwilson]]> 你們猜對了，我現在在台灣。

在台灣，人會說：

星期xīngqí

信息xìnxí

Google Dictionary for Traditional Characters also has the second tone.

信息 [xin xi] Pinyin [ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄒㄧˊ] Zhuyin

information; news; a message

But with the simplified dictionary Google Dictionary uses the same tone as you guys.

信息 xìnxī

音讯，消息

信息灵通人士。

用电讯、数码传递的数据、内容

信息战 | 网络信息。

]]> 你們猜對了，我現在在台灣。

在台灣，人會說：

星期xīngqí

信息xìnxí

Google Dictionary for Traditional Characters also has the second tone.

信息 [xin xi] Pinyin [ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄒㄧˊ] Zhuyin

information; news; a message

But with the simplified dictionary Google Dictionary uses the same tone as you guys.

信息 xìnxī

音讯，消息

信息灵通人士。

用电讯、数码传递的数据、内容

信息战 | 网络信息。

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> Surely the english equivalent would be "how was your journey?"

]]> Surely the english equivalent would be "how was your journey?"

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> I think you're right. Now here's a very simple plain English word that in my experience you just don't hear as often any more [at least in these parts]. I guess it's a longer word and people tend to be lazy and use trip to encompass the whole time away or use something more specific like flight. Somehow in my mind journey being a long word tends to conjure up a long drawn out affair [perhaps involving different modes of transport, a bit of an ordeal perhaps] and now that transport is more advanced and quicker it doesn't seem to give the best vibe. But yeah, I think it is the equivalent and is a perfectly valid word [ I guess I'm just commenting on language trends].

]]> I think you're right. Now here's a very simple plain English word that in my experience you just don't hear as often any more [at least in these parts]. I guess it's a longer word and people tend to be lazy and use trip to encompass the whole time away or use something more specific like flight. Somehow in my mind journey being a long word tends to conjure up a long drawn out affair [perhaps involving different modes of transport, a bit of an ordeal perhaps] and now that transport is more advanced and quicker it doesn't seem to give the best vibe. But yeah, I think it is the equivalent and is a perfectly valid word [ I guess I'm just commenting on language trends].

]]> <![CDATA[By: tangqian]]> Indeed, this is a very useful lesson. I would like to see more of this and less of the obscure stuff (i.e; blowing a fuse).

]]> Indeed, this is a very useful lesson. I would like to see more of this and less of the obscure stuff (i.e; blowing a fuse).

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]>

I've heard "how was your flight?" and "how was the trip?" more often than "how was your journey?" but none of these are wrong. Maybe the frequencies of occurence are due to the difference between Americans and the British.

]]>

I've heard "how was your flight?" and "how was the trip?" more often than "how was your journey?" but none of these are wrong. Maybe the frequencies of occurence are due to the difference between Americans and the British.

]]> <![CDATA[By: chris]]> I think most Chinese would make allowances for foreigners who continuously say thank you over here and would not read too much more into any deeper meanings we may or may not be trying to convey. Most of the time I just get the obligatory "bu keqi" or "bu yong xie" response every time I say thank you, no matter what the situation. I think that sometimes it is very useful to be obviously not Chinese when speaking the language with locals, particularly if we commit one of the many faux pas, e.g. getting a tone wrong and completely changing the meaning of a word, possibly accidentally hitting a swear-word. I certainly sense I get cut quite a bit of slack in this regard. However, the downside of course is that it probably hinders me getting properly authentic if my interloculators are forever having to make allowances!

]]> I think most Chinese would make allowances for foreigners who continuously say thank you over here and would not read too much more into any deeper meanings we may or may not be trying to convey. Most of the time I just get the obligatory "bu keqi" or "bu yong xie" response every time I say thank you, no matter what the situation. I think that sometimes it is very useful to be obviously not Chinese when speaking the language with locals, particularly if we commit one of the many faux pas, e.g. getting a tone wrong and completely changing the meaning of a word, possibly accidentally hitting a swear-word. I certainly sense I get cut quite a bit of slack in this regard. However, the downside of course is that it probably hinders me getting properly authentic if my interloculators are forever having to make allowances!

]]> <![CDATA[By: holothurian]]> I have been completely broken of my thank you habit by a dear woman that lives with me, and will loudly say NO THANK YOU if I use xie xie inappropriately. Her opinion is that people that are not used to foreigners take it the wrong way, as in you are insincere. She does allow the occasional use of xie le.

]]> I have been completely broken of my thank you habit by a dear woman that lives with me, and will loudly say NO THANK YOU if I use xie xie inappropriately. Her opinion is that people that are not used to foreigners take it the wrong way, as in you are insincere. She does allow the occasional use of xie le.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> thanks Chris...that's good to know. The faux pas via wrong tone etc is an interesting one. There is the obvious learner who will I'm sure, be given the benefit of the doubt. There will be some who achieve fluency and thus unlikely to make such a faux pas. But if one were to start to transition between the two...how will the call on a faux pas be made? ...hopefully still with the benefit of the doubt, hehe.

]]> thanks Chris...that's good to know. The faux pas via wrong tone etc is an interesting one. There is the obvious learner who will I'm sure, be given the benefit of the doubt. There will be some who achieve fluency and thus unlikely to make such a faux pas. But if one were to start to transition between the two...how will the call on a faux pas be made? ...hopefully still with the benefit of the doubt, hehe.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> "as in you are insincere"

..really? Oh man...I struggle with that. Do they not consider the possibility that you are sincere? Do they not also consider and respect cultural differences?

]]> "as in you are insincere"

..really? Oh man...I struggle with that. Do they not consider the possibility that you are sincere? Do they not also consider and respect cultural differences?

]]> <![CDATA[By: chris]]> Baba, yes, I sincerely hope so. I kind of hope that even if my fluency improves more and more, I'll still get given the benefit of the doubt for any dropped tones, faux pas, etc. I'm always ready to play the laowai-card if I need to....

]]> Baba, yes, I sincerely hope so. I kind of hope that even if my fluency improves more and more, I'll still get given the benefit of the doubt for any dropped tones, faux pas, etc. I'm always ready to play the laowai-card if I need to....

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> hehe, yeah, I'm a big believer in playing the laowai card..hen hao zhuyi. The problem as I see it would be when you make a faus pas that makes sense..is not obviously a mistake, and if your Chinese isn't too bad, is taken as your real intention. Worse still, not realising that you've been taken the wrong way. Ah, but it's all part of the fun,hey? Jiayou mate. :)

]]> hehe, yeah, I'm a big believer in playing the laowai card..hen hao zhuyi. The problem as I see it would be when you make a faus pas that makes sense..is not obviously a mistake, and if your Chinese isn't too bad, is taken as your real intention. Worse still, not realising that you've been taken the wrong way. Ah, but it's all part of the fun,hey? Jiayou mate. :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: holothurian]]> I think that just brush it off as I'm really polite, it never seems to me that anyone doubts the sincerity. My significant other just takes the role as my cultural educator a little seriously sometimes.

]]> I think that just brush it off as I'm really polite, it never seems to me that anyone doubts the sincerity. My significant other just takes the role as my cultural educator a little seriously sometimes.

]]>