<![CDATA[Comments on: Must-Have Modals]]> you gotta, for example) you'll need to look to your friends modal verbs for help. But fear not! The Qing Wen team is here today to break it down for you in an easy to understand way.]]> 2010-05-07 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 沙发【sofa]

]]> 沙发【sofa]

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 椅子[chair]...hmm looks like I can have my sofa and sit on my chair too. Think I'll go and eat a steak and a cake,loll back on my sofa with me feet on my chair.

]]> 椅子[chair]...hmm looks like I can have my sofa and sit on my chair too. Think I'll go and eat a steak and a cake,loll back on my sofa with me feet on my chair.

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> 板凳 (ban3deng4, woody bench).

]]> 板凳 (ban3deng4, woody bench).

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 正座上曡蓆【seiza on tatami]

]]> 正座上曡蓆【seiza on tatami]

]]> <![CDATA[By: weibwo]]> I'm assuming in a pinch you can use "yao" for just about everything?

]]> I'm assuming in a pinch you can use "yao" for just about everything?

]]> <![CDATA[By: kaixin_in_tampa]]>  得上班 - děi shàngbān - gotta go to work

]]>  得上班 - děi shàngbān - gotta go to work

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

I don't think the tactic always work. There is no panacea in this case.

]]> Hi weibwo

I don't think the tactic always work. There is no panacea in this case.

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhong_bide]]> Liliana:  Kiwis are New Zealanders

]]> Liliana:  Kiwis are New Zealanders

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhong_bide]]> 要 sometimes seems to be used for future tense though. - 对不对?

Could we have a 请问 sometime on the ways Chinese  express constructions that would correspond to the English future tense, please?

]]> 要 sometimes seems to be used for future tense though. - 对不对?

Could we have a 请问 sometime on the ways Chinese  express constructions that would correspond to the English future tense, please?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> why did Lili say not to say that about going to Cancun?

]]> why did Lili say not to say that about going to Cancun?

]]> <![CDATA[By: starapril]]> 要 sometimes seems to be used for future tense though.

that's right.

sometimes when we say 要 ,it means it's not happened yet.

]]> 要 sometimes seems to be used for future tense though.

that's right.

sometimes when we say 要 ,it means it's not happened yet.

]]> <![CDATA[By: iwatachief]]> 可能是，因为美国人都要去 Cancun 玩儿！我也不知道！

]]> 可能是，因为美国人都要去 Cancun 玩儿！我也不知道！

]]> <![CDATA[By: henning]]> 那，Cancun不是墨西哥文化的缩影吗？

:P

]]> 那，Cancun不是墨西哥文化的缩影吗？

:P

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 噢，我觉得你大概对了。。。我喜欢你的词“缩影”。。谢谢

]]> 噢，我觉得你大概对了。。。我喜欢你的词“缩影”。。谢谢

]]> <![CDATA[By: jiangcheng1985]]> 缩影epitome,I also like this word. :D

]]> 缩影epitome,I also like this word. :D

]]> <![CDATA[By: christine30550]]> For me, this was very helpful:

"我要去美国了" -> "I am going to the USA" (in the near future)

"我要去美国" -> "I want to go to the USA"

I think - but not sure - that when you add a 了 to the 要-sentence, it will usually express something that's going to happen in the near future.

- The 了 is such a tricky little 字。

]]> For me, this was very helpful:

"我要去美国了" -> "I am going to the USA" (in the near future)

"我要去美国" -> "I want to go to the USA"

I think - but not sure - that when you add a 了 to the 要-sentence, it will usually express something that's going to happen in the near future.

- The 了 is such a tricky little 字。

]]> <![CDATA[By: kuillldan]]> 原来老外学中文一点也不必我们学英文轻松啊。

我个人觉得没必要研究这么透彻，多听多记到后来自然就明白其中的意思了。

哈哈，第一次觉得老外学习中文也这么有趣。

]]> 原来老外学中文一点也不必我们学英文轻松啊。

我个人觉得没必要研究这么透彻，多听多记到后来自然就明白其中的意思了。

哈哈，第一次觉得老外学习中文也这么有趣。

]]> <![CDATA[By: maktubhelou]]> If 应该 can have a similar function as "should" in English when we say "She should be here" would the following sentences work?

九点了，他应该在公司。(It's 9 now, she should be at the office)

我们快到了。(We should arrive soon.)

他怎么没来？我不知道，他应该忘了。(How come she's not here? I don't know. She must have forgotten.)

Actually, now that I've written these, I have another question. If these sentences are possible, how would you know if they expressing deduction or obligation?

]]> If 应该 can have a similar function as "should" in English when we say "She should be here" would the following sentences work?

九点了，他应该在公司。(It's 9 now, she should be at the office)

我们快到了。(We should arrive soon.)

他怎么没来？我不知道，他应该忘了。(How come she's not here? I don't know. She must have forgotten.)

Actually, now that I've written these, I have another question. If these sentences are possible, how would you know if they expressing deduction or obligation?

]]> <![CDATA[By: dunderklumpen]]> There is a QW on the use of 要...了 yao4....le for expressing future.

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/%E4%BA%86-le-somethings-about-to-happen

I agree with you zhong_bide; I'd like to have a qing wen on the different ways of expressing future too. E.g. 明天你会来吗，明天你可以来吗，明天你要来吗... What's the difference between those sentences?

]]> There is a QW on the use of 要...了 yao4....le for expressing future.

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/%E4%BA%86-le-somethings-about-to-happen

I agree with you zhong_bide; I'd like to have a qing wen on the different ways of expressing future too. E.g. 明天你会来吗，明天你可以来吗，明天你要来吗... What's the difference between those sentences?

]]> <![CDATA[By: dunderklumpen]]> BTW, today's QW was very nice :-)

]]> BTW, today's QW was very nice :-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> "Yao" is rather broad in its potential uses, but as we mentioned in the podcast, it's almost always informal.

]]> "Yao" is rather broad in its potential uses, but as we mentioned in the podcast, it's almost always informal.

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> This is a bit tricky, because Chinese doesn't even have tense like English does; it makes more use of context and grammatical aspect.

We can look at the topic though. We just don't want to mislead anyone into thinking that there's a way to "convert tenses" from English to Chinese. Doesn't work that way.

]]> This is a bit tricky, because Chinese doesn't even have tense like English does; it makes more use of context and grammatical aspect.

We can look at the topic though. We just don't want to mislead anyone into thinking that there's a way to "convert tenses" from English to Chinese. Doesn't work that way.

]]> <![CDATA[By: lilianamata]]> Thanks. I have heard the term Kiwis, but is it beacuse of the fruit or the bird?

]]> Thanks. I have heard the term Kiwis, but is it beacuse of the fruit or the bird?

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> Yes, you can use 应该 in those ways.

You're right that there is some ambiguity in this usage. But we have the same thing in English... If you say "he should be here today" are you expressing your judgment of his responsibilities (it's his duty to be here!), or are you expressing that you think there is a high probability that he really is here? Ambiguity will never go away, but people continue communicating just the same... :)

]]> Yes, you can use 应该 in those ways.

You're right that there is some ambiguity in this usage. But we have the same thing in English... If you say "he should be here today" are you expressing your judgment of his responsibilities (it's his duty to be here!), or are you expressing that you think there is a high probability that he really is here? Ambiguity will never go away, but people continue communicating just the same... :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: lilianamata]]> Well I said that because as Henning commented it is not that representative of Mexican culture. It is very touristy and very Americanized. Depends on what you like. If you want real Mexican culture then you can go to Tulum, to Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, etc.

]]> Well I said that because as Henning commented it is not that representative of Mexican culture. It is very touristy and very Americanized. Depends on what you like. If you want real Mexican culture then you can go to Tulum, to Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, etc.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> thanks Lili..I suspected that was the case but wanted to make sure I got the right drift. :)

]]> thanks Lili..I suspected that was the case but wanted to make sure I got the right drift. :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhong_bide]]> Pretty sure it's because of the bird. The fruit is actually a chinese gooseberry, I believe, not native to New Zealand. Just a marketing ploy, like a previous discussion on "Hawaiian Nuts".

]]> Pretty sure it's because of the bird. The fruit is actually a chinese gooseberry, I believe, not native to New Zealand. Just a marketing ploy, like a previous discussion on "Hawaiian Nuts".

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhong_bide]]> John - OK! Future aspects or modals, whatever. Afterall, as your article points out, English does not have a future tense either, just aspect markers like "will". I actually wanted to avoid the "tense" thing because I know enough to realise that it's not simple.

However the multiple uses of 要 and 会 etc do confuse me a bit. I imagine, but don't really know, that words like 打算, and 准备 could be used to indicate future intentions.

I really do like these QW's where the issues are clarified with the multiple examples!

]]> John - OK! Future aspects or modals, whatever. Afterall, as your article points out, English does not have a future tense either, just aspect markers like "will". I actually wanted to avoid the "tense" thing because I know enough to realise that it's not simple.

However the multiple uses of 要 and 会 etc do confuse me a bit. I imagine, but don't really know, that words like 打算, and 准备 could be used to indicate future intentions.

I really do like these QW's where the issues are clarified with the multiple examples!

]]> <![CDATA[By: bobbybrow]]> 大家好，

我有一个小问题问你们。这个问题于怎么用“多”.

第一）   感冒的时候，要喝多水。

第二）   你需要多练习。

 

我分不起这两个怎么用“多”。

而且怎么用“多一点”？

我可以说“要喝多一点水？”吗

 

你们太辛苦了，谢谢！

 

 

 

]]> 大家好，

我有一个小问题问你们。这个问题于怎么用“多”.

第一）   感冒的时候，要喝多水。

第二）   你需要多练习。

 

我分不起这两个怎么用“多”。

而且怎么用“多一点”？

我可以说“要喝多一点水？”吗

 

你们太辛苦了，谢谢！

 

 

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: alwingate]]> Had not checked this for a while, but this lesson was really cool!

]]> Had not checked this for a while, but this lesson was really cool!

]]> <![CDATA[By: alwingate]]> Had not checked this for a while, but this lesson was really cool!

]]> Had not checked this for a while, but this lesson was really cool!

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> 我觉得你需要"更"?

]]> 我觉得你需要"更"?

]]> <![CDATA[By: darkstar94]]> I suppose because the skin on the kiwifruit is like a kiwi's fur as well, so yeah, just a marketing ploy as you said haha...

]]> I suppose because the skin on the kiwifruit is like a kiwi's fur as well, so yeah, just a marketing ploy as you said haha...

]]> <![CDATA[By: connie]]> 不可以说：“要喝多一点水。”

The structure is "多/少 + Verb. + (一点儿) +Noun."

多喝水。

多喝点儿水。

多穿衣服。

外面很冷，你应该多穿点儿衣服。

Wàimian hěn lěng，nǐ yīnggāi duō chuān diǎnr yīfu.

(It's really cold outside, you should put on some more clothes.)

]]> 不可以说：“要喝多一点水。”

The structure is "多/少 + Verb. + (一点儿) +Noun."

多喝水。

多喝点儿水。

多穿衣服。

外面很冷，你应该多穿点儿衣服。

Wàimian hěn lěng，nǐ yīnggāi duō chuān diǎnr yīfu.

(It's really cold outside, you should put on some more clothes.)

]]> <![CDATA[By: DocRaccoon]]> definitely means the bird - flightless, nocturnal and endangered. in NZ the fruit is called Kiwifruit but it seems to be known around the world as Kiwi. and as zhong_bide pointed out, the irony is that it was known as Chinese gooseberry when it was brought to NZ for cultivation.

]]> definitely means the bird - flightless, nocturnal and endangered. in NZ the fruit is called Kiwifruit but it seems to be known around the world as Kiwi. and as zhong_bide pointed out, the irony is that it was known as Chinese gooseberry when it was brought to NZ for cultivation.

]]>