URL
Lesson Introduction
Oops sorry i bumped into you, oops excuse me my umbrella hit your eye, oops I opened the car door into you, oops, oh no, I wiped my baozi juice on your sleeve. In a place like this, accidents will happen. When 'sorry' is getting old and 'buhaoyisi' feels a bit long-winded, learn how to plead innocence in Mandarin Chinese in this podcast.
Comments 
To comment, please login.
Comments Policy
Allowed comments do not necessarily represent the views of ChinesePod.com. We also reserve the right to reject personal attacks, false/unsubstantiated allegations, spamming of any kind, and comments that include vulgar language or libelous statements.
Out of consideration for our Newbie and Elementary users, English translations should be provided with any Chinese (characters or pinyin) written in Newbie and Elementary lesson discussion posts. New lesson idea? Please let us know on our contact page.
weibwo says
What is the difference between 厕所 and 洗手间 and another word I sometimes see 洗澡间?April 24, 2008
peterrichardson1 says
Love it, love it, love it! Chinese Pod, this lesson, Ken, Jenny as well as all the dialogue actors....great!!!! I have been in China for over 2 years but since I started using Chinesepod I have improved my Chinese by 1000%. Not only has it provided me with structure, vocabulary and grammar presented in relaxed, informative and imaginery way but it has also given me the confidence to go out there and use it everyday! I am an addict and I recommend to every "foreigner" I meet here. Well done to all involved, keep up the good work.April 24, 2008
billybobjoebobwilly says
as I understand 厕所 is equivalent to Toilet. Maybe used in the park. 洗手间 is similar to the Wash room. Used in restaurants and hotels. 洗澡间 Anyone? More elegant places?April 24, 2008
andrewm says
Didn't the fellow who lost his girlfriend say "我过去一下洗手间。wǒ guò qù yíxià xǐshǒujiān"? Would that be the same as "I'm going over to the bathroom"? I like the crackling campfire and the chirping crickets. Nice touch.April 24, 2008
kesirui says
yay now I have something I can say besides "我不好意思" or “对不起”... Nice crickets, hahaApril 24, 2008
lester says
澡（zao4) is "bath". What would the bath house at the beach be called (is there such a thing in China)?April 24, 2008
light487 says
I encountered many situations last night where I could have used this phrase :) I was at bar and many nice Chinese girls there that I accidentally bumped into a lot.. :) Would have been good to "impress" them with my vocab.. haha :) Next time I will be prepared! :)April 24, 2008
light487 says
Not pointless.. hrmm.. Jenny.. I wonder: do you watch a lot of Korean romantic drama? :) I also see something here: 哎，你们好！ - Hey, What's Up? I don't remember there being a Newbie lesson on this.. it's very conversational-among-friends sounding. The 你们 indicates that it's directed at both the people in the dialogue.. obviously 你们好 and 你好 is basically the same "how's it going?" thing from the newbie lessons.. but this word 哎 is new to me. Is it used a lot?April 24, 2008
john says
Ha ha, gotta love the crickets. One interesting behind-the-scenes cultural note is that we had to spend quite a bit of time explaining to the Chinese audio technicians what the whole cricket thing was about. Very culture-dependent. :)April 24, 2008
rjberki says
Im not buying the John Wayne act, Ken. :-)April 24, 2008
amber says
hi lester, The closest translation for a 'bathhouse' is: 澡堂 (zǎotáng) public bath house 公共浴室 (gōnggòng yùshì) public bathroomApril 24, 2008
amber says
Hi andrewm, He said: 我去一下洗手间。 Wǒ qù yīxià xǐshǒujiān.April 24, 2008
amber says
hi weibwo and billybobjoebobwilly, 厕所 (cèsuǒ) and 洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān) both refer to 'restroom' or 'washroom'. 洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān) sounds a little nicer. 洗澡间 (xǐzǎojiān) is very seldom used.April 24, 2008
henning says
Actually when I first visited the US in 1988, it took me a while to understand that "bathroom" and "restrooms" are euphemisms for the word I learned in school for that class of locations: "toilet". This made the distinction between 洗手间 and 厕所 very clear for me later. It follows the same logic. Even if there is no provisions whatsoever to wash your hands (water, baisin,..), it can be a 洗手间. Just as there is often nothing that comes close to a "bath" in a "bathroom".April 24, 2008
changye says
Today’s dialogue is very tragic, and today’s thread is full of comments about toilets and 厕所. 你们这样做是故意的吧！April 25, 2008
clay says
They tried to get me to do the male crying part, as none one wanted to do the first male sobbing role.April 25, 2008
light487 says
Well that wouldn't have been hard for you, clay.. I can understand why they wanted you to do it.. ;)April 25, 2008
light487 says
changye: I think that we tend to shy away from such things as depressing subjects like this. So everyone comments about everything except for the depressing bits. May be there can be another lesson about how to console your friend who is unhappy. May be it can lead on from this lesson in a way. For example, later on in the night his friend, who didn't know that he broke up with the girlfriend, could come and sit by him and console him about losing his loved one.April 25, 2008
bazza says
I'll probably be like that if I'd broken up with Jenny. ;)April 25, 2008
rjberki says
Well if this guy would have followed the Chinese rules of emotional investment that we studied not long ago, he could have moved on already. You cant have love without risk. You got to take the chance. Sure it hurts, but its worth it. Clay, I believe Mr. Light just handed you what we used to call a "wolf ticket". How appropriate since with his new haircut, he looks a little bit like a wolf. Game on. :-)April 25, 2008
light487 says
You're just jealous of my new-found cuteness! :) Speaking of risk.. many Chinese people I have known over the years have spoken about "expectations" and "risk". Without risk, there seems to be a lack of "substance" to the things they do, for many of them. I am often asked by them how I deal with failed expectations.. and also I get confused looks when I discuss certain activities that I enjoy participating in that do not involve any real level of risk. This is one of the more intriguing things I have discovered about the Chinese culture.April 25, 2008
lester says
light487, I think its some comic relief or dark humor, every good tradgedy needs some. Or maybe we'd feel more sorry for him if his picture weren't so hillarious (bow tie and light blue vest, uh,uh). Cpod, is it a cultural thin to run to the toilet when one wishes to ball?April 25, 2008
lester says
Amber, thanks for correcting "zao" 3rd tone (not 4th tone). Light487, speaking of risk, I take risks every time I speak or write Chinese. But in taking the risk, I improve, and people are so kind.April 25, 2008
gesang says
Is there another way to express "when"? It might be a personal impression, and tell me if i just have to take it like this and get used to it.. But when i read the expansion sentence: 你们什么时候分手了？ It sounds like "which time" in terms of time of day... did you break up... and you dont expect to get the answer: "at 3 o'clock!" when you ask "when" here, right?;) Any suggestions ...or correction to my thoughts...?April 25, 2008
light487 says
shenme 什么 what? who? something, anything 时候 time, length of time, moment, period I see what you are saying.. but I think that this is the way of the Chinese language. Not all things will be equal to the way we "think" as non-Native Chinese speakers. The Chinese language is as much a way of thinking as a way of speaking and writing.. there's a different linguistic logic to it. I don't claim to understand this logic by any means.. but saying "what time did you break up?" is no different than saying "when did you break up?" in the wording of the sentence.. but the "context" makes it mean what the dialogue/expansion is saying. Chinese is an extremely implied spoken language.. Take ta1 as an example: 他，她， 它。 Yes there are different characters when you write it, to distinguish the 3 things.. but when you are speaking it, the only thing that distinguishes between whether it is a HE, SHE or IT, is the implied context..April 25, 2008
gesang says
light, thanks for your thoughts on this, i agree with you on the context issue, and what you are saying about chinese language...oh, and i didn't mean to say this expansion sentence might be written wrong..i had cases similar to this before, and sometimes there were other possibilities to express yourself which, for me to use them, fitted better on various occasions... somtimes there are not and you have to learn it as an expression or collocation..this was mainly what i wonder about...April 25, 2008
xiangld says
i'm from Shanghai,wanna find some friends hereApril 25, 2008
xiangld says
in details.,I come here not for learning Chinese,but for learning english.so you must be surprised that why i come here.that's a question.i think the best way of learning a language is to find partners for teaching each other,not only the language itself,but also the culture,food,landscape,fashion etc. I dont use english on my current job,but i wanna share the heritage of a culture embodied in the language in form of philosphy,literature,style of life. I've been learn the languge for seventeen years since the primary school. I've been insisted on studying every day,hope it's useful for me to ge acquainted with you.I thought i have no gifts on learning english,but have a strong will to learn it. if you have the same sense of learning Chinese and appreciate me, contact me by msn:xiangld@hotmail.com. i'm 31years old, an honest,progressive,man,working in shanghai.April 25, 2008
xiangld says
To lester: 澡（zao4) is "bath". What would the bath house at the beach be called (is there such a thing in China)? i've got a professional vocabulary for your question:更衣室（Geng yi shi) which means the room you change your clothes,sucha as suits,underwears. usually,there's double rooms on the beach,one for male,another for female.is it your quetion?April 25, 2008
chiongzibide says
Referring to Henning's comments re "bathroom", it seems to me that this is a particularly north American expression. Americans may be able to tell me if it is true that their houses always have their bath in the same room as the toilet? dui4bu4dui4 In Australia toilet is the usual word for the room in the house, although modern houses have an ensuite off the main bedroom as well as separate toilets and bathrooms. Public toilets including those at shopping centres are often referred to as restrooms. In China I have often seen them labelled as WC - a term we don't use in Australia. If any of my migrant students (in Australia) ask if they can go to the bathroom, I ask them, "Do you need a bath?" And then explain the term is not usually used here to refer to toilets. I would be interested to see what others reckon are the most common English translations used in China for "toilet".April 25, 2008
rjberki says
gesang, 什么时候 is a lexical chunk that means "when". Dont over analyze it. It can be thought of as what time period or during what time period. (when). Wei shen me 为什么 is why (for what). Another one that shoud be thought of as the whole chunk.April 25, 2008
gesang says
thanks RJ, yes i know i tend to over analyze ;-)...because sometimes you get so nice transcribtions of a word when you look at the single characters! like for 放心 etc... i love that so much!:-)April 25, 2008
light487 says
Don't worry.. I always over analyse and not just in language.. lol.. I should really think of how I play guitar for examples on how I shouldn't over think things. Just do it and keep practising it and it will become automatic.. but still it's all part of the process for me :) It's similar because if you took each note of a song's melody and separated it, then it would be just a note without any context. As there are only really 12 notes, if there are not "chunks" of notes then it is just a note. Even when you separate the melody from the rest of the song.. it is just a melody all by itself until you add the rest.April 25, 2008
andrewm says
chiongzibide Yes, I think your right about "bathroom" being a particularly North American expression. For me, saying "bathroom" is just a polite way of saying "toilet". To my ears "toilet" sounds like the actual apparatus and not the room. It's just culturally instilled in me.April 25, 2008
suburbanite says
With all the talk about the WC, some might want to check out the Dear Amber on Non-Chinese Speaking Tourists and Toilets. http://chinesepod.com/extra/the-non-chinese-speaking-tourist-and-toilets/discussion I found some places have WC on the sign. Also learning the characters for male and female can help avoid an embarrassing situation （男/女） But anybody that allows himself to be photographed in a sweater-vest is likely to have issues.April 25, 2008
rjberki says
I over analyze too. Thats what engineers do. I love it when it all makes sense and the parts add up to the whole but sometimes there is beauty in the round about way they get to it, and then there are times when it just drives you crazy.April 25, 2008
rjberki says
Hey light - do you eat that vegimite stuff? Do they still make that?April 25, 2008
rjberki says
hmmm - I wonder what this guys girlfriend looked like? His dates are probably few and far between judging from his fashion sense so he has good reason to cry.April 25, 2008
gesang says
:-) RJ! you ARE over analyzing ;-)!!April 25, 2008
rjberki says
yea I guess so.April 25, 2008
light487 says
对！我维持Vegemite上头面包煻了 :) The misconception that many people have with Vegemite is that it is a "spread" like jam or peanut butter. Very rarely do people put a lot of Vegemite on their toast... except when we give it to foreigners to "try" :) 哈哈 :) I would never do that of course but I know others who do.. it's mean and only funny to the person doing the spreading. What you need to do is put butter on the toast first then "scrape" some Vegemite on to it in very small amounts... :)April 25, 2008
rjberki says
I see. Mabe I try it again.April 25, 2008
light487 says
Hrmm I think I wrote that wrong.. let me try again.. 对！我爱有Vegemite上头面包了April 25, 2008
jennyzhu says
The very first time that I had vegemite, I was warned of its unique taste. But I was still shocked, because it faintly had the appearance of chocolate spread. But in reality it couldn't be any more different. I once also lived near a Kraft plant where they made Vegemite. The air perpetually smelled likle Vegemite.April 25, 2008
light487 says
There is another similar "spread" with a slightly different taste that people who dislike Vegemite like. It is called Promite. It's still a yeast derived spread but must have a different type of yeast as a base. I actually prefer the taste of Promite. I also think there is another called Marmite, though I have never tried that one.. I think it is more of a British based Vegemite. Ken might know the answer to that. When I try to think of true-blue Aussie foods it's hard to think of any because Australia is such a multi-cultural country. The Italians, Greeks and Chinese are the ones who really made fast-food a big thing here in Australia. I believe this culinary explosion occurred during a large immigration boom back in the 1950's when we had a lot of work in the Snowy Mountain ranges needing to be done. At least that's my memory of the history behind it. Before that time the standard meal in Australia was very similar to that of England except that we had more Beef Steak than Sausages. So it was generally "Steak and Vegies".. About the only thing I can really think of that is definitely, 100% Australian food is Vegemite. :) Even the Pavlova is suspected to have come from New Zealand. I guess we also have the "Lamington" cake as well.. Anyway.. This is not AussiePOD.com :)April 25, 2008
lanqing says
Lester, I'm not sure if it's common to run to the bathroom to cry -- it might be, since doing so would save some face. But -- you asked "is it common to run to the bathroom to BALL". Ha ha! You really meant to say BAWL since the verb "to ball" is English slang for (hold your breath) sexual intercourse! A small mistake, but in this context, it's hilarious.April 25, 2008
light487 says
That brings up another interesting cultural question: Is it common for young Chinese men to cry openly like in the dialogue?April 25, 2008
mandomikey says
I'm glad to see the dissection of bathroom/WC /toilet vocab in the comments, as I just suggested this as a possible QW last week. Glad to know that 洗手间 is most formal... but what would be the least formal? For instance, slang expressions similar to "can", "loo", or "pisser"?April 25, 2008
changye says
Hi light487, I don’t think that young Chinese males particularly prone to cry or sob, on the contrary, I believe they usually try to fight back the tears so as not to lose face. 为了男子汉的面子, 我不哭，绝对不哭！ I also hear that Chinese people are good at keeping a straight face or a poker face, which I think is one of the reasons why Chinese are traditionally known for being excellent traders and negotiators. On the other hand, I saw 温家宝, the PM of the PRC, wearing an old jacket and talking to Chinese farmers, with tears in his eyes, several times on TV. It is tough to be a good politician in any country.April 25, 2008
user44371 says
HI,let me talk about toilet. In China,all that places can be called 厕所，but not all of 厕所 can be called 洗手间. All 洗手间 must be equipped facilities of washing hands. 厕所 mustn't be so. No one uses 洗澡间。We call that 浴室（yu4shi4) or 淋浴间（lin2yu4jian1) if is indoors. If is not in home but a commercial business, is usually called 澡堂（zao3tang2）or 洗浴中心（xi3yu4 zhong1xin1). Surely,the latter is more high-level than the former.April 25, 2008
light487 says
男人 - this is man. 男子 - this is also man? but is this more of a young adult male? 男中国人 - This is Chinese man? 男子汉 - This is "to be manly"? Macho man.. masculine? What is the female equivalent of 男? I have never really cried much either.. When I see other people hurt or sad, it makes me sad but I don't cry.. not sure why.. it's not that I am trying to save face.. even when I am alone by myself, I don't cry.. I guess we all deal with things in our own ways.April 25, 2008
pituitaryadenoma says
男中国人, grammatically not wrong, but it is not used in such a way, the most common way of saying Chinese man is 中国男人. 男子汉 means a macho man. The opposite of 男 is 女. 女人，女子，中国女人。 But the opposite of 男子汉 is 淑女.April 25, 2008
light487 says
Right.. I thought the pinyin was nu.. and I was right.. but I couldn't find the character in my pinyin-to-中文 converter that I use. What tone would you call that? It's that special pinyin accent mark. How do I write the pinyin for it so my converter will understand? When I write 男, I just type in nan or nan2 and it puts the character in place.. sometimes it puts the wrong character and I have to pick from a list. However when I type nu, the closest I can get to the character is 奴 and I certainly do not want to say that!! Ahh wait I just found the way to do it.. I can just type the letter N and it will give me everything with N, and now that I have used it once.. it has put it in my frequently used list.. but still I am curious on how to write the "nu" in pinyin without the accent mark. Also is there a difference between 男人 and 男子? I assume the 子 is indicating that the male is a younger man because of the child character?April 25, 2008
hitokiri6993 says
Light: type nv instead of nu. :) Or use Zhuyin: type sm3! :DApril 25, 2008
light487 says
女 ahh.. so I can use v to type it then.. so really.. it is nv not nuApril 25, 2008
pituitaryadenoma says
The difference between 男人 and 男子 in Chinese is just like the difference between "male" and "man" in English. Both words are interchangeable. There isn't an age boundary for the word 男子, you can use it on a 100 year-old man if you like.April 25, 2008
hitokiri6993 says
Light：that's only for nv/nve/lv/lve characters. Just keep typing ju/jue qu/quexu/xue even though the u sounds the same. -Peace!April 26, 2008
inland says
I'm confused by the word for "hand", shou3. The vocab makes it sound more like "shao3". Am I mistaken?April 26, 2008
light487 says
They are very similar in sounding. shou3 is more like sh-OH-oo.. and shao3 is more like sh-OW-oo. For some reason these sounds are omitted from the ChinesePOD Pronunciation guide.April 26, 2008
cassielin says
Hi guys , Here is a chinese saying that男儿有泪不轻弹，只是未到伤心处。 I am not on purpose to give you a chinese sentence that without any explaina. It has been a long day and I am so tired and hope we can discuss it tomorrow. 关于这句话，我不是故意不给任何的解释的。今天忙了一天，很累了，希望明天再和大家讨论这句话。 P.S.也许大家也听说过这个句子，自己可以明白呢！呵呵。晚安！^_^Btw, just tried to use this new expression "not on purpose". Thank you chinesepod for this good lesson.April 26, 2008
jumpinggene says
[ 我不是故意的 ] Is the 是 compulsory? And if you say someone did something on purpose, shouldn't it be 你 是故意的? I think the example you gave was just 你 故意的. Thanks guys, this is a great way of keeping my Chinese going while I don't have access to a class in town!April 26, 2008
akronxc says
大家好, This is my first lesson completed in the Elementary level. I was very intimidated when I listened to the dialogue as it is much faster than in the Newbie level. I was much more confident after completing the lesson because Ken and Jenny did a great job of breaking down each sentence. I said all that just to say that here is another Chinesepod fan. I am very excited about learning Chinese every day. Thanks!April 26, 2008
chillosk says
great lesson! i've always wondered how to say "not on purpose" in Chinese, and the intro hits it right on the head - 对不起或者不好意思, doesn't really cut it sometimes. at least I have something new to say when I "accidentally" push people in the subway.April 26, 2008
rjberki says
Cassie, "on purpose" is used usually refering to something that has happened in the past. "I didnt do it on purpose". Meaning it was an accident or at least unplanned. You can not describe something you are doing now as not on purpose because if it is happening now, you could change it, and therefore it is on purpose if you decdide not to change it. I hope that was clear :-). The better way to say what you said above would be - "I would never purposely give you a new Chinese sentence without explanation, but the explanation will have to wait until tomorrow since I am very tired." Anyway I would like to hear more about this saying you posted and promised to explain.April 27, 2008
calkins says
Should I know this crying cricket metaphor? I've never heard of it before. It's a Western thing?April 27, 2008
amber says
hi gesang, Generally 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) is used for 'when'.April 27, 2008
zdfhx says
re jumpinggene: 是 is compulsory 我不是故意的 and we say 你是故意的! when you are angry for sb. trick you or do sth bad to you 。Chinese don't omit the "是"April 27, 2008
zdfhx says
re:casie As a men he didn't cry or break down until he heart break upApril 27, 2008
zdfhx says
re:inland 手 only one tune ：shou3April 27, 2008
amber says
hi light487, 男子 (nánzi) is more used in written Chinese, formal. 男人(nánrén) is used quite a bit, in spoken Chinese neither of them have anything to do with age. 男子汉 (nánzǐhàn) means a very strong, capable man. It doesn't have a negative connotation. "Chinese man" is 中国男人 (Zhōngguó nánrén) female equivalent of 男 (nán) is 女 (nǚ)April 28, 2008
shanghaichanges says
Another great lesson. But there's also another name for toilet instead of 吸收间 right?April 28, 2008
cassielin says
Hi RJ， Thank you very much for helping me to understand clearly about the new expression. I got it now. I feel so sorry that delay to give the translation about that sentence. 1.Man seldom cries, for sorrow hardly arrives. 2.Man don't shed tears until it really hurts. 3.Men do not cry easily, because haven't felt the real sorrow. Those three sentences above are all show that kind of meaning.April 28, 2008
lester says
langing, 很丢脸！ 我不是故意的“ball”了，我故意的“bawl" 了. Wow! I can't even speak American right :)April 28, 2008
lester says
xiangld, 谢谢你的回答。That answers my question.April 28, 2008
lester says
In America... Bathroom, restroom, washroom, facilities, toilet, "john", "can", "potty" and possibly others. In a home, if there's a toilet, there is always a sink for washing hands (I think its part of the building code). If there is no bath or shower, realtors say it's a 1/2 bath. If there's a shower stall but no bathtub, it's still considered a full bath (realtor-ese).April 28, 2008
clay says
calkins, The cricket sounds during a moment of silence signifies an awkward pause. I haven't the faintest idea where that originated from. but here is a clip of crickets and awkward silences... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDh9zhiKLyYApril 28, 2008
leeinengland says
Light487, Marmite is also a yeast extract spread; it also has a unique taste. The Marmite ads used to (don't know if they still do) had a slogan like, you'll love it or hate it. Often the ads showed people enjoying or running away from marmite on toast. I like to load my toast with marmite, I love it!April 29, 2008
light487 says
How would I write that: You'll love it or hate it. Like this: 你会它爱不爱？ It's a common English phrase..April 29, 2008
hitokiri6993 says
light: the "it" in that sentence is a dummy pronoun or a pronoun not reffering to an agent: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_pronoun an example is McDonald's motto: I'm lovin' it. ( 我就喜歡) A good Chinese transliteration of You'll love it or hate it is： 你就愛或者恨。 If there's a better transliteration..pls. do post.:)April 29, 2008
light487 says
Yeh I see what you mean.. the "it" is superfluous.. as wikipedia says (paraphrased): "but when a reference to the "it" is nevertheless syntactically required." So the it is implied in mandarin like so many things are.. hehe.. :)April 29, 2008
sillysquirrel says
Anybody there living in Edinburgh? I would love to meet some lovely language freaks to study with, try to do a bit of conversation, do some fun character writing, whatever will come up. Write me on kasiagryszczuk@gmail.com if you like the idea. Yes!April 29, 2008
amber says
hi light487, You can say: 你不是爱它就是恨它。 Nǐ bù shì ài tā jiùshì hèn tā.April 30, 2008
light487 says
谢谢Amber You're always so helpful and sweet. :)April 30, 2008
jerseyguy says
My mother-in-law and sister-in-law from Taiwan arrived last night. I tried the line asking about her boyfriend and why didn't he come. It's great to be able to use these sentences or change them a bit for real life use.April 30, 2008
freakyqi says
Thanks "user44371".... He said "In China,all that places can be called 厕所，but not all of 厕所 can be called 洗手间. All 洗手间 must be equipped facilities of washing hands. 厕所 mustn't be so. " I've found that to be true; I once asked for 洗手间 because I needed to use the toilet but I thought 厕所was too impolite, and I was led to just a sink with some soap & water. For the toilet I should go outside around the corner to the public one. So nowadays I just directly ask for whichever my main business is. No waitress has ever seemed to think I'm gross for asking 厕所在哪儿?May 5, 2008
chenggwo says
According to tone rules: gu2yi4 No?May 10, 2008
hitokiri6993 says
chenggwo: That rule only applies with 不. 故意 has 2 4th tones like 再見， so..no change there. ：）May 11, 2008
chenggwo says
I thought it applied to any two syllables that are tied together to form a word. That is, if a pause can be placed between two words, there will be no tone sandi transformation, but otherwise there will be. I think of the negation words bu and mei as prefixes rather than words in there own right like un- in unselfish. However, I never did study tone sandi for Mandarin properly. I'll try Wikipedia. What I am saying, Hito, is that I am hesitant to believe that bu is the only example of a fourth tone becoming a second tone in front of another fourth tone. Tone Sandi is one of the topics that need to go into the grammar on this site for the paying customer. I am not one, though.May 11, 2008
chenggwo says
OK, I am wrong. Studying Mandarin Tone Sandhi over the internet, I found that bu is treated as a special case.May 12, 2008
boran says
chenggwo: Another similar situation like bù (不) is yī (一). That is, 一 is fourth tone when in front of a word that is 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone like yìqǐ (一起). 一 becomes 2nd tone when in front of a 4th tone word like yíqiè (一切). 一 can also be 1st tone too when it refers to the actual number like yīyuè (一月). There are a couple of podcasts about tone rules: Tone-Rule: Two Third Tones Tone-Rule: Changes for 'bu'May 12, 2008
renny says
another good lesson i was getting bored with just knowing dui bu qiMay 23, 2008
mouseneb says
June 26, 2008
Just a quick cultural note about 更衣室 geng1 yi1 shi4 (changing rooms) at the beach or a pool or someplace like that - don't expect any privacy! My husband wasn't too fazed by it but I was a bit embarrassed. At the most recent pool I visited with several of my adult students there was a small room with lockers on one wall, and 4 shower stalls, no curtains. All the ladies showering were totally nude, and of course those getting into/out of swimsuits were in various stages of undress. I wished I'd worn my suit under my clothes - and you might want to do so the next time you head to the beach or the pool! That is if you're a fairly modest woman like myself.
deepthrottle says
April 21, 2009
Wau, boy weeping )))… lovely, very creative end fresh approach… if not ironically, to make the girl smile… I like it )))
asegal says
May 7, 2009
the man is a crybaby
miantiao says
May 7, 2009
@mouseneb
you'll find that generally the chinese are not as modest as many westerners are about their bodies when it comes to being viewed by the same sex in bathrooms and changerooms etc. however, staring is considered bad-manners.
it's quite common in rural areas (and therefore for many chinese) for the 'restroom' of a family house to be the largest, to accomodate the pigs as well, and for entire family members of the same sex to all do their thing and have a good old chin wag at the same time, with the pigs of course.
at the gym all chinese will shower after a workout in full view of others (which i am comfortable with because of my soldiering and footballing days).
most children also board at school from a young age, sharing rooms and showers etc.
i guess growing up in china it would be impossible and impractical to conceal what you've got from others of the same sex. children don't go through a process of getting used to it because that's just how it is, normal accepted practice and behaviour.
anecdote:
i remember watching a chinese movie(can't remember the name now but it was a good movie which won film awards) about a little boy who was left at an orphanage/boarding school because his parents couldn't afford to raise him. anyway one scene in the movie shows boys and girls all in line before bed-time waiting for the nurse/teacher to give their bottoms a good wipe and clean before bed. i asked my girlfriend if this was common, she said not so much now but in her parents day it was.