<![CDATA[Comments on: Saying Goodbye at the Airport]]> 2010-02-28 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: chonglang]]> Nice Lesson. Really good to here this kind of dialogue.......Tom

]]> Nice Lesson. Really good to here this kind of dialogue.......Tom

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> 保重 (bao3 zhong4) to take care of oneself
保证 (bao3 zheng4) to guarantee, to ensure

]]> 保重 (bao3 zhong4) to take care of oneself
保证 (bao3 zheng4) to guarantee, to ensure

]]> <![CDATA[By: koon]]> I have a couple of questions. Would it be wrong if I said "Wo3 da3dian4hua4 gei3 ni3", instead of "wo3 gei3 ni3 da3dian4hua4"  ?

I noticed in the dialogue transcript that for the words 回去 and 行李， the tones of the second characters are dropped. Do all people in China pronounce these words as hui2qu and xing2li , or are there some people who actually prounounce them as hui2qu4 and xing2li3  ? I've heard that in Beijing, tones get dropped very frequently. Do people in Shanghai also say them that way, or is it just written that way in the transcript because the Beijing accent is the most "standard"

]]> I have a couple of questions. Would it be wrong if I said "Wo3 da3dian4hua4 gei3 ni3", instead of "wo3 gei3 ni3 da3dian4hua4"  ?

I noticed in the dialogue transcript that for the words 回去 and 行李， the tones of the second characters are dropped. Do all people in China pronounce these words as hui2qu and xing2li , or are there some people who actually prounounce them as hui2qu4 and xing2li3  ? I've heard that in Beijing, tones get dropped very frequently. Do people in Shanghai also say them that way, or is it just written that way in the transcript because the Beijing accent is the most "standard"

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> Good questions!

First, both 我打电话给你 (wǒ dǎdiànhuà gěi nǐ) and 我给你打电话 (wǒ gěi nǐ dǎdiànhuà) are correct.

Second, you're correct in that there is some variation in terms of which second syllables are pronounced in the neutral tone. Beijing Mandarin (the mainland standard) includes a lot of "neutralizing", whereas Taiwanese Mandarin is at the other extreme, with very few neutral tones. Shanghai Mandarin is in the middle.

Try not to make this a major issue in your studies; go with the standard as you memorize new words, and just keep in mind that you will hear some variation "in the wild."

]]> Good questions!

First, both 我打电话给你 (wǒ dǎdiànhuà gěi nǐ) and 我给你打电话 (wǒ gěi nǐ dǎdiànhuà) are correct.

Second, you're correct in that there is some variation in terms of which second syllables are pronounced in the neutral tone. Beijing Mandarin (the mainland standard) includes a lot of "neutralizing", whereas Taiwanese Mandarin is at the other extreme, with very few neutral tones. Shanghai Mandarin is in the middle.

Try not to make this a major issue in your studies; go with the standard as you memorize new words, and just keep in mind that you will hear some variation "in the wild."

]]> <![CDATA[By: panxiaolong]]> <![CDATA[By: tsingtaotiger]]> Hey there.

Loving these lessons and grateful to finally be able to navigate the elementary lessons easily. However, I am still having some trouble conceptualizing the particles like ba and le, that come at the end as in "nˇı ku`ai hu´ıqu ba! "

Is there someplace on the site that compares them and discusses their various possible uses?

]]> Hey there.

Loving these lessons and grateful to finally be able to navigate the elementary lessons easily. However, I am still having some trouble conceptualizing the particles like ba and le, that come at the end as in "nˇı ku`ai hu´ıqu ba! "

Is there someplace on the site that compares them and discusses their various possible uses?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> The best channel for these type of questions is Qing Wen.It is great for looking at grammar particles like ba and le.Go on the lessons tab and then channels tab from there.Good luck :)

]]> The best channel for these type of questions is Qing Wen.It is great for looking at grammar particles like ba and le.Go on the lessons tab and then channels tab from there.Good luck :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: koon]]> Hi John,

Thanks a lot for those answers and for replying promptly!!

]]> Hi John,

Thanks a lot for those answers and for replying promptly!!

]]> <![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]> <![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]> @tsingtaotiger,
Like Bababardwan says, Qing Wen is a good place to look for grammar related issues. These episodes deal with particles: 

1) QW0045

2) QW0043

3) QW0042

]]> @tsingtaotiger,
Like Bababardwan says, Qing Wen is a good place to look for grammar related issues. These episodes deal with particles: 

1) QW0045

2) QW0043

3) QW0042

]]> <![CDATA[By: putu]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> <![CDATA[By: masipusya]]> Very nice dialogue,but it's very easy.

]]> Very nice dialogue,but it's very easy.

]]> <![CDATA[By: go_manly]]> <![CDATA[By: excuter]]> maybe he´s a robot...*lol* ^_^

reminds me of " Live!"

Kevin: (about Jane) What's she doing?
Charlie: Speed reading. 12 pages a minute. I counted.
Kevin: Maybe she's a robot. Have you seen her blink? Robots don't blink.

]]> maybe he´s a robot...*lol* ^_^

reminds me of " Live!"

Kevin: (about Jane) What's she doing?
Charlie: Speed reading. 12 pages a minute. I counted.
Kevin: Maybe she's a robot. Have you seen her blink? Robots don't blink.

]]> <![CDATA[By: christmaschrisbutler]]> I like how John is not afriad to discuss grammar, even at the elementary level. As long was we're talking about tricky 了:

In the expansion sentences, what's the difference (if any) between

回去以后，我给他打个电话

and

回去以后，我给他打了个电话

]]> I like how John is not afriad to discuss grammar, even at the elementary level. As long was we're talking about tricky 了:

In the expansion sentences, what's the difference (if any) between

回去以后，我给他打个电话

and

回去以后，我给他打了个电话

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> <![CDATA[By: kangxia]]> Doesn't 平安 mean "safe and sound" (not "peace").

What has happened to Ken Carroll?

]]> Doesn't 平安 mean "safe and sound" (not "peace").

What has happened to Ken Carroll?

]]> <![CDATA[By: go_manly]]> What has happened to Ken Carroll? It is interesting you should ask this in a lesson titled "Saying Goodbye at the Airport". Although, I'm not sure he had enough time to say his goodbyes.]]> What has happened to Ken Carroll? It is interesting you should ask this in a lesson titled "Saying Goodbye at the Airport". Although, I'm not sure he had enough time to say his goodbyes.]]> <![CDATA[By: excuter]]> <![CDATA[By: chonglang]]> <![CDATA[By: kaixin_in_tampa]]> <![CDATA[By: siyi]]> <![CDATA[By: jjinfrance]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> Good input from bodawei and jjinfrance here. That's also a great example to show the difference 了 can make in a simple sentence, really highlighting the flexibility of the language!

One quick point, though: Mandarin doesn't have "tenses" in any formal sense like English does, so we need to be careful when we use that term referring to Mandarin.

]]> Good input from bodawei and jjinfrance here. That's also a great example to show the difference 了 can make in a simple sentence, really highlighting the flexibility of the language!

One quick point, though: Mandarin doesn't have "tenses" in any formal sense like English does, so we need to be careful when we use that term referring to Mandarin.

]]> <![CDATA[By: sacrfash]]> 平安as a whole means peace.. 一路平安 means safe journey..一路旅行also means safe journey or trip..

]]> 平安as a whole means peace.. 一路平安 means safe journey..一路旅行also means safe journey or trip..

]]> <![CDATA[By: panxiaolong]]> @朱老师，我去过上海和温州，吃过猴子睾丸和鸭子舌头。欢度了中国的农历新年，观看了传统的京剧表演，参加了老婆的弟弟的婚礼，被岳父岳母自家酿制的米酒灌醉过，学会了讨价还价和敬酒礼节。由于时间关系，很遗憾未能去府上给你们拜年，希望下次能有机会。

]]> @朱老师，我去过上海和温州，吃过猴子睾丸和鸭子舌头。欢度了中国的农历新年，观看了传统的京剧表演，参加了老婆的弟弟的婚礼，被岳父岳母自家酿制的米酒灌醉过，学会了讨价还价和敬酒礼节。由于时间关系，很遗憾未能去府上给你们拜年，希望下次能有机会。

]]> <![CDATA[By: adventurer]]> I love how the trains display their current speed inside the train.

My family tried camel hump, meat slurpies (discribed by Jenny a while back), duck intestines. I tried stinky tofu (Nasty!) My favorite, (which you can get here in Canada) is green onion cakes. But my Chinese ayi says that is 'peasant food'.

]]> I love how the trains display their current speed inside the train.

My family tried camel hump, meat slurpies (discribed by Jenny a while back), duck intestines. I tried stinky tofu (Nasty!) My favorite, (which you can get here in Canada) is green onion cakes. But my Chinese ayi says that is 'peasant food'.

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

"I love how the trains display their current speed inside the train."

..I love having the ability to see that info too.Do they also have driver cam...ie..a cam showing the view in front of the train?

What was camel hump like?...Isn't it just all water [like putting a straw in a coconut],hehe?

]]> adventurer,

"I love how the trains display their current speed inside the train."

..I love having the ability to see that info too.Do they also have driver cam...ie..a cam showing the view in front of the train?

What was camel hump like?...Isn't it just all water [like putting a straw in a coconut],hehe?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> Thanks John, I take the point that Chinese verbs don't have a past tense. I tried to get around it by saying that the 了 'puts the action in the past tense', rather than saying that the 了 makes the verb past tense. If I said that the 了 puts the action in the past, would that be incorrect? 不要 the word 'tense'?

]]> Thanks John, I take the point that Chinese verbs don't have a past tense. I tried to get around it by saying that the 了 'puts the action in the past tense', rather than saying that the 了 makes the verb past tense. If I said that the 了 puts the action in the past, would that be incorrect? 不要 the word 'tense'?

]]> <![CDATA[By: panxiaolong]]> Yeah, I tried stinky tofu as well, and I agree, Nasty!! :)

So, you have a Chinese aunt?

]]> Yeah, I tried stinky tofu as well, and I agree, Nasty!! :)

So, you have a Chinese aunt?

]]> <![CDATA[By: eikhinezinwinmyint]]> nice lesson

]]> nice lesson

]]>