<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" 
    xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
<channel>
    <title><![CDATA[Comments on: Turn on the Light, Turn off the Light]]></title>
    <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion]]></link>
    <description><![CDATA[Open the lights and turn off the door, er, I mean, turn on the lights and close the door... why is this so confusing?  Just get in here and pretend you love me.  Close the lights if you have to.  In this podcast, a Mandarin Chinese lesson on how to turn on/off the lights.]]></description>
    <pubDate>2007-12-28 18:00:00</pubDate>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: HannahIm]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58924]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[HannahIm]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58924]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[IMHO, this is a perfect Newbie lesson. Practical, immediately applicable, but with lots of potential for expansion. ]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[IMHO, this is a perfect Newbie lesson. Practical, immediately applicable, but with lots of potential for expansion. ]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: garry]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58929]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[garry]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58929]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[Hi guys,
Great lesson as usual.
I would have thought that the husband would not only be requested to turn on the light, but also to dispatch the mosquito. 
I have a question about 1st tones. My Chinese teacher told the class that 1st tones don't change within a sentence, especially at the end. The dialogue fits with what the teacher said, but Jenny uses two different 1st tones when saying 开灯 and 关灯 sometimes. I have a friend whose name is two 1st tones and she says these as a low 1st 1st tone and a higher 2nd one. So I asked the teacher if what she said about the tones was alway true, and she said yes. So is this a regional thing? (老师是北京人)
谢谢！]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Hi guys,
Great lesson as usual.
I would have thought that the husband would not only be requested to turn on the light, but also to dispatch the mosquito. 
I have a question about 1st tones. My Chinese teacher told the class that 1st tones don't change within a sentence, especially at the end. The dialogue fits with what the teacher said, but Jenny uses two different 1st tones when saying 开灯 and 关灯 sometimes. I have a friend whose name is two 1st tones and she says these as a low 1st 1st tone and a higher 2nd one. So I asked the teacher if what she said about the tones was alway true, and she said yes. So is this a regional thing? (老师是北京人)
谢谢！]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: lostinasia]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58932]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[lostinasia]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58932]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[There's a scary-arm meme going on at ChinesePod... the dorm sleeping-in picture looked like a dead guy, and now at first glance the arm for this picture isn't attached to anything...]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[There's a scary-arm meme going on at ChinesePod... the dorm sleeping-in picture looked like a dead guy, and now at first glance the arm for this picture isn't attached to anything...]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: chubbeecheeks23]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58934]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[chubbeecheeks23]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58934]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[i really like the expansion for this one.very practical. =)]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[i really like the expansion for this one.very practical. =)]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: amber]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58935]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[amber]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58935]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[hi garry,

Yes, first tones do have some variance in pitch, depending on the speaker.  The key to first tone is that it is higher and steady.  It can vary from speaker to speaker exactly what pitch it is in.  I think what causes a variance in sound with these two words you mention:

开灯 (kāidēng) and 关灯 (guāndēng) 

is the 后鼻音 (hòu bíyīn) 'nasal sound' of the 'eng' sound in Chinese. ]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[hi garry,

Yes, first tones do have some variance in pitch, depending on the speaker.  The key to first tone is that it is higher and steady.  It can vary from speaker to speaker exactly what pitch it is in.  I think what causes a variance in sound with these two words you mention:

开灯 (kāidēng) and 关灯 (guāndēng) 

is the 后鼻音 (hòu bíyīn) 'nasal sound' of the 'eng' sound in Chinese. ]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: trevelyan]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58945]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[trevelyan]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58945]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[I think the first tone is especially tough for men. I remember it feeling very unnatural when I started. I still think it's a bit strange sometimes.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[I think the first tone is especially tough for men. I remember it feeling very unnatural when I started. I still think it's a bit strange sometimes.]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: changye]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58952]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[changye]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58952]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[I wish my dog were able 
to turn on/off a light by herself.
Of course she is clever enough to know
how to ask for a walk and food very efficiently. 

闭灯 (bi4 deng1) turn off a light.
闭电视 (bi4 dian4 shi4) turn off a TV
闭电脑 (bi4 dian4 nao3) turn off a PC
]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[I wish my dog were able 
to turn on/off a light by herself.
Of course she is clever enough to know
how to ask for a walk and food very efficiently. 

闭灯 (bi4 deng1) turn off a light.
闭电视 (bi4 dian4 shi4) turn off a TV
闭电脑 (bi4 dian4 nao3) turn off a PC
]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58956]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[jennyzhu]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58956]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[Hey Garry,
Tones can often be slightly altered by different words and their respective pronunciations, so you might hear some variations. ]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey Garry,
Tones can often be slightly altered by different words and their respective pronunciations, so you might hear some variations. ]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: jackfrombelgium]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58973]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[jackfrombelgium]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58973]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[Hello,
How do say " turn on a candle" and " turn off a candle"

Thanks
Jack]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello,
How do say " turn on a candle" and " turn off a candle"

Thanks
Jack]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[By: auntie68]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://chinesepod.com/lessons/turn-on-the-light-turn-off-the-light/discussion#comment-58986]]></link>
        <author><![CDATA[auntie68]]></author>
        <pubDate></pubDate>
        <guid><![CDATA[#comment-58986]]></guid>
        <description><![CDATA[Hello jackfrombelgium. I believe the verb for lighting a flame/candle is 点 (dian3), as in 点火 (dian3huo3; light a fire) or 点一支蜡烛 (dian3yi1zhi1la4zhu2). Sorry if the tones are wobbly; my Chinese is not so good.

Lighting a joss stick is 烧香 (shao1xiang1), literally "burn incense".

Cheers, 
Auntie]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello jackfrombelgium. I believe the verb for lighting a flame/candle is 点 (dian3), as in 点火 (dian3huo3; light a fire) or 点一支蜡烛 (dian3yi1zhi1la4zhu2). Sorry if the tones are wobbly; my Chinese is not so good.

Lighting a joss stick is 烧香 (shao1xiang1), literally "burn incense".

Cheers, 
Auntie]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
</channel>
</rss>
