Please help me translate these emotions.

Your welcome! I'm glad you like it, and I'm glad you dug it up. I was actually getting around to reviewing this. Now it is right in front of my eyes, so no reason to procrastinate now.

another one for #29: 今天（工作）积极性很高！

#29. I feel motivated today.
How about 今天干劲十足(!)

#30. I'm demoralized (because I failed all my tests).
How about 我（对~）（已经）失去兴趣了
also maybe 失去信心了
Other kinds of demoralization need to be expressed differently though I think.

I'm not finished with these emotions! Still have other expressions swirling in my head I want to ask about. But also want to address the uses of 为 in simonpettersson's post among other things now ...

Like we'll find many Chinese concepts that don't exist in our cultures, we'll have concepts in ours that don't exist in China, right? 1:1 translations--if those were available for everything, anybody with a dictionary could become a translator. It's challenging but fun, to try to somehow find the closest possible expression!

That could indeed be a decent translation. I guess when translating it isn't always most important to find a 1:1 translation. What is most important is to get the feeling. Maybe you hit it. Thanks.

I just learned 心理准备 yesterday.(I needed it for a discussion of James Joyce with bababardwan.) I don't know if it has the same feeling to it as psyched, but it could be used in the same context。

for #21:

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/feelings#comment-178076

I like this list. Still hoping we can complete it with help from teachers and other experts too.

You can say "有起床气", which is a kind of symptom, but I don't think it's very commonly used in conversation. I would just say "早上起来的时候心情不爽，心情很差，心情不好 etc."

Changye yes in my mind, 不稳 sounds very close to the heart of "moody".

This small box is not human friendly. Chinesepod forum is not "twitter", isn't it?

hahaha, the size of the box was driving me crazy too.

Hey bodawei,

I can't help but wonder if this 'moody' discussion indicates a slight difference in usage between Americans and Aussies? I feel I have heard people say that, particularly when a woman, um, reaches that particular point in that particular monthly cycle. Simply said, nothing sounds funny when I say my original sentence in my head. Anyway, I digress. "My boss is moody this week" is a much more useful sentence.

I hope I haven't offended you because I certainly didn't mean to. Reference to your 祖国 as "that country", without the possessive pronoun, is what made me think you were being ironic.

Only a tiny tiny hint of irony (because I can't help myself), and 'tiny' is not supposed to be ironic.

No - here we would do jokes about other provinces but not about overall fineness.

I was making reference to your observation (oh actually in that thread of Hape's I helped hijack it was) that Chinese people don't do irony! Referring to your 祖国 in such a manner--that fine country Australia--is irony 对吧. And no, I didn't know that redheads often get called "Blue". Fascinating!

At times it makes me 不好意思 that you have to explain so much to me; but then again I also think it's good.

Oh no, sorry if I gave that impression. I mean that this list is specific to Australia (although we overlap a little with England.) The Chinese have their own list of 'terms of endearment'. Neither list translates easily into the other language. For example, (and I will probably have someone jump on me for this suggestion), in Chinese you have the term 胖子 pang4zi, and this can be used as a term of endearment. You wouldn't hear this in Australia. Context is important in using potentially derogatory terms. In English culture for example we may call an overweight man 'Slim', or a man of gigantic proportions may get the nickname 'Tiny'. You have probably heard that redheads often get called 'Blue'.

@Xiaophil

No sweat. It's possible, but I still think that 1st person use of the term 'moody' would more than likely be tongue in cheek. I'd like us to consider how Chinese people express things tongue in cheek. Maybe that is another thread?

I didn't have much in mind, actually. I was just trying to whip something out without thinking too much. I think it is feasible for someone to say the likes of, "Stay away from me. I'm feeling moody today." However, this is a bit of a special case. Thus, I think I should have said something like, "That guy is always moody."

Sorry, I did that again (only because I find the editing a bit user-unfriendly!). I posted the comment above (to which this one links) and deleted it, but Bodawei had replied to it before I put it back up again so the order of our responses to each other there has been flipped. Sorry, it's my fault.

OK well maybe we can change #25 to "My boss is moody this week."

Bodawei, "that fine country Australia"--? I guess this is the kind of thing you mean Chinese people never do, right?

Anyway, all this finding out if we mean the same thing, and trying to know what the "common understanding" is is really fun for me.

By the way, for the benefit of ChinesePod police (and any poddies of a sensitive disposition) the word 'bugger' means something other than what it probably says in your dictionary. Bugger is one of a long list of terms of endearment used in that fine country Australia.

Exactly Bodawei! This entire exercise is about showing up dictionaries (challenging their authority anyway) isn't it. I'm ambivalent about dictionaries; on one hand I think they're essential for language learners, on the other I know from experience they can be absolutely useless.

But re "moody", I think dictionary definition #1 I cited does necessarily mean it's a continued bad state, not part good / part bad. So yes I agree. Also "I'm moody today" is not "I'm in a bad mood today", right. I would rather be around someone who declares, "I'm in a bad mood" than have to work side by side with someone who is "moody today". Re dictionary definition #2 I've been ignoring it for now. Maybe Xiaophil will also tell us what he had in mind when he wrote that example.

@Zhen

I think we will find that when Xiaophil revisits that post he will agree that no-one ever says 'I am moody today', unless tongue in cheek. It is just not something that anyone would admit to. The expression is used by your friends and enemies alike, as in 'that Bodawei is a moody bugger'.

Furthermore, in my experience, the Chinese people I know are unlikely to say this kind of thing tongue in cheek. Because.. Chinese people are incurably happy. Not generalising or anything. [All of the above is tongue in cheek.]

So, in my view, no translation is possible for #25. But if they did say it tongue in cheek I guess I would have no idea.

See what I mean about Bodawei being a moody bugger?

Zhen, Changye

Generally (in my experience) 'moody' is an adjective referring to a continuing state of bad moods. It may also be applied to someone who has unpredictable changes of mood. I don't think I have ever heard or read it applied to meaning 2). That's dictionaries for you. Actually 2) reminds me of Austin Powers; isn't he the 'man of mystery'?

I'm not Xiaophil, but my (Concise Oxford) dictionary defines moody as: 1) given to unpredictable changes of mood, especially sudden bouts of gloominess or sullenness. 2) giving an impression of melancholy or mystery.

Hi xiaophil

I confess, I don't know the exact nuance of the word "moody", hehe. Does this always mean "一会高兴一会不高兴"?

Yeah that's why I guess I didn't find 喜怒无常 with 今天 but did find it a lot with 最近. It's not really something you are today.

I'd really like to see this list completed and completed well. When it is we'll have a 该永远保存的一份资料! Thanks for starting it.

It's the 小学館日中辞典（第２版）. How I got 忽三忽四 is by looking up 「斑」mura. Following a list of ways to express lack of consistency in things like color, grades, performance, they give the reference for a person's 気持ち kimochi emotional state, give 易变 and 忽三忽四 for that. Then they invite you to jump (yes it's my 电子辞典) to a related entry, 「斑気」mura-ki, and that's where I got 喜怒无常. They also gave the expression 没准性子 but I could not find anything on it on the net so decided not to mention it. Any thoughts on this?

Oh and from running 心情忽三忽四 through an internet check I didn't get that, but instead got loads of 心情忽好忽坏, and the (isolated case I guess) 心情忽阴忽晴 that I like so much.

Hey guys, thanks for keeping this post alive. I got to admit, though, I'm not sure 闷闷不乐 is the best answer. nciku defines it as 'being low', which is definitely not the same as 'moody'. For now, I think 喜怒无常的 is the best choice, but I do see Changye's point. It could point to a person's general personality rather than a person's current state. Actually, knowing 'moody' in the sense of a general personality trait is probably more useful anyway.

This brings up another issue. I love Chinese idioms, but I'm afraid that if I use them while talking, I will sound like an old Confucian text. I wonder if these are colloquial?

Hi zhenlijiang

None of my Chinese dictionaries shows "忽三忽四", although I can find it used on the net. Probably it has the same meaning as "不三不四". Would you tell me the name of the dictionary?

Hi zhenlijiang

I agree. Probably 喜怒无常 is mainly used to describe a person's character. I think "闷闷不乐" might be better in this case. I would just say "今天我很闷，不开心".

Thank you Crystal 老师！

Could I use that in a sentence simply to say "I'm still half asleep"? “我在半睡半醒中。”可以吗？

I see you usually use it with ~（之）中，~（之）间 or ~地。

Hi Crystal, thanks for your feedback! ... but so it's different from being "half asleep"?

‘还未睡醒’或‘还没完全清醒’这些说法更恰当，是吗？

seriously, I was just kidding - and actually confirmations when we are right and corrections when we are wrong are highly appreciated.

NO! NO! Don't feel bad! Very VERY useful! And please help! (But only if it is convenient)

I'm pretty sure that 困 is more like sleepy. 累 is more like worn out. Any friendly Chinese people available to clarify?

Chinese differs between 困 and 累. And I'm hoping on tarsi to explain the difference.

Yes, my wife says that, so I guess you are right. I was looking for something a bit more subtle, but 'half asleep' really isn't so subtle anyway.

No but like tarsi says there still are other ways of expressing these too. I'm not done yet with List 1.

Haha, part of my first reaction was as you said, but then I quickly thought, "Yes, now we can add even more new emotions!"

Oh my God! Yes, it helps a lot! More than I could have hoped for! Thanks so much!

You could say 我很烦 (wo3 hen3 fan2)or 我的心情很差 (wo3 de xin1qing2 hen3 cha4).

啊啊啊 原来是这样！明白了，谢谢。我真的不好意思，让你把笑话的意思写出来 (>_<) 是个禁忌吧！

是不好笑话。。。Comedians (and other performers like singers) work in restaurants, and at the end of their routine say "thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week. Try the fish." Advertising both their own routine and the restaurant's food...I don't know if comedians actually say this, or if it just comedians making fun of comedians who say this. The appropriate response would be for you to groan and roll your eyes.

鱼菜是什么东西呢？

谢谢，谢谢，我再那里全星期。尝试鱼菜！

All singing aside (but I cannot emphasize enough that I am glad you did), I think the 对 might not be right. If one wants to express regret for something, I think it is most common, perhaps best, to simply say:

我后悔。。。

哈哈哈大笑 I always enjoy your song lyrics. 不知道 这个译词 正式不

I hear the second option from time to time @_@

No problem, but please keep second guessing me as I know I make lots of mistakes ;).

thank you for going to so much trouble. grammar being my big problem, due to a distinct and obvious lack of brains, or the ability to concentrate for long periods of time. haven't figured out exactly where my problem lies.

Nope, I think I'm okay. I did a little google search to build up my confidence. 47,100,000 Chinese probably aren't wrong. I am almost positive I have heard it before too. I was told that normally there needs to be something modifying a Chinese adjective. The default is 很, which oddly enough, often is meaningless. In other words, it doesn't really mean 'very'. It's just there to make the grammar right.

the 很 looks and sounds out of place phil

Is that right? Maybe it is. Come to think of it, I think it probably is right. It seems like I remember someone saying 他很随便 is like saying "He doesn't give a crap about anything," in other words, it is more derogatory than simply being indifferent. I know, splitting hairs. Anyway, I always say:

我很无所谓 (wo3hen3wu2suo3wei4)

别烦我 don't bother me

I also got this from nciku.com:

to be annoyed at sth/with sb

对某事/某人感到厌烦

My wife always says 烦, however.

not sure about that. try this 你好烦！

I might eat my words, but I think he got it. 麻烦 would be troublesome, 烦 by itself would be annoyed.

no, it's used in the passive. I'm troublesome is 麻烦你。

the first one, to my mind anyway, should translate as 'I'm really troublesome'

I think you might be right ;)