Previous Counseling

hi, it should be only one 了。

When I listen to the final line (especially the final line as read on the vocabulary tab), I hear the '了' twice, as if she's saying '花已经死了了' ... am I imagining things?

Can you tell me what the words are for row and column in Excel? (行,列? .. if so, which is which?)

How would you say 'The next line in my address is ...'?

How would you translate 'left (i.e. remaining)' ... e.g. 'I have two days left'?

In the extended exercises, 先 is used as an adverb (to leave first) ... can it be used as an adjective? How would you say 'The first class'? (in fact, how would you say 'The last class'?)

In the expanded exercises for Wake-up call, they give '我帮你问一下。' and translate it as ''I'll help you for a moment" ... what's the purpose of '问' in the sentence? Could you just say '我帮你一下。'?

and 听不进 can mean stubborn.

hi, it's guang4 jie1, 逛街。

剃刀， 剃 to shave, 刀 is knife. so 剃刀 is a tool to shave something, but 剃须刀 is only for mustache because 胡须 means mustache.

The term you gave me for shopping (guang3jie1) ... is that 广街?

Two questions that have come up here (not related to ChinesePod lessons):

- I needed to buy a razor, and was told the term was ti4xu1dao1 (I assume 剃须刀), and that's the term I used (successfully) in the store, but my dictionary doesn't have that; it only has 剃刀 ...??

- I came across the term 听不进, but I can't find a translation for it ... does it mean 'stubborn'?

In the Sichuan Extended Exercises, there is a sentence "我在路边捡了一条小狗" ... why 条 and not 只? I thought 条 was used for long skinny things ...

(continuation of the previous question) and is that different from 冰糕?  Is this the term that you would use for an ice cream bar (e.g. on a stick)?

Here we go again ... is there any difference between 冰淇淋 and 冰激凌 ? (so many synonyms)

In the Hungry Traveler - Sichuan, the vocabulary uses 宫保鸡丁 but I have also seen 宫爆鸡丁 ... is this another case where both are OK? (or is one more common)

In Hungry Traveler - Hainin, Extended Exercises, in the vocabulary, they give 叁亚 for Sanya ... but my dictionary (and Wikipedia) give 三亚 ... are both used?

In the 'Hungry Traveler - Macao' Extended exercises, there's a sentence '再来一瓶啤酒。' ... Is this use 来 of common? (my dictionary doesn't list 'bring' as a meaning for 来). I have been corrected by my host family when I tried to use 来 to mean 'bring'; they suggested 带 or 拿 instead.

yes, i think so, feng4 zhua3  is more common.

My dictionary (as well as two online dictionaries I use) give the Pinyin for 凤爪 as feng4 zhua3 ... ChinesePod uses feng4 zhao3. This probably means that both are used, but is feng4 zhua3 more common?

Today, I would like to do 'Have you been to Beijing' (156) and 'Weather and Seasons' (283).

Please let me know what your schedule is for 国庆节 ... I assume you are off on 星期四; are you also off on 星期五?

你好，更 is "more", 比较 is ”relatively“

Can you help me understand the difference between 更 and 比较? e.g. can you say both 更好 and  比较好? If so, is there a difference in meaning?

I'm in 首尔; there's a one hour time difference, so your call this morning will be at 11:15 here (10:15 Shanghai). Tomorrow, do you have any earlier times available? (Also, once I am in China, I will want to have an earlier call if possible).

你好，是一样的。

Is there any difference between 调味料 and 调料?

hi, 靠 is a verb, and 近 is an adjective

Is "少 + verb + 一点" a pattern? Could you say "少吃一点" for "eat a little less", etc.?

Is there a difference between 靠 and 近 ?

actually, in chinese, we dont say "block"， we just sat 过5个路口 or 过5条街

长安街以北再走5个街区

How would I say "5 blocks north of 长安街"?

- It has been three years since I did 'x' 我做x已经三年了。
- I will do 'x' in three years我会在三年内做x
- I will do 'x' for three more years (I'm already doing it)我会再做三年x
- I will do 'x' for three years (starting some time in the future)我会做x三年。

What measure word would be used with 红灯? '个' 还是 '盏'?

普通话 'measure word' 怎么说?

- I lived there for three years (some time ago)我在那里住了三年。

- I have lived there for three years (and still do)我在那里住了三年了。

you can see the first sentence is VERB+了+time，and the second one has an additional 了 at the end . that's the difference, no 了at the end means you dont do it now, if “ VERB+了+ time 了。” it means you still do it.

for example, 我在chinesepod工作了两年。(im not there now.) 我在chinesepod工作了两年了。(still in the chinesepod)

when they are for the 路口，穿 and 过  are  both OK. 

hi, the vowel sound of 守 is the same as 走, "ou"

In the expansion exercises, they use 过去 for 'cross', but in the dialog, they use 穿 ... are they synonymns, or is there a difference?

I'm confused by the pronunciation of 遵守 ... in the vocabulary and extended exercise recordings, it sounds more like 'zun1 shao3' than 'zun1 shou3'. Is the vowel sound of 守 the same as 走? ... or is there a difference?

hi, it is  just rapid speaking

in "Clearing the Table", the 5th line ends with "餐巾纸过来", but in the recording it sounds like "can1jin1zhi3 guai4" ... I can't hear the two syllables of "过来". Is this just rapid speaking, or is he saying something else?

hi,  了 at the end of the sentence can be three meanings.

1,indicating change, for example, 他不喜欢喝咖啡了。it meas he liked coffee before, but now the situation changed, he doesnt like it anymore.

2.as a particle of declarative sentence, to mean the speaker is quite sure about what he says. so 我忘了买肉了, the second 了 is just a particle,我忘了买肉 is also correct.

3.as a particle of plaint, mostly with 太， like 太热了！or  我今天太忙了！

In the Xiaolongbao expansion exercises, there is a sentence "我忘了买肉了。"  Why are there two '了's?  Would it be wrong (or mean something else) if it was "我忘了买肉。"?

crystal, 这个周末,我学习了三个课; Doggy Bag, Xiaolongbao, and Clearing the Table.

im sorry, i cant see your exercise here

but 她喜欢喝试试 is not correct. here 喝 should be followed by an object, i think. 

hi, 儿童 is most formal .

and there's no difference between 小孩(儿), and 孩子

e.g. it marks the fourth sentence (#7) correct with '试试' ... i.e. 她喜欢喝试试' ... is that right?

I just did exercise 3 for 'Fast Food', and got 0 out of 7 ... is there something wrong, or do I not understand how that exercise works? I cleared the exercise, and tried to move '试试' into each spot, one by one, and it wasn't marked correct in any spot ...

Is there any difference between 儿童, 小孩(儿), and 孩子?

... but I just found the English and 汉字 in the expansion exercises.

On the review for this lesson, I can't understand the translation for "Everyone envies him, he has such a nice house" ...

about又和再

又 usually for something that already happened,so the verb here is usually followed by 了。

再，it's a little complecated. when in a positive sentence, it's used for the future,like 我明天再来。but if in the negative form,再 can both for the past and the future.Because 又  doesn‘t have negative form. you can not say 你没又看到他。so here you can use 再， 你没再看到他。

你又看到他了? yes，“吗” can be optional.it's just like english."did you see him again?" or "you saw him again?"

the word for 'block' is lu4 kou3,路口。

In the review for 'Directions with a map 1', at 2:24, when giving the Mandarin for 'walk', the speaker makes it sound like a 4th tone ... I certainly don't hear a 3rd tone there. I'm confused ...

this question,  i will call you and give you the answer. 

In the review for Directions with a map 2, they ask you to translate "you saw him again?", and give the answer as 你又看到他了? Is the "吗" optional?

Directions with a map 2 uses both 又 and 再 for 'again'. What's the difference? I thought 再 was for the future, and 又 for the past ?!?

Another question; what is the word for 'block', in the sense "At the traffic light, turn left and go three blocks"?

In the review for 'Directions with a map 1', at 2:24, when giving the Mandarin for 'walk', the speaker makes it sound like a 4th tone ... I certainly don't hear a 3rd tone there. I'm confused ...

yes, you are right,it's a standard, just like english.

How would I say "When you talk quickly ..." ... It would seem to be 你说得快的时候..., but it feels like there's too many 'de's there ...

I notice in the Pinyin for Traffic Jam that they capitalize 'Shanghai', but not the first (pinyin) word in the sentence. Is this a standard, or do you sometimes find Pinyin capitalized the same way English is (initial words of sentences, proper names, etc.)?

Hi Crystal ...

I may have been confused; I thought you were going to call at 8:30 this morning. Did you mean 8:30 tonight? In that case, I won't be there.  In general, morning (my time) works much better for me. I don't know how late you work (Shanghai time), but I could also take calls at the office (e.g. anytime between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm EDT).

Please let me know when you will call next; in the meantime, I'm working with the planned lessons.

Thanks,

Ken M.