Lesson Comments

Hi Simonpetterson, Thanks a lot!! :) Read more

Came to think about it: sinister 1411, "prompted by malice or ill-will," from O.Fr. sinistre "contrary, unfavorable, to the left," from L... Read more

There are a couple of different names. Zhé (磔), Nà (捺), Pō (波) or even Jīndāo (金刀). Check out this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Princip... Read more

so if 撇/pie3 means down-leftward stoke, then how should we say the downward stroke that goes toward the right side? Read more

I am always impressed by the quick fixes to problems here, Conny et al! Lend your ear(s) to the continuation below :-) Read more

I am not sure if all appreciate my CSI-attitude to language studies, but personally I see it as one tiny step, of many, towards fluency somewhere in t... Read more

Interesting 'politically correct' lesson. No irony :-) You say that 左撇子 is sort of slang. Doesn't the character 撇 also inherit some of the almost... Read more

Also note the Dungan dialect of Mandarin, which is written with the Cyrillic alphabet and has been for a long time. It's interesting in that it comple... Read more

Hi waiguoren Fortunately (for most of us), even Mao Zedong didn't dare employ Cyrillic alphabets for Hanyu Pinyin, despite an amicable relationship... Read more

hunchiepunker, I lived in a city called Wuhu, the home of Chery cars and very hospitable people. Was a great experience. Are you based in Anhui? Read more