User Comments - Grambers
Grambers
Posted on: International vs. Local Schools
January 31, 2011 at 5:29 PMI may have skipped an important lesson on this, but I'm a bit unsure of the use of '吧' in the following sentence: "上本地学校吧，怕管得太死，孩子的创新能力被扼杀，英文可能会退化，上国际学校吧...". The '吧' here clearly hasn't got the usual imperative function...it seems to be implying an 'if', but I've not come across this usage. What are the rules surrounding the usage of 吧 in this context? Can they easily summarised? Thanks so much:)
Posted on: Hanukkah
December 8, 2010 at 6:28 PMWoah, steady talyap. Let's all be nice. To be fair to alkrasnov, she did say it was a 'great' lesson, thanked the team (presumably for the lesson) and bade seasons greetings to one and all. I have no clue whatsoever on the veracity of the claim, but isn't nit-picking what Web 2.0 is all about? And if you're going to nit-pick so very, very politely, what's the problem?
Posted on: Leeching off the Parents
November 18, 2010 at 11:22 AMSorry - didn't spot this till now. Thanks!
Posted on: Leeching off the Parents
November 11, 2010 at 4:54 PMNot to mention the other 'even' in this dialogue (也不说!)
Posted on: Leeching off the Parents
November 11, 2010 at 4:46 PMAaaargh - another word for 'even'/'even though'/'even if'. How should 哪怕 be compared to 虽然 or 甚至 or 即使 or [even] 连...都 (as in 连没有工资也行)? Perhaps the distinctions could [even] become a Qing Wen topic?!? Bloody hell - [even] in English, 'even' is a difficult word, non?
Posted on: Reinstalling Windows
September 5, 2010 at 9:58 AM
John - I'm really appreciating the recent push to explain the eternally confusing usage of 了. This is something that, up until your recent attempts to clarify, I had kinda accepted that I would never get my head around. You have given me hope. However, I have to say that the 'change of state' explanation is starting to lose me. In this lesson the 'change of state' explanation for the 只能这样了sentence moved into the 'so-abstract-as-to-be-meaningless' realm, I felt. If you use a ‘le’ there, why not here - 你去拿安装盘 –where the person will shortly be changing from ‘not going to get the installation disc’, to ‘going to get the installation disc’. Tenuous, I know, but the change of state explanation is often thus. Apologies if I sound like I’m blaming you for my confusion. Usage of ‘le’ is a nightmare, and I salute your efforts to explain. However, I remain mostly confusedJ
Posted on: World Cup Talk
July 15, 2010 at 2:28 PMCricket is huge in England and (southern) Wales, less so in Scotland and Ireland. Basketball is a niche sport in the UK, as it is in many other countries I've visited. It's massive popularity in China probably (allied with the large population in the US) maybe does make it the world's second most popular sport (after football/soccer, which I can't ever see losing its crown). For real cricket passion, look to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the island of the Caribbean. And don't forget, cricket's 'introduction' to countries like Australia, India, Kenya, Barbados etc.etc. was bound up intricately with political rule and British colonialism. As such, there is/was an important social element in the growth of the sport. Basketball and baseball's foreign 'introductions' have been largely commercial ventures spurred only by entrepreneurialism and, as such, have been doomed to failure. Er....not really sure what my overall point is, but hope this furthers the debate!!!
Posted on: Yellow Mountain
July 15, 2010 at 1:26 PMThanks Ellen, indeed, that reply was really helpful. 欢迎 is a word I've heard countless time in China, but 迎接 was a new one on me. I'll be welcoming some Beijing students to London in a few weeks and will make sure I use the former for my general greetings!
Posted on: Organic Food
July 13, 2010 at 12:28 PMIn that last example, is the notable grammatical structure "就算[什么什么]，也[什么什么]? Does this always mean 'even if [something], still wouldn't [something]?'
Posted on: Building, Establishing, and Creating
August 16, 2011 at 6:41 PMWhere would 施工 fit into this complex picture?