User Comments - Tal
Tal
Posted on: Picking Up 拿
April 12, 2009 at 1:25 AMYes thanks for that story neutral tone, I like it and will remember it! I hadn't heard it before.
I would guess that "each man, one mouth(ful) in his hand" could also be expressed by saying "each man takes one (mouthful)" or "to each man give only enough for one mouthful", and you put the word hand in just to keep the sense of the whole character.
Posted on: Picking Up 拿
April 11, 2009 at 11:13 PMerr... 可以！我觉得没错。（？）
I've been trying to learn to write 汉字 for some time now, and I find 拿 a tricky one too. As I start at the top and go down, the character always seems to end up looking too long, squashed at the bottom in a far from beautiful way! (I practise writing the characters in one of those little exercise books filled with pages of little squares. In China young children use them to begin learning to write. Chinese students and friends smile when they see the books, which I guess remind them of their childhoods, but they are usually kind enough to praise my efforts contained within!)
Posted on: Picking Up 拿
April 11, 2009 at 8:27 AM没拿手 méi náshou be unsure; lack confidence
他没拿手泡妞。Tā méi náshou pàoniū. He lacks confidence to chase girls.
拿班 nábān to put on airs; assume great airs; strike a pose
哎哟，现在他是总经理他一直拿班了。 Āiyō, xiànzài tā shì zǒngjīnglǐ tā yīzhí nábānle. Oh lord, now he's general manager he's always putting on airs.
Posted on: Picking Up 拿
April 11, 2009 at 3:54 AMThat's a good one changye, I think I'll be using that myself from now on!
Another useful use of 拿 (ná) is: 拿主意 ná zhǔyi - to make a decision.
e.g. Zhè jiàn shì nǐ děi zìjǐ ná zhǔyi. 这件事你得自己拿主意。 You've got to make a decision about this matter by yourself.
Posted on: Karaoke
April 10, 2009 at 10:02 PMbaba mate, I'm surprised not to already see some of your trademark diagrams and pics to clarify your meaning! Maybe NSFW? (or CPod for that matter!?)
Indeed the issue of when 小姐 is OK and when it's not can be puzzling. In this wonderful lesson the guy says: 小姐，我们好像在哪儿见过。But he gets the cold shoulder rather than a slap!
Posted on: Karaoke
April 10, 2009 at 1:14 PMYou mean you get a hamburger as well as a massage? Now that's service!
Posted on: Detroit
April 9, 2009 at 11:18 AMI believe it's possible to say: kuà shìjì 跨世纪 (literally to 'step over' or 'straddle' the century).
e.g. Kuà shìjì de shíhou hǎo duō rén dōu báipà nàge Y2K diànnǎo gù zhàng le. 跨世纪的时候好多人都白怕那个 Y2K 电脑故障了。At the turn of the century a lot of people needlessly feared that Y2K computer bug.
Posted on: Surviving Winter and Singles Scene for Expat Girls
April 9, 2009 at 11:01 AMI was with you as far as "hairier".
Posted on: Learning the Lei Feng Song
April 9, 2009 at 10:57 AMAlmost every day mate!
Posted on: Picking Up 拿
April 12, 2009 at 1:42 AMméi náshou 没拿手 is called a 'verb phrase' in Wenlin. Perhaps it's not too common in everyday speech. Any native speakers (or our onboard laowai experts care to comment?)