User Comments - amber
amber
Posted on: Yang Jie's Diary: Everyone Is Dating
September 19, 2007 at 3:45 AMhi mikeinjubei, very good question: 除了 (chúle) and 除了(chúle)..... 以外 (yǐwài) are the same; and you can either use the 以外 (yǐwài), or not, as you please. It doesn't change the meaning or feeling at all.
Posted on: Identifying Family Members
September 19, 2007 at 3:41 AMHi alenka82, Actually, for twins in Chinese, the one who was born first will be the 姐姐 jiějie. Even if she's 5 minutes older, she's still the 姐姐 jiějie. Twins = 双胞胎 shuāngbāotāi
Posted on: Beauty Pageant Registration
September 19, 2007 at 3:37 AMhi werdner, Yes, generally, Chinese people will just say 你好 (nǐhǎo). 很高兴认识你。(Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.) is kind of a foreign import.
Posted on: What's tomorrow?
September 19, 2007 at 3:34 AMHi, Yes, there is no difference between using 星期 xīngqī and 礼拜 lǐbài. 星期天 xīngqītiān and 星期日 xīngqīrì are also interchangeable.
Posted on: Yang Jie's Diary: Everyone Is Dating
September 19, 2007 at 3:24 AMhi Rash, Here are a couple more examples. The definition of 除了 (chúle) is "except for" or "besides", more than 'in addition to'... as these two sentences bear out: 除了你以外，别人都不知道。 Chúle nǐ yǐwài，biéren dōu bùzhīdào. Besides you, no one else knows. 除了苹果，我还想买一点香蕉。 Chúle píngguǒ, wǒ hái xiǎng mǎi yīdiǎn xiāngjiāo. Besides apples, I also want to buy some bananas.
Posted on: Yang Jie's Diary: Everyone Is Dating
September 19, 2007 at 3:01 AMhariko, Here are those phrases for you: I ate ___ for (lunch/breakfast/dinner). （午饭、早饭、晚饭）我吃了... (Wǔfàn, zǎofàn, wǎnfàn) wǒ chī le... I hate ____. 我讨厌... Wǒ tǎoyàn... ___ said that... _____说... ______ shuō... I can't believe that... 我不能相信... Wǒ bùnéng xiāngxìn... Today I feel... 今天我觉得... Jīntiān wǒ juéde... Right now I am... 我在 ______... Wǒ zài ______... I haven't told (them, somebody, random name) that... 我没告诉过（他们，别人，） Wǒ méi gàosu guò (tāmen, biéren,) I won't tell (somebody, some person) that... 我不会告诉... Wǒ bù huì gàosu... I hope that nobody will.... 我希望没有人会 Wǒ xīwàng méiyǒu rén huì I hope that he/she won't... 我希望他/她不会 Wǒ xīwàng tā/tā bù huì Today in school I learned... 今天我在学校学了... Jīntiān wǒ zài xuéxiào xué le...
Posted on: Yang Jie's Diary: Everyone Is Dating
September 19, 2007 at 2:28 AMhi darylk, 约会 (yuēhuì) can be a verb or a noun. It refers to dating, or a date. 约会,今晚我有约会。Jīnwǎn wǒ yǒu yuēhuì. 他去约会了。Tā qù yuēhuì le. 谈恋爱 (Tán liàn'ài) can also be translated as 'to date', but it more means the entire process, like 'to be courting' that sort of thing. 他们在谈恋爱。(Tāmen zài tán liàn'ài.) 读书 (dúshū) and 看书 (kànshū) can both be used to talk about studying, largely because the root verbs 读 (dú) and 看 (kàn) both mean 'to read'. And of course, a large part of studying involves reading. But you can also use 看书 (kànshū) to just talk about normal reading as well. 读书 (dúshū) wouldn't be used so much in that way. But 读书 (dúshū) can also be used to talk about attending school.
Posted on: Yang Jie's Diary: Everyone Is Dating
September 19, 2007 at 2:19 AMhi nicklyth, 难看 (nánkàn) and 丑 (chǒu) are interchangeable, same meaning 'ugly'. :)
Posted on: You Can and Will Use 会 (huì)!
September 17, 2007 at 10:06 AMHi Mikeinjubei, It's nice to see you back and we're so happy you have a special "Qing Wen" notebook. We hope its one of those cute ones with strange English sayings and cartoons all over it. ;)
Posted on: Which country are you from?
September 19, 2007 at 6:28 AMhi graing, Yes, that's correct. The 了(le) makes it past tense, the 过 (guo) makes it 'have you ever' done something before, i.e.: 你吃了吗？ Nǐ chī le ma？ Have you eaten? 你吃过豆腐吗？ Nǐ chī guo dòufu ma？ Have you eaten tofu before?