User Comments - amber
amber
Posted on: 了 (le): Something's About to Happen
July 16, 2007 at 2:06 AMuser11695, The differences in the meaning of your sentences lie in the 了 (le). It's easy to see the difference the 了 (le) makes here: 你要去散步吗? (Nǐ yào qù sànbù ma?) Do you want to go for a walk? 你要去散步了吗? (Nǐ yào qù sànbù le ma?) Are you going to go for a walk?
Posted on: 了 (le): Something's About to Happen
July 16, 2007 at 1:56 AMhi artkho! Glad you will renew! 续 (xù) to renew 过期 (guòqi) to expire; overdue 订阅 (dìngyuè) subscription 你的订阅要过期了. (Nǐ de dìngyuè yào guòqī le.) Your subcription is about to expire. or you could say: 你的账户要过期了. (Nǐ de zhànghù yào guòqī le.) Your account is about to expire. 我快要续了. (Wǒ kuàiyào xù le.) I'm going to renew soon.
Posted on: 了 (le): Something's About to Happen
July 16, 2007 at 1:45 AMhi user14047, Your first sentence is correct! Great job: 你觉得要下雪了吗? (Nǐ juéde yào xiàxuě le ma?) As for the second sentence, it's not correct in Chinese, sorry! Could you tell me what it is you are trying to express, in English? Then we can help you to correct it accurately!
Posted on: Going to the Gym
July 16, 2007 at 1:34 AMHi KennyK, You could say: 你能帮我一下吗？ (Nǐ néng bāng wǒ yīxià ma?) As working out here is still relatively new, maybe someone who works out knows a more specific way to say "spot", but this is the best info I could find!
Posted on: Chinese Seasonings
July 16, 2007 at 1:21 AMhi kmkfr, 番茄汁 (fānqiézhī) is tomato juice 番茄酱 (fānqiéjiàng) is ketchup
Posted on: What are you doing?
July 16, 2007 at 1:13 AMhi italiana, 中文播客 (Zhōngwén Bōkè)
Posted on: Sudoku
July 16, 2007 at 1:10 AMhi AzerDocMom, The most common way to express that you are "addicted" to a game like sudoku would be to use 迷上 (míshàng), which means "to be fascinated, enchanted with." It's used in this dialogue. So you could say: 我迷上数独了 (Wǒ míshàng shùdú le) It's not incorrect to say: 我对数独上瘾了 (Wǒ duì shùdú shàngyǐn le) but it wouldn't be as natural. italiana, In this case, 对 (duì) means towards something. But it can have different meanings in different contexts, as well as 在 (zài), which sometimes means "at". They are both prepositions. As you study more lessons you will encounter them in their different forms.
Posted on: Moving
July 16, 2007 at 12:48 AMhi thebigpicture, 时候 shíhou second tone, then neutral tone
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 14: Seeking Comfort
July 13, 2007 at 9:47 AMhi danjo, In Chinese culture, they wouldn't often say "I'm sorry" in response to someone's bad news. Likely, they would ask some questions about the matter to show their concern, or try to offer some comforting words appropriate to the situation, such as: 你别太难过。(Nǐ bié tài nánguò.) longfei, The second sentence is incorrect: 我怎么才能跟他联系呢 (correct) (Wǒ zěnme cái néng gēn tā liánxì ne) 我怎么能跟他联系呢 (incorrect) (Wǒ zěnme néng gēn tā liánxì ne) because you need the 才 (cái) to add the feeling that only if action 1 happens, will action 2 be able to happen.
Posted on: The Olympics on TV
July 16, 2007 at 8:20 AMHi Luis, 他是最适合你的人，错过了他，你一定会后悔的。 (Tā shì zuì shìhé nǐ de rén, cuòguò le tā, nǐ yīdìng huì hòuhuǐ de.) That's right, in certain contexts, 会 (huì) has the meaning "to be likely to, to be sure to." This concept is best translated in this sentence in English as "will." It means this result will certainly occur.