User Comments - amber
amber
Posted on: Giving an Example
June 1, 2007 at 3:01 AMchrka, A little more expansion on the three "for examples" in Chinese: 例如 (lìrú), 比如 (bǐrú), and 譬如pìrú: They all mean "for example". 譬如 (pìrú) is used mostly in the written language, and is very formal. 比如 (bǐrú) and 例如 (lìrú) are used in everyday spoken Chinese.
Posted on: Giving an Example
June 1, 2007 at 2:45 AMhi laorui, Good eye. Sorry about that, it is a typo, and has now been fixed. huomao, In Chinese, there isn't a totally equivalent expression to the English "nothing worth doing is easy", but here are a couple expressions that reflect the Chinese thinking on the same topic: “天下无难事，只怕有心人” (Tiānxià wú nánshì , zhǐpà yǒuxīnrén) Nothing in the world is too hard to do if we set our minds on it. “一分耕耘，一份收获”捡" (Yī fēn gēngyún，yī fèn shōuhuò”jiǎn) Put in hard work and you will see results. hi Shellie, Such a pretty name. Here is a sort of loose explanation for each of the characters used: 武 (Wǔ) this is a surname, not very common 沁 (Qìn) when this character is used in a girl's name, it gives the feeling that fragrance seeps into her body. Meaning, she is pleasant to be around. 如 (Rú) doesn't necessarily have any specific meaning here, but it sounds very cute and nice when used in a girl's name.
Posted on: Resisting Relocation
May 31, 2007 at 12:20 AMHi Bazza, Sorry about that--which link do you mean? I just tried the Dialogue MP3 Download and that one worked. Let us know which one it is and we're on it!
Posted on: The Olympic Mascots
May 30, 2007 at 12:18 PMsorry foleadu and LostinAsia, I've referred this chipmunk problem to trevelyan (dave) of our tech dept, and he is on it. Will let you know when fixed. sorry for the inconvenience!
Posted on: Resisting Relocation
May 30, 2007 at 8:21 AMHi henning, Actually, though it sounds a bit strange if you were to translate it to English, the "你 (nǐ)" in this sentence is referring to the 钉子户 (dingzihù)'s opposition. It's a common way to refer to another party when relating an anecdote.
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 15: Uncomfortable Encounter in a Bar
May 30, 2007 at 5:41 AMMy favourite joke about Canadians is this one: How do you get a Canadian to say sorry? You step on his foot.
Posted on: Resisting Relocation
May 30, 2007 at 5:36 AMhi clarence and fp00n, Don't let the squatter toilets put you off. 蹲的厕所 (dūn de cèsuǒ) Most apartments here in Shanghai that a foreigner would rent have western-style toilets. Actually, the squatter toilet is not the one you should fear most. It's the trough-style ones (no plumbing, just a sort of canal) that are really to be feared.
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 15: Uncomfortable Encounter in a Bar
May 30, 2007 at 3:44 AMhi fish, In 素质 (sùzhi), the 质 (zhi) is pronounced with the neutral tone, in mainland China.
Posted on: China’s Supergirl
May 30, 2007 at 3:37 AMbryan, You're right. In a question, the (了) le usually comes right before the (吗) ma. It technically could be placed right after the verb, but it is more common to hear it as it is in this sentence, at the end. The position of the (了) le in this kind of sentence doesn't change the meaning. Chinese is more ambiguous than English when it comes to time. Here, the (了) le is just a marker of completed action/past tense. In your second example sentence, the (了) le could be used in either position.
Posted on: Booking a Plane Ticket
June 1, 2007 at 3:19 AMHi Ronny, The dialogue mentions that the ticket he originally booked was a discounted ticket. Perhaps the ticket price for his new dates was higher, so he has to pay the fee.