User Comments - amber
amber
Posted on: China's Most Famous Tourist Destinations
May 8, 2007 at 2:31 AMHi bryan, Both of those sentences are correct. It mostly depends on the situation or context as to how you would use them. For example, the first sentence would often be used in this context: 这个饭店最好吃的东西是什么？ (Zhège fàndiàn zuì hǎochī de dōngxi shì shénme?) The second sentence (什么东西最好吃? Shénme dōngxi zuì hǎochī?) might be used if there were a lot of things in front of you to eat, and you wish to ask which one is the best.
Posted on: Traveling around China
May 8, 2007 at 2:31 AMHi again Rich, Yes, it was nice to meet up! As far as travelling, yes, there is a distinction. 出差 (chūchāi) is not considered to be 旅行 / 旅游 (lǚxíng / lǚyóu). They are seperate entities. When there is an overlapping, i.e. you are on a business trip but at the same time you do some fun stuff on the company's tab, there is a word for that, it is 公费旅游 (gōngfèi lǚyóu).
Posted on: Buying a SIM card
May 8, 2007 at 1:23 AMhi lesotho, I'm not sure where you saw that, could you tell me where you saw it written incorrectly? The PDF and Dialogue tab both seem to be fine.
Posted on: Parking Lot Rage
May 5, 2007 at 10:24 AMThomas B, To honk a horn is: 按喇叭 (àn lǎba)
Posted on: Parking Lot Rage
May 5, 2007 at 1:51 AMDoes anyone else love this lesson as much as I do! It makes me laugh so hard... :D
Posted on: Ordering a Steak
May 4, 2007 at 12:23 AMoh i forgot to mention, there is also well done: 全熟 (quán shóu) but nobody orders it that way, right? However, be prepared, because you often get asked in western-style restaurants how you want your hamburger cooked as well. In that case, i recommend 全熟 (quán shóu).
Posted on: Ordering a Steak
May 2, 2007 at 2:41 PMHi AlexYe, That's right, to have your steak done medium, you say 五分熟 (wǔ fēn shóu). But don't think you can be too picky... you won't really hear 四分熟 (sì fēn shóu) 六分熟 (liù fēn shóu) or 九分熟 (jiǔ fēn shóu); it's usually 3 (rare), 5 (medium) or 7 (medium well). Mike in Jubei, Hmm, interesting question about the cooking of the egg... interesting because just this morning I went for a nice holiday brunch nearby, and wanted medium - soft poached eggs (i'm a bit picky about my egg yolks). Anyways, I realized I wasn't too sure how to express that. The good thing is, the eggs came perfect. The bad news is, I'm not sure what I said that conveyed the right degree of cooked-ness! I will find out and get back to you! ~amber
Posted on: For you, and you, and you
May 2, 2007 at 12:42 AMSorry everyone, Yes this lesson seems to have glitched out in the changeover to V3. Will be fixed asap! ~amber
Posted on: Traveling around China
May 2, 2007 at 12:36 AMHi wmackie624, The character 亲 (qīn) on its own can have a few different meanings, however, when it is combined with 眼 (yǎn) it means: 亲眼 (qīnyǎn) with one's own eyes, to have personally seen 我亲眼看 (Wǒ qīnyǎn kàn) I saw with my own eyes you can also combine 亲 (qīn) with other words, i.e.: 亲手 (qīnshǒu) with one's own hands 他亲手交给我这些文件.(Tā qīnshǒu jiāogěi wǒ zhèxiē wénjiàn.) He handed me these documents with his own hands. (or, "He handed these documents to me personally") There is also 亲耳 (qīn'ěr) with one's own ears. When you combine 亲 (qīn) in this way, in means to personally experience something (in what way depends on which body part (as above) you combine it with). 自己 (zìjǐ) is different, it means "oneself", i.e.: 我自己看吧. (Wǒ zìjǐ kàn ba.) I'll look myself. 是你自己不好. (Shì nǐ zìjǐ bù hǎo) It's your own fault. Hope that helps clarify the difference! ~amber :)
Posted on: Finding Live Music
May 8, 2007 at 2:48 AMHi Chow, From our dialogue: 秀一下 (xiù yīxià) There are quite a few commonly used Chinese words now that are borrowed from English. Here are a few commonly used examples: 酷 (kù) cool 比萨 (bǐsà) pizza 匹萨 (pǐsà) pizza 咖啡 (kāfēi) coffee 咖喱 (gālí) curry