User Comments - amber

amber

Posted on: Making Negative Comparisons

September 17, 2008 at 2:23 AM

hi auntie68,

那么 (nàme) is not necessary in this structure. However, it adds an element of emphasis, of degree, when you put it in front of an adjective (那么+adj.) kind of like 'so' in English.

加拿大没有中国那么挤。
Jiānádà méiyǒu Zhōngguó nàme jǐ.
Canada isn't as crowded as China.
(the feeling is, China is so crowded)

Any of your sentences using this pattern can have the 那么 (nàme) thrown in for emphasis, but it is not required by any means.

Posted on: Making Negative Comparisons

September 17, 2008 at 1:28 AM

hi frances,

Using 苍老 (cānglǎo) is a bit awkward here. It would be more natural to just say:

我爷爷比你爷爷老。 Wǒ yéye bǐ nǐ yéye lǎo.

You don't need the possessive 的 (de) here in this case, because you are speaking of intimate family members.

Posted on: Street Food

September 16, 2008 at 7:20 AM

hi doezeedoats,

儘量 can be pronounced either (jǐnliàng) or (jìnliàng), however, the latter is more common.

Posted on: Checking Baggage

September 16, 2008 at 6:45 AM

hi pretzellogic,

我们坐什么飞机？320 大型客机吗？
(Wǒmen zuò shénme fēijī？320 dàxíng kèjī ma？)
'What kind of airplane are we flying? Airbus 320?'

Posted on: Checking Baggage

September 16, 2008 at 6:41 AM

hi calkins,

欢迎来到美国航空公司。
Huānyíng láidào Měiguó hángkōng gōngsī.

Means you have already arrived.

Your second sentence is incorrect, because the correct pattern to use is 到 (dào) ...[place]... 来 (lái)

欢迎你到美国航空公司来。
Huānyíng nǐ dào Měiguó hángkōng gōngsī lái.

This form of sentence could be used for either welcoming someone to come (in the future) or could be also used in the same context as the above sentence, where someone has already or just arrived.