User Comments - amber
amber
Posted on: What is your job?
July 2, 2008 at 3:03 AMhi che7000,
Here are those phrases for you in Chinese:
Keep quiet
安静点儿。 (Ānjìng diǎnr.)
Are you finished?
你做完了吗？ (Nǐ zuòwán le ma?)
Why are you walking around?
你为什么走来走去？(Nǐ wèishénme zǒuláizǒuqù?)
Sit down. 坐下 (zuòxia)
Stop talking with your classmate(s).
别说话了！(Bié shuō huà le!)
Stay put!
站住！ (zhànzhù)
Bring out your (pencil, book, crayons).
拿出你的 (铅笔，书，蜡笔）来。 (Náchū nǐ de (qiānbǐ, shū,làbǐ) lái.)
Are you fighting?
你在打架？(Nǐ zài dǎjià?)
May I go out?
我可以出去吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ chūqu ma?)
May I go to the toilet?
我可以去洗手间吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ qù xǐshǒujiān ma?)
Do you want me to call your (chinese teacher, mother)?
你想让我打电话给你的 (中文老师，妈妈) 吗? (Nǐ xiǎng ràng wǒ dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ de (Zhōngwén lǎoshī, māma) ma?)
Posted on: Antiperspirant in China
July 2, 2008 at 2:58 AMHi Frank,
剂 (jì) is used for pharmaceuticals or chemicals in liquid form:
药剂 (Yàojì) drug
杀虫剂 (Shāchóngjì) insecticide
and, in this dialogue, since the anti-perspirant used was the spray/liquid type, it is called 止汗剂 (zhǐhànjì).
药 (yào) is also for pharmaceuticals or medicines, but can be used for liquids or solids：
药片 (yàopiàn) tablet (of medicine)
药水 (yàoshuǐ) liquid medicine
Posted on: Characters in the Desert and Chinese Kitchens
June 30, 2008 at 3:39 PM
Here is a pic of the real live Dear Amber kitchen. Complete with french press coffee maker ready to be plunged!
Posted on: Sightseeing at Tiananmen
June 30, 2008 at 9:59 AMhi darrencook,
thanks for pointing that out, we have amended it to "The car is driving straight."
Posted on: How embarrassing!
June 30, 2008 at 9:35 AMhi anayelena,
The meaning of 这回 (zhè huí) and 这次 (zhè cì) is the same. 这回 (zhè huí) is a little more casual, however.
Posted on: Where Do You Live?
June 30, 2008 at 9:24 AMHi bpeacock,
It's personal preference/regional distinction. There is no difference in meaning.
Posted on: What is your job?
June 30, 2008 at 5:20 AMhi pulosm,
"I'm a model/dancer/actor/poet and then there's my day job.":
我做模特儿/跳舞的/演员/诗人, 还有我的全职工作.
Wǒ zuò mótèr/tiàowǔ de/yǎnyuán/shīrén, háiyǒu wǒ de quánzhí gōngzuò.
Posted on: Wake-up Call
June 30, 2008 at 4:49 AMhi missworldtraveler,
1) You is used in the first sentence:
请问有什么可以帮您的？
Qǐngwèn yǒu shénme kěyǐ bāng nín de？
because the person is inquiring: What can I help you with?
2) No matter how old the clerk is, people would still address her as 小姐 (xiǎojie). If the clerk were male, you would use 先生 (xiānsheng).
Posted on: Antiperspirant in China
July 2, 2008 at 3:20 AMhi derek,
For applying the solid anti-perspirant, you can use 抹 (mǒ) or 搽 (chá).
If you want to tell someone not to use so much, you would say:
别喷那么多止汗剂.
(Bié pēn nàme duō zhǐhànjì.)