User Comments - amber
amber
Posted on: Beauty Pageant for Bloggers
May 8, 2008 at 2:22 AMhi taibeitimes, 你是去学习，不是去选美，不用穿得这么漂亮。 Nǐ shì qù xuéxí, bù shì qù xuǎnměi, bùyòng chuān de zhème piàoliang. This is the 是 (shì)... 的 (de) construction. (the 的 (de) can be omitted). Here this pattern is used to emphasize the purpose, which is to study. You wouldn't use 会 (huì) in this case. Here is another example: 我们是来讨论事情的，不是来吵架的。（的可以省略） Wǒmen shì lái tǎolùn shìqing de，bù shì lái chǎojià de.
Posted on: Chicago
May 8, 2008 at 2:13 AMhi frenchfrench, 真的假的? Zhēn de jiǎ de? Expresses disbelief. Kind of like in English 'Are you for real?'
Posted on: Choosing a Chinese Name and Safety
May 8, 2008 at 1:38 AMhi mengless, Yes that's a great name for a girl.
Posted on: Mobile Repairman
May 7, 2008 at 4:17 AMhi agentchuck, Both: 微波炉修吗？ Wēibōlú xiū ma？ 你修不修微波炉？ Nǐ xiū bù xiū wēibōlú？ Are a person asking if the repairman repairs microwaves. There isn't a 能 (néng) because 能 (néng) would be used to ask if a person has an ability. But this is more of a request. 还是买个新的微波炉吧。 Háishi mǎi ge xīn de wēibōlú ba. In this sentence you need the measure word. However, you can omit the “一” (yī) when indicating one (using any measure word).
Posted on: Pretty Ugly
May 7, 2008 at 4:09 AMhi light487, You could say: 她很漂亮。 Tā hěn piàoliang. 她是个美丽的姑娘。Tā shì ge měilì de gūniang.
Posted on: Scandal in the Pageant
May 7, 2008 at 3:43 AMhi guyfrommexico, 拍马屁 (Pāi mǎpì) means 'to flatter' or 'to suck up'. It has a bit of a negative connotation. A more formal way to say it is: 奉承 (fèngcheng) or 恭维 (gōngwei). But these are seldom used in spoken Chinese.
Posted on: Number Two
May 7, 2008 at 3:36 AMhi light487, You wouldnt really say any of those, you could say: 我要小便。 Wǒ yào xiǎobiàn. But it would be quite impolite sounding.
Posted on: 功夫之王
May 7, 2008 at 3:32 AMhi aaron, 倒是 (dàoshi) is used in the sort of situation where someone else brings something up that you never thought of before, and you agree. Kind of like 'that's for sure', or 'actually, yeah', that sort of feeling. See the following examples to help: A： 他学习不好，可是跳舞挺好的。 A： Tā xuéxí bù hǎo, kěshì tiàowǔ tǐnghǎo de. B： 这倒是。 B： Zhè dàoshi. 这倒是好主意。 Zhè dàoshi hǎo zhǔyì.
Posted on: Number Two
May 7, 2008 at 3:25 AMhi alainl002, Those tongs are called: 马桶拔子 (Mǎtǒng bázi)
Posted on: SBTG: Special Economic Zones
May 8, 2008 at 2:26 AMhi TapioT, 小平同志 (Xiǎopíng tóngzhì) is just a warm way of addressing 邓小平 (Dèng Xiǎopíng) Sometimes children will even call him 小平爷爷 (Xiǎopíng yéye) "Grandpa Xiǎopíng"