User Comments - amber
amber
Posted on: I forgot your name
April 30, 2008 at 9:17 AMhi pdg123, 可是 (kěshì) and 但是 (dànshì) both mean 'but', and can be used interchangeably.
Posted on: Ending your sentence with 啊 & 呀 (a & ya)
April 30, 2008 at 2:15 AMhi steeveepee, In these sentences: 你是什么时候来的呀？ Nǐ shì shénme shíhou lái de ya? When did you come? 你是什么时候染的呀？ Nǐ shì shénme shíhou rǎn de ya? When did you dye it? The 是....的 (shì...de) pattern emphasizes the time, and indicates it is past tense. In this pattern, the 是 (shì) is optional, so sometimes you will only see the 的 (de). Without the 是....的 (shì...de) pattern, the sentence is not past tense, as in: 他什么时候回来? Tā shénme shíhou huílai? When is he coming back?
Posted on: Not on purpose
April 28, 2008 at 7:28 AMhi light487, 男子 (nánzi) is more used in written Chinese, formal. 男人(nánrén) is used quite a bit, in spoken Chinese neither of them have anything to do with age. 男子汉 (nánzǐhàn) means a very strong, capable man. It doesn't have a negative connotation. "Chinese man" is 中国男人 (Zhōngguó nánrén) female equivalent of 男 (nán) is 女 (nǚ)
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 28, 2008 at 7:24 AMhi light487, This chengyu 反裘负刍 (fǎnqiúfùchú) means "to take the incidental for the fundamental". But it is very seldom used.
Posted on: What is a Chengyu?
April 28, 2008 at 7:22 AMhi hitokiri6993, 一天到晚 (Yī tiān dào wǎn) isn't a 成语 (chéngyǔ). It is a saying that means "all day long; the whole day".
Posted on: 还是 háishi OR 或者 huòzhě
April 28, 2008 at 4:27 AMHi kesirui, hilarious: 搞笑 (gǎo xiào)
Posted on: Not on purpose
April 28, 2008 at 4:20 AMhi gesang, Generally 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) is used for 'when'.
Posted on: Overseas Chinese
April 28, 2008 at 4:14 AMhi henning, 到位 (dàowèi) can be used as a verb, as in: 资金到位了。 Zījīn dàowèi le. or as an adjective: 他的发音很到位。 Tā de fāyīn hěn dàowèi. The feeling is that something has reached a specific place, correct place. Or in the case of pronunciation, that it is correct, proper. 过关 (guòguān) is only used as a verb: 他的英语过关了。 Tā de Yīngyǔ guòguān le. The feeling is that something has reached a standard; sometimes with respect to getting a required amount of something to be acceptable, as in marks to pass a test.
Posted on: Don't do that!
April 28, 2008 at 3:50 AMhi hanknhep, Yes 不要 (bùyào) and 别 (bié) are interchangeable. They have the same meaning.
Posted on: No Kidding
April 30, 2008 at 9:25 AMhi light487, 咖啡厅 Kāfēitīng and 咖啡店 Kāfēidiàn are both used interchangeably. There are quite a lot of variances between when to use 两 (liǎng) and when to use 二 (èr). Here are a few to start you out: 1. When there is a measure word you must use 两 (liǎng) 2 When using ordinal numbers, use 二 (i.e. 第二 dì-èr) When speaking of floors in a building use (二) (i.e. 二楼 èr lóu) February uses 二 (i.e. 二月 èryuè)