User Comments - byronmeinerth
byronmeinerth
Posted on: American TV Shows in China
November 10, 2012 at 9:49 AMI see a lot of foreigners in the building next to mine practicing 太极 in the building next to mine, but I feel like if they want to have actual conversations with young Chinese, they'd be better at least learning the names of these shows. I've never had a Chinese ask me if I can do taichi or calligraphy, but I can't count how many times Chinese girls have asked me about one of the shows. They invariably know more about them than I do, since any TV time I have is dedicated to listening to CP or watching 无间道.
Posted on: Do You Want to Go Together?
November 9, 2012 at 7:15 PMI think a defining factor between different tiered cities is whether they have chain convenience stores. When I first went to Shanghai, it felt more like Taiwan or Japan, in that these types of stores are all over the place. In other places in China, they're all mom-and-pop type places.
Posted on: Do You Want to Go Together?
November 9, 2012 at 7:11 PMIt's part of the tone changes (连音) that happen for 一. When it's followed by a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone, it becomes a 4th tone. When followed by a 4th tone, it becomes a 2nd tone.
Posted on: Eating Idioms, Part 2
November 4, 2012 at 1:42 PMI'm pretty sure it's still the same.
Posted on: Pinyin Sections 5-6
November 3, 2012 at 10:30 AMAt 1:20, Jenny says "en" like |ɛn|, but then John says |ʌn|. Please tell me someone else notices this. Also, when they go through re, ren, and reng, John says they're consistent, but it feels like Jenny pronounces them as |rʌ|, |rɛn| and |rʌŋg|. For example, when I say 真, I say it like the name Jen. When I say 争, it sounds more like the beginning of "jungle". I have foreign friends who say my pronunciation is off, but my Chinese friends haven't mentioned anything. Am I wrong? Are my friends wrong? Or is the distinction not important in Mandarin, like cot and caught has become for many people in English?
Please help or provide feedback!
Posted on: Black Market Gun Deal
November 3, 2012 at 9:47 AMHmm...the name of the film is definitely 无间道, not with 剑. It's a reference to 无间地狱（無間地獄）or Avici.
Posted on: The Opposite and The Unexpected: 相反 and 反而
November 3, 2012 at 9:30 AMI love that John still knows to ask questions that the rest of us are probably thinking, like if we can say ”梦相反“. Helpful as always.
Posted on: Words with Heart
November 2, 2012 at 3:01 PMIt's interesting that 恶心 can mean both disgusting and something that exudes disgust. Jenny mentions nauseous, which is often used to mean disgusting, but its original meaning is that it causes disgust or causes nausea. For example, if I say "I'm nauseous", it means I make other people sick. "I'm nauseated" would mean I feel sick.
Posted on: Words with Heart
November 2, 2012 at 2:50 PMI've seen this one before, which has always made me wonder how to say landslide: 山崩
Posted on: American TV Shows in China
November 10, 2012 at 3:10 PMNo worries. It's been much less time for me, but even a few years can mean a world of a difference in understanding.