User Comments - calkins

Posted on: Get in line!

miami, 怎么 acts as "why" or "how come" in this sentence.

Literally:

He why hasn't come?

or

He how come hasn't come?

Translated to English:

Why hasn't he come?

Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)

Pete, many thanks for the response.  That all sounds reasonable, and we can only continue to be patient until the overhaul is completed.

In the meantime, is it possible to post the dialogue in the lesson intro?  Only because we all know that these overhauls can often take longer than expected.

(Not trying to be a pain in the arse here!)

Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)

Regarding having the dialogue after the lesson is published, I can see some value in listening then trying to figure it out on one's own.

However, I personally don't like doing this because I know I often make mistakes when I try to translate lessons.  And I've seen mistakes in other user's posted translations.  I do think it's good to try to figure it out yourself, and I don't mind making translation errors then being corrected immediately with an official translation.  But I don't want to study a lesson then have to go back a few days later and relearn it, after the official dialogue has been posted and I realize that I (or someone else) translated it incorrectly.

I also believe that continuity and consistency are very important when learning a language.  All of the other lesson formats have the dialogue included at the time they are published...the exception being the videos, which we've been told will have a dialogue included soon.  Why doesn't Qing Wen, and why no PDF? 

I do very much appreciate when Connie posts the dialogue.  Unfortunately, sometimes it's posted a couple days later, sometimes it's 4 or 5 days later.  I'm not saying that's her fault at all, it's not.  I don't think she should have to worry about it after the lesson is published, because I think it should already be posted.

I also don't think it's about being impatient.  I have no problem waiting if that's what CPod wants us to do.  I would just like a simple explanation from CPod as to why it's better for our learning that we wait.  I know they've seen the comments from this QW and last week's.  Why no answer?

My apologies to everyone for the rant and for straying from the lesson content.

Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)

QW request:  I love QW and always want to study the latest lesson as soon as I see it.  But I don't like studying the lesson until the sentences are posted by Connie.

A PDF has been requested for QW, and that's fine if CPod doesn't want to provide one for it....but is there anyway that the sentences could be included in the Lesson Introduction?

That way, we QW junkies can get our fix ASAP!  Thanks.

Posted on: Surviving Winter and Singles Scene for Expat Girls

I know I'll probably get a lot of criticism for saying this, and I mean absolutely no disrespect, but I think there is another very big reason that Chinese men don't want to date Western women. 

Because most Western women will not put up with the way that many Chinese men treat their women.  I won't say anymore, but you can read between the lines.  Again, no disrespect intended...it's just two very big cultural differences.

Posted on: Surviving Winter and Singles Scene for Expat Girls

Was it a coincidence that these two topics were in the same DA?! 

Maybe it would have been better titled:  "How to Survive the China Winter as an Expat Girl"...it's obvious you need something to keep you warm at night, other than an electric blanket and some "caulk" ;-)

Posted on: The Good Husband

qqhaoma, an option would be to copy the transcript from the html file (right click Lesson Transcript PDF , copy URL, paste into a new window and change pdf to html):

http://s3.amazonaws.com/chinesepod.com/1050/8038c5e8542d271751fdbe338b3a1468042f1b38/pdf/chinesepod_D1050.html

...then paste it into your word processing software and reformat it to your liking.

Posted on: I want coffee!

Pete said:

"verb+了+mesure word+object" shows that an action has been completed. 我吃了一条鱼。I had fish.

......

If you just say “我吃了鱼”，it feels like the sentence is incomplete. You would want something else, like 我吃了一条鱼 or 我吃了鱼就去 do something. For example 我吃了鱼就去看电视了。After eating some fish I watched some TV.

I also don't understand this.  To show that an action has completed, why do you need a measure word + object and why would the sentence feel incomplete without something else?

Couldn't it be a sentence pattern as simple as this conversation:

你吃了吗？
Have you eaten？

吃了。
Yes. [I have eaten]

Posted on: Haircuts

Very useful lesson, thanks. 

I noticed that 什么样 is spelled shénmayàng in the PDF and dialogue tab...just wanted to point it out.

Posted on: I want coffee!

Of course, you have to sweep and mop the floors every 30 minutes in Taiwan.