User Comments - changye
changye
Posted on: Expired!
February 19, 2009 at 12:29 PMHi rich
"become due"
That's it exactly! I should have used the phrase "become due" for 到期, instead of "expire". Thanks.
Posted on: Expired!
February 19, 2009 at 8:16 AM你的签证什么时候过期？ (guo4qi1)
你的签证什么时候到期？ (dao4qi1)
When will your visa expire?
哎呀，快要过期了！
哎呀，快要到期了！
Wow, it'll be expired soon!
糟糕，我的签证已经过期了。
糟糕，我的签证已经到期了。
Oops, my viza has already expired.
Both 过期 and 到期 basically have the similar meaning "expire" and they are usually interchangeable, but maybe 过期 connotes more "overdue" than "expire".
Posted on: Where Do You Live?
February 19, 2009 at 3:29 AMHi bababardwan
How to translate the famous phrase seems to be rather difficult even for natives. I've found a few translations on the Internet, for example
生存还是毁灭，这是个问题。
是生，还是死？这是一个值得考虑的问题。
Posted on: Expired!
February 19, 2009 at 3:27 AMHi ilearnben
That lyrics are just hilarious (and to the point), haha!
Posted on: Where Do You Live?
February 19, 2009 at 2:52 AMHi calkins and bababardwan
Let me explain again the “to add 一个, or not to add” problem, which is based on the explanations in a textbook written by a native Chinese (and published in Japan).
(1) You are "basically" required to add "一个" when refering to a specific/certain thing. Conversely, a naked noun (without 一个) only indicates a generic name. For example,
我昨天看了一个电影。
我对电影很感兴趣。
(2) If you don't add 一个 to a specific thing, the sentence usually is followed by another sentence, maybe because importance is placed on the second sentence, and the noun 电影 in the first one doesn't need to be specific, I guess.
我昨天看了电影，就直接回家了。
(3) When you explain something to other guy, you need to add a measure word, such as 一个 or 三个, if you know the number of things. If not, you add "有些"， "一些"， "很多" or something like that.
我有一个摄像机。那儿有很多树。
(4) However, 我有摄像机 is also used especially when you answer a question, such as 你手里有什么？ By the same token, you would just say "他是美国人" answering a question "他是哪个国家的人？". In this case, the most important part is "美国", but not the guy (他) himself.
(5) In the case a noun has a modifier, you need to add 一个, especially when you refer to the person for the first time in the conversation.
他是一个很好的老师。
On the other hand, you would just say, for example, "对，所以我觉得他是很好的老师" after you've already talked about the person in conversation, which is a rather tricky explanation, I admit, haha.
Having said that, I think that native guys often omit 一个 in everyday conversation, since "simple is beautiful", haha, especially in the Chinese language.
As for "我是美国人，我住在台北。", yeah, I agree with lujiaojie. 我是美国人 should be more natural than 我是一个美国人 in conversation. I guess the principle (4) above might be applied to this case, like 你是哪国人？ 我是美国人，我住在台北。
But I still believe that 我是一个美国人，我住在台北 is more appropriate, for example, when you use the sentence as a title of your blog article, or something like that.
Actually, this is a rather confusing (or trivial?) issue for us foreign learners, but it's really worth looking into for intermediate and above learners of Mandarin.
Thank you for giving me a good opportunity to review this issue, which I enjoyed it very much.
Posted on: Where Do You Live?
February 18, 2009 at 1:38 PMHi calkins
Honestly, I'm not so sure if the "一个" is necessary, but strictly speaking, maybe adding 一个 makes your sentence more grammatically "authentic", perhaps, however, I suppose a lot of native guys just say it without 一个 in conversation.
When you refer to someone first in conversation, you usually need to say 彼得是一个外籍老师. And you just say 你说的对，他是很好的老师 (without 一个) when you mention the person again in conversation. Incidentally, you can also say 我是个住在台北的美国人。
Another example,
昨天我看了一个电影。
昨天我看了电影，就回家了。
Posted on: Where Do You Live?
February 18, 2009 at 1:07 PMHi calkin
I think your example is OK. You can also say 我是一个住在台北的美国人 or 我是一个美国人，住在台北。
Posted on: Welcome to ChinesePod
February 18, 2009 at 12:52 PMHi abraham1988
I agree with you. Hanzi is very beautiful. Please take a look at this photo of Chinese bronze inscriptions (金文) 《大盂鼎》 written nearly three thousand years ago. They are just cute, pretty and artistic! I think you can read/recognize some characters, such as 王，大，且，and 三.
http://q.yesky.com/group/review-12692429.html
Posted on: Pregnancy Series 3: Prenatal Checkup
February 18, 2009 at 11:44 AMI'm sorry for making things more complicated, but I've just found that there are A超, D超 and even M超 in Chinese medical terminology...... wow.
Posted on: Expired!
February 19, 2009 at 1:33 PMThere is an interesting (and figurative) usage of 过期, i.e. "go bad", in the Expansion of today. As far as I know, this definition is not shown in Chinese dictionaries.
现在天气热，东西很容易过期。
It's hot out today. It's easy for stuff to go bad.
And, haha, I guessed it right! I've just found a hilarious usage of 到期 on the Internet.
爱情到期了！Love ended.......(?)
I think that native guys would come up with much better translations!