User Comments - changye

Posted on: Night Cat

Hi hwangd01,

You can omit "是" in affirmative and interrogative senteces, but not in negative ones, like "他去年来中国的，他什么时候来中国的？他不是今年来中国的。" You cannot omit "的".

Posted on: “混在中国”最字榜

Hi elpeggy,

Thanks a lot for your “Chinese Ghost Story”. I enjoyed reading your etymology of foreign “鬼” in China. I really love stories of that kind.

In Japan, “鬼” (o-ni) means a kind of devil/ogre that usually lives in the mountains, and they are often red-faced and have two short horns on the head. “Ghost” is called “幽霊 (幽灵)” (yu-u-rei) in Japanese.

To me, the ancient form of “鬼”, especially in oracle bone scripts, really looks like the shape of Japanese “鬼”. Both have a huge head!

甲骨文“鬼” http://chinese-characters.org/meaning/9/9B3C.html
日本“鬼” http://www.nohmask21.com/oni/ooeonilist01_j.html

Posted on: 练书法

在天花板上 on the ceiling (on the surface of the ceiling)
吊在天花板上的电风扇。天花板上有苍蝇。墨汁沾在天花板上。

在天花板下 below the ceiling
把电视机装在天花板下

Posted on: Often: Using 常常，经常，通常 (chángcháng, jīngcháng, tōngcháng)

Hi maggan654,

"通常" can be translated as "usually/usual", and "往往" is "often, frequently", but please be noted that "往往" is not always the same as "常常".

You can use "常常" in a future sentence, just like "以后我一定要常常来玩" and "我希望常常去外国", but you cannot use "往往" in these examples.

And "往往" sometimes carries a slight nuance of "be tend to/be apt to", like "粗心往往引起大错". Furthermore, a sentence need to be relatively specific when using "往往".

So, just saying "我常常唱歌" is natural Chinese, but "我往往唱歌" is not. On the other hand, “我往往和朋友一起去卡拉OK唱歌” would be OK. I look forward to native guys' opinion.

Posted on: “混在中国”最字榜

Hi pete,

There is the word “老人” (old people) both in Chinese and in Japanese. In Japan, you are supposed to use the word as little as possible, especially in a public occasion such as news programs, since it often connotes negatively.

On the other hand, “老人” is still very widely used here in China, including “圣诞老人” (Santa Claus). As you know, the character “老” usually doesn’t carry a negative nuance in Chinese. One of the best examples would be that famous “老婆” (wife).

And therefore, Japanese learners of Mandarin are sometimes taken aback by those “use the same 汉字 but have a different nuance” Chinese words, however, I definitely don’t make a complaint about it even if my Chinese friends say “你家的老人身体好吗” to me.

It’s simply a matter of cultural difference. The same holds for the word “外国人” you don’t like to hear in China. As far as I know, this word doesn’t have a negative implication among natives, at least.

At the same time, I know that the English word “foreigner” connotes somewhat negatively, and some people refrain from using it. Of course, I would also try not to use the word when I speak in English before, e.g. American people.

But western guys don’t have to refrain from using the word “外国人” when speaking in Chinese, let alone native Chinese people! “外国人” could be translated as  “foreigner” in English, but it is not equal to YOUR “foreigner”, as is often the case with languages

Your claim is based on a kind of “English-centrism.” No offense.

Posted on: Often: Using 常常，经常，通常 (chángcháng, jīngcháng, tōngcháng)

The biggest difference between 经常 and 常常 is that the former one is used as an adverb and an adjective （in the sense of "平常" or "日常"） , while the latter is only used as an adverb.

So you can say, for example, "经常费用 (running cost)" and "做好经常工作(routine work)". Some dictionaries say that "经常" sometimes slightly emphasizes "regularity", but I don't know whether natives actually use it like that.

Posted on: “混在中国”最字榜

Hi pete,

不管好坏，中国朝鲜日本等亚洲国家的人民或多或少都有“内外有别”的思维方式。上述三个国家的“内外有别”可能分别起因于“华夷之辨”, “儒教陋习”, 和所谓“岛国根性”。你如果不是内人就是外人，你不是国人就是外国人，再说你不是地球人就是外星人！这个传统思想可能有些肤浅，而且也许不符合全球化的要求。

但是实际上我们还是不能不用“外国人”这个很方便的词语。假如不使用，说话说得有点不利索，比如说，“海外来的人”听起来很别扭。随着国际交往的深化，亚洲人民和外国人接触的机会多起来，百姓对老外的看法当然也有所变化。我认为“外国人”带有的含义已经有所改变了。关键不在怎么称呼而在你怎么思考。

Posted on: Birth by Chinese Zodiac

Hi Cassie,

Thanks, that's just what I wanted to know. Looks like that you are discouraged from using my examples, at least, in conversation, although I sometimes see them on the Internet. I also like your examples best!

Posted on: Birth by Chinese Zodiac

Hi Cassie,

Thanks, looks like your example is the most natural and conversational way to say, "What is your sign of the Zodiac?". Incidentally, can you say "你属什么星座？/你属于什么星座？" too? Are they too formal in conversation?

Posted on: Asking for Leave

Hi cassie,

I know "逃课", but didn't know "翘课/翘班" at all. The character "翘" is relatively well known among learners of Mandarin, since you sometimes come across the word "翘舌音" in textbooks. Thanks!