User Comments - jianting

Posted on: How Long Has This Been Going On?

Hi Changye,

Thanks! Happy Big Birthday!

We're gaining in wisdom, right?    ; )

Posted on: How Long Has This Been Going On?

Excellent Qing Wen - thank you so very much!

If someone asks me 您多大, how do I answer?
Can I say:  wo3 wu3 shi sui4

Posted on: Stuffy Room

sballa and Cornelia,

I remember visiting museums in Beijing in the wintertime. There was no heat at all.

If I had been in Washington DC, the buildings would have heated.

My theory is that westerners are accustomed to adjusting clothing frequently during the day as they transition from indoors to outdoors, whereas the Chinese remain dressed one way pretty much all day long since the temperature differences are less extreme...

Posted on: Tea Tasting

How to ask if the tea contains caffeine? Being an insomniac, I don't dare drink tea after dinner. However if chrysanthemum tea is made only from flowers, I am wondering if it is non-caffeinated...

Posted on: Xinjiang Delicacies

Pete and Sushan:

Thanks for explaining about the melons!

Posted on: Xinjiang Delicacies

Bravo, excellent job!

Could you clarify about the hamigua? You translate it as "cantaloupe", but MDBG Dictionary says these are "honeydew":

Posted on: Pain and Suffering 伤心, 难受，郁闷 ,不爽，难过

Pete,

Thanks for your answers, encouragement, insightful comments, and a very interesting example of "hurt feelings". You are such a great addition to the team!

Instead of saying "don't do that because you might hurt someone's feelings", should I stick with

Please use your manners
qing3 yong4 li3 mao4

Or is there a better way to say it? Perhaps some variant of

"please be considerate of others" ?

谢谢  !

Posted on: Pain and Suffering 伤心, 难受，郁闷 ,不爽，难过

Thanks for the very helpful lesson. The first 3 expressions were pretty straight forward. However, I am still trying to wrap my head around yu4 men4  and bu4 shuang3.

Regarding the example of Connie losing her work because the computer died - if it were me, I would be feeling more frustration and aggravation than hurt. Maybe also depression.

Regarding the example of being continually asked to work overtime, I would be feeling resentment than hurt.

And in fact, in either of these cases I could easily feel "pissed off", but I would translate this as angry, not as hurt or pained.

Also, how to say, "you hurt my feelings" or "don't do that because you might hurt someone's feelings" ?

Not sure if I need to work on my feelings or my Chinese at this point. Probably both....   ; )

In any case, thank you for your help!

Posted on: Renting a Bike

Once you have rented it, how to ask yourself:

How much time is left?

How much time before it is due back?

Also, can you apply the word 租 to a parking meter, where you are basically renting a parking space?

Xie4 xie4 !

Posted on: How Far Away are You From Understanding 离？

lujiaojie

Lujiaojie:

I can see that I am truly speaking Cave Mandarin.

Wo3 gan3 ji1 ni3 de bang1 mang2.
Xie4 xie4 !