User Comments - joeborn

Posted on: Wang Wei's Diary: The Importance of Brains

    Is there any way other than context to tell that the 考試 in 我希望每天考試 is subjunctive (I wish we had tests every day) rather than indicative (I hope we have tests every day)? 

     What similarly strikes me as an ambiguity arises in the "Consoling the Bereaved" lesson, where (context aside) it would seem that the 希望 in 你爺爺也不希望看到你這樣 (nĭ yéye yě bù xī wàng kàndào nĭ zhèyàng) could just as well be indicative (Your grandfather doesn't hope to see you like this) instead of subjunctive (Your grandfather wouldn't want to see you like this).

     Does anyone have any insight on this?

Posted on: Drinking Game

I noticed that the object precedes the verb in 我們酒偷偷地喝.  Is that obligatory, or would 我們偷偷地喝酒 have been correct?

Posted on: I'm Not Here

Jenny, thanks a lot for the information about 要+verb+了.

Posted on: I'm Not Here

The dialog and transcript both include a 了 at the end of 我要去開會了, whereas I believe Jenny's repetition dispenses with it.  What is the purpose of the 了? Does it mean something different if you omit it?

Posted on: Job Interview

Thanks a lot, shenyajin and raygo.

Posted on: Job Interview

Jenny referred to 兴趣 爱好 on the podcast as some kind of 搭配 (collocation, I assume), but I couldn't make out the adjective.  It sounded like shang1 you4 的 搭配, but I haven't been able to find a word that sounds like that.  Did anyone catch what that adjective was?

Posted on: Are You Free?

Jenny,

     You referred to 兴趣 爱好 On the podcast as some kind of 搭配, but I couldn't make out the adjective.  It sounded like shang1 you4 de 搭配, but I haven't been able to find a word that sounds like that.  Could you let me know what it was?

Posted on: Dubai

Pearltowerpete and changye:

     Thanks a lot; that clears it up.

Posted on: Dubai

If means 买不起 "can't afford," then the 可 in 可买不起 seems superfluous.  What would that sentence have meant without the 可?

Posted on: Big Bed

Miantiao,

     Thanks so much for the clear explanation.