User Comments - si1teng2

Posted on: I Can't Afford Cake

Thanks for USING the expression (不起) in a dialogue! You referred to this usage in another lesson, but I wasn't sure I understood or remembered correctly. Now, I understand it intuitively and will never forget. 

Posted on: Who Is Your Ideal Partner?

直男癌 : the pronunciation should be listed as "zhinan'ai" (not "zhínánái", which would be pronounced: zhi-na-nai).

According to the rules of pinyin, when a syllable within a word begins with a vowel, it must be separated with an apostrophe. (Pinyin apostrophes aren't optional: and they're very helpful for learners to get the pronunciation correct!)

Posted on: Rude Waitress Part 1/2

哈哈! A few years ago, some American students would write "沙发!" Apparently, it's a thing kids say when they're first on the sofa (at least, that was the explanation they gave).  

Posted on: Quitting My Job and Starting Over

I clearly hear a proper "c" sound. But I listen on a desktop with high quality external speakers. (The higher frequencies of the "c" sound would likely get lost on normal headsets or computer speakers.)

Posted on: How to Use 了: Action Complete

THANK YOU FI and CONSTANCE!!!!!! 谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢。。。。。。。

I've been waiting for YEARS for you to take on the impossible! ;)

To really internalize how to use the completed action 了, we need to hear narratives set in the past. Then we can see clearly that it is not past tense, and you can analyze the cases in which it is used as a completed action marker. But ALSO, you should explain when it is optional: and what happens to the meaning of the narrative in each case where 了 is left out. (I'm assuming that sometimes the meaning changes, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes the result just sounds wrong.)

So, I hope you will follow up with narratives set entirely in the past in upcoming lessons! These are what cause me the most confusion and frustration when I'm reading. It doesn't occur in places where I expect it, and it often does occur in places I can't make sense of.

谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢谢。。。。。。。

Posted on: Which Sports Do You Like?

If you want to use "两", you can say "两个都" to mean "both". It sounds very natural. (You definitely can't use "两" by itself.) 

Posted on: What a Lovely Painting

Thanks, Constance! This is very helpful. I'll have to study the subtle differences carefully. :)

Posted on: What a Lovely Painting

The description of the scene begins: "一个人坐在湖边". Would it be acceptable to use the "zhe" structure here?

"一个人坐着在湖边"?

or

"在湖边坐着一个人"?

Posted on: It's a Pleasure to Meet You

I have to disagree with the negative comments here. I thought the lesson was excellent. It brings out specific subtleties of social etiquette in a typically Chinese context: honoring one's teacher. I thought the vocabulary was very well and clearly explained. A great deal of learning most definitely took place for me!

Posted on: As Soon as I Got Home, I Called!

Hi Sean, looks like no teacher answered your question. So I'll share what I believe to be true. You're right. And you heard it correctly. In this case, "点" was pronounced with a 3rd tone because of the pause. But more generally, I wouldn't think of the tone change as a fixed 'rule'. It's more like a VERY strong tendency for a 3rd tone to rise before another 3rd tone, because it's easier than constantly dropping your voice. You wouldn't technically be wrong if you didn't do it. But it would sound so unnatural that people might well 'correct' you. 

But it would be perfectly natural to pronounce the "我" in "我很好" with a 3rd tone (because it would now be in front of a 2nd tone). Or if you pause between words as Fi does at 6'30" in this lesson.

Hope this makes sense!