User Comments - emberswift
emberswift
Posted on: Realization, Reality and Authenticity
May 15, 2010, 06:19 AMHi there, Great lesson. Can you please tell me what the ‘还' in this sentence is doing? Does it just emphasize the way "我还以为。。“ is like "*I* thought..."? (stress on the "I")
我还发现最近的天气很不正常
I've noticed that the weather lately is very abnormal
Or, does it mean "I've also noticed..."?
Thanks!
Ember
Posted on: Funny Business 5
September 24, 2009, 02:34 PMMore questions (thanks to expansion exercises!)
Can you 成全 someone regardless of whether the thing you're helping them with is good or bad?
比如：
＊ 好的，我成全你找工作把。 (good)
＊ 昨天我看他和一个别的女人在一起，我要是不说我有一个感觉我在成全他骗他的老婆！(bad)
Are those correct?
* 现在掌握这门技术的国家还不太多。
What does the 这门 mean here?
* 有些学生中文基础知识掌握得不错，但他们还是不会在口语实施他们的技能。
I'm trying to say this: "Some students have a good grasp of the basics of Chinese, but they still can't implement their skills into the spoken language."
Did I say that right?
Thanks so much!
Ember
Posted on: Funny Business 5
September 24, 2009, 02:00 PMHey there,
I have a question about this 去 here：
只要你不去伤害小赵
Does it sort of make the translation more like: "As long as you don't go and hurt xiao zhao"?
Thanks,
Ember
Posted on: Grammar Lesson
September 21, 2009, 01:28 PMTal & Joe,
I think "we are going to like it" would be better translated as “我们会喜欢它” as in "we will"! Those two translations in English are almost identical: we will like it / we are going to like it. There's an expected outcome and it will happen in the future.
Whereas, 我们肯定要喜欢它 is more "we definitely HAVE TO like it" where the 要 is HAVE TO or HAVE GOT TO. In this way, I think the dialogue's translation is a bit off because it makes sense that the teacher would say (about grammer) ”we have to like it," with the underlying meaning being "or else... we'll be lost!" So, in this way, the "ought to" is more directional or instructional and less about the teacher's opinion.
I think "ought to" and "should" are very similar in English, but when the situation is less of an instructional one, I would use "应该." So if I was going to translate “We should like it" into Chinese, I would have said "我们应该喜欢它“。
Since this is the way I've been talking for the past year, I'd really love it if one of the moderators / teachers could confirm that I'm right with these translations! That way, I'll know that I've been making sense all this time, or at least saying what I have been intending to say!
Thanks so much,
Ember / 子玉
Posted on: Grammar Lesson
September 21, 2009, 01:09 PMHi there,
Why is 教 pronounced as a first tone here but when I see it in my dictionary, it's a fourth tone? My partner tells me that when it's used as a noun, it's a fouth tone, like with 教师 or 教室。 But, when it's used as a verb, like with 教课 or 教给你， it's a first tone.
Dictionaries confuse me!
Thanks,
子玉
Posted on: Dropping and Losing 丢, 弄丢，丢掉
September 07, 2009, 11:17 AMHi there,
Can one ever say:
我把钥匙弄丢掉了。。。
Like, say, if you accidentally threw your keys out with the the garbage？
(uh, yeah...)
[shuffles feet awkwardly...]
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 10: Lao Wang Plans to Sue
September 04, 2009, 02:09 PMThanks so much for the quick answer (and to your girlfriend!)
- Ember
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 10: Lao Wang Plans to Sue
September 04, 2009, 05:46 AMHi there,
到时候 "when the time comes" -- this is very clear as the "arrival" word is in there, so it's almost "arrival"+"when" or, "when the time arrives/comes."
The one I have trouble with is "at that time" or the equivalent in the past. I have heard the following and I never know which one to use:
那个时候
那时侯
当时
Which one(s) is(are) correct?
And, can "那时侯" ever be used for the future?
Thanks,
Ember／子玉
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 7: A Firing Afoot?
September 04, 2009, 05:40 AMThanks so much! I'm really touched that you got back to me. I often do my lessons out of order and find that some of my comments go unanswered, mostly because no one is paying attention to that lesson's page any longer (perhaps?). In any case, again, thank you very much for your prompt response!
- Ember / 子玉
Posted on: Pregnancy Series 9: Here Comes the Baby!
January 17, 2012, 12:03 PMDoes 虚惊 always need to be paired with 一场 to mean "false alarm"? I also understand that sometime 一场 can be placed first, so "一场虚惊“ and it will still mean the same? Is this true? How often does one see it this way versus the way it is said in the dialogue? Thanks!