User Comments - watyamacallit
watyamacallit
Posted on: What's Your Name?
February 18, 2011 at 8:59 AMJust adding to that:
When asking someone's name we often see "Nǐ jiào shénme?"
I am told that this sounds a bit terse, perhaps a bit rude or dismissive.
To be a bit more polite, one should say "Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?"
Of course, it is hard to offend a dog, so I guess it is OK to ask "Nǐde gǒu jiào shénme?"
Posted on: What's Your Name?
February 18, 2011 at 8:27 AMNot sure about whether Cpod check these lessons. But to answer your question above, jiào is a VERB meaning 'to be called'. Míngzi is a NOUN meaning 'name'.
So, Tā jiào Zhāng Míng means "He IS CALLED Zhang Ming".
Tāde míngzi bù shì lǐ dōng means "His NAME is not Li Dong"
Tāde míngzi jiào Zhāng Míng means "His NAME IS CALLED Zhang Ming", which sounds a bit odd in English.
Posted on: Eating Idioms, Part 1
February 14, 2011 at 8:04 PMWhy is censorship taboo? Surely there are times when it essential or desirable.
Posted on: The First Tone
February 13, 2011 at 8:24 PMYou will need to say what exactly you find confusing.
Posted on: Peter Bomer and his Soulfire Radio
February 13, 2011 at 2:23 AMHave I asked a sensitive question?
Posted on: You've been everywhere!
February 12, 2011 at 10:49 PMIn either case, the n is not pronounced when followed by the r. I think however that care is not always taken on this site to match what is spoken with what is written in the lesson transcript. eg. They say wanr, but the transcript says wan. (Before someone else digs in, that comment only applies to the use of 儿)
Posted on: Peter Bomer and his Soulfire Radio
February 6, 2011 at 1:37 AMWill there be any more of these shows?
Posted on: The Various Guises of "Until"
February 6, 2011 at 12:20 AMThe two of you can go outside, hold hands, stare at the moon, and contemplate the unfairness of life, while the party continues on unabashed inside.
Posted on: Discussing Basketball Teams
February 5, 2011 at 12:39 AM"it's better for a language to be as pure as possible"
I guess English is an extremely poor language by your standards. It really is a bastard language. A Germanic language with a multitude of Latin borrowings, not to mention all the other contributing languages. Do you think we should go back to saying "Hwæt. We Gardena in gear-dagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon." ?
What do you see as the downside to borrowing foreign words? Without its borrowings English would not be the rich language it is today. "Pure" languages are like inbred communities.
Posted on: Of Soldiers and Military People
February 18, 2011 at 1:11 PMYou said in the podcast that the use of 名 as a measure word for 军人 elevates the status of 军人 over 兵.
I wonder, can you use 名 for other professions to elevate your status? For example, can you refer to 一名老师 or 一名警察?