User Comments - xiaophil

Posted on: Chinese Fruits

This reminds me, what do we call the wife of the boss? I'm serious. If she is working there, 老板 and 服务员 are both inappropriate.

Posted on: Separable Verbs

I have some questions,

I finally got around to this lesson. It is quite good, but I hope to clarify some extra points...

First

One of the examples in the lesson was this:

· Lili跳舞跳得很好。

No problem there, most of us have learned this sentence:

· Lili说中文说得很好。

Now the problem is that I prefer saying:

· Lili中文说得很好。

But somehow, I can't imagine saying:

· Lili舞跳得很好。

Am I right to feel uncomfortable saying this? If I am right, is there any way to know when it is okay to use the 'subject object verb adjective' construction?

Second

I kind of consider 上课 to be a seperable verb combo. According to the lesson, I think we can say:

· 我上课上了两个小时。(I had class for two hours.)

But could we also say this:

· 我上了两个小时的课。(I had a two hour class.)

Back to my original question, am I right to think that this construction is absolutely impossible:

· 我课上了两个小时。(I can't even believe this is right.)

Third

Just to make sure I understand this concept, are my following sentences right?

· 我眼闭眼了五分钟。I closed my eyes for five minutes.

For the following try to imagine some friends talking about a stingy friend who has only paid for the dinner bill three times since knowing him.

· 他买单买了三次。He paid (the bill) three times.

· 他只是买单买了三次。He only paid ( for the bill) three times.

· 他买单买了才三次。He only paid (for the bill) three times.

· 他买单买过三次。He has paid (for the bill) three times.

· 他买单买过才三次。He has only paid (for the bill) three times.

Are these right? Honestly, some of them seem a bit strange.

谢谢你们！

Posted on: I want coffee!

Yeah, if I would have thought five seconds more, I would have come to that conclusion as the Jesuits were the first ones to make a big push for Christianity in China. I wonder if the Chinese word sounds like what Jesus would have called himself, though.

Posted on: I want coffee!

This thread reminded me how the Chinese word for Jesus, 耶稣, doesn't sound that much like the English one. I think perhaps it sounds like Aramaic, or Hebrew, Greek possibly?

Posted on: Adjusting the Temperature

I have a question

Can we use the 把...调高 for other situations, say for the sound of an mp3 player?

For example:

把声音调高吧。 (Turn the sound up.)

Or perhaps:

把声音调大吧?

Posted on: August, Study Tips and Expo Insights

This is good news. Thank you so much Catherine!

Posted on: August, Study Tips and Expo Insights

Well, I know I'm nagging a bit, and I assure you I don't like it, and I do imagine you guys are busy, but it would only be right if at some point you guys let us know what is on your mind. I know it could be that you guys need some time to discuss if you made the right choice by reducing the (in my opinion, the highly popular) Qing Wens. Then again, perhaps you guys have decided that no discussion is necessary, and that you will go full steam ahead with the plan as you guys really believe that you made the right choice. But yeah, we should get something more than you guys are reading our comments.

Posted on: August, Study Tips and Expo Insights

So many disappointed users, yet no acknowledgment from staff. Sigh...

Posted on: Ordering Songs at Karaoke

pretzellogic,

That's what I'm saying! If they planned the series right, it could be a real slam dunk. It wouldn't even have to be all club scene stuff. A blues performance at a coffee shop. a classical music concert at a theater and the likes would all be welcome. But I must admit I would be most enthusiastic about rock and electronic music, and dialogs that are extra slammin (well, as slammin as language lessons go). Anyways, I can't understand why this hole in CPod's catalog exists... okay, I'm beginning to talk in circles. Thanks for looking this up! You have a good memory.

Posted on: August, Study Tips and Expo Insights

Hmm... I wonder if anybody from CPod is reading the comments here?