User Comments - xiaophil

Posted on: An Unplanned Tan

Oh, it has changed. I wrote too soon! haha

Posted on: An Unplanned Tan

Bodawei

Sorry, but you are showing your age, at least according to this :-):

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/on-accident-versus-by-accident.aspx

It looks like the rules are changing.

Anyway, I am puzzled why they wrote:

Today's lesson is all about getting a tan (period) On accident (period) Because of lack of preparedness.

Am I wrong to think this is strange?

Posted on: Future fun with 会 (hui4), 要 (yao4), and 将 (jiang1)

Thanks Dan

Hey, forgive me if I ask a personal question or too, and feel free to not answer, but I'm a bit curious as to your motivation for coming here? You appear to be a Chinese American. I guess you already speak Mandarin? Just looking to brush up on your skills, perhaps learn some characters?

Posted on: Future fun with 会 (hui4), 要 (yao4), and 将 (jiang1)

CPod or anyone - Bump

And by the way, I didn't mean to post twice. Feel free to delete one of my duplicates.

Posted on: Future fun with 会 (hui4), 要 (yao4), and 将 (jiang1)

Thanks CPod

You hit upon some issues that have confused me.

I've got a question or two.

1. Regarding 我要去北京, I understand that the 要 means something like 'plan to', but would it be totally wrong to write 我会去北京?
2. Am I wrong to think that 我要去北京 has two different meanings according to the context, i.e. 'I want to go to Beijing' or 'I plan to got to Beijing'?

Posted on: Slippery Ground

Well, I hate to say it, but your wife is wrong this time. Try luo4 instead of mo4 :-)

Posted on: Fun at the Beach

I never really did watch Howdy Doody, but I certainly have been aware of him. It kind of makes me nostalgic for the times when many people thought of cowboys as interesting and exciting. It seems these days being referred to as a cowboy often means the person is overly aggressive, ignorant and stubborn.

Posted on: Fun at the Beach

I tend to be conservative when I write English. Actually, I am quite bland now when I speak English because I mostly talk to Chinese people. Folksy English = no understanding in that situation. That being the case, I have been known to say "howdy" and "y'all" and the such around my dad's side of the family.

Posted on: World Cup Talk

xiao_liang, I am deeply offended. Wait, no I'm not.... I'm laughing hysterically! I'm glad you took it upon yourself to show your true colors--red, white and blue (but I'm not talking about the Union Jack). Anyway, I'll see you at the monster truck rally.

Challenge to anyone: find a translation of 'monster truck'.

Posted on: World Cup Talk

You are absolutely right! But isn't it Spanish? Both? Anyway, I had a Chinese student who called himself 卡卡. I tended to address him as 'you' whenever possible.