CLO_145: Coming to Asia
This lesson reviews what has been taught in our course so far by only using vocabulary taught previously. Use the transcripts available to Premium subscribers at ChineseLearnOnline.com to translate and recall any words you don’t remember. Then do the exercises to see if you understand them.
Premium Online Content: Please log in or subscribe to view the content below.
PDF Notes: 
Review: No New Vocabulary
September 20th, 2007 at 7:29 am
Hello!
The sentence “Zài dà chéngshì shuō Yīngwén de rén bǐ xiǎo zhèn duō ” translates to : There are more english speaking persons in big cities than in small (cities).
How does one know what the “xiao” refers to?
If I try to translate it myself, I get something like : There are more english speaking people than small (people) in big cities. Which of course does not make sence.
“There are more english speaking persons in big cities than in small.”
I would translate to: “Zài dà chéngshì bǐ xiǎo shuō Yīngwén de rén zhèn duō”, but that probably is no good
Tell me why!
Bo
September 21st, 2007 at 12:28 am
Hi Bo,
“Xiǎo zhèn” means “Small town” so the “xiǎo” in the above sentence is describing the small town (in contrast to the “big city”).
Does this answer your question?
-Adam
September 21st, 2007 at 2:48 am
Yes!
Thanks!
Bo
October 28th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I have a problem with the “Duì” here:
Luise: *Duì* hénduō wàiguórén lái shuō, Yàzhōu zhèbiān de xíguàn…
Many foreigners say, the customs here in Asia…
October 28th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Another question:
Xiàng yǒu xiē rén zhǐ shì lái lǚyóu
Is it correct that the “shì” here is simply optional and has no meaning whatsoever?
Can I use the “optional” shì “everywhere” I like, for example, could I say
Wǒ [jìu] shì xǐhūan chī zhōnggúo cài [de].
So, is the sentence correct - without the “jìu” and/or without the “de” at the end?
To me it seems, that the usage of the “shì” modifies the sentence towards “describing how persons or things are”, so instead of saying “I like that” the sentences reads “I am a person that likes that”… but maybe I’m just thinking wild…and wrong… here?
October 29th, 2008 at 1:11 am
Hi Sven,
The *Duì* in *Duì* hénduō wàiguórén lái shuō means “towards”, and in this context means “according to.” The sentence pattern “duì A lái shuō” is a common one (as you will see in future lessons) and means “according to A”.
I would say you need the shì in “Xiàng yǒu xiē rén zhǐ shì lái lǚyóu”. It may be easier to think of the “zhǐ shì” as being a single word meaning “simply” or “merely”.
Similarly, in your other example:
Wǒ jìu shì xǐhūan chī zhōnggúo cài
the “jìu shì” can also be thought of as being a single word meaning “just” (in this example). So the translation would be “I just like to eat Chinese food”. The context would be answering a question like “Why do you like to eat Chinese food?” The answer here implies that the speaker has no reason, he “just likes it”
In this sentence, adding a de wouldn’t make sense. You could only add a de if the shì was by itself (which wouldn’t make sense in this sentence).
Hope that helps! Let me know if you need more examples.
October 29th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Aha, I understand. Thanks a lot for the great answer!
October 30th, 2008 at 9:18 am
First a meta-question:
I have a question having apart from any lesson.
Where should I pose such questions? Maybe you could have a special place for asking questions?
Now my actual question:
A chinese friend used the following sentence (in the context it meant the following: as long as (the problem) is not fixed, do not sign the contract):
反正不弄好就不签合同
She said it was actually an abbreviation for the following:
反正只要不弄好就不签合同
So, I learned the very helpful pattern:
只要…就… = as long as … (do) …
But, what is the 反正 about? Dictionaries did not help me here…
October 31st, 2008 at 2:26 am
Hi Sven,
Hmm, you’re right we don’t have a general purpose question area (yet). Lesson specific questions can be asked through comments on particular lessons while site specific queries can be made in the updates blog. However if something from a particular lesson inspires an off topic question then you’re welcome to post your new question here.
You are right that we haven’t taught 反正 (yet). It basically means “anyway” and is used when the speaker wants to downplay the matter being mentioned as unimportant. As in, it won’t influence the situation at hand. Here are some examples:
A: We need to buy some milk.
B: 反正 I’m going to the grocery store today, so I’ll buy some while I’m there.
A: Can I borrow your bicycle?
B: Sure. 反正 I don’t need it this week.
Hope that helps!
October 31st, 2008 at 6:31 am
Aha, that makes sense. Thanks for the great examples!!
So, in the following sentence the 反正 means something like “Anyhow, …” or “In any case, …”
反正(只要)不弄好就不签合同
So, I suppose, I say then:
反正我很喜欢这个网站!
October 31st, 2008 at 8:23 am
Hi Sven,
Yes, but it only works in relation to some previously stated context. There has to be a preceding piece of information that doesn’t affect you, to cause you to use 反正.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Great teaching, Adam! Your last replay makes it clear,
你对学生照顾很好!