Archive for May, 2010
Simple Comparisons Posted by Transparent Language on May 27, 2010
When speaking Mandarin, there are several ways to make comparisons between people, places, and things. Positive Comparisons 1. He is taller than she. 他比她高 -ta1bi3ta1gao1 2. He is taller than she. 他高过她 -ta1gao1guo4ta1 I have always found that the second structure is more comfortable, albeit more of a vernacular formation which I have encountered more…
North-South Variations Posted by Transparent Language on May 25, 2010
After moving from Beijing to Shenzhen last year, I noticed numerous differences between the spoken Mandarin that I was accustomed to up north and the Mandarin spoken in this new city full of 外地人 (wai4di4ren2 – out-of-towners) from all over China. As Shenzhen is located in Guangdong province and next to Hong Kong and Macau…
Regional Differences in Pronunciation Posted by Transparent Language on May 24, 2010
Today I’m going to discuss some regional differences in pronunciation and how people generally characterize accents in China. Here are some broad differences between north and south. Between north and south, 知 zhi1 吃 chi1 and 是 shi4 all lose the “h” component, leading them to sound like zi1, ci1, and si4, respectively. This change…
What about 呢? Posted by Transparent Language on May 15, 2010
You may hear a lot of sentences ending with the particle “呢 (ne),” but what is it and what does it mean? 呢 can be used at the end of statements and questions to different effects, see below: Form: 我才不/没有呢 wo3cai2 bu4/mei2you3 ne Example: 我才不是呢! wo3cai2bu4shi4 ne! – “I’m sure not the one!”/”It sure wasn’t…
Targeted School Violence in China Posted by Stephen on May 13, 2010
If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the recent rash of kindergarten and elementary school attacks from copy-cat killers in China. Using mainly knives or blunt tools as weapons, five men and after today, one woman, violently and brutally assaulted children and teachers, killing seventeen and injuring some 100 people. Evoking…
The Shanghai Expo (中国2010年上海世界博览会): “Shanghai’s Moment in the Sun” Posted by Stephen on May 3, 2010
As the dazzling displays of fireworks, interpretive performances and welling nationalist pride of the 2008 Beijing Olympics fade from international memory, another pro-China, six-month event (the largest and most expensive of it’s kind) has just begun this weekend in Shanghai, China (上海 Shàng hǎi). The Shanghai World Expo or 中国2010年上海世界博览会 (Zhōngguó Èrlíngyīlíng Nián Shànghǎi Shìjìe…