Language practice thread
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- mayan
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Re: Language practice thread
时间很臭。
Time smells.
Time smells.
Re: Language practice thread
時間が臭い
でもなんで
But why?
でもなんで
But why?
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- mayan
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Re: Language practice thread
因为。
Because.
Because.
Re: Language practice thread
Going literal, I came up with something similar, butDesEsseintes wrote:Let me try to convey the literal meaning:
能给自己空出多少时间,你就有多少时间。
néng gêi zìjî kōngchū duōshâo shíjiān, nî jiù yôu duōshâo shíjiān.
can give self empty_out how_much time you then have how_much time
Yeah, in response to this, I got:This sentence is far from elegant, and Chinese people don't really express themselves in this fashion.
意思很清晰,不过不像是地道的汉语表达。
It's clear what you mean, but it's not a very Chinese way of saying it.
IOW, understandable, perhaps, but you're in foreigners-speak-Chinese land.
I got:I would go for sth much simpler like:
如果你愿意,时间一定能挤出来。
rúguô nî yuànyì, shíjiān yídìng néng jî chūlai.
if you be_willing time definitely can squeeze come_out
想多空就多空,想多闲就多闲
Loosely: If you think about having more free time, then you'll have more free time.
Ain't it the truth.This may seem extremely "unsatisfying" for an English speaker, but if you're going to study Chinese in depth, be ready for a lot of such disappointments.
就如此。GrandPiano wrote:因为。
Because.
That's the way it is.
☯ 道可道,非常道
☯ 名可名,非常名
☯ 名可名,非常名
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- runic
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Re: Language practice thread
Mein Kopf tut mir weh
My head hurts
My head hurts
Re: Language practice thread
Soll ich Ihnen einen schönen Senfumschlag anbieten?Thakowsaizmu wrote:Mein Kopf tut mir weh
My head hurts
Shall I get you a nice mustard poultice?
☯ 道可道,非常道
☯ 名可名,非常名
☯ 名可名,非常名
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- mayan
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Re: Language practice thread
你妈妈头疼!哈哈哈!Thakowsaizmu wrote:Mein Kopf tut mir weh
My head hurts
Your mom's head hurts! Ha ha ha!
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- runic
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Re: Language practice thread
Mchomo mgonjwaGrandPiano wrote:你妈妈头疼!哈哈哈!Thakowsaizmu wrote:Mein Kopf tut mir weh
My head hurts
Your mom's head hurts! Ha ha ha!
Sick burn
Re: Language practice thread
Riecht es gut oder schlecht?GrandPiano wrote:时间很臭。
Time smells.
Does it smell good or bad?
Wegen dieser Unterhaltung, oder wegen etwas anderes?Thakowsaizmu wrote:Mein Kopf tut mir weh
My head hurts
Because of this conversation, or because of something else?
(Is "etwas anderes" the correct form after a genitive preposition like "wegen"?)
Sowieso, ich hoffe, dass du dich bald besser fühlst.
Anyway, I hope you feel better soon.
The user formerly known as "shimobaatar".
(she)
(she)
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- mayan
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Re: Language practice thread
……中文怎么说“smells like”的“like”?shimobaatar wrote:Riecht es gut oder schlecht?GrandPiano wrote:时间很臭。
Time smells.
Does it smell good or bad?
…How do you say "like" as in "smells like" in Mandarin?
Re: Language practice thread
Lo siento, no hablo mandarín.GrandPiano wrote:……中文怎么说“smells like”的“like”?shimobaatar wrote:Riecht es gut oder schlecht?GrandPiano wrote:时间很臭。
Time smells.
Does it smell good or bad?
…How do you say "like" as in "smells like" in Mandarin?
Sorry, I don't speak Mandarin.
(I know this wasn't directed at me. I was planning on responding in Japanese, but I was having trouble finding a word for "Mandarin".)
The user formerly known as "shimobaatar".
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- mayan
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Re: Language practice thread
中文 actually just means "Chinese", but I chose to translate it more specifically as "Mandarin" because that's the word I like to use in English.shimobaatar wrote:(I know this wasn't directed at me. I was planning on responding in Japanese, but I was having trouble finding a word for "Mandarin".)
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- runic
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Re: Language practice thread
Siyo kwa sababu mazungumzo haya, lakini jambo lingineshimobaatar wrote:Riecht es gut oder schlecht?GrandPiano wrote:时间很臭。
Time smells.
Does it smell good or bad?
Wegen dieser Unterhaltung, oder wegen etwas anderes?Thakowsaizmu wrote:Mein Kopf tut mir weh
My head hurts
Because of this conversation, or because of something else?
(Is "etwas anderes" the correct form after a genitive preposition like "wegen"?)
Sowieso, ich hoffe, dass du dich bald besser fühlst.
Anyway, I hope you feel better soon.
Not because of this conversation, but something else
還有謝了
Also, thanks
Re: Language practice thread
Ahh, OK. Ich soll mich nicht so viel über Spezifität sorgen.GrandPiano wrote:中文 actually just means "Chinese", but I chose to translate it more specifically as "Mandarin" because that's the word I like to use in English.shimobaatar wrote:(I know this wasn't directed at me. I was planning on responding in Japanese, but I was having trouble finding a word for "Mandarin".)
Ahh, OK. I shouldn't worry so much about specificity.
ごめん、中国語を話さない。
Gomen, chūgokugo o hanasanai.
Sorry, I don't speak Chinese.
(Thank goodness for stuff like Wiktionary that helps me with vocabulary, particularly stuff like 「中国語」, assuming that's correct. I have a few questions/comments, though. Is it syntactically OK to put things like 「ごめん」 at the very start of a sentence? I'd assume so, but I want to double check.)
(Also, I know Japanese is pro-drop, but are certain things always, or usually, implied when certain elements of a sentence are omitted? For example, when I write a sentence without a subject, does that usually imply that I, the "first person", the speaker, am the subject? Or is it entirely contextual, and without context, an omitted subject could imply anything?)
(Finally, I'm rather happy I was able to notice the shared radical between 「語」 and 「話」. At least, I hope that's the right terminology to use. Anyway, that's probably pretty obvious to a lot of people, but it's the first time I've had that kind of realization about kanji/hanzi.)
The user formerly known as "shimobaatar".
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Re: Language practice thread
問題ないよ。ごく普通だよ。shimobaatar wrote:Ahh, OK. Ich soll mich nicht so viel über Spezifität sorgen.GrandPiano wrote:中文 actually just means "Chinese", but I chose to translate it more specifically as "Mandarin" because that's the word I like to use in English.shimobaatar wrote:(I know this wasn't directed at me. I was planning on responding in Japanese, but I was having trouble finding a word for "Mandarin".)
Ahh, OK. I shouldn't worry so much about specificity.
ごめん、中国語は話せない。
Gomen, chūgokugo wa hanasenai.
Sorry, I don't speak Chinese.
(Thank goodness for stuff like Wiktionary that helps me with vocabulary, particularly stuff like 「中国語」, assuming that's correct. I have a few questions/comments, though. Is it syntactically OK to put things like 「ごめん」 at the very start of a sentence? I'd assume so, but I want to double check.)
There's no problem. It's totally normal.
話題は省略していいときが多いけど、その解釈は完全に文脈によるものだ。だけど、この場合は明らかに自分のことだから問題はないよ。(Also, I know Japanese is pro-drop, but are certain things always, or usually, implied when certain elements of a sentence are omitted? For example, when I write a sentence without a subject, does that usually imply that I, the "first person", the speaker, am the subject? Or is it entirely contextual, and without context, an omitted subject could imply anything?)
The topic can often be left out, but the interpretation of the topic relies entirely on context. However, in this case, it's clearly yourself, so there's no problem.
「radial」は正しいよ。それは「言」に基づく、「ごんべん」っていう部首。主に話すことと書くことなどを表す漢字に入っている。(Finally, I'm rather happy I was able to notice the shared radical between 「語」 and 「話」. At least, I hope that's the right terminology to use. Anyway, that's probably pretty obvious to a lot of people, but it's the first time I've had that kind of realization about kanji/hanzi.)
"Radical" is correct. That radical is based on "言" and is called gonben (in Japanese). It appears mainly in kanji that express speaking and writing.
他の、分かりやすい部首:
Other easy-to-understand radicals:
「氵」さんずい:水に関する漢字
「氵」 sanzui: kanji related to water
海 umi ocean
洗う arau wash
溺れる oboreru drown
「木」きへん:木や木材に関する漢字(特に木材で出来ている物)
「木」 kihen: kanji related to trees and wood (especially things made of wood)
杉 sugi Japanese cedar
枝 eda branch
棚 tana shelf
「心」したごころ、「忄」りっしんべん:思考・感情を表す漢字
「心」 shitagokoro, 「忄」 risshinben: kanji that express emotions and thought
感じ kanji feeling
忘れる wasureru forget
悩む nayamu be worried/distressed/troubled
「艹」くさかんむり:植物に関する漢字
「艹」 kusakanmuri: kanji related to plants
花 hana flower
葉 ha leaf
茶 cha tea
「月」にくづき:体に関する漢字
「月」 nikuzuki: kanji related to the body
脂 abura (body) fat
肺 hai lung
脱ぐ nugu remove (clothing)
「金」かねへん:金属に関する漢字
「金」 kanehen: kanji related to metal
銀 gin silver
鈴 suzu small bell
鈍い nibui dull (not sharp)
「雨」あめかんむり:天気に関係のある漢字
「雨」 amekanmuri: kanji related to weather
雲 kumo cloud
霧 kiri fog
電 den electricity (from lightning)
「女」おんなへん:女に関する漢字
「女」 onnahen: kanji related to women
嫁 yome bride
姉 ane older sister
妊娠 ninshin pregnancy
これよりもありますありますね。
There are of course many more than these.
Last edited by clawgrip on 31 Mar 2015 02:11, edited 1 time in total.
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- mayan
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Re: Language practice thread
If it works the same way as Mandarin, then it depends on the context. If you leave out the subject, that means that people should already know from context what the subject is, whatever that may be. My Mandarin proficiency isn't that great, so this might just be influence from English, but it feels really weird to leave out the first-person pronoun 我 as the subject of a sentence if there's no context to imply that it's the subject.shimobaatar wrote:(Also, I know Japanese is pro-drop, but are certain things always, or usually, implied when certain elements of a sentence are omitted? For example, when I write a sentence without a subject, does that usually imply that I, the "first person", the speaker, am the subject? Or is it entirely contextual, and without context, an omitted subject could imply anything?)
Yup, that's the speech radical, which you'll usually find in words having to do with speech; the stand-alone character version is 言, which means "speech" in Mandarin. In simplified characters, it's simplified to 讠: 语, 话.shimobaatar wrote:(Finally, I'm rather happy I was able to notice the shared radical between 「語」 and 「話」. At least, I hope that's the right terminology to use. Anyway, that's probably pretty obvious to a lot of people, but it's the first time I've had that kind of realization about kanji/hanzi.)
Edit: 中文怎么说“ninja'd”?XP
Re: Language practice thread
Japanese is strongly pro-drop, especially with first person pronouns, and especially in more formal language, since pronouns are considered too "direct". If you can understand first person from context, you should generally leave it out.GrandPiano wrote:My Mandarin proficiency isn't that great, so this might just be influence from English, but it feels really weird to leave out the first-person pronoun 我 as the subject of a sentence if there's no context to imply that it's the subject.
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- mayan
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Re: Language practice thread
If the subject is left out without context, will it just sound weird, or will it be interpretted as the omission of the first-person pronounLclawgrip wrote:Japanese is strongly pro-drop, especially with first person pronouns, and especially in more formal language, since pronouns are considered too "direct". If you can understand first person from context, you should generally leave it out.GrandPiano wrote:My Mandarin proficiency isn't that great, so this might just be influence from English, but it feels really weird to leave out the first-person pronoun 我 as the subject of a sentence if there's no context to imply that it's the subject.
Re: Language practice thread
If something is recoverable from context, you can leave it out without sounding weird. A sentence will rarely sound weird with arguments dropped.
ない。
not.exist
This could mean "his passport is not in the place where he always keeps it" or "I have no questions for you" or "there's no instant soup left" or whatever you want, as long as context supplies the missing arguments.
If you drop something without context, it will just be ambiguous and confusing. Someone will ask for clarification. But it will be grammatically sound.
ない。
not.exist
This could mean "his passport is not in the place where he always keeps it" or "I have no questions for you" or "there's no instant soup left" or whatever you want, as long as context supplies the missing arguments.
If you drop something without context, it will just be ambiguous and confusing. Someone will ask for clarification. But it will be grammatically sound.
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- mayan
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Re: Language practice thread
Ah, OK. I think Japanese might use pro-dropping more frequently than Mandarin, but I can't be entirely sure. ない sounds similar to the Mandarin 没有 "to not have" or "haven't". If someone asks you "你有没有问题?" "Do you have any questions?" and you don't have any questions, you could give a full answer of "我没有问题" "I don't have any questions", or you could just say "没有". I think the passport would probably be expressed with 不在 "not at", but again, I can't be entirely sure. And I have no idea how to say sentences of the structure "there's no…left".clawgrip wrote:If something is recoverable from context, you can leave it out without sounding weird. A sentence will rarely sound weird with arguments dropped.
ない。
not.exist
This could mean "his passport is not in the place where he always keeps it" or "I have no questions for you" or "there's no instant soup left" or whatever you want, as long as context supplies the missing arguments.
If you drop something without context, it will just be ambiguous and confusing. Someone will ask for clarification. But it will be grammatically sound.