Thursday, January 19, 2017

The Answers for 1st Revision in 2017


Here is the answers for the previous post:
1. 今年是2017年。
Jīnnnián shì 2017 nián
This year is 2017

2. 我今年年底要去日本。
Wǒ jīnnián  niándǐ yào qù Rìběn
End of this year I will go to Japan.

3. 他们都没去过日本。
Tāmen dōu méiqùguò Rìběn
All of them have never been to Japan

Note: dōu is used to describe that all of the subject (in this case: tāmen they). It is always written after the subject.

guò is used to describe an activity that has/hasn’t been done before. It comes after the verb (in this case:  go)

4. 这几天过的怎样啊?
Zhè jǐtiān guòde zěnyàng a?
How are (the condition) these few days?

Note: This question can be interpreted in 2 ways, that the person is asking about the condition/situation in general or the condition of another person. To be specific, we can say Zhè jǐtiān guòde zěnyàng a?, by adding after or before the adverb of time, our question becomes clearer, that we want to know how is the person doing, more to the feeling he/she feels, not the house, not the problem, not work, and so on.

5. 这个周末你打算做什么?
Zhè zhōumò nǐ dǎsuàn zuò shénme?
What are you planning/do you plan to do this weekend?

Note: Remember that in Chinese, we have to place the adverb of time in front of or behind the subject (in this case: you) and question seldom come in front of the sentence. For question word “what” refer to the previous post

6. 我在北机场等我的朋友。
Wǒ zàijīchǎng děng wǒdepéngyǒu
I wait for my friend at the airport

Note: If we would like to give more details on our statement about where an activity takes place, we put it right after the subject, before the activity.

7. 你告不告诉他我的秘密?
Nǐ gàobùgàosù tā wǒdemìmi?
Do you tell him/her my secret?

Note: This question doesn’t end with the word ma? that is usually used to form a closed ended question. Instead  it uses 告不告诉 gàobùgàosù format, which has the same function as ma? The above sentence can be changed to: 你告诉他我的秘密吗?

Look at the following sentence structures:
Verb + negative bù + Verb = Verb ma?
Example: chī bù chī = Chī ma?          = Does Someone eat?

Adjective + negative bù + Adjective = Verb ma?
Example: hǎo bù hǎo = hǎo ma? =  Is it good?

Shì + negative + Shì + Noun = Shì Noun ma?
Example: Shì bù shì māma = Shì māma ma? = Is it mother?

8. 这次新年你要去哪儿玩儿?
Zhèci xīnnián nǐ yàoqù nǎr wǎnr?
This new year where are you going (to play/explore)?

Please translate the following to Chinese.
1. I will see you tomorrow morning at the airport
我明天在飞机场见你
Wǒ míngtiān zài fēijīchǎng jiàn nǐ.

2. Whose friends are you picking up?
你接谁的朋友?
Nǐ jiē shuídepéngyǒu?

3. Chen Family is travelling to Europe next month.
陈家下个月要去澳洲
Chénjiā xiàgèyuè yào qù Àozhōu.

4. Japan often snows on January.
日本一月份常常下雪
Rìběn yīyuèfèn chángchang xiàxuě

5. How is the weather today?
今天的天气怎样/怎么样?
Jīntiān de tiānqi zěnyàng / zěnmeyàng?

6. She told me that her mom is coming to pick her up.
她告诉我她的妈妈来接她
Tā gàosù wǒ tādemāma láijiē tā.

7. Last weekend, she brought the kids to the zoo.
上个周末他带他的孩子们去动物园
Shànggezhōumò tādài tādehaízimen qù dòngwùyuán.

8. Are you nervous?
你紧张吗?or 你紧不紧张?
Nǐ jǐnzhāng ma? Nǐ jǐnbùjǐnzhāng?

Please digest the above and learn to pronounce the words and read the sentence OUT LOUD. This will help your pronunciation. To confirm if you have gotten the right pronunciation, please check it out on Pleco (download the app, if you haven’t had one), word by word!

If you confuse why certain sentence is translated that way, check the relevant topic form last year posts! If you can’t find one, do not hesitate to drop a comment or email me at linda_yunitan@yahoo.com.
 

Love Learning,
Linda Tan

Sunday, January 15, 2017

2017 - Getting the engine started. Review, Review and Review!

It has been a while since my last post in November. Half a month has passed in 2017. Let’s get the engine starting, by doing a few translations that covers whatever we have learnt in 2016.
  1. 今年是2017年。Jīnnián shì 2017 nián
  2. 我今年年底要去日本。Wǒ jīnnián  niándǐ yào qù Rìběn
  3. 他们都没去过日本。Tāmen dōu méiqùguò Rìběn
  4. 这几天过的怎样啊?Zhè jǐtiān guòde zěnyàng a?
  5. 这个周末你打算做什么?Zhè zhōumò nǐ dǎsuàn zuò shénme?
  6. 我在北机场等我的朋友。Wǒ zàijīchǎng děng wǒdepéngyǒu
  7. 你告不告诉他我的秘密?Nǐ gàobùgàosù tā wǒdemìmi?
  8. 这次新年你要去哪儿玩儿Zhèci xīnnián nǐ yàoqù nǎr wǎnr?
Please translate the following to Chinese.
  1. I will see you tomorrow morning at the airport
  2.  Whose friends are you picking up?
  3. Chen Family is travelling to Europe next month.
  4. Japan often snows on January.
  5. How is the weather today?
  6. She told me that her mom is coming to pick her up.
  7. Last weekend, she brought the kids to the zoo.
  8. Are you nervous?
To make your life easier, here are some of the vocabularies needed. Remember NOT to translate words by words. Review the simple sentence structure post, as well as the last few posts on question words (what and why, who, etc)
年底                niándǐ                          End of the year
周末                zhōumò                        Weekend
打算                dǎsuàn                         Plan
                    děng                            Wait
                    Jiē                                Pick up
告诉                Gàosù                          Tell
朋友                Péngyǒu                      Friends
飞机场            Fēijīchǎng                   Airport
秘密                Mìmì                            Secret
这次                Zhècì                           This time
下雪                Xiàzuě                         Snowing
紧张                jǐnzhāng                       Nervous
                    dài                               Bring (someone)
澳洲                Àozhōu                        Europe
天气                tiānqì                           weather
怎样                zěnyàng                       how

We will discuss the translation in DETAILS next post! 

Happy New Year 新年快乐, 
Linda Tan