Givón, T. (1971). Historical syntax and synchronic morphology: An archaelogist's field trip. Chicago Linguistic Society, 7, 394-415 (p.413)
Thursday, 6 December 2012
"Language as the creature and creator of human society"
Halliday, M.A.K. 2002. A Personal Perspective. In "On Grammar: Volume 1" in The Collected Works of M.A.K. Halliday. London: Continuum. p. 6
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Chinese New Year - 新年
How to say Chinese New Year in Mandarin?
春节 chūnjié 'Spring Festival' (used in China)
新年 xīnnián 'New Year'
农历新年 nónglì xīnnián 'Lunar New Year' (because it follows Lunar calendar)
恭喜！恭喜！gōngxǐ gōngxǐ '(respectfully) wish (you) happiness'
恭喜发财！gōngxǐ fācái 'Wish happiness and prosperity'
新年好！xīnnián hǎo 'New Year Good'
新年快乐！xīnnián kuàile ' New Year Happy'
What can you wish people?祝你。。。zhūnǐ (wish you)... ＋
身体健康 shēntǐ jiànkāng 'Good health'
万事如意 wànshì rúyì 'Everything as you wish'
Married People or Senior people will give 红包 hóngbāo (Red Envelope containing cash) as a symbol of luck to unmarried people, kids or lower-ranking people (like employers to employees).
Here is a popular song called Gongxi Gongxi with Pinyin that you will hear in every Chinese community during Chinese New Year:
Learn more:
http://laowaichinese.net/text-message-greetings-for-chinese-new-year.htm
http://mandarin.about.com/od/chineseculture/a/newyear.htm
Song: 月亮代表我的心
Many foreigners (laowai: 老外) learn Chinese without knowing a single Chinese song, not the slightest interest in pop culture - Well, Chinese pop culture isn't exactly the same as Westerns, but still I think this is the evergreen song that learners should know (like Beatle's).
月亮代表我的心 yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
你问我爱你有多深
我爱你有几分
我的情也真
我的爱也真
月亮代表我的心
你问我爱你有多深
我爱你有几分
我的情不移
我的爱不变
月亮代表我的心
轻轻的一个吻
已经打动我的心
深深的一段情
教我思念到如今
你问我爱你有多深
我爱你有几分
你去想一想
你去看一看
月亮代表我的心
轻轻的一个吻
已经打动我的心
深深的一段情
教我思念到如今
你问我爱你有多深
我爱你有几分
你去想一想
你去看一看
月亮代表我的心
你去想一想
你去看一看
月亮代表我的心
nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
wǒ de qíng yě zhēn
wǒ de ài yě zhēn
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
wǒ de qíng bù yí
wǒ de ài bù biàn
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
qīng qīng de yī gè wěn
yǐ jīng dǎ dòng wǒ de xīn
shēn shēn de yī duàn qíng
jiào wǒ sī niàn dào rú jīn
nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
nǐ qù xiǎng yī xiǎng
nǐ qù kàn yī kàn
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
qīng qīng de yī gè wěn
yǐ jīng dǎ dòng wǒ de xīn
shēn shēn de yī duàn qíng
jiào wǒ sī niàn dào rú jīn
nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
nǐ qù xiǎng yī xiǎng
nǐ qù kàn yī kàn
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
nǐ qù xiǎng yī xiǎng
nǐ qù kàn yī kàn
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
Chinese learning English days of the week
Monday = máng day 'busy day'
Tuesday = qiúsǐ day 'beg to die day'
Wednesday = wèisǐ day 'not yet die day'
Thursday = shòusǐ day 'suffer die day'
Friday = fūlái day 'luck come day'
Saturday = sǎtuò day 'carefree day'
Friday, 13 January 2012
Should I learn characters or Chinese writing?
If you are about to start learning Chinese, or just started learning Chinese, my advice is not to learn the writing yet. If you are Japanese (and perhaps some Koreans) who are really good with Hanzi 汉字 'Chinese characters', then straight away to use Hanzi from day one.
Fluency is more important than literacy when learning a foreign language, in my opinion. Learning a foreign language is a psychological game and languages are for communicating with the native-speakers. Once you gain a bit of confidence in conversing the basics in Chinese, then your morale will be higher to keep you going to conquer the next level which involves writing. Many people dropped out after a few months of learning because the writing drags them down, despite how it interesting the characters are.
I recommend you learn with pinyin for speaking first. Then after one year (or 100 hours of lessons), when you feel confident in handling a conversation to get to know a person, order in restaurant, ask for directions, or buy something in a shop with Mandarin, then start learning the characters (radicals, structure, stroke, etc.). Bear in mind and embrace the fact that your writing will always be behind your speaking skill, until you are in the really advanced level - and that is good news!! Stay positive - look at how much you have learnt and you know instead of how much you don't know :)
By the way, in this digital era, being able to recognize and type Chinese (with pinyin) is more than sufficient - not even Chinese write much nowadays. Do not be so harsh to yourself to memorize how to write every single character.
Fluency is more important than literacy when learning a foreign language, in my opinion. Learning a foreign language is a psychological game and languages are for communicating with the native-speakers. Once you gain a bit of confidence in conversing the basics in Chinese, then your morale will be higher to keep you going to conquer the next level which involves writing. Many people dropped out after a few months of learning because the writing drags them down, despite how it interesting the characters are.
I recommend you learn with pinyin for speaking first. Then after one year (or 100 hours of lessons), when you feel confident in handling a conversation to get to know a person, order in restaurant, ask for directions, or buy something in a shop with Mandarin, then start learning the characters (radicals, structure, stroke, etc.). Bear in mind and embrace the fact that your writing will always be behind your speaking skill, until you are in the really advanced level - and that is good news!! Stay positive - look at how much you have learnt and you know instead of how much you don't know :)
By the way, in this digital era, being able to recognize and type Chinese (with pinyin) is more than sufficient - not even Chinese write much nowadays. Do not be so harsh to yourself to memorize how to write every single character.
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Don't greet a Chinese with 'How are you? nihaoma? 你好吗？'
Listen, you sound just like a foreigner when you say 'Nihaoma? 你好吗?'. Teachers like me feel obliged to answer: 'Wo hen hao, xiexie, ni ne? 我很好，谢谢，你呢?' - This conventional response sounds like those we learnt in any European language class including English - 'How are you' - 'I am fine, thanks. And you?'.
The common informal greetings can consist of two parts:
PART 1 - interjection of greeting
PART 2 - greeting question
1. Have you eaten?
(nǐ) chīfan le ma? (你)吃饭了吗?
(nǐ) chīle ma? (你)吃了吗?
(nǐ) chīguò le ma? (你)吃过了吗?
optional nǐ
2. What's up?
zuìjìn zěnme yàng? 最近怎么样? 'How are things lately?'
zěnme la? 怎么啦? 'What's up?'
3. Busy?
zuìjìn (gōngzuò) máng ma? 最近（工作）忙吗? 'Busy (at work) lately?'
zuìjìn máng shénme? 最近忙什么? 'What are you busy with lately?'
4. Other more specified questions
qù nálǐ? 去哪里? 'Where you going?'
huíjiā a? 回家啊? 'Going home?'
These expressions are for people you already know. Please don't ask a new acquaintance if he has eaten :)
More on greetings:
http://www.chineselearner.com/speaking/chinese-greetings.htm
The common informal greetings can consist of two parts:
PART 1 - interjection of greeting
- 嘿 hēi - hey
- 嗨 hāi - hi
- 喂wèi - hey; commonly used in telephone with an rising tone wéi
- 诶 ēi - hey (when you bump into a friend; or when you're calling a friend who doesn't see you passing-by)
- the above + optional 你好 or/and addressing the name
PART 2 - greeting question
1. Have you eaten?
(nǐ) chīfan le ma? (你)吃饭了吗?
(nǐ) chīle ma? (你)吃了吗?
(nǐ) chīguò le ma? (你)吃过了吗?
optional nǐ
2. What's up?
zuìjìn zěnme yàng? 最近怎么样? 'How are things lately?'
zěnme la? 怎么啦? 'What's up?'
3. Busy?
zuìjìn (gōngzuò) máng ma? 最近（工作）忙吗? 'Busy (at work) lately?'
zuìjìn máng shénme? 最近忙什么? 'What are you busy with lately?'
4. Other more specified questions
qù nálǐ? 去哪里? 'Where you going?'
huíjiā a? 回家啊? 'Going home?'
These expressions are for people you already know. Please don't ask a new acquaintance if he has eaten :)
More on greetings:
http://www.chineselearner.com/speaking/chinese-greetings.htm
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