URLLesson Introduction
The unending feud between those annoying morning people and their alter-egos, the 'night cats' comes to a Chinese lesson today. Listen in as pre-noon takes on post-noon, chipper good mornings take on groggy good afternoons. Listen and learn in Mandarin how to do battle for control of the alarm clock setting.
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ilum says
January 1, 2008
I was always a little confused because of this shàngwǔ and xiàwǔ thing, I just didn't get the idea behind it. The waterfall example is perfect, thanks! This makes it much easier to remember and gives me a feeling for it :)
sfrrr says
January 1, 2008
Ditto. Since my lessons come over the telephone, my teacher can't use hand gestures to explain meanings. For the longest time, she reassured me that I would understand her if only I could see her hands,.Don't ask me about video conferencing--she is diannao mang (computer-blind).
billybobjoebobwilly says
January 1, 2008
Three Newbie lessons in 5 days? Are we prepping for the Olympics or is this pre-prepped stuff to cover the holidays?
bingge says
January 1, 2008
i wonder why it is chipmunky for me and you guys seem to have no problem getting the audio? am I doing something wrong?
vann0000 says
January 1, 2008
Great lesson. WIll absolutely be used.
LeiGaoRui says
January 1, 2008
V ery, very off topic here but can someone help me? I just got an email from my Chinese teacher and he told me that his wife of 25 years had died suddenly. Can someone help me with a couple of lines that express my condolences and pay respect. Perhaps there is some Chinese saying that is comforting at a difficult time like this. Any thoughts would be appreciated. By the way, this would make a very good intermediate or upper intermediate lesson - expressing condolences and paying respect to someone who is grieving Thanks so much! Greg
Dottie says
January 1, 2008
Good Lesson. I've always listened to the lessons on my iPod, but today I listened online and I was happy to find the little pop-up box that allowed me to listen while also doing the exercises and reviewing the vocabulary. Thanks!
pchenery says
January 1, 2008
Greg: This lesson may help you: http://chinesepod.com/lessons/consoling-the-bereaved/discussion
jennyzhu says
January 1, 2008
Greg, PaulC's link to an earlier includes some of the most useful expressions in this situation.
chubbeecheeks23 says
January 1, 2008
thanks dottie. i just noticed the pop-up box. =)
chubbeecheeks23 says
January 1, 2008
i also have the chipmunk audio online, but my podcast feed is okay.
htsungy says
January 2, 2008
大家好！我有点儿问题，青帮我---我不知道什么时候我可以说这是晚上。晚上开始几点到几点？比如说夜里的时候两电视晚上吗？
htsungy says
January 2, 2008
对不起我错了最后的段文章应该是两点是晚上吗？
panda2 says
January 2, 2008
I relate to what the sun is doing (rising high in morning) Shang ( going down low in the evening) Xia to relate to Shang wu and xia wu. Ken's waterfall also works..
changye says
January 2, 2008
午(wu3, a horse or noon) is one of the 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals, and it represents the two-hour period between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm in each day. Please note that 午 (wu3) is a horse, but 牛 (niu2) is a cow/bull/ox. And 马 (ma3, a horse) is normally used when referring to a horse in modern Chinese. 上午 (shang4 wu3, before 午) morning 下午 (xia4 wu3, after 午) afternoon 中午 (zhong1 wu3, in 午) around noon 正午 (zheng4 wu3, just 午) noon.
shiwuqingren says
January 2, 2008
can anyone tell me why the avatars and the pictures for the lessons never show up for me? (Yes scripts ARE enabled)
rjberki says
January 2, 2008
Thanks Panda2 and Ken. I always have trouble with the xia - shang thing. Even as it relates to next week or last week. It always seems counterintuitive to me. Before and below should match (to my western way of thinking) and last week should be before or below week not "above". It is interesting how many things are mirror images in East vs West. I made a list once and its almost as if this difference is built right into nature and driven by geography. They even considered using red for "go" on traffic signals in China at one time (red being a positive color there) but decided against it. The differences are in fact just a coincidence though - arent they?
amber says
January 2, 2008
htsungy, 晚上 (wǎnshang) is typically 6:00pm to 12:00pm after midnight you can also say 夜里 (yèli). But this isn't a blanket rule...
rjberki says
January 2, 2008
so to greet someone you could say "wanshang hao" but "wan an" would be more like "good night" as in goodbye until morning, kiss your girl goodnight kind of thing?
denswei says
January 2, 2008
To distinguish 上 and 下, I think of a calendar. Looking at a calendar, 上星期 (last week) is above 这个星期， and 下星期 (next week) is below. Hence 上 refers to earlier things, 下 refers to later things. You can also think of "falling" through time (thanks to gravity, this is the natural progression through time) I had a much harder time with 前 （qian2, forward or earlier) and 后 (hou4, behind or later), since in the West, the future is in front of use, and the past is behind us. Apparently in Chinese, they walk 'backward' through time, which is logical. We know the past, because it already occurred, so obviously it must be in front of us where we can see it. We cannot know the future, because it has not occurred, so obviously it is behind us where we cannot see it. A good analogy for life as well!
wolson says
January 2, 2008
This is probably one of the more valauable lessons for a Newbie to learn. You might add, expressions of time generally are placed before the verb phrase of a Chinese sentance. I think most often time is expressed first in a sentance. So it is important for someone learning Chinese to recognize this.
bingge says
January 2, 2008
RJ - here's my wacky (I'm almost embarrased to share it) mnemonic: shang has more letters than xia so it is "higher" than or "above" xia. Also, the little dashy thingy (yeah, I know the strokes have proper names) on 上 is above the longer bottom line while the dashy thing on 下 is below the longer top line. So, when I think "shang" my head goes up and back as far as possible. Which makes me think "up" and "behind" (timewise, the past is "behind" us). When I think of "Xia" my head goes forward and down. (Now, when I say "Shang" it is fourth tone so my head wants to go up and then down quickly - chinese is becoming a head banging language for me - 哈哈)
bingge says
January 2, 2008
oh yikes, did I really dare post that :)
amber says
January 2, 2008
bingge, I love how your mind works! hehe!
amber says
January 2, 2008
Hi RJBerki, Your take on 晚上 (wǎnshang) and 晚安 (wǎn'ān) are exactly right. Good job!
bella08 says
January 2, 2008
I was wondering if someone could translate these lines here into Chinese? -When are you coming to my house? -I am coming in the afternoon. -I am coming at 5pm.
architpol says
January 2, 2008
bella08 let me try. I'm sure others will correct me. Ni shenme shi ho lai wo nar? Wo yau xiawu lai. Wo wu dian lai.
amber says
January 2, 2008
hi bella08, You could say: 你什么时候来我家？ Nǐ shénme shíhou lái wǒjiā？ 我下午去。 Wǒ xiàwǔ qù. 我下午5点到。 Wǒ xiàwǔ 5 diǎn dào.
sballa says
January 3, 2008
Hi all. What is the difference between neng2 and ke3yi3, both of which are translated as "can"? A separate question. How do I start typing pinyin with the tone marks, as opposed to the numbers I just used? Thanks! Steve
matthiask says
January 3, 2008
hi guys, about the waterfall. makes it kinda more confusing to me. Take 午 as the goal and 上 and 下 as the pointers to it. 上午： lunch lies ahead (or up), 下午: lunch lies behind (or down)
amber says
January 3, 2008
hi sballa, The difference between 能 (néng) and 可以 (kěyǐ) is very slight. They both express ablility to do something. 能 (néng) is mainly used for talking about ability. 可以 (kěyǐ) has a bit more emphasis on possibility. Also, you can not add 很 (hěn) or 真 (zhēn) in front of 可以 (kěyǐ), however you can use these intensifiers with 能 (néng). Here are a few example sentences to illustrate the difference in nuance: 他能说三种语言。他能说三种语言。 Tā néng shuō sān zhǒng yǔyán. He can speak three languages. 他可以说三种语言。 Tā kěyǐ shuō sān zhǒng yǔyán. He can speak three languages. In the two above examples, either 能 (néng) or 可以 (kěyǐ) can be used. 他很能喝酒。 Tā hěn néng hē jiǔ. He can really drink. (feeling is ability, not possibility) 这么做可以吗？ Zhème zuò kěyǐ ma？ Can i do it like this? (feeling is possibility or permission)
billgloveruk says
January 4, 2008
I've just listened to this lesson and have to admit I really didn't get the waterfall example (yes, it has been a long day). Then I skimmed through the comments and all became clear. Another positive ChinesePod experience. Thanks guys. I don't know why, but the Irish saying, "Top of the morning" comes to mind. Here we have a western saying linking top (上, shàng) with morning (上午, shàngwǔ). Maybe it isn't so counter intuitive after all. Ken, care to shed any light on this? Slightly off topic, there are a couple of other language related opposites I have come across while studying Chinese. Remember the old saying, "The early bird catches the worm." There is apparently a similar, but opposite saying in Chinese, "the bird who goes on top gets killed first (棒打出头鸟)." And did you know that the magpie, traditionally thought of here in the UK (anywhere else in the West?) as an unlucky bird is known in China as the lucky bird. Anyone care to attempt an explanation for the disparity?
blizzzful says
January 5, 2008
Talking about 可以 and 能: the "keyi" sound reminds me vaguely of OK - which is like an allusion to possibility and permission … another mnemonic. Best wishes from Germany to the rest of the world ;-)))
helenaoutloud says
January 5, 2008
I love this lesson. Anything related to time and numbers is awesome...especially when I can understand it. I just studied this lesson yesturday and have already been able to use it several times. This just makes me even more eager to continue learning!
yy5925809 says
January 5, 2008
晚上一般指天黑以后。一天可以分为早上（早晨，起床前后），上午（上班时间），中午（午餐时间），下午（午餐以后的上班时间到天黑以前），晚上（没有太阳的时间，一般黎明前成为凌晨，晚上十二点前后成为午夜）
kaori says
January 8, 2008
great lesson, 谢谢！
jwosmun says
January 22, 2008
Amber, If you take the sentence of bella08 with your answer, I am coming in the afternoon. 我下午去. Wǒ xiàwǔ qù. and compare it with the first line in the dialog, I am coming tomorrow morning 我明天上午来. Wǒ míngtiān shàngwǔ lái. it would appear that 来 and 去 are interchangeable in this construction, differing only in the speaker's identification with departure or arrival point of view.
anayelena says
March 27, 2008
Just a curiosity question here... It seems that 下 (below, under) and 上 (above, on) have many different meanings. But can someone explain to me how 上 can also imply "to go" as in 上学 (shang4xue2). Is there a link here that I am missing? Thanks AY
jwosmun says
March 31, 2008
anayelena 下 (below, under) and 上 (above, on) here are adjectives. The link is when used as a verb 上 starts with to go on, up and 下 starts with to go down, off. There is an implied direction. The other uses as verbs essentially follow from this.