anonymoose Posted May 29, 2011 at 03:18 PM Report Share Posted May 29, 2011 at 03:18 PM I was chatting online with a native chinese speaker about a certain kind of cake, and in response to my question 你吃过吗？, she replied 没有，但是他给我看了，我觉得长得很美味. I was surprised by this, because I thought 长得 could only be used to introduce a description of the appearance of a living being. At least, on reflection, I can't think that I've heard it used in the context of an inanimate object such as a cake. What does 长 here mean? I thought it meant "grow". Does the sentence sound normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny同志 Posted May 29, 2011 at 03:48 PM Report Share Posted May 29, 2011 at 03:48 PM She was just trying to be funny and succeeded, though normally, a native speaker is not expected to use 长得 that way. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members Iris Sun Posted May 30, 2011 at 01:15 AM New Members Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 at 01:15 AM I think she means the cake looks like delicious. 长得 means looks like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semantic nuance Posted May 30, 2011 at 01:37 AM Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 at 01:37 AM She's trying to be cute, maybe. Normally, we say, something 看起來很好吃。 It may be said as 我覺得那蛋糕賣相很好，看起來很可口。 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members genestung Posted May 30, 2011 at 05:52 AM New Members Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 at 05:52 AM i agree with #4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonchai Posted May 30, 2011 at 02:43 PM Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 at 02:43 PM Your friend tried to personify the cake when she was describing it. 长得 means looks like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinchillus Posted June 21, 2011 at 03:10 PM Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 at 03:10 PM 长得 is usually used to describe how someone looks like or how a plant or an animal or someone grows. 他长得很高。 He is tall. /He grows tall. 她的脸长得很美丽。 Her face looks beautiful./ Her face is beautiful. 她长得很美。She looks beautiful. /She is beautiful. 这朵花长得越来越美了。 This flower is growing more and more beautiful. If you regard other objects, for example, a cake, as a nice plant or a beautiful lady or so, you could also say the cake 长得 delicious. Besides, there is an idiom 秀色可餐(xiu4 se4 ke3 can1). 秀, beautiful;色, scene or face;可, can be (done);餐, originally "to eat", here "to enjoy". It's used to describe the beauty of a lady or a natural scene. The lady or the scene is so beautiful that one can enjoy the beauty as he is taking a delicious meal. So in return, it's also OK to regard the delicious food as a beautiful lady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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