Another translation check please

[tismeau]

I am slowly making my way through my first Chinese Breeze book, and I do mean slowly :-)

I am having some problem with the following

孩子早上吃了饭，就去英文老师家了

I am confident the first half says "early this morning the children ate some cereal"

The second half I am not so confident with, I think it is something about going to the English teacher's house as 去 means to go but 孩 has got me confused.

Anything that can clear my confusion from a thick fog to a light mist would be appreciated

[dwq]

饭 means 'meal' here, not necessarily cereal.

but 孩 has got me confused

孩子 means children, but perhaps you meant to write 就 above?

就 here connects two action together, one following another, so A, 就 B means 'A, and then B'.

[tismeau]

You're right I meant to write 就.

So if I am thinking right it would translate to " early this morning the children ate a meal, then went to the English teacher's house"?

[renzhe]

就 here conveys immediacy, one event directly following the other. The translation should convey this too.

I'd translate it as "This morning after having breakfast, the children went to the English teacher's house". Or even "As soon as the children finished their breakfast this morning, they went to the English teacher's house".

[hackinger]

Hi,

I read several of the Chinese Breeze books and I enjoyed them very much.

However, I am going to offer here some unsolicited advice:

It may be too early for you to read the booklet. The best approach for self study is using an integrated text like the "New Practical Chinese Reader". Every Lesson introduces new vocabulary and new grammar items. The texts in the lessons use only vocabulary and grammar you have learned in the current or previous lessons. Both your vocabulary and grammar knowledge expands with every lesson. This is a more efficient way to learn elementary grammar and vocabulary. A good time to read the first Chinese Breeze books is when you know about 500 words and also have mastered elementary grammar, including a few example usages of 就. That is, you aim a bit lower when reading the Chinese Breeze books to get a more reasonable reading speed.

Also if you have not already done so, I would buy a grammar book like "Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar". In the index you will find 就 and then in the main text example sentences with translations and explanations. It is a good habit to start early on using a grammar for reference.

Everything IMHO.

Have fun with the Chinese Breeze books either now or later.

Cheers

hackinger

[tismeau]

HI Hackinger

Thanks for replying. I am getting a bit frustrated reading the book, having to look up over half the words. I am enjoying it, but a week to get through about 2 pages is a bit slow. I am using NPCR in class and they start again next month, was getting bored going through the lessons we had already done so thought i would push myself, maybe i have pushed a little too hard. :-)

I will investigate getting the grammar book and that may be satisfy my need to push myself :-) Might even look at getting another text book

[hackinger]

Hi,

an ok elementary grammar book to *study* early on is "Chinese DeMYSTiFied" (sic). It is not comprehensive though and cannot be used as a reference later. It also has exercises. Another one is "Basic Chinese, A Grammar and Workbook". The latter one is more like a formal text book.

If you are already using NPCR, one of the two grammar books would be my recommendation for additional study. Or, if you are more ambitious even in the beginning, the aforementioned "Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar".

Cheers

hackinger

[imron]

If you want to push yourself but are tired of the lessons you've already done, you could always try reading ahead and doing the lessons you haven't done. That way when you get to them in class you'll be well prepared.

[renzhe]

Even better would be following a different beginner textbook. Or two.

[lingo-ling]

So if I am thinking right it would translate to " early this morning the children ate a meal, then went to the English teacher's house"?

No need for "early". 早上 means "morning".

The 就 gives a sense of immediacy: it suggests that the children went to the teacher's house right after finishing their meal.