More proof reading

[Rowan]

I have some more sentences and I am unsure of whether or not I have done them right. If anyone has the spare time some help would be appreciated. 

 

 

Oh, no. How embarrassing. I wrote your name incorrectly. 

哎呀, 真不好意思.. 我把你的名字写得错了. 





This morning I got up very early and it was still dark; I couldn't see anything. 

今天早晨我起来得早, 天还很黑. 清楚. 



According to what that dentist said, you had better not drink hot soup. 

照哪个呀医说的最好别喝热汤 





Yesterday I invited a relative to have lobster at a famous restaurant. I didn't know there wasn't any money in my wallet until after we finished eating. It was really embarrassing. 

昨天我请亲戚到有名的饭馆馆去吃龍蝦. 我们吃完了才知道皮包里没有钱. 真不好意思. 





He first puts tea leaves into a cup, then pours in very hot water. This really is a special method of steeping tea. 

他放茶在一个杯字, 在到热水. 真是特别的法字. 





These clothes are too small. They don't fit. 
哪个衣服不好.不是合适 






I have a friend who always blames others only, never himself. 
有一个朋友总是 

(not sure how to finish this one)

[Nathan Mao]

Here's a 90% solution. I'm not guaranteeing every sentence is 100% correct, but they should be pretty close.

 

哎呀, 真不好意思.. 我把你的名字写得错了

哎呀, 真不好意思.. 我把你的名字写错了.

 

今天早晨我起来得早, 天还很黑. 清楚

今天早上我起得很早, 天还是黑了（or: 还没亮了)，什么都看不见.

explanation: if you use 天晨，to me that implies that it was so early it was before dawn, making the rest of the sentence somewhat unnecessary. Plus, 早晨 seems more 书面的...the people I'm around seem to use simpler speech when just talking, so that's why I go with 早上。

 

照哪个呀医说的最好别喝热汤

按照那位牙医说，最好别喝热汤

 

昨天我请亲戚到有名的饭馆馆去吃龍蝦. 我们吃完了才知道皮包里没有钱. 真不好意思.

昨天我请了家人去一个有名的饭馆吃龍蝦. 我们吃完时才发现（到）了皮包里没有钱. 真不好意思.（or: 真丢脸） explanation: I would not use 到， but it doesn't strike me as wrong.

 

他放茶在一个杯字, 在到热水. 真是特别的法字.

他把茶叶放在杯字里, 才倒了热水. 真是特别的做法（or: 作法，办法）

or:

他先把茶叶在杯字里, 再倒了热水. 真是特别的做法

or if you want to impress someone with your colloquial knowledge: 他把茶叶搁在杯字里, 才倒了热水. 真是特别的做法

explanation: watch your characters, 到 is wrong. Plus, this is a great opportunity to use the 把 pattern. For the most part, if you are talking about a sequence, you can use the 先。。。再。。。pattern. But I would use 才 because it does a better job emphasizing that you think it strange or unusual or worthy of note that he doesn't add hot water until after the tea leaves are in the glass.

 

哪个衣服不好.不是合适

这件（or: 套)衣服太小。 不合适！

or:

这件衣服太瘦，穿不了了！

You have used 哪 wrong twice...either be more careful or review what it means. It is a question word, "Which?"

 

I have a friend who always blames others only, never himself.

 

Many ways to say this, with subtle differences:

我有个朋友，他总是（责）怪别人，从来没有（责）怪自己

or:

这个朋友老怪别人，不愿意承认自己的错

or:

这位好哥们儿太爱怪别人，不肯考虑自个儿哪不对

[Demonic_Duck]

My attempt:

• 哎呀， 真不好意思。我把你的名字写得错了。
• 今天早上我起来得早，天还很黑。我什么都看不见。
• 根据那个牙医说的，最好别喝热汤。
• 昨天我请了一个亲戚在一家有名的饭馆馆去吃龙虾。 (龍蝦 is correct, but it’s traditional characters. Using it here is a bit like writing in American English and suddenly switching to British spelling.) 我们吃完了以后才发现了钱包里没有钱。真丢脸啊！
• 他先把茶叶放茶在一个杯子里，再倒热水。真是一个很特别的方法。 (I’m not quite sure what makes this method so special, it sounds like how most people make tea to me, but I guess this is just a grammar translation exercise anyway.)
• 这件/这些衣服太小了。我都穿不上 。 (件 is for one item of clothing, 些 would make it into “these clothes”.)
• 我有一个朋友总是怪别人的朋友，他/她从来不会承认自己的错误。

General comments:

• Overall it seems you've made a decent stab at these, although some of them contained unfinished sentences.
• You should use Chinese punctuation when you're writing Chinese.
• Be careful of which characters you're using, e.g. 牙医、倒（热）水、杯子

Any other questions about how I've corrected the sentences, let me know.

[陳德聰]

While I agree overall with most of the corrections in #3, I'm gonna just use #2's as the basis for mine since there are a few minor issues:

 

今天早上我起得很早, 天还是黑的*，什么都看不见.
*(no 了, especially after 没)
 

按照那位牙医说的，最好别喝热汤
(after 按照, you'll need the 的, but with 据 you don't)

我们吃完了*才发现**皮包里没有钱
*(no need to say 以后 since the 了 already means that whatever happens in the rest of the sentence happens afterward)
**(no 了, 到 is possible but a bit cumbersome and I find it redundant)

他(先)把茶叶放在杯子里, 再倒*热水. 真是一个很特别的做法
*(agree with #3, no 了 here; the action is habitual not completed)

这些衣服太小了, 不适合我*
*(穿不了seems a bit exaggerated to me, though customers sometimes say it in the store that I work at, I generally want to box their ears when they do)

我有一个朋友，总是怪别人，而自己从不认错
I am not a huge fan of the extended relative clause solution and quite like this one.

[Kenny同志]

According to what that dentist said, you had better not drink hot soup. 

照哪个呀医说的最好别喝热汤

 

Consider 照那位牙醫所說，你最好別喝熱燙. But it’s perfectly acceptable to say 醫生說，你（現在）最好別喝熱燙.

 

 

These clothes are too small. They don't fit. 

哪个衣服不好.不是合适

 

Consider 這些衣服太小了，不合身.

[Nathan Mao]

@the original poster

It should probably also be pointed out that one aspect that impacts how your sentences can be corrected and/or improved is the context that you want to use it.

 

You are going to be a lot less formal in the words/grammar you choose to say something to a friend than if you were writing it in a letter to your boss who is considering firing you.  Or perhaps formality isn't the right way to think of it...there are many things we say every day in our own language that would be marked wrong by an English teacher, but are still correct because it just how people say it.

Some people over-exaggerate.  Some people understate. Neither is incorrect.

 

Be sure to listen to what you hear native speakers say in movies, in books, in conversations you are taking part in.  You'll get closer and closer to "acceptable" the more you practice, and then from "acceptable" you will continue to improve until you can adjust your speech to one of several correct options, depending on who you are talking to, and why, and what you want to emphasize or minimize.

 

What I'm trying to say is: Book Chinese is only an intermediate step on the road to mastery.

[Nathan Mao]

Also, thanks for the corrections on my suggestions.  I see how and why you made those changes, and it helps. Thanks.

[Rowan]

Thanks so much for all the help guys, I haven't had time to actually read this all yet, but didn't want to seem ungrateful by not even replying for like four days, hah. 

 

@ Nathan Mao, Thanks. That's the exact advice I would be giving to someone else. I'm only trying to get these sentences just right for the homework I am supposed to turn in, I know that the real key to advancing is just endless exposure. Chinese for me is very on the side, it's just a class in college. French will probably be the main thing in my life for a good few years to come, but after that Chinese is what I'm really interested in.

[Demonic_Duck]

...wait, this is for homework? I always thought that the whole point of homework is that you put in your own effort and the teacher provides corrections and explanations...

[Nathan Mao]

@Demonic Duck,

I used to think that way, but it was clear that I was in the minority (or sole individual), so I think that ship has sailed, never to return.

[Rowan]

 

...wait, this is for homework? I always thought that the whole point of homework is that you put in your own effort and the teacher provides corrections and explanations...

I don't know if this is a jab against me or my teacher, but I did put in my own effort and the teacher does provide corrections and explanations, but only during class time and personally I find help from enthusiastic learners on the internet much more detailed and useful than the help I would get from being just one student in a one hour class full of other students. Personally I've never understood the entire concept of graded homework to begin with, how you score on a well designed exam is what your grade should be based on, but I digress.

[Rowan]

So these are my implemented corrections. I had a few questions:

 

1. 哎呀, 真不好意思.. 我把你的名字写得错了. 

 

哎呀， 真不好意思。我把你的名字写错了。

 

 

2. 今天早晨我起来得早, 天还很黑. 清楚. 

 

今天早上我起得很早, 天还是黑的*，什么都看不见.

 

I"m wondering what the effect is of leaving off 来 in 起来? In my book it presents 起来 together as one entity meaning to get up from bed.

 

 

3. 照哪个呀医说的最好别喝热汤 

 

按照那位牙医说的，最好别喝热汤

 

Here I'm wondering if the first character is mandatory and what effect it has as opposed to just 照? So far I have only learned 照.

 

 

4. 昨天我请亲戚到有名的饭馆馆去吃龍蝦. 我们吃完了才知道皮包里没有钱. 真不好意思. 

 

昨天我请了一个亲戚在一家有名的饭馆馆去吃龙虾。我们吃完了才发现钱包里没有钱。真不好意思！　　

 

 

5. 他放茶在一个杯字, 在到热水. 真是特别的法字. 

 

他把茶叶放茶在一个杯子里，再倒热水。真是一个很特别的方法。

 

 

６．　哪个衣服不好.不是合适 

 

这件/这些衣服太小了。我都穿不上 。

 

I'm not sure I follow how the second sentence here translates into clothes not fitting?　Is the sense of adding 不 here that the clothes cannot be put on (and the implication is that it's because they don't fit) as opposed to putting 没 which would mean "I didn't put them on"? The other suggestion was 不适合我 which seems more direct to me. (Can 合适 just be inversed to 适合?)

[dwq]

If I'm not mistaken, "you had better not" is a rather strong expression (there is an implied "or else bad things happen"), closer to "you shouldn't do it at all" than "I advise you not to do it".  In that case I think 你不應該 is more suitable than 你最好别。

 

If you want to emphasise "very hot water", you can use 非常熱的水 or 沸水 (boiling water) instead of just 熱水 (hot water).

 

You left out "of steeping tea" in your translation.

[Vivi MENG]

 

2. 今天早晨我起来得早, 天还很黑. 清楚. 

 

今天早上我起得很早, 天还是黑的*，什么都看不见.

 

I"m wondering what the effect is of leaving off 来 in 起来? In my book it presents 起来 together as one entity meaning to get up from bed.

 

起来 is more complete and written Chinese, 起 is more oral I think. Don't take the 起来 as wrong. Your book is right.

 

 

3. 照哪个呀医说的最好别喝热汤 

 

按照那位牙医说的，最好别喝热汤

 

Here I'm wondering if the first character is mandatory and what effect it has as opposed to just 照? So far I have only learned 照.

照 here is totally fine I think.

 

 

６．　哪个衣服不好.不是合适 

 

这件/这些衣服太小了。我都穿不上 。

 

I'm not sure I follow how the second sentence here translates into clothes not fitting?　Is the sense of adding 不 here that the clothes cannot be put on (and the implication is that it's because they don't fit) as opposed to putting 没 which would mean "I didn't put them on"? The other suggestion was 不适合我 which seems more direct to me. (Can 合适 just be inversed to 适合?)

The best here I think is 它们不合身。 合身 is exactly the word means the CLOTHES are FIT to the body. 合适 can be generally used on everything. 

 

BTW， just to remind you that the period or the full stop in Chinese is a circle like this “。” 细节也很重要 ：）

[Nathan Mao]

Mea Culpa.

 

I guess I should have checked with my wife before posting.

 

She helped me to understand that in giving instructions, you usually don't use 才.  She stopped short of saying "never", but she couldn't think of one.

 

However, I was correct that 才 can be used to clarify a sequence, that 才 emphasizes that one action must be completed before the next begins...but that it is usually in a description.  So it is strange to say, 你换衣服才做饭, because it sounds like a complaint (which is the "later than expected/desired" meaning of 才).  

 

But she said it was fine to say something like: 我老婆有强迫症，她总是换衣服才做饭。(my wife has obsessive compulsive disorder, she always changes her clothes before cooking)

or 我小孩儿真拧，每天晚上他给他小熊维尼布娃娃一个接吻才能成眠。(my son is so stubborn, he can't fall asleep unless he gives his Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal a kiss)

 

Of course, she wasn't standing over my shoulder telling me what to say as I wrote these this morning, so it is possible and even likely I've introduced some other minor grammatical or word choice errors.

 

Bottom line: 就/才 can be used to emphasize an ordered sequence, but in descriptive statements, not prescriptive.

 

My apologies if anyone was confused by my mistake.

[Demonic_Duck]

Re: getting up early: the reason I "corrected" 起来得早 to 起得早 is just because I feel it collocates better and sounds more natural. I guess 起来得早 isn't incorrect either. As for "to get out of bed", I've most commonly heard it as 起床 (again, not to say 起来 is incorrect for this).

 

Re: "these clothes don't fit": it looks like Vivi's 不合身 is the best translation. However, I don't think 不合适 or 不适合我 are good translations because they would normally be used to imply not suiting you (i.e. not your style). The difference between 合适 and 适合 is that 合适 is an adjective ("suitable") and 适合 a verb ("to suit"). 穿不上 or 穿不了 would mean I can't get them on (i.e. because they don't fit).

 

Many of my "corrections" were simply based on what feels natural to me. I'm not a native, just someone who's been learning Chinese for a couple of years. I've never taken much time to study grammar in a systematic way, so I base most of my decisions on how to phrase stuff on the input I get from everyday life.

[Vivi MENG]

re: mao

你是一个很认真的人，佩服你

[Nathan Mao]

When it comes to translation and/or understanding, two things I try to keep in mind:

- There are a thousand ways to say nearly any given concept, depending on what you want to emphasize, or sometimes even depending on an individual personality ("Why, this caviar is clearly chilled to 44.3 degrees, a full .2 degrees above my preference, that simply will not do!")

- Different regions have different ways of saying the same things (fascinating video here, before you even consider the UK and Australian alternatives), and different generations have different ways of saying the same things ("And she was, like, no way, and I'm all like, Yes way, and she was like, gag me with a spoon!")

 

So perfection is a worthwhile goal, but "perfection" itself will depend on who you are talking to, and never take anyone's word as the gospel truth.

Then again, one could point out that this attitude has led to my lack of perfection in grammar and word choice. So listen to me at your peril.

[Nathan Mao]

@Vivi Meng,

I have a desire to help, but really, really, really hate the idea of giving someone bad information.

 

There have been a number of times where I was led wrong by my teachers (example: an older Taiwan lady saying, "We never, ever, ever say "不想" because that means you have no brain and are dead!!" Took me years to overcome that misinformation...)

 

So I want to share what I understand because my phrasing or explanation may help make a point clear to someone...but I also feel compelled to try to understand when I get it wrong, and to acknowledge and correct so no one takes bad information to heart.

 

So maybe I'm 认真, maybe I'm 强迫症, or maybe I'm just 卖弄, 班门弄斧 and 画蛇添足.

 

I'm a little embarrassed when I get something wrong, but at least I learn something, and hopefully others do, too.

 

In any case, I am convinced my viewpoints have some indeterminate value, so I will continue to participate, even if clumsily.

[陳德聰]

Perhaps you can ask your wife about 差别~

Re: 合身 and 合适
合适 is more general than 合身, but still works in the context of clothing. 不适合我 is what I personally would say if I put on a jacket and I could zip it up and walk around in it, but the fit wasn't quite right. When I am fitting women into jackets at work, I notice that all three of these are used. Along with the above 穿不了/穿不上, but that one is for the jerk customers who are melodramatic and childish.

Re: 起得早 and 起来的早
I think there is a potential North-South preference distinction here, but I can't be 100% sure. I rarely say 起来得早, but I hear it often.

Re: 做X才做Y
It's weird to use this to express plain sequences of events. It does express a linear time relationship where Y comes after X, but it means "only after doing X, one does Y". The "only" part is what makes it weird for thinks like "He pours the water after he puts the tea leaves in."