Frequently used, but many meanings

[phoneticsem]

I have very frequently used words like

 

着 

 

zhe (or zháo, zhuó, zhāo) : 4 pronunciations

 

9 meanings. if you go to another dictionary few more meanings?

1 to touch
2 to come in contact with
3 to feel
4 to be affected by
5 to catch fire
6 to burn
7 (coll.) to fall asleep
8 (after a verb) hitting the mark
9 succeeding in

 

How do you manage these words?
 

[889]

一。

[大块头]

Most dictionaries are written with the goal of including every single possible way a word can be used, including instances where a longer word (睡着、着火) can be split up or abbreviated. Once you've attained some basic fluency, the best way to get a sense of the most common usages for each word is lots of reading. Comparing the entries for a word across several good dictionaries is another way of figuring out what the most common usages are. The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (on Pleco) is particularly good about telling you if a listed meaning for a character is for that character used in isolation or as part of some longer "bound form". If you're just starting out, the Tuttle Learner's dictionary (also on Pleco) is good about only listing the most common usages.

 

If you're making flashcards, you need to simplify the information from multiple dictionaries down to the essence of how each word is most commonly used. Drilling yourself on a particular meaning that a character takes on only when it appears as part of a some rare chengyu is a waste of time.

 

[Moshen]

Quote

Once you've attained some basic fluency, the best way to get a sense of the most common usages for each word is lots of reading.

 

I totally agree with this.  But from his/her posts it seems like phoneticsem is trying to learn words apart from their context and before becoming anything like fluent.  Maybe it works for him/her - if so, great.  But it's not a learning strategy I would recommend.

[phoneticsem]

On 6/15/2022 at 10:01 PM, 大块头 said:

Once you've attained some basic fluency, the best way to get a sense of the most common usages for each word is lots of reading.

Thanks for sharing your flashcard. I can remember now that creating flash cards and it’s pronunciation and meaning against each pronunciation. Coming to meaning, write down one most suitable meaning as per the context and keep revising it..

[abcdefg]

On 6/14/2022 at 8:54 PM, phoneticsem said:

How do you manage these words?

By becoming a master of context. Context is King. Memorizing a word list is never the best way to acquire a useable knowledge of a language. If you goal is solving crossword puzzles, maybe. All else requires a broader approach. 

 

 

[phoneticsem]

@Moshen @abcdefg  I tried with context and without context ( in the sense some radicals  + some frequently used words + some words before entering to the context. I do not think you can assume these Radicals, frequently used words as without context.Some words which I learnt before reading the lesson, that might be out of context before reading the lesson not after reading the lesson. Even some of them before reading lesson, I am able to connect without context, some of them learnt with context as these words are mostly major characters of the composition or repeated many times and some words could not remember even after context as they are once a while used and not frequently. But the main thing is first 2000-3000 words you must by heart or you should not forget them, even when you wake up from deep sleep, you should know. that revision is imp. And overall how you connect in your mind is imp as some of chinese characters are pictograms)

 

https://www.chinese-forums.com/forums/topic/62083-astounding-results-with-vocabularycontextgroupingrevision/

[Moshen]

Quote

But the main thing is first 2000-3000 words you must by heart or you should not forget them, even when you wake up from deep sleep, you should know.

 

Yes, I know, you keep emphasizing this.  But I want others to realize that this is not the only way to learn a language.  It was not the approach I used to initially learn Chinese, not by a long shot.  I never sat down and memorized or drilled on vocabulary.  Not once!  I learned by using the language, in dialogues and in conversation.

 

Your method is a method you have chosen, not a "must" for anyone else.

[abcdefg]

On 6/16/2022 at 6:16 PM, Moshen said:

Your method is a method you have chosen, not a "must" for anyone else.

 

Very true!  

[phoneticsem]

On 6/17/2022 at 7:16 AM, Moshen said:

I learned by using the language, in dialogues and in conversation.

 

Might be dialogue based approach worked for you at some stage of learnings, but no guarantee that it works at all stages. you have to review your methodology at regular intervals and keep learning.

 

Is it right to say, you drilled and memorised sentences rather than learning the components? what about reading and writing?

 

My goal is to read the passages and understand and write answers for those composition questions . I do not need to speak.

 

But whatever methodology, we should keep learning that is must.  go with what is working and eliminate what is not working

[phoneticsem]

On 6/16/2022 at 8:43 PM, abcdefg said:

Context is King. Memorizing a word list is never the best way to acquire a useable knowledge of a language.

 

Agree Context is King.

But Vocabulary is King of Kings or Kingdom or Queen or Prince ? 

 

If you know vocabulary, you understand the meaning and apply it in that context. If you do not know vocabulary, you will not reach to the context itself.

 

I am learning below sentence, tell me vocabulary is more important or Context? how?

 

看到大叔在那里讲个不停,我真想上前向大叔说明一切,但又担心别 人说我多管闲事.

 

停 tíng stop

上前 shàng qián to step forward

一切 yīqié everything 

担⧸耽心 dānxīn worry

多管闲事 duōguǎnxiánshì meddling in other people’s business

 

 

[suMMit]

On 6/19/2022 at 10:31 AM, phoneticsem said:

I am learning below sentence, tell me vocabulary is more important or Context? how?

For me, a random sentence is not as memorable as a sentence in a 课文，story, article, tv show. I like stuff with just a few new words. That way I am reviewing stuff I've already learned and adding a bit of new stuff and its entertaining and memorable. Just learning random words or random sentences is not for me. I don't know anything about radicals either. 

[phoneticsem]

@suMMitthe above is not a random sentence. The vocabulary is from this composition, not Random as well. 

 

They are from this Story

 

凡事不能单看表面,否则会让人做出错误的判断,还可能引起误会。我和太太日前到一家自助火锅店用餐时,便目睹了因错误判断而引起的误会。

当时,坐在我不远处的两名男子享用完一桌子食物后,双双离开位子。火锅店的员工走过来,看到桌子空无一人,断定客人已离开。他快速 地收拾了锅与盘,也把桌子抹得干干净净。

实际上,那两名男子只是暂时离开,到食材区“扫货”。当他们捧着 两大盘食物,再度回到座位时,发现锅被收走,顿时愣住了。两人面面相 觑,虽然有些不快,却忍住了怒气。我从他们的眼中看出了无奈。两人商量后,决定把食物放回食材区。

不料,这一幕被邻桌一名大叔看到了。他以为这两个人为了避免被 “罚款”,而偷偷将吃不完的食物放回食材区。因此他有些愤愤不平,不 断向朋友抱怨那两个人不讲卫生。

看到大叔在那里讲个不停,我真想上前向大叔说明一切,但又担心别 人说我多管闲事。就在我犹豫不决的时候,大叔越讲越激动,甚至要向火 锅店职员投诉。我想:那两名男子明明吃了亏,却还被人误会不讲卫生, 岂不是饱受委屈?想到这里,我鼓起勇气上前解释。听了我的解释,大叔 终于明白事情的来龙去脉。他虽然显得尴尬,但总算消了气。

事后我再三思量,或许自己也做了一个错误的判断。当大叔开始向朋 友抱怨时,我选择置身事外,觉得只是两个人私下的批评,没想到却引发 了之后的误会。或许,我一开始就应该开口解释,即使被认为多事,也总 比尴尬收场要好。

 

 

[suMMit]

On 6/19/2022 at 12:39 PM, phoneticsem said:

They are from this Story

 

凡事不能单看表面,否则会让人做出错误的判断,还可能引起误会。我和太太日前到一家自助火锅店用餐时,便目睹了因错误判断而引起的误会。

当时,坐在我不远处的两名男子享用完一桌子食物后,双双离开位子。火锅店的员工走过来,看到桌子空无一人,断定客人已离开。他快速 地收拾了锅与盘,也把桌子抹得干干净净。

实际上,那两名男子只是暂时离开,到食材区“扫货”。当他们捧着 两大盘食物,再度回到座位时,发现锅被收走,顿时愣住了。两人面面相 觑,虽然有些不快,却忍住了怒气。我从他们的眼中看出了无奈。两人商量后,决定把食物放回食材区。

不料,这一幕被邻桌一名大叔看到了。他以为这两个人为了避免被 “罚款”,而偷偷将吃不完的食物放回食材区。因此他有些愤愤不平,不 断向朋友抱怨那两个人不讲卫生。

看到大叔在那里讲个不停,我真想上前向大叔说明一切,但又担心别 人说我多管闲事。就在我犹豫不决的时候,大叔越讲越激动,甚至要向火 锅店职员投诉。我想:那两名男子明明吃了亏,却还被人误会不讲卫生, 岂不是饱受委屈?想到这里,我鼓起勇气上前解释。听了我的解释,大叔 终于明白事情的来龙去脉。他虽然显得尴尬,但总算消了气。

事后我再三思量,或许自己也做了一个错误的判断。当大叔开始向朋 友抱怨时,我选择置身事外,觉得只是两个人私下的批评,没想到却引发 了之后的误会。或许,我一开始就应该开口解释,即使被认为多事,也总 比尴尬收场要好。

 

My personal feeling is that if I was a Chinese teacher, I would not assign this text to a student who can't yet remember and easily use 放. This text seems a bit too far above that level.

[phoneticsem]

It was already assigned and that is goal.  Going back to easier text is not the option. that was ruled out. Only learn which are not clear and proceed. 

 

Just take this case, there is only HSK and without any sub level. Like TOEFL for English.I am not writing HSK exams. As there will be gaps in learning, I will post them here, to know other’s view on those gaps