Revenge is a dish best served cold, and without any incriminating evidence linking you to the crime. That's why the heads of major criminal syndicates have to be a bit circumspect in making certain requests, and it's why we return to our mob series today with an update on the dealings of the Beijing demi-monde. In this episode, join us as our mob boss is seized with a terrible hunger which can be sated only through violence.Our dialogue today is on the easier side for an Intermediate lesson, but don't be deceived. We have some non-obvious and non-trivial grammar tucked away here that you really need to know. So listen in and soon you'll be adept at turning adjectives into verbs, and at asking for people's heads on plates. But only figuratively, of course.
paglino9
said on April 1, 2009
@Echo
我特别喜欢了你说的时候”两瓶儿!
实在是我今天最高兴的事
Represent the 北京话儿！
Maybe the criminal should have asked for an ice cold bottle of 燕京啤酒
Echo
said on April 1, 2009
@小虎，
哈哈，谢谢！
大家喜欢我们的podcasts，就是我最高兴的事儿 :)
I'd prefer 燕京纯生 :P
--Echo
echo@popupchinese.com
kramhughes
said on November 8, 2017
I'm still not totally clear about the reduplicated adjective / reduplicated verb points.1. What difference in meaning does 開開心心 have to 開心? To me it sounds cuter, like child speech, and also clearer as in easier to understand.2. In the example 讓奶奶開心開心，isn't that still an adjective? ...to make her feel happy? However, the points do make sense with the other examples.
trevelyan
said on November 17, 2017
You'll run into this in other lessons at the intermediate level, but one of the more advantage grammar points we try to drill in is that in Chinese the dividing line between adjectives and verbs is murky. And it gets murkier the closer you look.In practice -- yes! 開開心心 sounds more juvenile and cute. 開心開心 is OK too. But what is the difference? Well... the real answer is that intellectualizing this stuff and assuming there is a rational distinction is the real problem because -- as with English -- what people consider acceptable is governed by practice and usage not by some sort of strict linguistic formalism. Rather than trying to learn the intellectual rules you should really just run with it and see what works.With that said, if you hear it in our podcasts, you can use it no problem. When something is regional or just bizarre or wrong (and sometimes the speakers in our dialogues muss up) we flag it.
