We've thrown a few difficult elementary lessons at you recently, so in this lesson we slow things down a bit. If you've just emerged from our Absolute Beginner level and are hitting the panic button at what is considered elementary Chinese hereabouts, this lesson is for you. It's dead easy, except for one line which... well... let's not spoil the fun. Just join Brendan and Echo and we hope to see you intact on the other side.
jeffro73
 said on
August 2, 2010
That was fun. Thanks.
benchannevy
 said on
August 3, 2010
真有意思
jolleycraig
 said on
August 4, 2010
Is there a mistake on the vocab page for this lesson? It looks to me like you have "not to be able to think through" as "dǎ bu tōng" when it should be "xiang bu tōng". At least that's what it sounded like in the podcast.
Elementary
 said on
August 4, 2010
@jolleycraig,

Thanks for the heads up. It was definitely a typo. Fixed.

ms988
 said on
August 5, 2010
What is the reason for including the 了 in 该付费了?
Intermediate
 said on
August 5, 2010
@ms988,

"了"在这里面是一个语气助词，经常跟在动作的后面加强语气，是一种习惯性的用法。比如我们会说“该去吃饭了”“快要开始了”等等。

ms988
 said on
August 5, 2010
谢谢!
rizzo
 said on
August 6, 2010
Speaking of telephone usage, I think a great lesson plot could involve the making of a crank call. As my username might hint at, I think prank calls are fertile ground for hilarity. Could be off-the-hoook.

maxiewawa
 said on
August 6, 2010
I am with Rizzo, but think that a better idea would be to have an ACTUAL crank call, rather than a scripted dialog of one.
Elementary
 said on
August 6, 2010
@maxiewawa - what was your number again anyway? :)

--dave
ma1942
 said on
January 8, 2013
@Echo,

is bùtōng used with certain verbs and bùliǎo with most verbs

or both interchangeable at any time ?

if i want to say 'seems it's useless' is it ? hǎoxiàng yòng bùliǎo or bùtōng
Echo
 said on
January 8, 2013
@ma1942,

Yes, bùtōng is used with certain verbs, like something you can get through. Like 想不通，说不通 etc.

Bùliǎo is more commonly used, with pretty much all the verbs that you are unable to implement or finish. So only hǎoxiàng yòng bùliǎo is correct.

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com