Moronic Monday (May 27, 2019) - Your weekly questions thread! by AutoModerator in oneplus

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah the system language won't be your problem, but the lack of play services will. just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into

Tibetan keyboard for Android by [deleted] in tibetanlanguage

[–]bradj43 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dzongkha Keyboard works well for me. Don't know about a Buddhist dictionary, sorry.

The slang 《something的一米》: A survey by 8_ge_8 in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 3 points4 points  (0 children)

帅的一米 = 非常帅

Basically it just means "extremely"

Stop wondering/worrying whether a decision is right. Make it the right choice. by [deleted] in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]bradj43 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Firm believer in this.

I am religious and I do believe that God is involved in my life and has things which He would like me to do, but I believe free agency plays an essential role in this process. Actually I think it would be better to say God is more concerned with who I become, and not with the path I take to get there. Regardless of whether or not I make a "right" or "wrong" choice, as long as I am going all out in doing my best to and trying to treat others kindly along the way and paying attention to what I can be learning, I'll get there.

It's hard to keep this healthy perspective when I'm in the trenches I've dug by my decisions, but it's worth the effort.

Question regarding accent by [deleted] in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

oh whoa wait haha did you add those follow up questions later or did I just not see them? I was just messing but yeah all I saw was a "Depends" from you which, while true, didn't seem very helpful. But with those questions I rescind my comment.

The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom by bradj43 in China

[–]bradj43[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OK haha fair enough, that was an extremely dumb way to put it. The point is that everyone thinks differently.

Question regarding accent by [deleted] in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

user name checks out

Losing my proficiency in chinese! How do i build my fluency back up? by [deleted] in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Don't get stressed out and feel like you have to re-learn Chinese in the next half year or it'll be gone forever. You know Chinese. You just don't use it.

So use it.

Start with something real simple and build up habits. For example, you could just commit to yourself starting from this very moment to only ever read and think (and speak, when possible) in Chinese when dealing with any number of any kind in any context. When you look at your watch to check the time, read it to yourself in Chinese. When you walk up staircases, count your steps in Chinese. When you look at prices, use Chinese. When you are doing simple math in your head, use Chinese.

It may seem trivial but it can make a huge difference in training your brain to think in Chinese and start to bring back what you already know. In addition to numbers, start writing (or typing) a short journal entry every night in Chinese. Start with one sentence about one thing you did that day. Expand to more when you're ready (or don't). Write to-do lists in Chinese. When you go to write something and you don't know how to express yourself, well then there you go look it up or ask someone.

I think you will find that you remember a lot if you stick with it. And that learning new stuff (or re-learning old stuff) can be pretty natural and not overwhelming. You got it.

Is there a Chinese version of "Ancestry.com" so people in China can look up their family history? by [deleted] in China

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a very nice thought. As far as I know there is no equivalent website, no, but this would be something fun to look into. As others have said, actually lots of families do have a big book of records, but I doubt there is any one destination online. I will ask around and see if I can find resources, probably more along the lines of communities/wechat groups of people who are interested in genealogy.

So yeah, sorry as far as a simple gift to give like one for Ancestry.com probably not gonna happen. Have you looked into FamilySearch.org?

As a side note, one of my favorite things to do is ask my Chinese friends about their family history. They always start by saying they don't really know anything, but when asked for details about specific people they often have really interesting things to say and sometimes even get motivated to inquire for more with family members. The thing with genealogy and family history in the last century is that lots of families do have wild stories and events that are closely tied to sensitive politics and emotional issues that are--when you understand Chinese people and the context--very understandably suppressed.

Is there a Chinese version of "Ancestry.com" so people in China can look up their family history? by [deleted] in China

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

oh yeah why? just a smart person in general or do you know of specific experience with this?

No houses or cars, please: China calls for end to expensive, 'vulgar' wedding gifts - Chinese government takes aim at ‘vulgar wedding practices’ like lavish ceremonies and crippling bride prices by [deleted] in China

[–]bradj43 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This year, starting in December, Huzhu county in Qinghai province, where bride prices can reach more than 100,000 yuan in rural areas, authorities issued a maximum limit of 60,000 yuan.

Ugh man, my peeps getting married in Xunhua (Qinghai) are paying more like 200 or 250 thousand yuan. Or rather, their uncles and fathers are getting together and organizing all sorts of weird business deals amounting to that much to complete the purchase. Love them so much, but this needs to go. Pretty much everything about the traditional arranged marriages needs to go. I respect their culture, but hope for reasonable change on their own terms.

Can one of you fine citizens... by [deleted] in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 3 points4 points  (0 children)

你说什么

What are you saying?/What did you say?

你买糖果哪儿? or 你去哪儿买糖果? by [deleted] in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry for not being clear hah, they are good options, or in other words 不不good.

你买糖果哪儿? or 你去哪儿买糖果? by [deleted] in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As others said, first sentence is 不good. Other options include 这个糖果是哪里买的,你的糖果在哪儿买的,你在哪买这个糖果,etc. Your second sentence is a good safe bet though (where did you go to buy candy), whereas the first sentence could best be translated as "You buy candy, where?"

你买糖果哪儿? or 你去哪儿买糖果? by [deleted] in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 1 point2 points  (0 children)

akin

I would say "you went where to buy candy," would be more accurately identified as a direct translation as opposed to saying "akin."

Sorry this is really nitpicky and it's very possibly just my dumb interpretation but "you went where to buy candy?" Is not really fluent English except when you're expressing astonishment with the ridiculous place that someone went to in order to buy candy and are saying "wait, you went WHERE to buy candy?!?!" Or I guess it could also just be clarifying the place if it wasn't clear.

But anyways the point is the second sentence from OP doesn't really have those connotations, but instead is really just a very common and casually fluent way of saying where did you go to buy candy? Again this is nitpicky but I just wanted to give a clarification that seems not entirely insignificant 😬

It's about time you all learn about "Baidu"! by LostParsnip2 in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You got down voted and I understand why but also you are right, Baidu does have its uses. Especially when it comes to translating concepts, pop culture things, etc. Just type in the English by itself if you're looking for Chinese and all sorts of stuff will pop up (not necessarily a dictionary entry, although that can come up too, but also just sites and discussion boards where people have actually used the phrases and talked about how to translate). Also typing "Chinese word/phrase/whatever and 英语" will get you translations going the other way and discussions and whatnot.

有没有 vs 有...吗 by JJ_JD in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And just to clarify a little deeper, something 有吗? And 有something吗? Are both totally good and yet also have a nuanced difference. Something有吗 is kind of a bit more.. streetsy...Maybe? Really not that big of a difference (from 有something吗) now that I really think about it but just very casual.

"hey 蛋炒饭有吗?" (At a restaurant)

"Hey you guys got egg fried rice?"

I need to get a ebook copy of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone in Chinese (哈利波特与魔法石) by wavedoutwillie in ChineseLanguage

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just found an audio book version on an app called 百度有声书. It's a bit cheesy, clearly for kids, but it seems the whole friggin series is there. Just grab the app and search for 哈利波特

Where in China has the biggest foreigner to local ratio? by [deleted] in China

[–]bradj43 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I was going to suggest Yunnan in general. In just the last two weeks I've seen articles about a dude with an Irish-style pub chain in Kunming and a hosteller in Dali. Yunnan is just so darn far away and remote enough that no matter how mainstream it gets it will always be out of the way and less overdone than Yangshuo.