Comments on: Lesson 021. I don’t feel well. Visit to a doctor. http://www.melnyks.com/lesson-twenty-one-i-dont-feel-well/ Learn Mandarin Chinese with theme-based, progressive and easy to follow lessons Tue, 13 May 2008 21:03:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Serge Melnyk http://www.melnyks.com/lesson-twenty-one-i-dont-feel-well/#comment-80 Tue, 13 Jun 2006 17:37:41 +0000 http://www.melnyks.com/lesson-twenty-one-i-dont-feel-well/#comment-80 Yes, zai4 is used in xian1.....ran2hou4 zai4.......and it means 'then'. You can also ommit the word ran2hou4: xian1......zai4...... Basically, Mandarin is based on northern Chinese dialects, so people from north-east of China, Beijing and some other northern provinces speak the dialect which is pure Mandarin, as this is their only dialect, they only speak Mandarin. People from Shanghai or Canton are bilingual. They are obliged to speak Mandarin and they also speak their own dialect. Some dialects are still quite similar to Mandarin, but some are not, like Cantonese, for example. So it depends. Shanghainese is easier to pick up if you are fluent in Mandarin and live in Shanghai for couple of years. Not sure about Cantonese though. I can understand some, but the language is very different from Mandarin, especially the Cantonese that they speak in Hongkong, so I'm not sure how long or how easy it can be. Yes, zai4 is used in xian1…..ran2hou4 zai4…….and it means ‘then’. You can also ommit the word ran2hou4: xian1……zai4……

Basically, Mandarin is based on northern Chinese dialects, so people from north-east of China, Beijing and some other northern provinces speak the dialect which is pure Mandarin, as this is their only dialect, they only speak Mandarin. People from Shanghai or Canton are bilingual. They are obliged to speak Mandarin and they also speak their own dialect.

Some dialects are still quite similar to Mandarin, but some are not, like Cantonese, for example. So it depends. Shanghainese is easier to pick up if you are fluent in Mandarin and live in Shanghai for couple of years. Not sure about Cantonese though. I can understand some, but the language is very different from Mandarin, especially the Cantonese that they speak in Hongkong, so I’m not sure how long or how easy it can be.

]]> by: claude http://www.melnyks.com/lesson-twenty-one-i-dont-feel-well/#comment-79 Tue, 13 Jun 2006 10:51:38 +0000 http://www.melnyks.com/lesson-twenty-one-i-dont-feel-well/#comment-79 Hello Serge I appreciate that in lesson 21 you left time between your sentences. Now we can repeat more easily Claude Hello Serge
I appreciate that in lesson 21 you left time between your sentences. Now we can repeat more easily
Claude

]]> by: Andrew http://www.melnyks.com/lesson-twenty-one-i-dont-feel-well/#comment-74 Sat, 10 Jun 2006 18:45:31 +0000 http://www.melnyks.com/lesson-twenty-one-i-dont-feel-well/#comment-74 Could you explain the use of zai4 when giving directions and telling events in sequence? Does it take the place of "then" or something? Also in what parts of China do they speak only mandarin, or close to mandarin? And if one has learned Mandarin fluently, how long does it take or how difficult is it to pick up Cantonese or Shanghainese? Could you explain the use of zai4 when giving directions and telling events in sequence? Does it take the place of “then” or something?
Also in what parts of China do they speak only mandarin, or close to mandarin?
And if one has learned Mandarin fluently, how long does it take or how difficult is it to pick up Cantonese or Shanghainese?

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