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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?
Hello Serge
I appreciate that in lesson 21 you left time between your sentences. Now we can repeat more easily
Claude
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.
Laoshi hao,
I was wondering about another word for pain, teng2. Is there a difference in usage between teng2 and tong4?
Xiexie ni.
Nihao Matthew,
teng2(疼) vs. tong4(痛) is mainly the regional difference. Teng2(疼) will be used more in Beijing or Northern China, and tong(痛) in Taiwan, Shanghai or Southern China. These two characters actually make a new word teng2tong4(疼痛)- pain (noun).
But separately, teng2(疼) and tong4(痛) both mean ‘to hurt’, to ‘feel pain'(verbs).
Hope this helps,
Best,
Serge