字.

  • 九月 / 07 / 2010

    鼓励

    gǔlì - encourage

    Another Smart.fm word as I have started studying again. I picked it today as I think I may have finally learnt it, but also because lots of encouraging things have happened recently, especially with regards to my blog. It has inspired me to try to write more things and tidy it up. The below sentence is from dict.cn. I picked it purely because it contains my name.

    我的英文老师彼得总是鼓励我们要好好用功。
    Peter, my English teacher, never fails to encourage us to study hard.

  • 九月 / 06 / 2010

    盗

    dào - steal

    I came across this word today in a Popup Chinese discussion about the film, Inception. I didn't understand much of the dialogue, but I could understand all but one word of the name of the film: 盗梦空间 (lit. Steal dream space). I'm surprised that 盗 hasn't turned up on my Smart.fm yet.

    法律禁止盗窃。
    The law forbids stealing.

  • 九月 / 05 / 2010

    书柜

    shūguì - bookcase

    Another domestic word from my parents' visit. Today, I bought a new, larger bookcase. We did also do more interesting things, namely visit Mount Edgecumbe. I particularly like the character 柜, because if you take away the 木 radical, it looks a bit like a what it describes. The only other character I can think of that does this is 伞, umbrella.

    我今天买了一个书柜。
    Today, I bought a bookcase.

  • 九月 / 04 / 2010

    家具

    jiājù - furniture

    My parents and I spent this morning rearranging the furniture in my flat. The main result was that my flat is a big mess, but it should be better in the long run. 家具 is a very handy word, I'm surprised that I hadn't not learnt it before. It literally means 'house tool'. I picked the sentence below because all the furniture in my flat is old and dilapidated. I wish I could throw most of it out.

    咱们把这件老掉牙的旧家具扔掉吧。
    Let's get rid of this old furniture.

  • 九月 / 03 / 2010

    钥

    yào - key

    My parents got me a new set of keys cut today. They also got me a couple of cool side lamps and loads of new bulbs. 钥匙 is a Smart.fm word, so I have learnt it before.

    别忘了还我钥匙。
    Don't forget to return my keys.

  • 九月 / 02 / 2010

    父母

    fùmǔ - parents

    My parents are here to stay for a long weekend.

    我父母在那里。
    My parents are here.

  • 九月 / 01 / 2010

    净

    jìng - clean; completely

    My parents are coming to stay tomorrow, so I spent some time cleaning the flat. I only realised when looking up this word, that it's not the jìng of 安静. However, it is in a compound meaning 'quiet', 清净.

    他把地板打扫干净。
    He swept the floor clean.

  • 八月 / 31 / 2010

    痒

    yǎng - itch, tickle

    The bites on my legs have been very itchy all day.

    你被蚊子咬的地方还在痒吗？
    Are your mosquito bites still itching?

  • 八月 / 28 / 2010

    重逢

    chóngféng - meet again, reunion

    I met up with people from my old lab in Oxford, including a couple who just happened to be in Oxford this weekend. It was really good to see them again. This word is a good use of 重 to mean 'again'.

    他们重逢时，喝醉了。
    When they reunited, they got drunk.

  • 八月 / 27 / 2010

    坦率

    tǎnshuài - frank, blunt

    I learnt this word today because it appears in a famous English-language movie quote:

    坦率地说，亲爱的，我一点也不在乎。
    Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.

    More translated quotes can be found here.