Miri
how do you know to use the whole word or the half? I'll be writing in pinyin, I hope it's ok: examples to what I mean in my question: how do you know to use zhi or zhishi for only: 只是 or 只 xuexi for study or xue: 学习 or 学 louceng for floor or just lou or just ceng: 楼层 or 楼 or 层 haoji for several or just ji 好几 or 几 I see sentences that all of those and I don't see the distinction, or a reason. is there a rule there? Thanks a lot!!!
Dec 2, 2017 5:32 PM
Answers · 4
1
yah they could mean something different, and it can be tricky in 古文 (classical Chinese) 1. 只、只是: 他只是在圖書館看書。 He just studies in the library. 他只在圖書館看書。 He studies only in the library. 2. 學、學習:學習 could just mean learning, then it is a noun; 學 could be followed by object 學習是快樂的。 Learning is delightful. 學跳舞是快樂的。 Learning dancing is fun. 3. 樓、樓層: 你住(第)幾樓? What floor do you live? 你住第幾樓層? (...well it's understandable) 4. 幾個、幾 "幾個" can be a question already, = how many I could only think of some examples~
December 3, 2017
1
It's a good question. Usually a longer version of the word is used for disambiguation, either for meaning or for homophones. 學(xue) has very few homophones, and very few "other meanings" out of context, it almost always means "to learn/study" and has very few homophones that need disambiguation. So you almost never hear 學習 in real life (i usually only see it in textbooks) .
December 3, 2017
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