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Questions raised by a Chinese children story called 小猴下山 I was reading a children's story today called 小猴下山 and some questions have come up for me. 1: What does 他左挑右选 mean? Please can you break the sentence down for me, I was not able to work it out through the individual words. 2:What is the difference between 掰 and 摘? I saw 3 sentences 摘了一个最大红的桃子. 掰了一个大玉米 and 摘了个大西瓜。As far as I can see they both mean picked but what is the exact difference? 3:What is the difference between 扔 and 丢?. I saw them used in 他扔下桃子 and 又丢下西瓜。 Also in this line 他便扔下玉米, In this line I'm not sure why 便 is there? My understanding of 便 is that it means like simple or convenient which does not fit in this sentence. 4:Lastly the structure of this sentence is very confusing 抱在怀里走了. I thought to say carry in arms the verb was 怀抱 or simply 抱? I dont understand why it has been structured this way, it seems to have two verbs for carrying and two words for in. Please can you explain about how this sentence works please? As always Thank you for your time and help people!
Jun 20, 2010 12:05 AM
Answers · 6
3:What is the difference between 扔 and 丢?. I saw them used in 他扔下桃子 and 又丢下西瓜。 Also in this line 他便扔下玉米, In this line I'm not sure why 便 is there? My understanding of 便 is that it means like simple or convenient which does not fit in this sentence. ——1、“扔”“丢”, the same meaning, in Chinese, people always use different characters to express one meaning in one sentence to make the phrase/sentence neat, especially nouns, verbs, adj and adv. 2、“便”here is adv,means即;就 [as soon as] (一)便,bian4 1、adj便利,方便 [convenient; easy] 如:简便,便利,方便 2、n. 尿、屎 [excrement] 如:小便,大便,粪便 3、adv即;就 [as soon as] 猴子便扔下了西瓜。 (二)便,pian2,adj【Cheap】如,便宜 4:Lastly the structure of this sentence is very confusing 抱在怀里走了. I thought to say carry in arms the verb was 怀抱 or simply 抱? I dont understand why it has been structured this way, it seems to have two verbs for carrying and two words for in. Please can you explain about how this sentence works please? ——“怀”here is a nouns,like“bosom”or“chest”。“抱”is verb。 Here(抱v)(在怀里where)(走v)了。
June 21, 2010
1: What does 他左挑右选 mean? Please can you break the sentence down for me, I was not able to work it out through the individual words. ——“左右”here is not exactly “left and right”, it means “here and there”。“挑选”means select。“左挑右选”means he selected here and there。Another example,“东张西望”,“东西”means every direction,“张望”means look,“东张西望”means “he looks here and there”。“左挑右选”“东张西望”is called 成语(idiom),成语(idiom)always came from a small story and instead of a specific meaning and it is rarely what the characters’ meaning. 2:What is the difference between 掰 and 摘? I saw 3 sentences 摘了一个最大红的桃子. 掰了一个大玉米 and 摘了个大西瓜。As far as I can see they both mean picked but what is the exact difference? ——“掰”用手把东西分开或折断,the thing are one before or connected firmly, you need to use strength to break it off.“他把铅笔掰成两半”。“摘”pick,but you don’t need to use too much strength,+桃子,西瓜… By the way, in Chinese, people always use different characters to express one meaning in one sentence to make the phrase/sentence neat, especially nouns, verbs, adj and adv.
June 21, 2010
1. 左挑右选is a chinese idiom.左means left .右means right .in this sentence "左-右-"is a form of chinese idiom.there are lots of idioms like 左挑右选,such as 左拥右抱,左思右想 and so on. 挑and选 ,both means select or choose ..左挑右选means when you have many choices ,you need to think twice and select the best one. 2. 摘 and 掰 both means pick. The difference between them is that when you use the strength of your fingertips ,it's called 摘.When you use the strength of your wrist ,it's called 掰. 3. 扔 means throw or discard. 丢 has two meanings,means throw or drop ,and it also means lose. in this sentence ,扔 and 丢 both means throw. 便 has lots of use,here it is a preposition,means then. 他便扔下玉米means "then he throwed the corn." 4. 抱is a verb,means embrace or hold something with your arms . 怀抱is a noun,means chest or bosom. 怀抱can also be used as a verb ,and it has no difference with抱. Here 怀is a noun,means chest. 抱is a verb. means carry them in arms.
June 21, 2010
左means left.右means right! 挑and选means select or choose.左挑右选means choose for many times.The difference between掰and 摘is,When something is easy to pick ,we use 摘.When it's hard to pick ,we use 掰. 扔means throw,丢means lose.But in this sentence they are both means throw. The word便have the meaning of convenient.But in this sentence,it means 'then'.The meaning of the sentence is"then he throwed...." 抱is a verb,怀抱is a noun,means"chest".
June 20, 2010
These are typical Chinese writting, you can not translated it word for word, 左挑右选 is grouping together to form one meaning. 左 means right, and 右 means left. 挑 and 选 shoud be gouping together to means selection, but the writter seperated these two words to means selection. So, 挑 and 选 should means the same. Chinese scholars always using different ways to show off their writting skill. Here, the 左 (right) and the 右 (left) meaning opposite direction, following by the word selection that means unable to choose, because 左 (right) and 右 (left) is in opposite direction, but both right and left having the equal value. In short 左挑右选 means hard to choose from. 掰 and 摘, both means pick but the writter prefer to use different diction." 摘了一个最大红的桃子. 掰了一个大玉米" translated in English: picked one of the largest red peach and pick one large corn. 3. 扔 and 丢 means throw, two different diction 4. 抱 is a verb, to hold, surround. 抱在怀里走了 means hold or surround them to the chest then left
June 20, 2010
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