Level 21 - Vocab in Context
37 Lessons
1
很 in Context
银行 in Context
3
长in Context
4
长大 in Context
5
长相 in Context
6
长得 in Context
7
衣服 in Context
8
说服 in Context
9
元 in Context
10
远 in Context
11
玩 in Context
12
好玩 in Context
13
公园 in Context
14
完 in Context
15
完美 in Context
16
BONUS: “How Does What" - Adverbs of Frequency
17
完全 in Context
18
BONUS: “How Does What" - Adverbs of Range
19
字 in Context
20
汉字 in Context
21
一定 in Context
22
决定 in Context
23
不一定 in Context
24
安全 in Context
25
寄 in Context
26
宝宝 in Context
27
比 in Context
28
比如 in Context
29
它 in Context
30
它们 in Context
31
一些 in Context
32
有些 in Context
33
这些 in Context
34
那些 in Context
35
能 in Context
36
能力 in Context
37
可能 in Context
Next Character
银行 in Context
CONGRATULATIONS!
A NEW WORD HAS BEEN UNLOCKED
银行
Usage 1 - "bank (yín háng)":
Sentence
马路对面有一家银行。
English:
There’s a bank across the street.
Top-Down Words:
马路 mǎlù - road
家 jiā - measure word for banks or businesses
Sentence
街道的银行关门没？
English:
Is this bank on this street closed?
Top-Down Words:
街道 jiēdào - street
*Sentence
这儿有一家银行。
English:
There is a bank here.
Top-Down Words:
家 jiā - measure word for shops, banks, etc.
*Sentence
所以他们还是会去银行。
English:
So they will still go to the bank.
Top-Down Words:
所以 suóyǐ - so, as a result
*Sentence
就在那家中国银行的后面。
English:
Just behind the Bank of China.
Top-Down Words:
家 jiā - measure word for shops, banks, etc.
后面 hòumiàn - behind
就 jiù - exactly, just
Need a Reminder?
The Six Steps to Learning Words
Understanding Chinese Words - Morphemes
Member Comments from 2019-mid-2020
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William Beeman
就在那家中国银行的后面。Is 那 necessary in this sentence, or can it be omitted? Or is 就在那 a kind of semantic unit? 就在那所学校的后面 . . . ?
Mandarin Blueprint
It means "that" so omitting it would change the sentence quite a bit. “就在那” is not a fixed phrase.
Gregory Paturau
I'm not sure I understand the use of ‘’没‘’ in this sentence: 街道的银行关门没？
I would think we would say: 街道的银行关门吗？
Thank you.Mandarin Blueprint
You can use 没 in the the same was as 吗 if you place it at the end of a yes or no question :).
Gregory Paturau
Wow so fast! Thank you guys! 加油 MB=）
MB Team
Here's the link to where Phil & Luke talked about this comment in the Mandarin Blueprint Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAQd1Kfgmow&t=1361s
Comments 6
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- Stroke Order Rule #9
- Stroke Order Rule #10
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PHASE 2 (Levels 7-12)
- Understanding Chinese Words - Morphemes
- The Six Steps to Learning Words
- 3 Questions About Words
- Top-Down & Bottom-Up Learning
Living Links Series
Word Structure Series
- Part 1 - What are Chinese Words?
- Part 2 - Verb-What 述宾式
- Part 3 - Verb-How 补充式
- Part 4 - Biased 偏正式
- Part 5 - Parallel 并列式
- Part 6 - Duplicated 重叠式
- Part 7 - Subject-Predicate 主谓式
- Part 8 - Affixed 附加式
PHASE 3 (Levels 13-20)
- The Basic Chinese Sentence
- Helper - Expressing Possession with 的
- Helper - When You Can Omit 的
- Helper - Completed Actions with 了
- Helper - Change of State with 了
- Helper - Present Actions with 着
- Connector - Saying 'But' with 但是 - 可是 - 不过
- Connector - Reasons & Actions with 因为..., 所以...
- Connector - Conditional "If-Then" Statements with 如果..., 就
- Connector - Conditional "If-Then" Statements with 要是...的话
- Connector - "Or" in Questions with 还是
- Connector - “Or" in Statements with 或/或者
- Relator - Using 为 to Express "For"
- Relator - Expressing "From" with 从
- Relator - Expressing Location with 在
- Special - Using 在 as a Verb
- Tone - Softening Tone of Voice with 呢
- “How Does What" - Adverbs of Denial
- “How Does What" - Adverbs of Degree
PHASE 4 (Levels 21-30)
Level 21
- Transferring Money by Smartphone or Bank
- Walk in the Park?! I Have 汉字 to Study!
- Who Determine's a Baby's Looks, Mom or Dad?
Level 22
- How Many Pages of the Book Have You Read?
- Many People Don't Want to Have Babies
- My Girlfriend Can Really Eat!
- What Do You Like to Do?
- What Method Works for Learning Chinese?
Level 23
- Eating Bread
- I Met My Girlfriend in the Park
- Something is Different About My Dog Lately
- The Older Brother is Better Than the Younger Brother
- The Right and Left Side of the Office
- Three Meals a Day
Level 24
- Annoying People
- Breaking Up at the End of the Date
- Going on a Date
- My Two Friends and I
- Overtime at Work
- Red Packets
- Two People in a Relationship
Level 25
- I Want to Find a Boyfriend Too
- My Dad and I
- My Dog Chouchou
- The Big Changes of China
- The Weather is Great, Let's Go to the Park!
- Xiaomei and Her Boyfriend's Day
Level 26
Level 27
- American Journalist Studies Chinese in China
- Can I Still Learn Chinese Anymore?
- Should I Change?
- Children and Their Parents
- Foreigner's Opinion of China
- What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
Level 28
- Daughter & Mother
- Son's Eighth Birthday
- Study, Work & Life
- What's More Important, Looks, or Ability?
Level 29
- Advertisements
- Buying Tickets at Chinese New Year
- Everybody Restaurant
- How Does One Progress
- Son is Out of Control
Level 30
- Cars, Bicycles & Trains
- Potatoes & Beef
- Two Ladies Compare Who's Got it Better
- Young People Raising Cats and Dogs
Phase 4 Grammar Points
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Katariina Erkas
Is 那家 in "就在那家中国银行的后面。" attached to 中国银行 ("Just behind that building, the Bank of China") or is it itself the thing that is just behind the Bank of China?
Mandarin Blueprint
家 is a measure word for Banks, restaurants, etc.
MB Team
This is where Luke and Phil talked about your question in the Mandarin Blueprint Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5u5g-VtJo8&t=3020s
Keith Travis
When I translate Chinese to English, I find myself inadvertently attempting to preserve or interject English gramma.
And often, I find that I get myself tangled up.
However, It does seem as though English grammar can be preserved although it often requires rather unusual English grammar structure; albeit nevertheless still valid English grammar.
My question is: do you find it counterproductive in the long run to maintain as much English grammar as possible in the translation of sentences to English? Are there grammar structures in Chinese which simply don't translate to English grammar?
Let me give as examples the five sentences from this passage.
I will give the Chinese, then your English translation which reforms the meaning to a most simple and common English Grammar, and then my translation which - though making use of a more unusual English Grammar that molds directly onto each word - still appears to work just fine.
马路对面有一家银行。
MB - There’s a bank across the street.
KT - (on the) street('s) other side there's a (unit of) Bank.
alt - The street's other side has a bank.
街道的银行关门没？
MB - Is this bank on this street closed?
KT - (is this) street's bank closed?
这儿有一家银行
MB - There is a bank here
KT - Here is a (one unit of) bank.
-- Pretty much the same
所以他们还是会去银行
MB - So they 'will' still go to the bank
KT - So they still 'can' go to the bank.
-- Distinct difference in meaning here between 'will go' and 'can go'. Did I mistranslate that outright or are both interpretations valid?
就在那家中国银行的后面
MB - Just behind the Bank of China
KT - Just at the China Bank's rear.
Are my translations problematic?
Mandarin Blueprint
You Said:
"所以他们还是会去银行
MB - So they 'will' still go to the bank
KT - So they still 'can' go to the bank.
-- Distinct difference in meaning here between 'will go' and 'can go'. Did I mistranslate that outright or are both interpretations valid?"
No, in this case, 会 does not mean "can," because when 会 means "can," it means it in the sense of "I can speak Chinese" or "I can program computers." It refers to the ability to do something through a process of learning. In this context, it clearly doesn't have to do with ability, so therefore it's the meaning of "will."
Overall, the process of doing more direct translations can be a useful practice, but I wouldn't get too caught up in it. In the long run, you won't be translating on the fly as it will slow you down. The connection between Chinese and meaning will be direct, and it's in that direct headspace where you will acquire language most efficiently. Again, in these early days, it's a decent way to "go on a date with Chinese and get to know it," but you'll likely lose this habit and that's to be encouraged.
Keith Travis
Ahh....thank you. I think I'll discontinue the habit for now as I had plenty of practice across the next few lessons to give it a try. I see what you mean by 'direct in the headspace on the fly' although it may seem awkward for the time being. Awkward like a blind date for now I suppose.