We should have a special show called "Total Request Live" which will be much like MTV's video request show except with less sex and more conversational mandarin. In any event, that's what we're getting today as we're pleased to publish a Chinese lesson on a topic that's been requested by you guys: the basics of asking for directions in Chinese. The mandarin to do this is actually fairly simple, but our dialogue moves quickly so we're publishing this at the elementary rather than absolute beginner level.Note: think we're missing something you've got a burning desire to know? If there's a topic you'd like to see us cover, please let us know either by leaving a suggestion in our comment section below, or reaching out to us by email at service@popupchinese.com. We promise to treat you with more civility than the befuddled tourist in today's podcast.
Xiao Hu
said on December 15, 2011
@Trevelyan,So how about making Popup Request Live a permanent fixture of Popup Chinese? Kind of like 请问 except with Popup coolness.
trevelyan
said on December 15, 2011
Sure, we can do it if people want to write in with suggestions or requests. Anyone interested best to write Echo at echo@popupchinese.com.
tomnunlist
said on December 16, 2011
有问题："右转＂和 "往右拐" 怎么不一样？什么是最地道？
Xiao Hu
said on December 16, 2011
@Tomnunlist,右转和往右拐没什么区别。“最地道”的意思是，"the most authentic" 或者 "the most native".
Echo
said on December 16, 2011
@tomnunlist,“往右拐”或者“右拐”，都更口语，一般也更适合在北方用。“右转”是更普遍的说法。但是意思上没有区别。--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
crusty_138
said on December 16, 2011
笑死我了。哈哈哈哈哈。就有僵尸那更好的。 可能答案的人是上海人。你觉得对不对？
Echo
said on December 16, 2011
@crusty_138,哈哈哈，你说的很有道理。给你提个小建议：应该是“如果有僵尸那更好”，还有“回答的人可能是上海人”。--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
zjv5002
said on December 18, 2011
"Ai jiazi?" What exactly does Brendan say around the 1:45 mark?
Echo
said on December 19, 2011
@zjv5002,I think Brendan made this word up - 爱家子 - love home child. The original word is 败家子 (bai4jia1zi5) - wastrel. --Echoecho@popupchinese.com
Brendan
said on December 19, 2011
I think I was saying 摆架子 there -- "act like [I'm] all that." Echo heard this as 爱家子 partly because I mumble and partly because I have weak fourth tones.
Echo
said on December 19, 2011
@Brendan,Aha!--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
zjv5002
said on December 20, 2011
I feel like I've heard another phrase with 架子, does anything come to mind?
Echo
said on December 20, 2011
@zjv5002,Hmmm, can you recall what the meaning is like?--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
zjv5002
said on December 21, 2011
I think the meaning was slight negative as well, something like 大架子 maybe? I hope I haven't erred into typing something too nonsensical.
Echo
said on December 22, 2011
@zjv5002,Hmmm, nothing comes to mind :(Anybody else has an opinion?--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
minghan
said on December 28, 2011
Can you use “怎么到” to ask for directions?
Xiao Hu
said on December 28, 2011
@minghan,Just stick to 怎么走 and you'll be fine.
Echo
said on December 28, 2011
@minghan,Xiao Hu is right. We don't usually say "怎么到", sometimes you can say "怎么去X place", but people may think you are asking "how should I go to X place".--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
itsanthonyhere
said on January 3, 2012
My hat goes off to Popup Chinese for making this happen so quickly.I made a post a few days ago about this and BAM, here's a lesson.Thank you-
Xiao Hu
said on January 3, 2012
@itsanthonyhere,There you have it, that's just Popup Chinese for you.
trevelyan
said on January 4, 2012
@itsanthonyhere,More thanks from our end for letting us know about the gap. I'm sure there are more out there, so if you have any suggestions please keep them coming.
itsanthonyhere
said on January 8, 2012
I may be getting annoying, but you could probably do one more podcast about directions, only this time, receiving them.There's this podcast, and then another one about directions, but both don't teach anything about what you'd hear back. (Unless the person talking to you says go to hell, of course).So I can take this podcast and know how to ask something, but what about when they respond?
