Did you know the average person spends two to three years of their life sitting on the toilet? It goes without saying that most of this time is not spent productively, which is why we're pleased to share this listening test with you today. In it we offer up a life-saving secret that will help free up some of your time for more important things like studying Chinese.Office visitors please note: in response to the growing popularity of this technique among staff, we have implemented draconian controls on office washroom usage. You are encouraged to bring your own toiletries.
trevelyan
said on June 26, 2009
Love the recording we got out of Andy and Tiansen this time around. Hope you guys all like it too. :)
barrister
said on June 26, 2009
Great recording. The test is also very good, especially the questions on identifying improper usage. I would like more like this.
paglino9
said on June 26, 2009
This podcast was inspired by true events. I heard a quote once saying that necessity is the mother of invention. And the shower/toilet combo IS the Mother of all Inventions here in China. Gunpowder and moveable print take a backseat.
brett
said on June 26, 2009
lol @ "gunpowder and moveable print take a backseat".
Combine this with the squat toilet and you'd have something special. Could leave the shower head hanging on the wall for maximum efficiency too. Just point it in the right direction.
toneandcolor
said on June 26, 2009
Hilarious! I would also appreciate more questions about improper usage. Might also be useful at the lower levels.
ameristar888
said on August 2, 2009
Isn't 洗澡 the more colloquial term for shower? I used 淋浴 but was told to say 洗澡. Still not used to using the toilet/shower combo 洗手间 in China housing. Can anyone explain the reason for it?
Echo
said on August 2, 2009
@ameristar888,
洗澡 can be both shower and bath. Usually people would say 洗澡 no matter which one they mean. In the dialogue, people used 淋浴 to distinguish it from bath, since there is no way for someone to sit on the toilet and take a bath at the same time. If you are with someone you don't know well, I'd suggest you use 洗手间 or 卫生间. It sounds a bit more polite and 客气 than 厕所.
--Echo
echo@popupchinese.com
ameristar888
said on August 3, 2009
@Echo,
Thanks for the explanation. My ayi explained that 淋浴 is a newer word for shower. She also explained that 洗手间 is used as the term for washroom outside the home, as in a restaurant or mall, and that 卫生间 is referred to the washroom/bathroom in the home. That said, there's a lot I learned from doing the drill down.
While I enjoy popupchinese's approach to lessons, one of the difficulties I have is distinguishing the slang, colloquial or normal use of words or phrases. I've used some words and phrases on native Mandarin speakers here in Beijing and got blank faces with 不明白. Not a criticism, just a comment.
orbital
said on August 3, 2009
> 洗澡 can be both shower and bath. Usually
> people would say 洗澡 no matter which one
> they mean.
I liked this podcast too, and pretty much use and hear 洗澡 for just about everything myself. I'd guess the underlying cause is more that no-one seems to have a bathtub in this country, so drawing fine distinctions about bathing methods end up drawing a blank stare.
felanden
said on April 30, 2011
What is the difference between 被 and 给 for the passive?
Echo
said on April 30, 2011
@felanden,
被 and 给 are interchangeable for the passive. However, just be careful, because 给 has many different meanings. One of them is 把 as well, so in order to understand a sentence with 给, you need to look into the main structure of the sentence carefully.
--Echo
echo@popupchinese.com
felanden
said on April 30, 2011
Thank you.
I will be careful :)
cb577
said on February 18, 2013
Could you clarify the use of the 量词 in the 3rd line i.e. 我又得洗个澡 and the measure word 上个厕所, are there any grammatical rules regarding this construction? Thank you
Echo
said on February 18, 2013
@cb577,It's a short version of 洗一个澡 or 上一个厕所. People usually omit the 一 in spoken language.--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
