CAVes and VAGinas are the same concept in Chinese

Mandarin II Berkeley Extension – Class 2 – Feb. 6, 2012

425 Market Street
San Francisco, CA

Homework: Workbook, pages 52-53. Make a copy of it. (I discovered if you read Chapter 8 in the textbook, it’s much easier.)

Professor:
贾宝才
Jia3 Bao2 Cai2
(He also goes by Paul…)

In Mandarin, a topic (such as “I”) and a comment (such as “very good”) does not require a verb. Hence: 我很好 (wo3hen3hao3) means literally “I very good,” but translated would be “I am very good” because no verb in this situation is correct grammar in Mandarin…
还可以 hai2 ke3 yi3 = fair (according to 先生贾， “Still okay” is a kind of “fair.”)

可以
ke3 yi3 = can, okay

还
hai2 = still

客房
ke4fang2 = guest room

客
ke4 = visitor, guest; traveller; passenger; stranger;

房
fang2 = house; room; bedroom; a branch of extended family; {measure word} (for daughters-in-law, concubines)

方
fang1 = square

户
hu4 = door, family, household

尸
shi1 =corpse, dead body, remains

The relationship of “corpse” to “a structure” is probably due to the fact that the corpse of the important people were put in the most elaborate tombs at a time when people lived in tents or caves or something less than houses.

空间
kong1jian1 = space（My notes show that our teacher spelled 空
“kang.” Keep this in mind for the future because this may mean and he swaps “O” for “A.” It’s very tough to find the right character if you have the wrong pinyin.)

空
kong1 = empty, hollow, void

穴
xue2 = cave, den, hole; coffin pit

屄
bi1 = vaginal orifice

Can you see the relationship of “women” to “caves” to “rooms”? And no wonder linguists believe that the alphabet’s letter “B” comes from “house.” “House”and “women” are not mutually exclusive. Nor is “cave” and “woman,” keeping in mind that houses were a long time in coming. Caves, and women, and women’s caves were frst.

时间
shi2jian1 = time

间
jian1 = between, among; within a definite time or space; room; space in between; separate

当然
dang1ran2 = of course

当
dang1 = equal, ought to, should, must

然
ran2 = right, correct, so, like that

但
dan4 = of course，but, yet, still, nevertheless

第一答题
di4 yi1 da4 ti2 = first answer

答
da4 = answer, reply, respond, return (a visit), reciprocate

题
ti2 = topic, subject, title, problem, inscribe (note that this character is
是 ＋ 页;页* = page

问题
wen ti2 = question, problem

问
wen4 = ask, inquire, interrogate, examine, hold responsible

第四小题
di4 si4 xiao3 ti2 = fourth part of question (I think)

间栓厘
lian shu lai =

家里
jia1 li3 = family (only Pleco had this, not Mandarin Online tools; Mandarin tools also does nothave the simplified version of jia1 家 ; the site appears to be somewhat dated)

v家里餐厅
jia1 li3 can1 ting1 = dining room of your house

客厅
ke ting = sitting room

房间
fang2 jian1 = room, bedroom

家的
jia1 de is correct because your family has possessions Don’t use “de” with a person:

我爸爸， 我妈妈
wo baba, wo mama (Not wode baba because you don’t possess them like you do objects?)

西班牙
xibanya4 = espana (Spain)auxiliary verb：

我要去
wo3 yao3 qu2

要不要去
yao3 bu4 yao3 qu2

为家
wei4 jia ＝ ？（accidentally skipped to page 7)

对
dui4 = opposing

正
zheng4 = normal

电脑
dian4nao3 = computer

计算机科学
ji4suan4ji1ke1xue2 = computer science

计
ji4 = count, compute, calculate, number

算
suan4= calculate, reckon, compute, guess, think, suppose, carry weight

机
ji1 = machine, engine, aircraft, crucial point, chance, occasion, opportunity, organic

科
ke1 = a branch of academic or vocational study, a division, section, department

剧场
ju4 chang3 = theater

剧
ju4 = theaterical work, drama, play, opera, acute, severe, intense

场
chang3 = a large place used for a particular purpose, stage, scene

文科
wen2 ke1 = humanities, arts

理科
li3ke1 = science

理
li3 = texture, grain (of wood), inner essence, intrinsic, order, reason, logic, truth, science, natu-ral science (esp. physics), to manage, to pay attention to, to run (affairs), to handle, to put inorder, to tidy up

社会科学
she4 hui4 ke1 xue2 = social sciences (it took me 45 min. to figure out it wasn’t “shi”)

社
she4 = an organized body, agency, society, people’s commune, the god of the land, sacrifices to him or altars

(More to come)