Page 1 of 1

It couldn't be otherwise... Chinese translation!

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 5:00 pm
by WonderingSpaniard
What does the following mean? I know the meaning of the characters separatedly, but they don't conform any logical signification for me put together thus:

她念高三。

So... She studies high/tall three? What on earth is that supposed to say? That she is in third course? Is 高 related at all with 年级??

I'm in your hands...

谢谢!

便难西班牙人。

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:32 pm
by Flaminius
This means she is the third grader in the senior high school.
高三 is a typical abbreviation for 高等学校三年生 or 三年級.

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:33 pm
by Brazilian dude
As you know, I don't know squat abourt Chinese, but looking at 高 and the reference to her studies (which sounds plausible to me), I couldn't help but think of 高校, which is senior high school (at least in Japanese).

她 this one I couldn't find in my search engine or in my paper kanji dictionary, so I guess it's only used in Chinese.

Brazilian dude

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:34 pm
by Brazilian dude
Man, he forestalled me again! :roll:

Brazilian dude

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:44 pm
by gailr
Man, he forestalled me again!
You gotta stop squatting, B_d. :-)
gailr

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:44 pm
by Flaminius
For your reference, BD, 她 is a co-opted female form of 他, which had been the only third person singular until Communist China. Both are pronounced the same.

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:45 pm
by Brazilian dude
Oh, thanks, Flam, as I said, I didn't find that anywhere. Is that found in Japanese dictionaries or am I just too dumb not to have seen it?
which had been the only third person singular until Communist China
Do they have two pronouns now like 彼 and 彼女?

Brazilian dude

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:59 pm
by Flaminius
No BD, I don't think 她 is part of Japanese vocabulary. I searched several Kanji dictionaries online but found no entry. In fact one dictionary dissolved the kanji back to the unicode. By now I am emperially positive that 她 as female third person singular is not a Japanese usage.

If it was used in different sense before 1700s or so, 大漢和辞典 by 諸橋徹次 may have recorded it. Alas, I have time to go to the library to check this.

Flam

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 11:02 pm
by Flaminius
Replying to your second post, BD.

In modern standard Chinese, 他 is he and 她 is she, at least in writing. As their pronunciations are the same, there is no distinction in spoken language.

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:46 am
by Brazilian dude
Interesting, Flam.
Alas, I have time to go to the library to check this.
Is this something to be sorry about? :?

Brazilian dude

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:54 am
by Flaminius
This is indicative of the sorry status of my excogitational functions these days. I have NO time before the library closes since I am working like a chamor.

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 3:06 pm
by Brazilian dude
What's a chamor?

Brazilian dude

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 4:07 pm
by KatyBr
equus asinus=donkey, I had to look it up.

Katy

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 4:41 pm
by Brazilian dude
Wow, I didn't find it even in Webster.

Brazilian dude