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

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

Postby WonderingSpaniard » Tue May 31, 2005 5:00 pm

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。
Traduttore, traditore.

Flaminius
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Postby Flaminius » Tue May 31, 2005 10:32 pm

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.

Brazilian dude
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Postby Brazilian dude » Tue May 31, 2005 10:33 pm

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.

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Brazilian dude
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Postby Brazilian dude » Tue May 31, 2005 10:34 pm

Man, he forestalled me again! :roll:

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gailr
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Postby gailr » Tue May 31, 2005 10:44 pm

Man, he forestalled me again!
You gotta stop squatting, B_d. :-)
gailr

Flaminius
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Postby Flaminius » Tue May 31, 2005 10:44 pm

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.

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Postby Brazilian dude » Tue May 31, 2005 10:45 pm

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?

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Flaminius
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Postby Flaminius » Tue May 31, 2005 10:59 pm

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

Flaminius
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Postby Flaminius » Tue May 31, 2005 11:02 pm

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.

Brazilian dude
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Postby Brazilian dude » Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:46 am

Interesting, Flam.
Alas, I have time to go to the library to check this.
Is this something to be sorry about? :?

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Flaminius
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Postby Flaminius » Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:54 am

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.

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Postby Brazilian dude » Wed Jun 01, 2005 3:06 pm

What's a chamor?

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KatyBr
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Postby KatyBr » Wed Jun 01, 2005 4:07 pm

equus asinus=donkey, I had to look it up.

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Postby Brazilian dude » Wed Jun 01, 2005 4:41 pm

Wow, I didn't find it even in Webster.

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