About Chinese words

[kattay]

Hi allseasons,


I'll try my best to answer your question.

像 is \"look like\" or \"as though\", eg: 天上的白云像一朵朵的棉花
象 is \"elephant\" but it can also use to mean the look of something, an impression, eg. 商场中人来人往，一幅繁荣的景象; 雷电是一种自然现象; 他的演说让我留下了深刻的印象; 电影公司为他塑造了一个清纯的形象 (they are all nouns).

Hope this helps.

[allseasons]

Hi Kattay,


Thanks a lot for your clear explanation. I have explained them to my son. But we are confused again when we encountered these in story books… Can you help me whether these are correct or a kind of typos:

1. 大鸟飞飞停停， 好象是故意的。
2。云白的象天鹅。

(In the above sentences, is the 象 correct or should it be 像?）

Thank you in advance Kattay!

[kattay]

Hi allseasons,


The 2 sentences should have used 像. There was a period when 象 was treated as the simplied version of 像. Some books may have continued to use this rule. This rule is not valid now.

Btw, it should be 云白得像天鹅，not 的

[allseasons]

Thanks a lot Kattay! The story books were published in 1990, it is in the series of Chinese Language Instructional materials for Primary School (CLIPS) supplementary readers.


Regarding the 云白得像天鹅，not 的
Yup, the book wrote the 得, hehe I typed wrongly, but why it used 得 in this sentence?

I still don't understand between how to use 地 and 得. I read your notes about this (many times :oops: ), but I am still confused. This is the way I teach my son, please correct me if I am wrong, so I can teach my son correctly:
地: we use if adjective + 地 + verb
e.g. 高高兴兴地走回家.
伤心地哭起来.

得: we use if verb + 得+...
e.g. 吃得很慢.
做得很好

Another question about 得
When to use 得 that we read as 'dei'? I read some of my son's story book use this, but I don't know how to explain to him.. Thanks a lot Kattay!

[kattay]

You got them correct

That's the general rule of thumb.

You have found a scenario I have not thought of. Thanks.
In the sentence, 云白得像天鹅, the later part 像天鹅 describes the extent of the whiteness of the cloud in front - as white as a swan. When we want to elaborate on the extent/ intensity (程度) of something in front, 得 is used, though 白 is not a verb. Like 那位歌星最近红得发紫.

得 is read as 'dei' when it means \"must/ need to\". Like 我得把功课做完 or 我得花两个小时才能做完.