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- "我吃面,你呢?"
"我吃面,你呢?"
Translation:I eat noodles, what about you?
45 Comments
2604
Suggestions should be reported at the individual sentence. Writing here will have no effect, because it will not reach the course developers.
2017.11.22
1325
In Chinese, there is only one verb tense, the present tense. It's the words used with the verb that give the verb its tense.
For example:
我吃了面 = I ate noodles.
我会吃面 = I will eat noodles.
Note: In this context, "会" means "will", as in, I/you/she/he/etc. will do something.
1325
In Chinese, the tense of the verb is indicated by the words said/written with it. See my answer to dmi3ob's question.
339
Could this be used in the context of ordering food at a restaurant. Could you use it similar to 'I'm getting the noodles, what about you?'
Yes, that is correct: 面 also means "facet," "face," "side," "surface," as in the "face of a building" or the "side of a cube." 右面 means "right side," or "on the right;" 面子 means "face" or "social standing," or "width (of textiles or cloth);" 面目 means "facial appearance" or "behavior;" there is also 脸面 meaning "face,” “self respect" or "a person's feelings."
I have not researched the etymology, but I have heard that "face" is actually the basic or primary meaning of this character, and using the same character to mean "noodles" is a secondary meaning, somehow derived from the primary meaning of "face." Perhaps - this is just a guess on my part - the connection is that some noodles are large, flat sheets (e.g., lasagna), like little "planks" of pasta. Compare 面子 as a reference to the width of a sheet of fabric. I could easily be totally wrong about that connection, but, it's one way to remember both meanings. ᵔᴥᵔ
238
”I eat noodles AND what about you” is a correct translation. I double checked it with a native speaker. Duolingo staff members, please fix this.