Book 4

Chapter 1

Vocabulary Notes

溫暖 vs 暖和 vs 溫馨

• 溫暖 applies to people/behavior (friendly, caring, or kind) and weather/environment (warm)
• 暖和 means a warm weather or a warm environment
• 溫馨 applies to relationships, meaning something like "sweet"

Chapter 2

Vocabulary I

穿著 chuānzhuó apparel, clothing

Pronounced chuānzhuó (note rising tone on zhuó). Meaning is apparel, the clothes one is currently wearing.

Chapter 3

Vocabulary I

划算

Negation: 不划算

落差

Usage: A根B有落差 / 很（大/小）的落差

Comparison of 落差 with 不同 and 差別:

落差 has a "not good enough" connotation and is used to compare good/bad or high/low, whereas 差別 and 不同 are neutral.

Eg. 文化有差別 (there are cultural differences) does not have a negative connotation.

「聽說網路上有的圖片跟實際的商品落差很大……」(I've heard there's sometimes a big difference between the photos online and the actual products) implies the actual products are not as good as the ones in the online photos.

仿冒品

Antonym (genuine product): 正品 or 正貨

May see 「A貨」 in markets in HK or China, meaning highest-grade counterfeit.

資訊

資訊 vs. 資料: 資訊 is organized information/data, 資料 is raw or unorganized information/data.

疑問

Usage: 對X有疑問

後悔

後悔 is both V and Vs.

Usage: 「我怕買了會後悔」 "I am afraid I will regret buying it". 「我很後悔買那輛車」 "I regret buying that car".

後悔 vs. 遺憾:

• 後悔 refers to remediable regrets, eg. missing a concert
• 遺憾 is more serious, is a noun and is used with unfixable situations, eg. feeling responsible and regretful for someone's death. A common phrase is 「留下遺憾」 "to have regrets/remorse".

認證

Good verb usage:「經過認證」: "To undergo certification“

從前

A very long time ago, much longer than 以前. An elderly person may use 從前 to talk about their youth.

通常

Weaker than 一向 in most situations.

Vocabulary II

取代

取代 vs. 代替 vs. 替換:

• 取代: To replace (object), long-term or forever. Example： 「現代人用電子郵件取代筆紙寫信」: "modern people use email as a replacement for writing letters with pen and paper"
• 代替: To substitute (temporarily), eg. substitute honey for sugar when cooking
• 替換: To exchange or replace an object (often a broken object; eg. a car's tire) with another

影集

影集 vs. 連續劇:

• 影集 is an episodic TV show (often the same characters every episode but each episode is a self-contained story)
• 連續劇 is a serial TV show, meaning a long single story that progresses across different episodes

取得

Usage: 取得+object

取得 is formal and must be used with "formal" objects or abstract objects.

Examples:

• 取得資格: To obtain a qualification (by taking a course, passing an examination, etc.)
• 取得學位: To be granted an academic degree
• 取得資料: To access information

Negation: 無法取得+object (cannot get object)

避開

To avoid (by staying away from, taking a different route, using a different method)

Examples:

• 避開路段: Avoid a section of road by going around
• 避開（情況/東西/人）: To avoid something (a situation, an object, a person) by staying away
• 避開問題: To avoid encountering a problem (by doing something else)

此外

Better translated as "besides this..."

Additional Vocabulary

容量

Storage space, i.e. GB, TB.

=宅，宅男/宅女

宅 (Vs) describes somebody or some activity as being oriented around staying at home for entertainment. Examples are 宅 things are playing video games, reading manga, watching TV or movies, etc.

宅男/宅女 (N) is a person who does 宅 things habitually, a homebody.

C/P值

C/P ostensibly stands for Capability to Price ratio. C/P高 means a good value, "more bang for your buck“.

割

割 means to cut

• 割掉: to cut off, sever

解約

To end/terminate a contract

違約金

Penalty for terminating a contract

原單

Unauthorized factory extras, aka midnight shift products

撿起來

To pick up off the ground

追劇

To follow/binge watch a TV series

過癮

To satisfy a craving, enjoy oneself, gratifying, satisfying

刪除

To delete

封鎖

To block (somebody's account)

正本

Original copy

影本

Photocopy (N)

影印

Photocopy (V)

崇拜

To idolize, worship

物資

Goods, materials

筆電

Laptop computer, shortened from 筆記型電腦

家常便飯

Commonplace，ordinary

而言

Speaking of, regarding (same as 來說)

取捨

To accept or reject; to choose

駕照

Driver's license

看不慣

To disapprove, dislike

入睡

To go to sleep

打呼

To snore

回答 vs. 答案

• 回答: (V,N) Answer
• 答案: (N) The solution, correct answer, eg. to a test problem.

正確

Correct, right, proper (Vs)

Antonym of 錯誤.

錯誤

Incorrect, mistake (Vs, N)