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

Meaning generally, typically. Almost interchangeable with 一般. Weaker than 一向 in most situations.

平常 vs. 通常:

• 平常: habitually, frequently --should have some details, eg. 「我平常早上八點運動」“I typically exercise at 8 am”, not 「我平常運動」(missing detail, implies exercising endlessly).

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)

查詢

Meaning to look up, query, consult, inquire, or check by asking other people/a search engine.

Incorrect to use 查詢 with eg. looking up a word's definition or other simple activities.

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)

若

Same usage and meaning as 如果

例子

Common phrase: 「舉個例子來說……」: "take for example..."

過度

To be overly-something, eg.

• 過度使用：To overuse
• 過度負責：To overcomplicate
• 過度認真：Overly serious

此外

Better translated as "besides this...". 此 means "this".

戶外

Antonym of 室內 (indoors)

人類

As opposed to 動物

沉迷

To be obsessed, to the point of negatively affecting other parts of life.

沉：To sink, opposite of 浮 (to float).

沉浸：to be steeped in, immersed in, an expert at (no negative connotation).

Grammar Notes

I. 何必 why must

A rhetorical question, "does one really need to... ?" in response to a statement.

Usage: <reason/excuse> + 何必 + <action from original statement>

Example: 「臺北有捷運，你和必買車呢？」 "Taipei has MRT, do you really need to buy a car?"

II. 不見的 not necessarily

Cannot be used to answer 「有沒有」，「是不是」 type questions. For those, use 「不一定」.

IV. Verb Particle 慣

Usage:

• V得慣，V不慣
• V慣了，沒V慣

看不慣 means to disapprove of, to dislike.

Colloquial use: 「V不太慣 」, meaning not quite used to Ving.

Examples:

• 「我做不慣家事」 "I'm not used to doing housework"
• 「我住慣了鄉下了」 "I've gotten used to living in the countryside"

V. Verb Complement 動 capable of causing movement

A verb complement indicating the ability or inability of moving.

Can only be used in potential (V得動，V不動) forms.

Can only be used with movement related verbs, eg. 走，跑，拿，般，玩，開 (of a car)，跳，etc.

動 (able to move) vs. 了 (capable of action)

• 「我很累，現在走不動」：I'm too tired to walk anymore
• 「風太大了，我們走不了」：It's too windy, we are unable to leave

Examples:

• 「你一個人搬得動嗎？」 are you able to move it by yourself?
• 「他受傷了，恐怕跑不動」 he was injured and may be unable to run
• 「拿得動」 can pick it up, 「拿不動」 cannot pick it up

VII. 此外 in addition, furthermore

此外 can be expanded into 除此之外

More precisely 此外 means "besides this..."

Often followed by 也 (something) or 還 (something)

VIII. 總而言之 in short

Means in conclusion, or in short. What follows is a summary or brief conclusion based on prior statements.

Can be abbreviated to 總之

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)

Chapter 4

Vocabulary I

欸

欸 has different meanings depending on the tone.

2nd tone: 欸 (éi) "huh?" 3rd tone: 欸 (ěi) (of an authority figure to an underling) "what is it that do you think you're doing?" 4th tone: 欸 (èi) "hey!"

衣櫥

Alternatively, 衣櫃

在意

vs. 在乎： 在意 means to mind something (it affects one's emotions) 在乎 means to think something is important

The difference is clearer in the negative: 不在意 means to be unaffected by, or to not mind something 不在乎 means to not care about something

角度

A common phrase is 「站在X的角度…」, "to see it from X's perspective..."

學問

Measure word: 門

脾氣

To lose one's temper: 發脾氣

鏡子

Measure word: 面

床腳

Head of the bed: 床頭

把

Also means "a handful of", eg. 「一把糖果」 "a handful of candy"

欺負

Means "to tease" or "to pick on". 欺負 is less strong than 霸凌 (to bully).

Vocabulary II

西元

BC: 前西元

本身

Means itself/themself. Can refer to people, things, events.

Grammar Notes

I. 總算 finally, speaking roughly (in the ballpark)

總算 vs. 終於： 總算 can be used in place of 終於 to mean the same thing, "finally" or "at last".

總算 has an additional usage that 終於 does not have, meaning "at least" in the sense that a situation is imperfect but "at least" some result was achieved, even if not ideal. A common pattern is: 「雖然…但總算…」 "although... but at least...".

In this usage, the event must have happened in the past.

For example: Even though I didn't do perfectly on this test, but at least I did alright. 「雖然這次考試也不是考的很好，但總算開可以」

It is more natural to put the subject before 總算, eg. 「雖然成績不理想，但我總算考上了」

II. 還不過是 nothing more than

This expression means that the speaker considers whatever follows as unexceptional or unremarkable. It can be considered slightly impolite if describing somebody else's activities. This expression is usually used in response to a question.

III. Outright Denial with 才

This 才 is used to make an intense, angry refutation to some statement.

There are two ways to respond to a statement with this grammar: (1) negate the original statement or (2) alter the subject of the original statement. It is incorrect to do both (1) and (2) at the same time. If the original statement is a negative (i.e. contains 不) the response MUST be a double negative.

Example of (1):

A: 聽說你喜歡小林

B: 我才不喜歡他！

Example of (1) with double negative:

A：網購不安全，實體購物比較好

B：網購才不是不安全！

Example of (2): TBD

Additional Vocabulary

todo