Chinese proverb -originally from Conficius “我听见 我忘记; 我看见 我记住; 我做 我了解” I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand. Grammar resultative complement

Posted on 12/13/2011 by Chinesetolearn

Today, let’s learn this Chinese proverb :我听见 我忘记; 我看见 我记住; 我做 我了解。I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand. Wo3 (我 pronoun, I) ting1 jian4 (听见 verb, hear), wo3 (我 I) wang4 ji4 (忘记 verb, forget); wo3 (我 I) kan4 jian4 (看见 see), wo3 (我 I) ji4 zhu4 (记住 verb, remember); wo3 (我 I) zuo4 (做 verb, do), wo3 (我 I) liao3 jie3 (了解 verb, understand).
A proverb (noun, 谚语, yan4 yu3) is a simple and concrete saying widely known by people generation after generation, which expresses a solid truth, based on common sense or practical experience in daily life.

This proverb tells us that you can only understand something by trying it yourself. So, if you just tell me, I will forget. If you show me and I will remember. If I get involved, I will understand.
Thus, it also means you can’t understand until you walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. This wise proverb originally is Confucius’ saying.
Let’s learn the grammar aspect: resultative complement — Following a verb, an adjective or another verb can be used to denote the result of the action.
Resultative complement structure:

V + V or V +Adj.

1. V+V

我听见。
Wo3 ting1 jian4.
Wo3 (我 I) ting1 (听 v. hear) jian4 (见 v. originally means see, but here it means perceive).
I heard and I heard it or I heard and I perceived it.
Ting1 (listen) is the action, and jian4 (perceive) is the result, hence resultative complement.

2. V+Adj.

我做好功课了。
Wo3 zuo4 hao3 gong1 ke4 le5.

Wo3 (我 I) zuo4 (做 v. do) hao3 (好 adj. originally it means good, but here it means finished) gong1 ke4 (功课 noun as object, homework) le5 (了 particle, shows completion of action).
Zuo4 (do) is the action, and hao3 (finished) is the result, so this structure is resultative complement.

We need a song to end this boring grammar post. Let’s listen to something beautiful, like the sound of spring in the mountains? Sound good? The title of this song is called — listening to spring 听泉 ting1 quan2.
For lyrics, pinyin and translation, see :Ting quan

This is the real spring sound in the mountain. This video was shot approximately from 2300 ft near a little a mountain spring to about 300 ft where the river turns into a small waterfall.

Ni2 ting1 jian4 le5 ma5? 你听见了吗？Did you hear it? What should you say?
Rory, now it is your turn.

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Chinese proverb how to say Last-minute efforts are useless if no preparatory work has been done. – How to say “They are a lot of exams at the end of the semester. ” in Chinese: 学期要结束的时候,有很多的考试。 Xue2 qi2 yao4 jie2 shu4 de5 shi2 hou4, you3 hen3 duo1 de5 kao3 shi4.

Posted on 12/12/2011 by Chinesetolearn

Chinese sentence -Mandarin phrases – How to say “They are a lot of exams at the end of the semester. ” in Chinese: 学期要结束的时候,有很多的考试。 Xue2 qi2 yao4 jie2 shu4 de5 shi2 hou4, you3 hen3 duo1 de5 kao3 shi4. Xue2 qi2 (学期 noun, semester) yao4 (要 going to，as future auxiliary) jie2 shu4 （结束 verb, end) de5 (的particle to connect attribute and the noun it describes) shi2 hou4 (时候 noun, time), you3 (有 verb, have) hen3 (很 adverb, very) duo1 (多 adjective, many) de5 (的 particle) kao3 shi4 (考试noun, exams).
Let learn some phrases about school: 学年 （xue2 nian2 school year）, xue2 fen1 学分 （credits of courses）, 学长 （xue2 zhang3 elder male schoolmate）, 学姐 （xue2 jie3 older female schoolmate）, and 校园 （xiao4 yuan2 campus）.

There is a Chinese proverb says: 平时不烧香， 临时报佛脚。ping2 shi2 （in normal times)bu4 (not) shao1 (burn) xiang1 (incense) , lin2 shi2 (at the instance something happens) bao4 (hold) fo2 (Buddha)jiao3 (legs). It means “never burn incense when all is well, but clasp Buddha’s feet when in distress,” this Chinese proverb means —
Last-minute efforts are useless if no preparatory work has been done and is similar to
1. Don’t have thy cloak to make when it begins to rain.
2. Thatch your roof before the rain begins.
This proverb warns us to take precautions against all emergencies, and not wait for disaster to strike.

So, dear Chinese class students,

加油，加油 Jia1 you2 jiao1 you2! Go go go (this go go go as you are cheering for someone in swim meet, not that I want you to go for detention room or put oil on the frying pan.)
用功，用功，再用功 yong4 gong1, yong4 gong1, zai4 yong4 gong1.
This not means that you have to use martial art to defend yourself or attack others; this means study hard, harder and hardest!!!!!!
If you don’t study hard, you might get failed bu4 ji2 ge2 不及格。This verbal threat is made for your own good:)
No song today, due to exam preparation. Be focused.

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