Potty Language -- 關於上廁所

Some useful words related to our daily needs.

洗手間 -- men's room, women's room (washroom)
浴室 -- bathroom (bathing room)
廁所 -- restroom (lavatory)
馬桶 -- toilet
便盆 -- potty (childish), bed pan (medical)

A standard American-home bathroom is a combination of 廁所 (toilet) and 浴室 (shower). A half bathroom is just a 廁所 (toilet). 洗手間 (washroom) is a polite word for washroom or toilet.

看電影以前你應該先去上廁所。
[You should use the rest room before watching the movie].

我在浴室裏洗澡的時候，忽然記得沒有毛巾。
[After starting my shower, I suddenly realized I don't have any towels].

馬桶很髒，別讓狗喝馬桶的水。
[The toilet is filthy, so don't let the dog drink from it].


The words for #1 and #2 are both nouns (名詞) and verbs (動詞):

小便 -- urinate
尿尿 -- pee pee (childish)
大便 -- defecate
拉屎 -- defecate (profane)


There are at least three ways to say diarrhea:

拉肚子 -- diarrhea
拉稀 -- diarrhea (somewhat profane)
腹瀉 -- diarrhea (medical term)
肚子痛 -- stomach ache


Combining dizzy (暈) with the mode of travel produces the correct nauseous word:

暈車 -- car sick
暈機 -- air sick
暈船 -- sea sick
惡心 -- nauseous

我坐飛機的時候會暈機，所以我得吃藥。可是藥會嚷我感覺有一點累。
[I take motion-sickness medicine when flying, but it tends to make me sleepy].

Verbs: bring and take -- 動詞

The verbs for take and bring can be confusing. The verb compliments are especially important for giving meaning to these verbs.

拿 -- (bring, take, grab, get, hold) [by hand]
拿來 -- bring
拿去 -- take
帶 -- (bring, take) [along with you]
帶來 -- bring
帶去 -- take
抬 -- lift (heavy objects)
提 -- lift (raise smaller objects)

拿 is to take something by hand, something small that you bring with you by hand.

帶 is take something along, something with you such as a person or animal.

媽媽，餅乾放太高了。請把餅乾拿給我。
[Mom, I can't reach the cookies. Please get me them].

服務員把菜拿來拿去。一直找不到應該拿到哪個桌子去。
[The waiter has taken that dish everywhere. He's been unable to find what table it's for].

你可不可以幫我把我書本拿來？
[Could you bring me my book?].

他一個人抬不了這張桌子。
[He's unable to lift the table himself].

提行李放在車後箱。
[Lift up the luggage and put it in the trunk].

拿給我。
[Get that for me].

我搬到加州的時候，沒有把我貓帶來。
[When I moved to California I didn't bring my cat with me].

帶我去地下室。
[Take me to the basement].


Both 拿 and 帶 can be used on some similar objects, but with slightly different meanings.

你帶什么菜？
[What dishes are you bringing?].

去廚房把菜拿來。
[Go bring the dishes from the kitchen.]

我不要吃這道菜。把它帶走。
[I'm not eating this. Take it away!].

我們沒有叫這道菜。把它拿走。
[We didn't order this dish. Take it away].

Beginning, Middle, End -- 初，中，底

Chinese uses the words beginning, middle, and end after month and year to specify which part of the month or year:

月初 -- beginning of the month
月中 -- middle of the month
月底 -- end of the month

年初 -- beginning of the year
年中 -- middle of the year
年底 -- end of the year


Other vocabulary:

初中 -- middle school
初期 -- in the beginning, early period

初中年中就結束了。
[Middle school ends mid-year].

文化大革命初期，人民都贊成政府的政策。
[At the start of the Cultural Revolution, everyone supported the government's policies].

California Election Vocabulary -- 加州大選生詞

Vocabulary regarding elections:

贊成 -- support
反對 -- oppose
提案 -- proposition
選民 -- voters

多半的選民都贊成一號提案。
[A majority of voters support proposition 1].

我反對他的想法。
[I oppose his view].


大選 -- general election
結果 -- result

大選的結果便人民高興。
[People are happy with the results of the election].


投票 -- vote
點票 -- count the votes
選舉 -- election, choice

請快快點票，要不然選舉的結果會晚點出來。
[Hurry up and count the votes so the election results are not late].


犯錯誤 -- make a mistake
奧巴馬 -- Obama

大選的時候奧巴馬沒有犯很大的錯誤。
[Barack Obama didn't make any big mistakes during the election].


總統 -- president
外交政策 -- foreign policy
成功 -- success, succeed

如果陸總統懂世界文化，他的外交政策一定會成功。
[If President Lu understands the cultures of the world, his foreign policy will definitely be a success].


代表 -- represent
眾議院 -- House of Representatives
眾議員 -- House member, congressman
參議院 -- Senate
參議員 -- Senator

參議員代表他們的州。眾議員代表他們的區。
[Senators represent their state. Representatives represent their district].

美國參議院有一百個參議員。
[The US Senate has 100 Senators].