Signese

The sad tale of the water meter reader with heatstroke People are being asked to pick up their water bills, which have arrived. Is the bit you're having trouble with the line 故本月全部占开? I think the 占 here means they're going to estimate (having been too poorly to make a proper reading), so 占开 means to make out the bills based on an estimated water use.

#5

The phone number

?

Isn't this a message left by the

doorman

? But I have no idea what 占开 means. Probably a Beijing slang?

But I have no idea what 占开 means.

Same here. But since one of the meanings of 占 in dictionaries is estimate 估計 (probably related to the nature of 占卜), I guess Jim's explanation is right.

don't know what 占开 means.

Maybe the writer meant 展开.

@kenny - how do you know if he wants to do it respectfully or as much as possible?

@kenny - how do you know if he wants to do it respectfully or as much as possible?

Maybe he was correct.

Perhaps he was.

I'm still not sure about 占开, can't see any similar uses and I suspect it should be something else - but can't think what. I don't know that you can 展开 a 单子. I'd have to go with Jim's explanation, but can't help feeling there's something not quite right somewhere . . .

How about the door being 展开, going along with xiaocai's theory above?

Tragically we don't have a doorkeeper, just a door. It is generally open though . . .

Homework help needed B)

As practice to read handwriting, I typed in what I think the sign says. Could someone grade it for me? And for the life of me I can't figure out those two characters...

通知

因高温本人中暑在

院。故本月全部占开

尽情諒解

水费单？？清领取

联系电话

因高温本人中暑住

院。故本月全部占开

尽請諒解

水费单已到請领取

联系电话

Thanks!

[Those two mistakes on the 請 are pretty embarrassing.... I give myself a C.]

How is the 故 functioning here, and what does it mean? Reason? "Therefore"?

How is the 故 functioning here, and what does it mean? Reason? "Therefore"?

I assume so, as in 故此.

I assume so, as in 故此.

I guess it's just the lack of 此 or another pronoun that confuses me. Is it grammatically valid, though?

Is it grammatically valid, though?

Yes it is. (oh but wait you mean grammatically? then I am not sure. you learners know sooooo much more grammar than average native speakers do.)

"I think, therefore I am" is translated to "我思故我在". It is quite standard.

Is it grammatically valid

But we all know Chinese doesn't have grammar!

(oh but wait you mean grammatically? then I am not sure. you learners know sooooo much more grammar than average native speakers do.)

That seemed a bit uncalled for, skylee. I'm a learner, but I've never claimed a native speaker was wrong about an expression being acceptable. It's just that I learnt Chinese throughout my school years and I don't remember coming across this usage of 故. That's why I was confused.

"I think, therefore I am" is translated to "我思故我在". It is quite standard.

Okay, that helps, thanks. I also checked the dictionary and educated myself on 故. Either I was a lousy student (quite likely) or we never learnt this use of 故, which seems a bit formal/书面.

Yes it is. (oh but wait you mean grammatically? then I am not sure. you learners know sooooo much more grammar than average native speakers do.)

And native speakers of any language are always 100% correct in informal hand-written notes? <_<

I think creamyhorror's question was more along the lines of whether this usage is acceptable formal writing, or just OK for informal notes but one shouldn't use it for formal writing. Perhaps his phrasing of "grammatically valid" was a bit off, but I too was a bit surprised to see it. Which, of course, proves nothing.

Must be serious, we've got a new meter-reader . . .

Argh, that sucks, we will probably never have a chance to figure out what actually he meant by 占开 then...