他们, 捧, 端, 抱,挥, and 招

[Altair]

In a short story I recently finished there is a structure that repeats and that I am not sure I understand. It seems that someones nickname and name are followed by 他们. I am guessing that this refers to this person and the group that gathers around him, but am not sure. Cannot anyone confirm this? Here are two representative sentences:

许阿三他们也看到了。 (Xu Asan and her crew also saw it.???)

翘鼻子许阿三他们要我和狗晚上在一起。 (Pug-nosed Xu Asan and her group want me and the dog to be together in the evening.

I also have a question about the difference in meaning between 捧, 端, and 抱. Do 抱着肚子 and 捧着肚子 mean the same thing? Could one say 端着肚子? Do 端着盘子 and 捧着盘子 mean the same thing?

My last question is the difference between 招手 and 挥手. I guess the first means to call someone closer and the second means to waive goodbye. Is a physical difference between the motions suggested?

[Quest]

I also have a question about the difference in meaning between 捧, 端, and 抱. Do 抱着肚子 and 捧着肚子 mean the same thing? Could one say 端着肚子? Do 端着盘子 and 捧着盘子 mean the same thing?

捧 is usually with two hands, and 端 with one. They are in the same category as 托.

抱 is a little different, it means to hug, or to carry/hold with two stretching arms.

[Altair]

Thanks for your reply. Would 捧着肚子 then imply "holding the stomach with the palms," while 抱着肚子 would mean "wrapping the arms around the stomach in a hug"?

By the way, these phrases were used in the context of people laughing so hard that they were falling down or rolling around. I asked my question because I find differentiating all the Chinese words for "hand over" a little challenging, e.g., 交, 端. and 递.

[Quest]

Would 捧着肚子 then imply "holding the stomach with the palms," while 抱着肚子 would mean "wrapping the arms around the stomach in a hug"?

Yes, literally, but they mean the same.

[xuezhongwen]

捧 is usually with two hands' date=' and 端 with one. They are in the same category as 托.

抱 is a little different, it means to hug, or to carry/hold with two stretching arms.[/quote']

I want to correct here a little bit:

捧 is definitely with two hands, 端 is focusing on holding it level, so frequently you will hear 端平了 (please hold it level!) 托 is focusing on holding something from the bottom, holding it in palm.

[nipponman]

捧 is usually with two hands, and 端 with one. They are in the same category as 托.

What do you mean Quest when you say "they are in the same category"?

[Quest]

What do you mean Quest when you say "they are in the same category"

The direction of action is "up" for the three verbs, and 抱 is "around"

捧 is definitely with two hands, 端 is focusing on holding it level, so frequently you will hear 端平了 (please hold it level!) 托 is focusing on holding something from the bottom, holding it in palm.

right. except when you use two hands to hold something level, it becomes 捧 as well, and 端着碗，端着杯子，端着菜 are all performed with one hand. Then, when one lost an arm and he wanted to perform the 捧 action...j/k anyways I said usually to account for some cross-over usages, I agree 端 means to hold it level.

[shibo77]

招手zhao1shou3 "beckon hand(s)" for someone to come

挥手hui1shou3 "wave hand(s)" for someone to leave

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拿na2 to hold

捧peng3 to hold in both hands (also to extol, to flatter, because you would extol someone with both hands...)

端duan1 to hold something level with both hands, to carry; Usually it is to be done with both hands, but the sense of it being carried by only one hand came because of waiters in the restaurant carrying a plate with only one hand, but they carry two or more plates using both hands.

抬tai2 to lift, to raise

托tuo1 to support with the hand(s) or palm(s)

抱bao4 to hold or carry in one's arms, to embrace, to hug

抱着肚子 hugging one's belly, imagine a fat Buddha hugging his belly laughing...

捧着肚子 holding(supporting) one's belly with both hands, trying to suppress the laughter?

端着肚子 you can say this, but it would probably mean that you are having a belly on a plate for dinner?

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I have not read the whole story, so I do not know the context of these passages, but this is my guess:

"许阿三他们也看到了。Xu Asan they've seen as well."

Maybe the whole sentence was "许阿二他们看到了，许阿三他们也看到了。They've spotted Xu Aer, they've also spotted Xu Asan." "他们 they" referring to the group of bullies?

"翘鼻子许阿三他们要我和狗晚上在一起。" I think there should be a punctuation mark:

"翘鼻子许阿三，他们要我和狗晚上在一起。" possibly? I'm not sure.

I hope this helped.

-Shìbó

[Altair]

Thanks for all the replies.

Shibo, let me give some more context to the sentences with 他们 without spoiling the story for anyone who might want to read it. Perhaps with this, the meaning will be clear.

"那么过了些日子、这狗就胖得滚圆起来、也长大了很多、它在我身边一跑、我都看到它肚子上的肉一抖一抖的、许啊三他们也看到了∼他们说:

"只母狗、他们看、这肥母狗……

"有一天、他们在街上拦住了我、许啊三沉着脸对我说…?"

Here is the other passage.

""翘鼻子许阿三他们要我和狗晚上在一起、我想了想还是没有和它在一起。 这狗一到天黑、就 从我的门口吧嗒吧嗒走开了……?"

"翘鼻子许阿三，他们要我和狗晚上在一起。" possibly? I'm not sure.

This interpretation does seem to fit the examples above and the one additional one I will quote below:

"许阿三他们围住了陈先生、他们问: ……"

How strict are Chinese rules on punctuation? Is omitting a comma a real "problem" here?

[zhwj]

Re: 许阿三他们 - you are correct in the reading in your first posting: it identifies a group by naming a member of it. (Only isn't 许阿三 a guy?)

In this:

"许阿三他们围住了陈先生、他们问: ……"

the comma is necessary as separation - "Xu Asan and the others surrounded Mr. Chen. They asked:..."

So the punctuation isn't necessary in the sentence shibo77 quotes.