Jump to content
Chinese-Forums
  • Sign Up

一边


rockytriton

Recommended Posts

I'm not quite sure if this means something else than I think it does.. I know that it can mean "side" as in "on the side of something", but I see it in a rosetta stone lesson as something like: 他一边弹钢琴, 一边独唱

I'm not quite sure what it means here, does it mean something like "is also doing"? If so, would you ever do this for more than two things or is it just for doing to separate things?

Thanks

:conf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Basically you're right. I asked a question like this a while back and the expression means "to do simultaeneously". so 他一边弹钢琴, 一边独唱

would be "he plays the piano while singing a solo." As for more than 2 things, I'm not sure, but I do think you should be able to use it for more than two situations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

I beg to differ, HashiriKata. You can say :他ㄧ邊喝啤酒, ㄧ邊唸中文, 還一邊看電視. (He's drinking beers, and studying Chinese, and watching TV.) 'ㄧ邊', as nipponman said, means "to do [things]simultaeneously", it is not necessarily limited to do two things only. It really depends on one's ability to do as many things simultaeneously as he can. :)

Hope it helps!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, you're right, rockytriton.

you can say 他ㄧ手拿著報紙, ㄧ手拿著早點. (He's holding the newpaper in one hand, and holding his breakfast in the other.) It's impossible for you to carry or hold things by the third hand, unless you have one.:mrgreen: Interestingly, there's an expression (第)三隻手(the third hand or 扒手(pa2shou3)--meaning pickpocket.

Hope it helps!:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and select your username and password later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Click here to reply. Select text to quote.

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...