Regarding the verbs swim and run in Chinese. Please explain.

[brandonwee]

Is it correct to use the word 跑步 in this way?

这只狗在跑步

or should it be

这只狗在跑

or how about the word 游泳? Is it okay to use this word like this?

这个女人在游

or should it be

这个女人在游泳

Can someone explain the difference between using 跑 and 跑步?

Also

游 and 游泳?

[arrow]

As far as I know, 跑步 can only be used on human. while 跑 is more widely used, 奔跑 is ok for both human and animals.

游泳 is more specific for swim, while 游 can be used in other ways. So here you'd better stick on 游泳.

[Mindmaxd]

这只狗在跑。

这个女人在游泳。

[muirm]

跑步 is to run for physical fitness. When I read "这只狗在跑步" I imagined a dog in a track suit, running on its hind legs and listening to its iPod. 跑 is just "to run" in the general sense, and is what you should use for animals (or people not running because they want to).

In 游泳, you definitely need the 泳 because it refers more directly to "swim". The 游 can also refer to swimming, but it carries a more general meaning of casual movement of some kind, not necessarily in water.

[Zhao Hanqing]

人可以跑，也可以跑步，但跑步是一种运动。狗只能跑，如果说狗跑步，那么这只狗是一只爱运动的关注自己健康的狗，那就像人了。

pao can be transitive, and paobu can only be intransitive.

[brandonwee]

I think I get it now with 跑步 and 跑.

I guess I'll stick to 游泳 for now. I noticed in Rosetta Stone that it only uses 游泳 for people, when it comes to animals, it only uses 游. For example 这只狗在游 while it would use 这个女人在游泳.

[brandonwee]

I don't want to create another new topic so I guess I'll just post another question in here, how about the word tall (高)? Is it okay to say "你高" to say "you're tall"? If not, then how do I say you're tall? I'm trying out livemocha right now and it's all just confusing.

[renzhe]

Is it okay to say "你高" to say "you're tall"?

I believe that is not grammatically incorrect, but that's not how you would say it.

When connecting a subject with a stative verb like 高, you typically use the intensifier 很. The proper way to say "you're tall" is 你很高

[weigeren]

Not a "scientific" (ie) linguistic explanation, but think of a stative verb such as 高 as both as adjective ("tall" : 高的人，我比你高) and the verb "(to be) tall" ... again, this is a tailor-made explanation, ok ? : 那位男孩很高，我不太高 since it is a "verb", you modify it with an adverb such as 很 ... when you say 我很高 you are just saying "I'm tall", not really "I am very tall", in most cases.

[Scoobyqueen]

wouldnt' you just say 比较高íf you are talking about yourself as a token of modesty.

[weigeren]

Strictly speaking, I think 我挺高 would be better ... "i am rather tall", "I am somewhat tall" ... if you say 比较高 it is " I am comparatively tall" ... and if you are perky, someone could argue "you are tall comparing with whom" ?

[skylee]

Yes 我挺高 is better, not strictly speaking, though.

[arrow]

No intensifier like 挺，很 is really needed here, I believe thats just for rythm. you can say 我个子高， 我个高. As simply 高 is confusing.

[lingo-ling]

In my experience, 你很高 is the most common, natural way to say "You're tall".

As for 你挺高, it sounds "mainlandy" to people in Taiwan.

[Lu]

你高 would be used when comparing: 你高还是他高？ Who is taller, you or he?

[brandonwee]

I knew there was something odd with what livemocha.com was teaching me :\ livemocha.com teaches 你高 for "you're tall".

[Scoobyqueen]

As for 你挺高, it sounds "mainlandy" to people in Taiwan.

The point here was what do you say if you are referring to yourself (not to others). It seemed odd to me say about yourself "I am tall". I think you would always use a qualifier that "belittled "(:-) it., such as 挺as someone suggested. Otherwise it could come across as self-praise, I think. Unless you actually are really really tall.

So if you are clever would you say "I am (very) clever" probably not unless you are making another point.

[tooironic]

Just as a sidenote, wouldn't 你挺高的 be better / more grammatically correct?