第三百六十一天

[nnozomi]

语法
少 + verb, "do X less" (as a command)
https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Doing_something_less_with_%22shao%22

词汇
变，变成，改变, all meaning "change" (my impression is that 变 is the root character, 变成 is "become, turn into," and 改变 is "change (for the better)," but I'd like to be corrected) 变 biàn，变成 biànchéng，改变 gǎibiàn, all meaning "change"
https://mandarinbean.com/new-hsk-2-word-list/

Introductory grammar, day 148

Guardian:
碳酸饮料对身体不好，以后还是少喝点吧, carbonated drinks aren't healthy, how about drinking less in future
你最好少管闲事, you'd better mind your own business
从来没见过什么猫变成人的, I never saw any cat change into a person.

Me:
我明明知道我得少吃糖。
那个臭小子长大了以后改变了很好人。

Comments

[grayswandir]

变，变成，改变, all meaning "change" (my impression is that 变 is the root character, 变成 is "become, turn into," and 改变 is "change (for the better)," but I'd like to be corrected)

Wiktionary has "usage notes" for 改变 that say "改变 conveys any kind of change, while 改善 conveys a change for the better." I checked because I feel like I've heard 改变 for changes that were just neutral rather than necessarily positive, but I do feel like I've mostly heard it for positive change (or at least change that's maybe implied to be positive, like 改变主意, since you'd presumably "change your mind" to something you think is better and not worse... although you'd probably also use 改变主意 to describe someone else changing their mind to something you don't agree with them about, so maybe this one is a neutral usage...).

[nnozomi]

谢谢, that's very useful! I forgot about 改善. (I've definitely seen 改恶 in Japanese, in terms of complaining about an amended law, regulations, etc.)

[presumenothing]

Yeah, both 变 and 改变 very much do cover neutral-to-negative uses as well:

"你变了。" says hypothetical character A to B (sentiment-wise, "you're no longer the person I once knew")

别让世界改变了你 (presumably for the worse)

[grayswandir]

Thank you for the examples! I was having trouble thinking of what a negative usage might look like, even though I thought I'd seen them before, and Pleco was just giving me a lot of positive-to-neutral examples.

[nnozomi]

"你变了。" says hypothetical character A to B (sentiment-wise, "you're no longer the person I once knew"),
You can do this with Guardian, now that I look it up--Ying Chun to Ya Qing, 青姐你变了.

别让世界改变了你 (presumably for the worse)
which just brings to mind the lyrics from 改变世界，改变自己...

[presumenothing]

Tangentially, 少管闲事 reminds me of another possibly unexpected use of 闲: 闲人免进 on "authorised personnel only" no-entry signs.

[nnozomi]

lol no 閑人 permitted ... oh dear, false friends.

[sakana17]

(Catching up, sorry!)

The Rebel, episode 20:
如果陈默群真的叛变了我坚决执行制裁令绝不手软 (The latter half of the sentence I keep having to look up various words, though the sentiment is clear...)

[nnozomi]

(Catching up, sorry!)
不用 sorry, the posts are there to comment on any time, no deadline :)

(The latter half of the sentence I keep having to look up various words, though the sentiment is clear...)
Me too. "I will definitely carry out the sanctions order on him and will absolutely not grant him quarter..."?
(Not satisfied with 手软 in English, I looked it up and found 心慈手软, to show mercy/be soft-hearted, with a sample sentence of 对待番组分子不能心慈手软, which in Guardian-character terms is DEEPLY ironic)

[sakana17]

对待番组分子不能心慈手软, which in Guardian-character terms is DEEPLY ironic

LOL, yes!

[nnozomi]

对待番组分子不能心慈手软,
I mistyped, sorry! 番组 should be 犯罪. And yeah, I do wonder if they chose ZXC's name specifically for that 成语. I think I've been told he doesn't have a first name in the original novel...

[trobadora]

I do wonder if they chose ZXC's name specifically for that 成语. I think I've been told he doesn't have a first name in the original novel...

Yeah, he's a completely different character in the novel and doesn't have a given name. And ooh, yes, I think it would make a lot of sense if the drama people named him for that 成语!

[nnozomi]

And ooh, yes, I think it would make a lot of sense if the drama people named him for that 成语!
Now I want to fit it into a fic somewhere...