My Vocab

I just cannot seem to get the my Vocab icon to come when I double click the word on the text. Can some one tell me what probelm I could be facing Thanks

I tried just now, and it worked fine,so is it still a problem for you? Sorry I did not come to this page before, so was not aware of this question of yours.

It would be great if double clicking had the default value of both the pinyin and the english translation. Not sure why that is not automatic

Also, being able to export my vocab would allow me to train the words in other apps like Skritter or trainchinese. That would be cool. I have to use both for my chinese class vocabulary and also for writing practice.

What is the difference between bu and mei for the negative and when are each used?

From what I have noticed, mei is used to negate active verbs while bu is used to negate adjectives and passive verb constructs (e.g. shi). Also, mei is the only negation that goes with you, e.g. mei you.

Also, you can only use 没有 or 没 when negating past action. Never use 不 in the past.

Thanks for the help!

When is dao used for arrive and when is lai used?

Alan 你好！ 到 is a verb that means 'to arrive' and is also a location complement. In essence it is used to emphasize the location in the sentence. It can be used to express arrival to a place, whether that be the place you are in now, a place you were in or a place you are going to. For example: "我来到中国是为了学好汉语。" "I came to China in order to study Chinese." This example stresses the location (China) and the reason for coming to that location. Note that in this sentence 到 is used to complement 来 meaning that the action of 'coming' stopped (or arrived) in China. 来 is a verb that means 'to come' and is also a directional complement. This basically means that it emphasizes the action of coming somewhere. For example: "你是怎么来中国的。" "How did you come to China." In this example we use the verb 来 to stress the action in asking how that action was completed. These two words are very similar and can sometimes be used interchangeably or both in the same sentence. However, if you are ever unsure, remember that 到 means 'to arrive' and 来 means 'to come'. I hope I haven't confused you and that this is helpful. - Lin Ping

Thanks Lin Ping. This helps a lot.