Wednesday 27 June 2012

Google Translate & Chinese Learning

One of the complaints I had about (perhaps misuing) Google Translate as a language learning tool was that when I looked up words, it just generically listed the meanings.  Did it mean future as a noun or adjective?  I've just noticed that it has been upgraded at some point, and now gives this information.

In this case, I was listening to a recording of a local Mandarin AM radio station.  The speaker kept repeating weilai.  Looking it up in Pablo gave me the match "wèilái"  (未来), but the definitions it gave are the same non-grammatically specific ones that you get in all the free dictionary based products (and up to this point, also Google Translate).


For the same of future reference, here's the current Google Translate output with separated nouns and adjectives:


On a related note, two of the cheap MP3 playing devices that I have accrued over the years also receive and play FM radio.  I'd love to find one that also receives and plays AM radio.

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