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Chinese "What's this word/phrase?" thread

#1
So I thought I'd start this thread up. Anyone with questions or answers may participate!

Yours truly,
-Mesqueeb
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#2
I myself have a question to kick this off. ^^

"故事到他嘴裡 八成會變成希臘的悲劇"

What is the function of this "八成會" ? I can't seem to find it...

I guess the whole sentence it's something like:
"When the story comes from his mouth, it will turn into a greek tragedy."

Source: Hercules

Thanks!
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#3
I"m still very mucha beginner, but I think that's
八成 + 会 + 变成
I think 八成 is something like 'probably'. I"m not totally sure how 会 is used in chinese grammar, but I have a hunch it's used often as a kind of future tense (or guess that something will occur) so 八成会变成 is something like "will probably turn into ". I'm not sure about the meaning of the sentence, I think I would have arrived at something like:
"If the story comes from (his/her) mouth, it's bound to turn into a greek tragedy."
This is probably completely wrong. My chinese is still extremely limited.
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JapanesePod101
#4
会 is "can", or "is likely to"

八成 bā chéng eighty percent; most probably; most likely

I am also not as confident in my Chinese as my Japanese, but I think nadiatims is right.
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#5
Everyone's right on this. It literally means the chances of something happening is 80%.

Something here refers to him relating the story in a Greek tragedy like manner.

Normally used when you predict something is very likely to happen.
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#6
So I have been wondering for a while now about the use of 来. I have read a grammar book, but for some reason I couldn't find anything about it. Does someone have a good reference?
I'm talking about sentences like this:
我来帮您: Let me help you.
I think I've also seen something like 请。。。来 to ask someone to do something.
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#7
I'm curious if my question was bad or people don't understand what I'm trying to ask?

EDIT: I mean I said I wanted a reference, but if someone can explain the use of 来 to me directly in this thread, that would also be wonderful Smile Ow and I'm talking about Mandarin if that wasn't clear already.
Edited: 2012-07-18, 4:19 am
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#8
First people say, "让我来。" = Let me come (to do this).
Then became short to be "我来!"
So, 我来帮你=让我来帮你=Let me come to help you.
Edited: 2012-07-19, 1:05 am
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#9
Thanks!
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