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Post by Lotus Eater on Mar 26, 2006 19:15:54 GMT 7
My students come from all over - and they spend the first month adjusting to each others accent. Many of them don't learn Putonghua (Mandarin) until they go to school. Families will speak the local dialect at home. The small stall holders and street sellers use local dialect as their first language. So they can easily tell each other what price they quoted you!
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Post by Raoul Duke on Mar 26, 2006 19:20:55 GMT 7
Exactly. Shibboleth lives!
The local dialect is important for helping the homeys distinguish between their own neighbors and interlopers from other regions.
I've heard it said that the only people that Chinese distrust (and overcharge) more than foreigners, are Chinese from other parts of China. Suspicion and jealousy run very, very deep here.
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Post by Stil on Mar 26, 2006 21:01:13 GMT 7
Exactly. Shibboleth lives! The local dialect is important for helping the homeys distinguish between their own neighbors and interlopers from other regions. I've heard it said that the only people that Chinese distrust (and overcharge) more than foreigners, are Chinese from other parts of China. Suspicion and jealousy run very, very deep here. Exactly and this is why learning a little local language can go a long way with vendors. Just a greeting or even 'ting bu dong' said in the local way will gain you a lot of friendly help. My city has 4 different versions of the local language and even I can tell where people are from. Oh, another thing is that the local language may share many words with mandarin except that the tones might be different. So even when someone is speaking mandarin to you they may get the tone wrong according to standard mandarin. So be aware, not every Chinese person speaks mandarin well, even teachers. |
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Post by ilunga on Mar 27, 2006 15:46:05 GMT 7
Re 250. I read about this a couple of weeks ago.
It's to do with a reward put out by some emperor back in the day for the person who tried to kill him. Whoever it was failed. He wanted to find out who did it, so put up an imaginary reward of 1000 RMB/whatever for the would-be assassin. Four people came forward, who suggested that the reward be split four ways ie 250 each. Of course, they didn't live to see their supposed reward, and were indeed Er Bai Wu.
I just skipped over it quickly in a book store.
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Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly 
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
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Post by Ruth on Mar 28, 2006 7:17:34 GMT 7
Ilunga THANK YOU  I had heard that story a couple of years ago but couldn't remember it for the life of me. Locals I asked knew there was a story to go along with it, but also didn't know the story. You just solved one of the niggling little things bothering my brain lately. |
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Post by Norbert Radd on Mar 28, 2006 10:57:05 GMT 7
hu to she wai
Tiger head snake tail.
Begin strong and end weak or quickly quit
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Post by Mattholomew on May 9, 2006 17:26:34 GMT 7
I came to China knowing absolutely nothing of the language, and in fact learned how to say "ni hao" on my very first day.
That being said, you do pick up the basics quite quickly, but something that you might want to know is "taxi Chinese".
"ting" is stop
"zou bian" is left
"you bian" is right
yi zi zhou is straight
(apologies for the pooe pinyin)....even the last three aren't entirely necessary as you can always point. But "ting" comes in handy so you don't have to gesticulate wildly whenever the taxi driver zooms past your destination.
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Post by Mr Nobody on May 9, 2006 23:31:08 GMT 7
"ting, ting, ting, ting!!!" works for me. I sound like a bus, though.
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Quint
Up And Coming
How do I know this is true? By looking in myself.
Posts: 16
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Post by Quint on May 28, 2006 23:18:36 GMT 7
I find saying "just a minute and after" to people trying to sell me stuff shuts them up quick smart and leaves me in peace
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Post by Dajiang on Jun 5, 2006 18:25:36 GMT 7
Dunno if you're familiar with this site yet: www.zompist.com/phrases3.htmlPretty cool phrases there, and actually check out the whole site when you're at it. It's worth the read... Oh, and I found the old Lonely planet Mandarin phrasebook a tremendous help during all my stays. Don't like the new one cuz they dropped the pinyin... Hui tou jian, Dajiang |
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Post by acjade on Jun 5, 2006 18:42:14 GMT 7
Dajiang you have inspired me to kick butt in class this week.
And the language is so funny that I can't wait to go up the village and try a few of the phrases out on the regulars. And the FAO. He he.
Thanks.
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Loops
Barfly
Raoul, after a day reading the garbage we dump on his forum...
Posts: 389
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Post by Loops on Jun 5, 2006 19:07:20 GMT 7
Dajiang, that site rox...I can't wait to use those phrases on the locals...omg...it will be funny shiyit! Thanks!!  |
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teleplayer
Barfly
Ni3 you3 hen3 duo1 qian2. Gei3 wo3 yi4dian(r)3 ba.
Posts: 541
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Post by teleplayer on Jun 6, 2006 1:48:09 GMT 7
Welcome to the Saloon, Dajiang.
Huan1 ying2 guang1 Lin2.
Thanks for the cool link!
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Post by Dajiang on Jun 6, 2006 2:19:29 GMT 7
No worries mate, Got more of the good stuff on my humble weblog: roeltheworld.web-log.nl/It's in desperate need of an update, but the links are cool enough... I got to warn ya though. Once you venture into these links, time seems to stretch and it shortens your relative lifespan. Especially Mousebreaker.com... I positively hate that site... Dajiang |
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Newbs
SuperDuperBarfly!
If you don't have your parents permission to be on this site, naughty, naughty. But Krusty forgives
Posts: 2,085
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Post by Newbs on Jun 6, 2006 15:59:17 GMT 7
DJ I gotta admit that I'm not much of a one for blogs, but yours, mate, is all right.
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Post by Dajiang on Jun 7, 2006 17:20:02 GMT 7
Gracias.
Back to topic:
What's your favourite Chinese swearword, if you could choose only one?
Mine is "Fang pi".
Means something like "Bullpoo", or "You're full of it".
Literally (or well, almost literally...) it means "you fart from your mouth".
This is the kind of expression that will provoke lots of smiles around you though. Try it and find out. ;D
Dajiang
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Post by Lotus Eater on Jun 7, 2006 18:06:54 GMT 7
I use 'biantai' to friends. Could leave me with no teeth if used wrongly. But I have a couple of Chinese (guys!!) mates who gleefully write out lists of swear words and obscenities for me.
The taxi drivers are always surprised when I laugh after they have sworn at someone - they look at me - "ting dong le ma?" "Dong le". Then they chat to me.
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Post by Mr Nobody on Jun 7, 2006 20:48:18 GMT 7
Yeah. Me too. Or I try to. I understand some, but still can't speak much. A disgraceful situation.
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