How to Speak (Mandarin) Chinese! (sort of)
I'm BACK! Hubby and I drove to Michigan to see my parents two weeks ago and then I had a bad fibro flare. Finally feeling up to posting! I am hopelessly behind on the Exchange. *sad face* No bingo for me.
I also picked up our new kitten on Wednesday (currently attacking my feet)! SO CUTE OMG! I will make a post with photos (and some hilarious video) as soon as I get my camera sorted.
But for now.... How to Speak Chinese! (sf_drama had an Off Topic Tuesday of Advice from Community members: Respond with your areas of expertise and seek advice from others in this post.) I said I am a novice at Chinese and got asked about some basic phraseology. So here it is! (behind cut)
Note I only know Mandarin Chinese (which is the most common at about 850 billion speakers). Mandarin is the official language of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) and one of the four official languages of Singapore.
The 4 tones are (1) First tone is high and flat mā ; (2) Second tone is rising (like a question in English) Hm? má ; (3) Third tone is low dipping mǎ ; (4) Fourth tone is short and falling (sounds like scolding to English speakers) mà.
Note: Most novice speakers will be able to make themselves understood without getting the tones exactly right.
A quick note on Yes/No. There are no direct translations for yes and no in Chinese. Instead when one is asked a question the yes response is to repeat the verb and the no response is to repeat the verb with 'not' in front of it. The How Are You example is great for explaining this.
Hello: is "Ni(2) hao(3)! “你好!" or "Nin(2) hao(3)!"
您好！” literally translating as "You are good!" (informal ni, formal nin) (The "i" sound here is like "ee". This phrase sounds like "Nee How!")
[NB: Technically this is for addressing one person not plural.]
How Are You?: "Ni(2) Hao(3) ma?" “你 好 吗？” or "Nin(2) Hao(3) ma?" “您 好 吗？” literal translation is "Are you(informal) good?" or "Are you(formal) good?"
In this case "ma" is pronounced with no tone or for the English speaker it is easier to think of a short quick first tone.
The answer here would be "Hao(3)" “好” meaning "Good", "Hen(2) Hao(3)" “很好” meaning "Very good" or "Bu(2) Hao(3)" “不好" meaning "Not Good" or even "Hen(2) Bu(2) Hao(3)" "很 不好” or "Very not good" (Note: "hen" is pronounced like the "hun" in "hundred" and "bu" is pronounced "boo".)
The other way to ask this same question is just to put the two answers together as a question (Almost like giving a choice to the questioned person.) "Hao(3), bu(2) hao(3)?" so literally "Good, not good?" but more colloquially "Are you good or not?" The answers are the exact same as above. "好，不好？”
This style of questioning is used a lot: "Verb, not verb?" Things like "Chi(1), bu(3) chi(1)" direct translation is "Eat, not eat?" but means something like "Do you want to eat or not?" or "Are you hungry?" (The "i" sound here is "ih" like "chin".) “吃， 不 吃？”
Goodbye: is either "Zai(4) jian(4)!" literally "again meet!" (Sounds like: "d-z-aye jee-en") “再见"
Please: is "Qing(1)" “请” pronounced "ching"
May I ask: is "Qing wen?" “请问” "ching when?"
Thank You: is "Xie(4) xie" which sounds like "she-A, she-A" "谢谢"
You're Welcome: is "Bu(2) xie(4)" which sounds like "boo she-A" "不谢"(to some English speakers it sounds vaguely like "bullshit" LOL)
I'm sorry or Excuse me*: is "dui(4) bu(2) qi(4)" “对不起” literally "don't get up" *Yes, they're both the same phrase!
What is your name?: is "Ni(3) jiao(4) shen(2)me [ming(2)zi]?" “你叫什么 [名字]？” literally "You are called what [name]?" "mingzi" means "name" and does not need to be here for this sentence to make sense.
The answer is "Wo(3) jiao(4) ________" “我 叫 ------” (answer with first name). (Note "wo" sounds like "whoa" and "jiao" sounds like "jee ow".)
What is *point at something*?: "Shi(4) shen(2)me?" “是 什么？” pronounced like "shi" in "shirt" and "shun meh?" literally translated it means "is what?"
[NB: You can use "shi(4)" “是” "is" to be "yes" and "bu(2) shi(4)" “不是” "is not" to mean "no" if you need to.]
Whee Chinese overload!!! LOL
FYI: An internet cafe is a "wangba" or "网吧". Random anecdote time, "网" is the symbol for "net" like the net used in a sports game so I was wandering around China going "why do they have so many sports stores?!" LOL
I also picked up our new kitten on Wednesday (currently attacking my feet)! SO CUTE OMG! I will make a post with photos (and some hilarious video) as soon as I get my camera sorted.
But for now.... How to Speak Chinese! (sf_drama had an Off Topic Tuesday of Advice from Community members: Respond with your areas of expertise and seek advice from others in this post.) I said I am a novice at Chinese and got asked about some basic phraseology. So here it is! (behind cut)
Note I only know Mandarin Chinese (which is the most common at about 850 billion speakers). Mandarin is the official language of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) and one of the four official languages of Singapore.
The 4 tones are (1) First tone is high and flat mā ; (2) Second tone is rising (like a question in English) Hm? má ; (3) Third tone is low dipping mǎ ; (4) Fourth tone is short and falling (sounds like scolding to English speakers) mà.
Note: Most novice speakers will be able to make themselves understood without getting the tones exactly right.
A quick note on Yes/No. There are no direct translations for yes and no in Chinese. Instead when one is asked a question the yes response is to repeat the verb and the no response is to repeat the verb with 'not' in front of it. The How Are You example is great for explaining this.
Hello: is "Ni(2) hao(3)! “你好!" or "Nin(2) hao(3)!"
您好！” literally translating as "You are good!" (informal ni, formal nin) (The "i" sound here is like "ee". This phrase sounds like "Nee How!")
[NB: Technically this is for addressing one person not plural.]
How Are You?: "Ni(2) Hao(3) ma?" “你 好 吗？” or "Nin(2) Hao(3) ma?" “您 好 吗？” literal translation is "Are you(informal) good?" or "Are you(formal) good?"
In this case "ma" is pronounced with no tone or for the English speaker it is easier to think of a short quick first tone.
The answer here would be "Hao(3)" “好” meaning "Good", "Hen(2) Hao(3)" “很好” meaning "Very good" or "Bu(2) Hao(3)" “不好" meaning "Not Good" or even "Hen(2) Bu(2) Hao(3)" "很 不好” or "Very not good" (Note: "hen" is pronounced like the "hun" in "hundred" and "bu" is pronounced "boo".)
The other way to ask this same question is just to put the two answers together as a question (Almost like giving a choice to the questioned person.) "Hao(3), bu(2) hao(3)?" so literally "Good, not good?" but more colloquially "Are you good or not?" The answers are the exact same as above. "好，不好？”
This style of questioning is used a lot: "Verb, not verb?" Things like "Chi(1), bu(3) chi(1)" direct translation is "Eat, not eat?" but means something like "Do you want to eat or not?" or "Are you hungry?" (The "i" sound here is "ih" like "chin".) “吃， 不 吃？”
Goodbye: is either "Zai(4) jian(4)!" literally "again meet!" (Sounds like: "d-z-aye jee-en") “再见"
Please: is "Qing(1)" “请” pronounced "ching"
May I ask: is "Qing wen?" “请问” "ching when?"
Thank You: is "Xie(4) xie" which sounds like "she-A, she-A" "谢谢"
You're Welcome: is "Bu(2) xie(4)" which sounds like "boo she-A" "不谢"(to some English speakers it sounds vaguely like "bullshit" LOL)
I'm sorry or Excuse me*: is "dui(4) bu(2) qi(4)" “对不起” literally "don't get up" *Yes, they're both the same phrase!
What is your name?: is "Ni(3) jiao(4) shen(2)me [ming(2)zi]?" “你叫什么 [名字]？” literally "You are called what [name]?" "mingzi" means "name" and does not need to be here for this sentence to make sense.
The answer is "Wo(3) jiao(4) ________" “我 叫 ------” (answer with first name). (Note "wo" sounds like "whoa" and "jiao" sounds like "jee ow".)
What is *point at something*?: "Shi(4) shen(2)me?" “是 什么？” pronounced like "shi" in "shirt" and "shun meh?" literally translated it means "is what?"
[NB: You can use "shi(4)" “是” "is" to be "yes" and "bu(2) shi(4)" “不是” "is not" to mean "no" if you need to.]
Whee Chinese overload!!! LOL
FYI: An internet cafe is a "wangba" or "网吧". Random anecdote time, "网" is the symbol for "net" like the net used in a sports game so I was wandering around China going "why do they have so many sports stores?!" LOL