Results of the chinese class
Hi!
Recently I went to a restaurant (not Chinese) and I noticed that the waitress was Asian. I noticed even more when she said her name was "Ping" (Chinese name). So I figured, let me talk to her in Chinese and see.
So I asked "Ni 你 hui 会 shuo 说 putonghua ma 吗?". She had this expression on her face that was priceless "how is this guy talking in Chinese?" is my guess. She answered "hui 会" (I asked if she spoke mandarin and she answered yes). Then I asked "ni 你 cong 从 nali 那里 lai 来?" (where are you from. She told me Xian City (mainland China).
Then I ordered some food and she asked how come I know Chinese, etc. So I told her. Then she said "ni 你 shuo 说 de 的 hen 很 hao 好". Which is "You speak very well". To which you MUST answer: "bu 不 hao 好". That is "no good". The reason for this is because Chinese culture is very humble in accepting compliments. So even if they are complimenting you, you should always not take it. If you do, they think that you are full of pride or something. Then she said "wo ting de dong". In other words "I understand what I hear". Like saying, you are good enough that I understand what you are saying.
At the end I left her a tract I had in Chinese. I guess the class really works, because I tried something similar before the class, and I ended up calling the person "mentally retarded". Never tried it again until now. :D
Recently I went to a restaurant (not Chinese) and I noticed that the waitress was Asian. I noticed even more when she said her name was "Ping" (Chinese name). So I figured, let me talk to her in Chinese and see.
So I asked "Ni 你 hui 会 shuo 说 putonghua ma 吗?". She had this expression on her face that was priceless "how is this guy talking in Chinese?" is my guess. She answered "hui 会" (I asked if she spoke mandarin and she answered yes). Then I asked "ni 你 cong 从 nali 那里 lai 来?" (where are you from. She told me Xian City (mainland China).
Then I ordered some food and she asked how come I know Chinese, etc. So I told her. Then she said "ni 你 shuo 说 de 的 hen 很 hao 好". Which is "You speak very well". To which you MUST answer: "bu 不 hao 好". That is "no good". The reason for this is because Chinese culture is very humble in accepting compliments. So even if they are complimenting you, you should always not take it. If you do, they think that you are full of pride or something. Then she said "wo ting de dong". In other words "I understand what I hear". Like saying, you are good enough that I understand what you are saying.
At the end I left her a tract I had in Chinese. I guess the class really works, because I tried something similar before the class, and I ended up calling the person "mentally retarded". Never tried it again until now. :D