Hello Shanghainese:

Do you know if many people in Shanghai still speak Shanghainese (Wu dialect)?

I gather that you grew up in Shanghai and so speak Shanghainese. I have assembled a short list of Shanghai "conversation" words which I plan to use when I'm there in May. This will surely crack the locals up. Can you check if they are correct?

Haore - Okay
Veshiote - I don't know
Teivechi - sorry
Viozhia - no problemo
Tsisukei - restroom
zhiazhianon - thank you
tzusa or weisa - why

How do you say: I am starving? I am full? and "The bill please"?

Nonghau - how do you do (eye contact)
Tzehwei - bye (warm smile)
Dubiyoo - stomach empty (point to your tummy)
Chebaole - I'm full (fist cupped in the other hand as a polite thank you gesture)
ma-te - bill, please. (this is a word used in hongkong and taiwan which got incorporated into the shanghai dialect at the end of the last century, same for below)

tzadou - cab

Since 1949 chairman Mao insisted on putonghua (mandarin) to be taught and practiced to unify the language. The locals speak shanghainese including kids, but there is such an influx of non-locals in the last 10 years seeking their "fortunes" that most people in the service industry speak mandarin. Restaurant servers, cab drivers, shop and hotel staff. You'll be better off brushing up on mandarin.

I gather you are from the east coast?

Thanks Shanghainese.

I speak fluent Cantonese and can "squeeze-by" in Mandarin.

Re. people speaking Shanghainese: I read that it is becoming popular again, amongst some young people in Shanghai, and that there are some pop songs written/sung in Shanghainese playing in the clubs.

I did find an on-line Shanghainese learning website, where you can listen to the conversation. The way they speak (at the website) - it does not sound like Mandarin to me: almost sounds like some other "foreign" language!

www.zanhei.com

East Coast? nope - I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

You are right, shanghai dialect sounds totally different from mandarin, doesn't cantonese too? May I ask how you got so fluent in cantonese, please?

The chinese language is fascinating, based on the same written characters (the mainland uses the simplified version where as Taiwan kept the original version) there are many dialects, some perhaps may be called accents. I assume you speak the cantonese of the big cities HongKong and Guangzhou? If you go to the nearby towns, Taishan dialect will sound different from Guangzhou, so will Zhongshan. Same for cities not far from Shanghai, Suzhou has the softest dialect in China, Hangzhou is stronger and at the east coast city of Ningpo (Chiang Kai shek's hometown) it sounds like they are quarreling. Dialects are also mixed in with local words and slang, just like cab or taxi.

For mandarin, the Guoyu (Taiwan mandarin) sounds slightly different from the mandarin spoken on the mainland.

I haven't heard any new pop songs sung in shanghai dialect, but have CDs of old songs from the 30's with jazzy big bands. You can find them in bookstores on Nanjing Lu and Huaihai Lu.

Shanghainese:

I was born in Hong Kong and grew up speaking Cantonese. My mom and many brothers/sisters still live there.

Couldn't find any on-line Shanghainese pop songs, but I did manage to find a link about rapping in Shanghainese.

http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/132003.htm

I think it would be fun going to a club or concert in Shanghai listening to Shanghainese rap or pop songs.

Also read about a Shanghainese rap song recorded by a grumpy China Eastern Airline flight attendant in 2004.

"Why are there so many morons in our society today? They think just because they've got some money They're all big and bad Know what pal? I can't do everything Don't get on my plane and cause a big fuss ..."

I tried to get to the internet song but the link didn't seem to work:
http://www.danwei.org/internet/chine...the_year_2.php

There are lots of clubs along the Bund and on Maoming Lu starting south from Huaihai Lu.

I am sure you know these 2 words but just in case you want to bargain:

Too expensive - Taigui, Taju
Don't want it - Buyao, Veyuo

I recall you plan to visit Lijiang, where I haven't been to, have you considered Guilin? Dragon Air can get you there in an hour from HK.

This link is a blog in english by a local chinese, he's written daily for several years, interesting and useful info from a local's viewpoint.

http://home.wangjianshuo.com/

My heart is still set for Lijiang. Besides the Old Town I'd like to visit the first bend of the Yangtze River, do some hiking close to the Himalayan (spelling) which I believe is not far from Lijiang, or visit some Tibetan temples at Zhongdeng (spelling again). The only problem is that it is not that easy to get to - have to go through Kunming or Chengdu, and flights are expensive relatively. For Guilin I can easily find a 2-3 day tour from Hong Kong for less than $250.

I assume that in Shanghainese, "ve" means "no, not". Also, when you say Taju = Taigui = too expensive, "j" is pronounced as in John and not as "h" as in Jose, right?

Do you know of any good place to get music CDs in Shanghai? Hoping also to get some CDs of old, Chinese torch songs from the 30s or 40s. They remind me of an bygone era, not unlike the songs of Cole Porter or George Gershwin. I found an on-line store from the UK (www. tesco.com) that has about a dozen albums from the Pathé Records, and have downloaded a few albums although they are quite expensive.

They have Chang Loo, Fang Jing Yin (who died in her prime from a fatal car accident I believe) and Bai Kwong (a hateful man stole her heart and her money). I think Bai Kwong's "Lian Zhi Huo" is a classic, like her "Ru Guo Mei Yao Ni - If I don't have you". I know these songs because my aunt who lived with us used to play them when I was very little. Tesco even has albums from a young Mona Fong, who eventually was married to Mr. Run Run Shaw after working with him for many many years.

Right, the "j" in Taju in pronounced as in John. Also "x" is pronounced as "sh".

There are book/music stores on the 700 block of Huaihai Lu and the 300 block of Nanjing Dong Lu. Not far from the latter is the big Shanghai Music Bookstore at 365 Xizhangzhong Lu (hate it when shown as middle Tibet Road). Round the corner on Fuzhou Lu are more books, music and art stores, locals call it "Wenhua Jie" - Cultural Street.