Useful Words in Chinese -- No, Don't Want, Is It Free?
Jul 17th, 2007, 12:26 AM
#21
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And two more:
- Dui bu qi (pronounced a bit like "doi bouchi"
: Excuse me (as in "excuse me I need to get past you"
- Lao jia ("lao je": Sorry (as in "sorry I bumped into you"
I've found these two phrases are essential everywhere, but especially at any street crossing or a trip on the subway!
- Dui bu qi (pronounced a bit like "doi bouchi"
: Excuse me (as in "excuse me I need to get past you"- Lao jia ("lao je"
: Sorry (as in "sorry I bumped into you"I've found these two phrases are essential everywhere, but especially at any street crossing or a trip on the subway!
Jul 17th, 2007, 09:28 PM
#25
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Neil: nope
q in standard pinyin makes a ch sound, everything else is right though:
d'way boo chi
pinyin = the method of translating chinese sounds to english characters, it doesn't line up exactly with how we do it (which is why some english people prefer the Taiwanese Zhuyin Fuhao method, no preconceived notions about how the word should be pronounced)
So, how to tell q from ch in pinyin?
q=ch
ch=ch but with your tongue rolled back
q in standard pinyin makes a ch sound, everything else is right though:
d'way boo chi
pinyin = the method of translating chinese sounds to english characters, it doesn't line up exactly with how we do it (which is why some english people prefer the Taiwanese Zhuyin Fuhao method, no preconceived notions about how the word should be pronounced)
So, how to tell q from ch in pinyin?
q=ch
ch=ch but with your tongue rolled back
Jul 21st, 2007, 10:32 AM
#32
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bencd, the smiles in the markets might have been because "thank you" is "xie xie".
As far as I could make out (from hearing it said repeatedly by our China Eastern cabin crew) the "x" is somewhere between an English "s" and "sh", and the Chinese "e" is sounded like the "i" in "sir" (but an
"-eng" ending rhymes with "tongue". That leaves something like "sh'yeh sh'yeh". I'm sure the Chinese-speakers here will come to my rescue on this.
I will say however that my attempts to use Mandarin phrases often got the same reaction as yours.
As far as I could make out (from hearing it said repeatedly by our China Eastern cabin crew) the "x" is somewhere between an English "s" and "sh", and the Chinese "e" is sounded like the "i" in "sir" (but an
"-eng" ending rhymes with "tongue"
. That leaves something like "sh'yeh sh'yeh". I'm sure the Chinese-speakers here will come to my rescue on this.I will say however that my attempts to use Mandarin phrases often got the same reaction as yours.
Jul 21st, 2007, 11:21 AM
#33
Neil - that's how I try to say it, but I discovered on my last trip that pronunciation, even of xie xie, seems to vary by region. By southern Yunnan province, about the only words that hadn't changed were mi fan.
Jul 29th, 2007, 09:10 PM
#36
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I'd agree with Shanghainese on the pronunciation of "xie xie": she-yea she-yea, drawing out the last syllable occasionally for emphasis. When I'd get tired and not put the extra inflection in the words, resorting to something like "shay shay", there were plenty of giggles and mimicry behind my back. 
When I really wanted to thank someone a lot, I'd add the more formal "xie xie ni" (literally "thank *you*", following the example of my Taiwanese friends...
As for "lao jia", in the end I resorted simply to "dui bu qui" once I was outside of Beijing. Well, and ultimately a well-placed elbow and some strong words in muttered English after my patience ran out in Xian airport LOL!
When I really wanted to thank someone a lot, I'd add the more formal "xie xie ni" (literally "thank *you*"
, following the example of my Taiwanese friends...As for "lao jia", in the end I resorted simply to "dui bu qui" once I was outside of Beijing. Well, and ultimately a well-placed elbow and some strong words in muttered English after my patience ran out in Xian airport LOL!
Jul 30th, 2007, 03:28 AM
#37
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The easiest way to pronounce "thank you" or "xie xie" is to basically say the 4 letter "s" word twice, but keep the "t" off the end! Example "Shi- Shi-".
