Comments on: Received any false compliments lately?

By: Rod MacKenzie

Rod MacKenzie — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:41:55 +0000

Hi Clarus – so I think you understand that the Chinese put me off learning Chinese (Mandarin at least) as they often refuse to listen to me. If I was in their position perhaps I would do the same but…. it is still frustrating. However cabbies love chatting to me in Putonghua. I had another silly incident today when a new shop assitant could not understand if I wanted a da daizi, big shopping bag ( he got me a small one xiao daize, not sure of pinyin spelling but know I can say it), yet cabbies have intermediate level conversations with me no problem.

By: clarus

clarus — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:49:49 +0000

Hi Rod
Yes, I am SAfrican.

A couple of nights ago in the same mall I had supper with an Indian/Malaysian friend. The first waitress who came to serve us assumed that neither of us could speak Chinese and recommended some dishes by gesturing to them. The second waitress who came to our table ignored me and asked my friend what I wanted to order.

When I go out with friends who are ethnically Chinese I am not surprised at all that waiters and waitresses ignore me (I’m sure I would do the same, in their position), but that recent incident added to my perspective.

By: Rod MacKenzie

Rod MacKenzie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:12:11 +0000

Hi again Clarus and isn’t it amusing how they have to refer to you in the third person, he/she/ta, “ta dong Zhongwin ma?” as if you somehow won’t understand? especially after hearing you did speak the language.You Sawth Effricen?
The amount of times I have an older, usually femal customer standing next to me going ta ting bedong and laughing about me while I am having a simple CONVERSATION with the shop assistant is also amuzing/annoying.

By: clarus

clarus — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:58:56 +0000

In my local mall in Minhang, Shanghai: I was at an ATM with my hood up. A curious youngster came to look at me, ascertained that I was a Westerner (the pale sort), and reported to her mother, standing behind me “She’s an American” I responded in the negative. She said to her mother “She’s a foreigner. How is it that she can speak Chinese?” to which I replied “I am very clever!”

At the chemist’s a man standing next to me listened to our conversation and then asked her “Can you understand her?” She replied, “Yes, she speaks Mandarin.” She then said to me “He asked me if I could understand you, and I said that you could speak Mandarin.” I understood both of them perfectly, and so leapt to the startling conclusion that I could somehow miraculously and suddenly, from the context, understand the relevant words in Shanghainese – but of course your explanation above, Rod, is far more likely to be the true one.

By: Rod MacKenzie

Rod MacKenzie — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:40:46 +0000

Jimmy – sure there are loads of words for very specific family members. But it gets a bit much… there is a specific word for younger brother, older brother, younger sister, older sister, different cousins, and the grandparents thing as you mention. But in English we have our own specifications…. nothing wrong with saying “my younger brother” or “my paternal grandmother”.

By: Rod MacKenzie

Rod MacKenzie — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:33:36 +0000

Jimmmy, Jay – Mandarin is not simple at all. The written language is unbelievably complex to memorise. The first few hundred words – the simplest – are pictograms that are stylised representations of reality. The love word for rain looks like rain drops falling through a window. But then it gets more complex, characters that are referred to in English as ideophonograms etc. Being a tonal language (four tones) you can say mai in four different ways, high, low , rising and falling. “Ma” has four completely different meaning depending on the tone. Then to make it more fun in some parts of China the second tone and fourth tone are reversed, confusing Chinese not native to that area… ach this is turning into a blog…

By: jimmy

jimmy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:18:44 +0000

Actually i find English words can be quite deceiving having several interpretations from
every person.Ask a lawyer.

However Mandarin seems to be less so.

For example in the west grandfather can be on the mother side or father side whereas in mandarin it
is specified in a word to mean mother’s father or
father’s father.

By: jay

jay — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:45:02 +0000

Rod – what a world we live in…. and I know how you sometimes feel with people reactions.

As an officially recognized Courts translator/interpreter in two languages, I sometimes am somewhat exasperated at how some Magistrates fail to comprehend that I am there to translate accurately instead of them guessing as to what is said…. and sometimes I have to explain (with some exasperation) that while some words sound like English – but can have up to six – sometimes seven completely different meanings – depending whether it was used at the front of a sentence – the end of a sentence – or another word was placed before it – or after it ….. and of course then come the tone it is spoken in as well.

As a simple language, it kind of beats your slipper shuffling Mandarin for complexity – but I know I would be completely lost if I was dropped in the middle of China.

By: Bow hum

Bow hum — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:17:11 +0000

Born to an english mom and an afrikaans father, I attended a braai in Stellenbosh with the usual quoata of afrikaans students dominating the grill… I got into conversation with one of the guys who asked my name…Gareth VanZyl was my reply…Wat se fokken naam is dit…was his retort in a very accusing manner…While I admired his conviction, I also laughed at his ignorance.

By: Sydney Kaye

Sydney Kaye — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:34:16 +0000

Do the Chinese in China say: Let’s get a Chinese” or do they just say “let’s eat out?”