The N-word

[tywy_99]

No, this is not at all related to the Mark Ferman thing but it comes close!

 

I post this because it has happend, to a certain degree....

 

Well, as I found out a while back, there appears to be a certain word in the mandarin language which is innocent to the Chinese but to English speaking Americans, it takes on an entirely different meaning.

As my wife explained to me, it means "you know?, you know?" or about the same way as we say "um" when speaking, for example, "um, the story goes like this."

And as I explained to my wife, "be careful not to use that word in a public place."

 

Going back to the AC story, the repairman came out today. He said, "Where's your wife?" I said, "She's in the house; I heard quite a story from her the other day!"

The repairman said, "Yeah, but I have a question to ask you."

I said, "Okay, shoot."

He said, "Why was she saying N____?"

I nearly fell off the porch!....lol

I explained to him what it meant in Chinese. He said he thought it must be Chinese but my wife had him and his helper busting at the seams!....

 

Like I said in the AC post, my wife definitely left them two guys with an impression that I don't think they will ever forget!......... but,,,my wife is good in that way!!, you know?, you know?........

[Yuanyang]

I heard that also... A Lot. Americans have become very sensitive to the very sound of it (unless it is coming from a comedian).

Anyway, I had filed that in the back of the old noggin' under 'To Be Reviewed With Wife'.

[BuffaloPaul]

Ha, I remember my SO's daughter uses that phrase all the time. I'm too slow to equate it with the American equivalent. Better educate her since I have a black daughter

[Trigg]

The last time I was in Zhanjiang the Amaerican navy was givin shore leave-a first in China I think. We were sitting in a restaraunt eating-Myself, wife , her mother and a friend who spoke fair English. About 20 sailors of all colors came in and we started a conversation. They wanted to know about the night spots so my friend started talking. He was nervous and Umm, you know you know-or the Chinese version which sounds excactly like the ethnic slur for blacks.

 

I hadn't heard this before and thought for sure that he was going to start an international incident. One of the sailors asked me if all Chinese were predjudiced. I asked my friend what was up and he explained it was the Umm thing and often said.

 

The sailor got a good laugh--damned good thing he was a huge man!

[se_lang]

I guess there is more then one word, I have heard this(Na Ge) from my wifes mouth a lot.

 

Na Ge="that"

Ni Zhi Dao="You know"

[warpedbored]

Kinda makes you wonder what english words may do the same in Chinese. I remember reading once that the Chevy Nova wouldn't sell in Mexico because in Spanish it means "won't go".

[sylinchinastill]

Na ge- and in the north it is pronounced like Nawga so it doesn't sound so bad but in Canton it is like Naega and does sound pretty bad. Some of my black friends in China had a hard time hearing this every day in the beginning. That is a pretty funny story.

[awch]

Na ge- and in the north it is pronounced like Nawga so it doesn't sound so bad but in Canton it is like Naega and does sound pretty bad. Some of my black friends in China had a hard time hearing this every day in the beginning. That is a pretty funny story.

In Dalian it is prononced exactly like "nigga".

I always thought it was people in the South who said "naw ge"!

 

[Yuanyang]

Na ge- and in the north it is pronounced like Nawga so it doesn't sound so bad but in Canton it is like Naega and does sound pretty bad. Some of my black friends in China had a hard time hearing this every day in the beginning. That is a pretty funny story.

Is Beijing considered North? That's where I was hearing it.

[tonyontherock]

How about the swastika. It is every where in old Chinese paintings or on buildings, which means never ending good fortune or something.

[tonado]

How about the swastika.  It is every where in old Chinese paintings or on buildings, which means never ending good fortune or something.

The Chinese symbol is different. It goes counter-clockwise.

[Dan R]

The "swastika" is one of those universal symbols used in various cultures both left and right facing from prehistory.

 

The swasticka has thus appeared in different forms, in different places and for different reasons, in human culture since pre-historic times. The meaning has been a "Wheel of Life," a "Sun-Wheel," the four points of the compass, the four winds, Man himself, a symbol of the Hopi emergence into the current world (showing the directions taken by the various tribes in their wanderings) ... many, many interpetations have been given to this most ancient symbol.

 

It can be found with both right-angled arms, and with curved arms rather like two letters "S" superimposed at right-angles to each other.

 

It's wide distribution in so many varying cultures shows quite conclusively that it is neither an "Aryan" nor a non-"Aryan" symbol, the pretensions of the NSDAP (German Nazi Party) and their descendants notwithstanding.

 

The Oriental interpetation has been that of a "Sun-Wheel," with the right-handed version being for "life" or the Sun, and the left-handed version being for "death" or the Moon.

 

 

"right handed"

------> Sunwise (deasil) rotation

(heraldic default position)

 

 

"left handed"

<------ Widdershins rotation

(heraldic reversed position)

 

It is interesting to note that the original designer of the insignia of the NSDAP, Dr. Freidrich Krohn (see below), initially drew it right-handed, but Hitler insisted on its being changed to the left-handed version.

[RJZ+JCW]

I like hanging out with my na ge's all the time.

[Mengxin]

There is a couple words I remember byback in my hooked on ebonics class that help me learn chinese.

 

Ne-ga is an obvious 1. (i still say theyre racists.)

How about Si ga (this is)

or holla... hao la (enough, it's full)

May win Tea or May sure (No problem)

[tywy_99]

Na ge- and in the north it is pronounced like Nawga so it doesn't sound so bad but in Canton it is like Naega and does sound pretty bad. Some of my black friends in China had a hard time hearing this every day in the beginning. That is a pretty funny story.

In Dalian it is prononced exactly like "nigga".

I always thought it was people in the South who said "naw ge"!

 

That's exactly how my wife pronounces it, "nigga". It's unreal. I told my wife to be careful with it in public.

My stepdaughter pronounces it differently. She speaks it beginning with a 'L' and having a long 'e' sound to it. Sort of like "Leega".

Anyone know the difference or why she would pronounce it like that? I asked her one time but really didn't get a clear answer from her.

Just curious...