The N-word

[sylinchinastill]

Maybe I'm wrong- I thought Nawge was more correct because that is how I was taught in Mandarin class- my husband says nawge is correct and Naege is slang. So I guess it isn't a North/South thing at all.

[nygatl15]

I experienced it in Shanghai last year and even more this time... I found out what they were saying right away, and was comfortable, but I really did get tired of hearing the word so much... what can I do? mak them change thier language. I would caution my lady to be careful here if she is talking in public, some people would be very sensitive. Over the years, I have become a Christian and I don't "think" I would react as I would have in my younger days. I'm confident in myselfregardless of what a non Chinese person would say here. I guess I don't have it directed at me... being 6'4" and 260 pounds is a deterrent.

[jkobman]

In Nanjing, it sounds like "nikka" and I'll hear her say, "nikka nikka nikka..." - she said she uses it like, "hey, listen hear" or "OK, OK, but listen to me." I also brought it up to her that it sounds like the N word, but the more that I hear it, it doesn't seem to be a problem.

[tonyontherock]

Well, I once had my named spelled wrong. Correctly spelled it should mean iron tiger, but Amrican Lawyer in the big deal section in one issue spelled it wrong and if translated back into Chinese it sounds like, instead, as "iron slave". Even though it was a more fitting description of my relationshipwith the firm, I pointed that anyway out and they did promise to make a correction. I never saw the correction.

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Yeah, Juxin says that all the time when she's talking on the phone. She's from Henan province and she says it nearly identical to how someone from the US south would say it ... nay-ga. It seems to me it's used more like the way we use "uhm" or "uh".

 

"I went down to, uh, that one street, and uhm, I went to the store, and uhm, the guy said ..."

 

So when Juxin talks on the phone it's nay-ga this and nay-ga that, nay-ga, nay-ga, nay-ga.

 

Whoops, I haven't told her yet what meaning that word has in US english - I should probably tell her. But so far it's never been an issue because she only uses that word when she's speaking to other Chinese. She never mixes the word into english. Whew!

[david_dawei]

Zixuan, living near Beijing, also pronounces it as "nay ga", and uses to constantly as Jim describes..

 

I've never given a thought that her pronounciation is going to be mis-heard as the "n" word... but I guess I'll make sure she knows in case someone comments to her...

[ed and ying]

I have hosted many Chinese groups here in the US, and some pronunications sound almost exactly like the "n-word" It has never been a problem, most folks are savvy enough to realize the Chinese people are speaking their native language, not picking up a American slang word to include in the conversation.

[LeeFisher3]

On my daily drive to the office there is a road warning sign that states ¡°Limited sight distance ahead¡±. Took me a few months of seeing this and a few calls to the city but I was finally able to understand this warning sign, it is the PC method of telling the public that you are approaching what was once referred to as a ¡°Blind Intersection¡±. So in an attempt to avoid upsetting anyone we now have an important warning sign that is somewhat dangerous as no one knows what it means.

 

I hope that political correctness within the English language does not carry over to the reinvention of words in other languages causing some words to be substituted in conversations only with Americans to the point of no longer being able to communicate with out a PC savvy translator.

 

not that there is anything wrong with that.

[Dan R]

On my daily drive to the office there is a road warning sign that states ¡°Limited sight distance ahead¡±. Took me a few months of seeing this and a few calls to the city but I was finally able to understand this warning sign, it is the PC method of telling the public that you are approaching what was once referred to as a ¡°Blind Intersection¡±. So in an attempt to avoid upsetting anyone we now have an important warning sign that is somewhat dangerous as no one knows what it means.

 

I hope that political correctness within the English language does not carry over to the reinvention of words in other languages causing some words to be substituted in conversations only with Americans to the point of no longer being able to communicate with out a PC savvy translator.

 

not that there is anything wrong with that.     

I think that is automatically done by people who have frequent international and cross culture contacts. You learn what upsets, is usually misunderstood or gets a start from the listener. In a U.K. office to the receptionist you don't ask if she has the "willies". Of course it can pay off. The first weekend that "Free Willy" was shown in Australia it grossed more than double what was expected. Then word got around that it wasn't porn.

 

A Japanese friend said he thought a Mexican girl in Tijuana spoke Japanese when he said to his friend "look at that girl's chichi." Funny that the slang term is the same in Japanese and Spanish. She gave him a melting glare.

 

Ono is a common Japanese family name but in Hawaiian it means delicious. Which leads to many jokes but not as many as signs in Hawaii for fresh opai. This means shrimp in Hawaiian but breast in Japanese. So when Miss Ono has tasty Opai; you get the idea......

[LeeFisher3]

not that there is anything wrong with that.

I think that is automatically done by people who have frequent international and cross culture contacts. You learn what upsets, is usually misunderstood or gets a start from the listener. In a U.K. office to the receptionist you don't ask if she has the "willies". Of course it can pay off. The first weekend that "Free Willy" was shown in Australia it grossed more than double what was expected. Then word got around that it wasn't porn.

 

A Japanese friend said he thought a Mexican girl in Tijuana spoke Japanese when he said to his friend "look at that girl's chichi." Funny that the slang term is the same in Japanese and Spanish. She gave him a melting glare.

 

Ono is a common Japanese family name but in Hawaiian it means delicious. Which leads to many jokes but not as many as signs in Hawaii for fresh opai. This means shrimp in Hawaiian but breast in Japanese. So when Miss Ono has tasty Opai; you get the idea......

I agree there is much we can do to avoid accidental miscomunication, but it does seem that in the USA we have an over sensitivity on these issues.

 

Too bad I didn't know the UK phrase, but those days are over.

[tywy_99]

I attended a 'sexual harassment' class Monday. It is mandatory at work.

The teacher was talking how women get offended when called "girl" and you should refrain from using the word.

I had to throw my two-cents in and said that I have a division memo from the '50's that had used the word "girl" in it while explaining a procedure.

I then asked what has changed from 'then' to 'now'?

I didn't get a straight answer other then that it isn't 'politcally correct' to use the word "girl."

I can understand how a woman might get upset being called "girl", especially if used in a derogatory manner, but I myself, have always been fond of the word. I don't think it is a demeaning word. I always thought of it as a pretty and likable word, but that's me. I guess times are changing. I will never use the word "girl" at work if I want to keep my job!

...How about "fraulein" or "dame"?.....

[Yuanyang]

I smoke. Years ago a UK co-worker approached me and asked if I would "like to go blow a fag"?

[Dan R]

I smoke.  Years ago a UK co-worker approached me and asked if I would "like to go blow a fag"?

I was surprised by that one too. There is often kidding going on in chat between Brits and Yanks over that.

 

California has made it mandatory for any employer of over 50 employees to provide 2 hours of harassment training to all supervisors.

[frank1538]

Jingwen's dialect produces:

 

jigga = this

nagga = that

[Yuanyang]

I smoke.  Years ago a UK co-worker approached me and asked if I would "like to go blow a fag"?

I was surprised by that one too. There is often kidding going on in chat between Brits and Yanks over that.

 

California has made it mandatory for any employer of over 50 employees to provide 2 hours of harassment training to all supervisors.

I think it may be Federal now Dan. When our company broke the 50 employy mark we had a 2 hour (really bad) video on the subject.