Learning Chinese

[Mick]

My Chinese, although still limited after living in China for five years and being with Li going on eight years, is gradually improving. Still, I am a butcher when it comes to the tones. Normally, I call people's mothers horses.

 

I thought I might share this experience, which occured during my fourth year in China. It illustrates, I think, how dangerous a tonal language can be.

 

During my fourth year in China, my third in Shantou, I felt my Chinese was advancing greatly. Then I was humbled and damn near pummeled with a cane.

 

I developed a real taste for a chili spice called "Lao Gan Ma." It is really tasty if you like the hot stuff and I often ate in with various foods that Li and I prepared at home.

 

One day I went shopping and needed to buy some Lao Gan Ma. I went into a store and couldn't find it. Boldly, I approached an old man behind the counter and asked for "Lao Gan Ma." He looked as if he didn't understand me, so I repeated my question several times. He became enraged and chased me out of the store, swinging a cane at me.

 

Later, I told Li the story. She asked exactly what I said. I told her and she actually fell on the floor laughing.

 

Literally, Lao Gan Ma is translated as "Old Dry Mother" and it has a picture of an old lady on the label. Evidently, Gan is also a word, when used with a different tone, that implies a f**ker. Ma, of course, can also mean horse.

 

It would seem that I asked the fellow if he was "the old horse f**ker."

 

 

I have been able to find Lao Gan Ma at quite a few Asian food stores here in the States; still eat it, still love. But, I never try to ask for it. B)

Edited August 25, 2005 by Mick (see edit history)

[izus]

lol

thats great!!!

i love those stories

[Cerberus]

Mick,

I fully understand what you mean by the tones. I had the exact same problem with the easiest and most commonly used expression in Chinese.

 

Maestro a drumroll, please!.............Thank you! / Xi Xi

 

How can a laowei screw this phrase up so badly, is beyond myself and all the Chinese people I said Xi Xi to. Yin stated that it sounded like what little children do in the streets with their trapdoors down! In fact we went for a walk one day, and I heard a mother quietly telling her daughter to Shi Shi! I realized then that Yin was absolutely right. The next 4 days, I would go about my course in life and kept repeating this particular phrase. Finally got it down, but not without a lot of perserverence.

[david_dawei]

Mick,

I fully understand what you mean by the tones.  I had the exact same problem with the easiest and most commonly used expression in Chinese. 

 

Maestro a drumroll, please!.............Thank you! / Xi Xi

 

How can a laowei screw this phrase up so badly, is beyond myself and all the Chinese people I said Xi Xi to.  Yin stated that it sounded like what little children do in the streets with their trapdoors down!  In fact we went for a walk one day, and I heard a mother quietly telling her daughter to Shi Shi!  I realized then that Yin was absolutely right.  The next 4 days, I would go about my course in life and kept repeating this particular phrase.  Finally got it down, but not without a lot of perserverence.

149933[/snapback]

maybe if you spelled it right (xie xie) you could pronounce it better: ... sorry, couldn't resist

 

I heard that pronounced a number of ways by different chinese as well... sometimes xie4xie4, sometimes sounding like xie4xie3 or xie3xie3...

 

So, I can see why a laowei can screw up this phrase...

[tonado]

Learning Chinese is not dangerous. Speaking it in China or Chinatown might be. The more you learn, the better you will get. Keep practicing.

[lynne]

That is a very funny story! You have to be carefull where you are in China too, there can be very deceptive names for things. At a small resturaunt they were out of whatever I had ordered at first and the lady asked if tianji would be ok. She showed me the characters on the menu and it was tian field and ji like the character in Chicken. So I thought field bird must be a pheasant or something, why not try it. I soon found out that in some parts of Fujian "field bird" means frog. Not the best meal I've had in China.

[izus]

there are just too many words that sound the same that have different meanings.

english i guess has words like that but not every word.

the first time i was in china i couldnt understand anything , but i can pick out words here and there as she speaks to her family and others now. B)

i try to work at least 1 hour a night on my mandarin software programs.

[jim_julian]

Lao gan ma I love it!

 

I haven't found it in the US yet but then I haven't checked in a hard core Chinatown area. I think my fave is the one that also has a bit of dry shredded beef in it.

 

[HanLi]

Mick,

what a great story, I am still laughing, and can picture you running out the door with that cane swinging...... B)

[LeeFisher3]

Mick,

I fully understand what you mean by the tones.  I had the exact same problem with the easiest and most commonly used expression in Chinese. 

 

Maestro a drumroll, please!.............Thank you! / Xi Xi

 

How can a laowei screw this phrase up so badly, is beyond myself and all the Chinese people I said Xi Xi to.  Yin stated that it sounded like what little children do in the streets with their trapdoors down!  In fact we went for a walk one day, and I heard a mother quietly telling her daughter to Shi Shi!  I realized then that Yin was absolutely right.  The next 4 days, I would go about my course in life and kept repeating this particular phrase.  Finally got it down, but not without a lot of perserverence.

149933[/snapback]

This explains much, I will punish my SO in a similar manner when she is in the US, now I wish we hadn't spent so much time working on the different pronounciation between smile and smell.

 

I now understand the chuckles at one dinner when my tounge could not get around the words properly.

 

The woman will pay for this one.

[BuffaloPaul]

I have to face a severe double standard on this language deal. When I speak Chinese both SO and daughter laugh like crazy. If they don't pronounce something right and I don't understand, I'm not very smart

[Cerberus]

Mick,

I fully understand what you mean by the tones.  I had the exact same problem with the easiest and most commonly used expression in Chinese. 

 

Maestro a drumroll, please!.............Thank you! / Xi Xi

 

How can a laowei screw this phrase up so badly, is beyond myself and all the Chinese people I said Xi Xi to.  Yin stated that it sounded like what little children do in the streets with their trapdoors down!  In fact we went for a walk one day, and I heard a mother quietly telling her daughter to Shi Shi!  I realized then that Yin was absolutely right.  The next 4 days, I would go about my course in life and kept repeating this particular phrase.  Finally got it down, but not without a lot of perserverence.

149933[/snapback]

maybe if you spelled it right (xie xie) you could pronounce it better: ... sorry, couldn't resist

 

I heard that pronounced a number of ways by different chinese as well... sometimes xie4xie4, sometimes sounding like xie4xie3 or xie3xie3...

 

So, I can see why a laowei can screw up this phrase...

149946[/snapback]

Dave,

 

D _ _ n! That correction really hurt!!!! (LOL) However, not as bad as when I thanked Chinese people. You should have seen the look in their faces. Nope, not for the laowei willing to learn and speak their their language. For the simpleton laowei, who couldn't even say two words for a very common, common phrase properly! (LOL) Ihave to laugh at myself for being such an idiot!

 

I also don't type Pinyin and don't really have much desire to learn. Yin is teaching me Sichuan Pudonghua. IMHO far much easier than Beijing, Saghai, Xian , etc., dialects. The key to me is to keep repeating the particular phrase or word, until I have the accent correct. The Chinese that I do speak, I'm able to move very easily through Chinese society. Oft time, I'm very surprised when a Chinese person asks me where I learned to speak perfectly accented Sichuan dialect Chinese. I tell them my "Chinese" wife, and they will spend 5 to 10 miutes talking English with me, with Chinese phrases interspersed. The first question, can your wife come here? Yin has come 5 or 6 times, but the conversations that she has can go as long as one hour. Hence, her slight aversion to this sceanrio.

 

However, I digress. Seems that in Bejing, when you say nihao (Hello) the words run together. In southwestern China, each individual word is annuciated (e.g. ni...hao) far easier to speak and understand. In fact there are times when Sichuan person speaks so fast, and they know you're a laowei, they will deliberatly slow down so that you can hear each individual word. Man! I love Chongquig and Chengdu!

[jim_julian]

In southwestern China, each individual word is annuciated (e.g. ni...hao)  far easier to speak and understand.  In fact there are times when Sichuan person speaks so fast, and they know you're a laowei, they will deliberatly slow down so that you can hear each individual word.  Man!  I love Chongquig and Chengdu!

150081[/snapback]

Ooooo ... many Chongqingers would really object to being placed in Sichuan.

 

Fundahin!

[Dan R]

Lao gan ma I love it!

 

I haven't found it in the US yet but then I haven't checked in a hard core Chinatown area.  I think my fave is the one that also has a bit of dry shredded beef in it.

 

149961[/snapback]

Ah that brand! 99 Ranch Market in California carries the line. I have the chili oil with peanuts in my kitchen. Couldn't cook without it. My main seasonings are the chili oil (actually red chili flakes soaked in oil) and black vinegar. That makes anything taste Chinese. Stews I make with the Chili Oil and five spice....mmmmmmmm mmmmmmm good!

[Mick]

Lao gan ma I love it!

 

I haven't found it in the US yet but then I haven't checked in a hard core Chinatown area.  I think my fave is the one that also has a bit of dry shredded beef in it.

 

149961[/snapback]

Ah that brand! 99 Ranch Market in California carries the line. I have the chili oil with peanuts in my kitchen. Couldn't cook without it. My main seasonings are the chili oil (actually red chili flakes soaked in oil) and black vinegar. That makes anything taste Chinese. Stews I make with the Chili Oil and five spice....mmmmmmmm mmmmmmm good!

150121[/snapback]

Yep, that's the stuff alright! I use it in cooking quite a bit as well, or, if eating something a little bland, will put a bit on my plate and drag the food through it. I highly recommend it, especially the chili with the peanuts in it. All of it is good, though.

 

Yum Yum!