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Posts: 2488

Emperor

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Q: Do you ever use Chinese words in the middle of English sentences?

I mean are there any words or phrases you regularly use that are more comfortable to say in Chinese than in your own native language?

I never use Chinese at home. And i dont claim to be a high level but i find myself throwing Chinese words in there alot. And no one questions it. It seems natural when others do it as well.

For example:

“Babe, pass me the 纸巾。”( tissues )

or I will jump in the air screaming :"Holy hell! 蟑螂! 蟑螂!" (cockroach)

I have thought about why and i guess its because these specific things we dont have or dont say back in Vancouver. I never saw a cockroach in my life there and I dont recal people ever using tissues. We used toilet paper and napkins. So i guess i never really used those words a whole lot. Im just guessing why. Any ideas?

I also have this wierd thing where if i recieve the number in English its in my brain in English but if I use a number in China i actually have to translate the number from Chinese first. So if I am telling you my moms number i would say " seven seven nine...." but if I am telling you my number i would automatically think and say " yao san si...." and i am embarrassingly slow at translating it to English.

So how about you guys, any words are phrases that just come more naturally in Chinese?

8 years 35 weeks ago in  General  - China

 
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Shifu

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那个plz

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Posts: 267

Governor

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I always get this unnecessary need of saying "Hao de". even in my native tongue while talking to my folks back home...

coineineagh:

When listening to another in conversation, I have an annoying habit to say "Oh" instead of 'yes' and nod submissively. Weird.

8 years 35 weeks ago
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Karma101:

Now I try to hold the “hao de” back by saying “Oh kay”. Haha just comes out that way…

 

And “Ah” has become part of all the chat communications now…

8 years 35 weeks ago
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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1300

Shifu

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那个plz

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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Chinese didn't affect my native English or Dutch speech too much. But when I have to communicate in French or German, my vocab is riddled with Chinese words. I need to pay extra attention to pronouns. "Wo voudrais", "Was sagen ni?"
I end up speaking even more slowly.

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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A few habits I noticed:

 

When I was to affirm or confirm something, I make that Chinese "mmmm" sounds.

 

Sometimes I will say "Shen me?" instead of "What?"

 

When I am frustrated sometimes I will be like... "Ai ya, what the hell?"

 

 

Karma101:

Not kidding and no offense! 

 

The first time I heard a guy saying “Ai ya” I couldn’t stop laughing.

 

 

In my country “Ai ya” is like a sound used by newly wedded girl while she is blushing.

And a really loud “Ai yaa” by very old aunties when they are really pissed... 

8 years 35 weeks ago
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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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Sadly im also a offender
No problem
And what right behind ah at the end of a sentence

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8 years 35 weeks ago
 
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