Language survival 101: Feel local (in China)!
Dec 2nd, 2008 | By Hongguang | Category: English
In this questionnaire, we plan to interview Lexiophiles bloggers to get tips on how to learn their native language. Instead of offering run of the mill advice, we tried a different approach, more unconventional, which might even help people NOT be labeled as a tourist in the first 2 minutes!
• Hum or sing along with these three songs in the subway:
[Please name us three songs everyone knows in your native language]
《liǎng两;zhī只;lǎo老;hǔ虎;》 “ Two Tigers“
《lǎo老;shǔ鼠;ài爱;dà大;mǐ米;》 ” Mouse Loves Rice”
《shuāng双;jié截;gùn棍;》 ”Nunchakus”
• Get by with firing off any of these five swear words:
[Please tell us the five unavoidable curse-words that are commonly used in your country and what they mean]
tā mā de; 他妈的 (shit)
wáng bā dàn; 王八蛋 (tortoise egg)
cào; 操 (fuck)
jiàn rén; 贱人 （being cheap)
shǎ bī; 傻屄 (stupid asshole)
• Get the phone number (or a great laugh) with this pick-up line:
[Please share your favorite pick-up line with us]
你跟我一个朋友长得好象。 (You look like someone I know.)
我们之前见过吧？ (Haven't we met before?)
• Cheer to this word with your new local friends at the bar:
[Please tell us what the word for “cheers” is in your language]
干杯! gān bēi! （Bottom up!）
• And for our tip on feeling like a local - how to order a Big Mac menu in your language:
[Please write how you would order a super-size Big Mac menu in your language]
qǐng请 gěi给 wǒ我 yí一 gè个 jù巨 wú无 bà霸！
• The one thing you should do every day to feel truly local:
[Please describe a truly local thing/tick people in your country do]
Drink soybean milk for breakfast;
Watch CCTV news every evening, although nobody likes it.
• Have we forgotten anything? What is in your opinion the most unusual way to learn your language?
[Any ideas, comments, suggestions that we missed.]
Start with cursing words;
Find a Chinese girlfriend or boyfriend;
Learn through computer games.
[...] Language survival 101: Feel local (in China)! [...]