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Q: Do you consider Chinese to be an "ugly" language?
I've had a few friends comment on what they believe to be the growling and grunting of the Chinese language which to them makes it hard on the ears. When looking at some rough-sounding dialects, I partially agree, and the think the fact that so many people don't speak "standard" Mandarin may lead some to believe it just sounds rough. Who knows though.
When you hear nice, smooth Mandarin on PA systems or on the TV or whatever, I do quite like the sound of it.
that is like comparing standard British English (Received Pronunciation) with (for example) people who speak with a Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham, New York, Californian, Australian, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand, I could go on, or any other English accent. Different people prefer a different accent of a language. an accent that sounds harsh to one person, could sound like music to another.
Not quite as ugly as some of the native speakers of the language!
I think it sounds horrible.Can't explain why, I just do. I live in Guangdong, and 97% of the time they 'speak' at a volume which is right below shouting in the other places I have lived/traveled in, which magnifies the horridness imo.
It really depends on who is speaking, and what mood they are in! For example, a colleague of mine, when she is talking to someone pretty random in person or on the phone, she can sound pretty rough. High volume guttural utterances are the norm. BUT, if she is speaking to the boss, an important customer, or some other "dignitary", her putonghua suddenly becomes soft, sweet, musical, lyrical, etc. During those time, it sounds quite nice!
I feel that guangdonghua is not pleasant sounding...especially when - as you have commented it is being almost 'shouted'.
But a nicely,well spoken putonghua is quite easy on the ears.
andy74rc:
The worst is the guangdonghua spoken by a middle aged woman.
I think Putonghua is a rather elegant language, but since there are so many uneducated people in China, it is not always spoken elegantly. When I first came to China and I didn't know the difference between Mandarin, Guangdong hua, and local languages, I felt it sounded as elegant as the sound of someone scratching on the chalkboard. But one day, I was listening to my wife speak casually with one of my friends. Their speech sounded like beautiful music to me. I really enjoyed listening. That's when I realized that Mandarin, when spoken in the proper manner, is a beautiful language.
It sounds horrible coz most of the time they don't speak either they yell or shout.
Nah, it's beautiful. Certain Hunan dialects on the other hand... oh my goodness, it sounds like monkeys screeching.
For me at least, the speaker is the one who makes or breaks the language.
Some languages have a rather bad reputation, but get the right person to speak or sing it and it can sound rather nice!
The guy from whom I buy my yang rou bbq and beer at night has a very pleasant sound when he speaks. I miss a lot of what he is saying, but just the sound of his voice is quite soothing and pleasant to hear. His wife on the other hand....
I also love to hear my girlfriend talk in Chinese. I loved her voice from the start!
Anyway, to answer your question, my reply would have to be "no".
Im with Raff I have trouble understanding some people (mainly guys) because the dont open their mouth when they talk and it just sounds like a air hose
Spoken or yelled? I think Chinese spoken by a woman sounds nice. The Chinese I hear sometimes, not so much.
Not an ugly language, but definitely an ugly culture...
