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