Intermediate Yueyinglish….
A few months ago I posted about The Unsinkable Ms Yue’s uncanny ability to render herself understood in any circumstance. I have often used her as an example in my classes to encourage students to forget perfection and work toward progress instead.
I long ago set out to catalog the elements of style in Yueyinglish a rare and unusual sub-dialect of Chinglish unique to the only surviving member of the League of Extraordinary Chinese Women. But, I had not seen Ms Yue for some time and heard her and David using an expanded vocabulary that the aspiring Yueyinglish speaker should know.
Some new vocabulary:
curse=of course
turnf the off=turn it on
turnf the on=turn it off
QQ=cute
newshin=new
long time ago=it was intolerably long
cookie the rice=prepare a meal
waidter=weather
rainling=raining
have the small?=do you have change?
you the one people go?=you are going alone?
only the talking, talking!=don’t get upset I am just discussing this with you
craysheen=insane
Seeulateragulator=later gator
OK, now for some practice sentences actually overheard in Guangzhou:
So, how was Spiderman?
Long time ago!
How about the actors?
The movie one people QQ. The girl no beautiful. Bad the man craysheen da.
I am sorry we got out so late
Only talking talking ma. I go one people home and cookie the rice.
The movie house was crowded
Yesu! The man no tunf the on the cellphone.
So you want to go with David to see another movie?
Newsheen the movie, curse! You the one people want to go?
No, David would love your company. See you later
The waidther no way! Rainling! Take a taxi. You have the small? Seeulateragulator.
For those of you anticipating your YYSL certificates: You wait me, OK?
2 responses so far
I read this and alternatively laughed and cried. My mom speaks similar Chinglish so when I read all the comments above, it didn’t even seem grammatically incorrect, I just subbed in my mom’s voice and Cantonese.
Some of my favourites were:
cookie the rice: “making the rice” is interchangable with making a meal. The word, “fan” actually literally means both things.
have the small: literally in cantonese: do you have small bills? sometimes we say, “do you have loose bills” it would be even better if she asked you if you have the loose
you the one people go?: haha, again, this is the exact Cantonese grammar! the “alone” is always before the verb.
but my favourite…. craysheen: colloquial Cantonese is tseeseen: sticky wires, aka “crossed wires”
Love it.
M
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