<![CDATA[Comments on: Talking Numbers]]> 2010-06-03 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: xiaophil]]> Thanks for this lesson! This one in particular is useful for anyone who lives in Shanghai, even if communicating in Shanghainese in general is not a priority.

Any Chinese CPod staff able to tell me if they have trouble understanding Shanghainese numbers or have encountered other situations where they felt lost because people were speaking Shanghainese when they should be speaking Mandarin? I'm always curious to know if non-Shanghainese share this difficulty with us 老外.

In the past, some of my 外地 students have complained to me that bus drivers sometimes announce stops in Shanghainese and they can't understand. I imagine that because of the Expo, all of those dilapidated buses are gone and have been replaced with new ones with automated announcements, so it should be a problem of the past, but I guess this problem still exists in other cities.

]]> Thanks for this lesson! This one in particular is useful for anyone who lives in Shanghai, even if communicating in Shanghainese in general is not a priority.

Any Chinese CPod staff able to tell me if they have trouble understanding Shanghainese numbers or have encountered other situations where they felt lost because people were speaking Shanghainese when they should be speaking Mandarin? I'm always curious to know if non-Shanghainese share this difficulty with us 老外.

In the past, some of my 外地 students have complained to me that bus drivers sometimes announce stops in Shanghainese and they can't understand. I imagine that because of the Expo, all of those dilapidated buses are gone and have been replaced with new ones with automated announcements, so it should be a problem of the past, but I guess this problem still exists in other cities.

]]> <![CDATA[By: ellen_counselor]]> The difficulty of Shanghai dialect can be presented by just one number: 222 (two hundred and twenty two). It pronounces like 两巴乃尼 liang ba nei ni. Three 2 have three different pronunciations.

]]> The difficulty of Shanghai dialect can be presented by just one number: 222 (two hundred and twenty two). It pronounces like 两巴乃尼 liang ba nei ni. Three 2 have three different pronunciations.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> I have never heard a bus driver announce a bus stop - this must be a Shanghai special? I've been in lots of buses. Either there is an automated announcement or (on some county or inter-town buses) nothing - you have to ask. Where are we?

]]> I have never heard a bus driver announce a bus stop - this must be a Shanghai special? I've been in lots of buses. Either there is an automated announcement or (on some county or inter-town buses) nothing - you have to ask. Where are we?

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiaophil]]> The buses they were referring to ran on the outskirts. I guess it has been a long time since such buses have been used in the city itself.

]]> The buses they were referring to ran on the outskirts. I guess it has been a long time since such buses have been used in the city itself.

]]> <![CDATA[By: davidxuzhou]]> Comparison between Shanghainese and Mandarin.

A:吾头 呀 位。[下面 一 位。]
Next, please.

A:50块。[50块。]
50 kuai.

B:闹，每，几迪？[给你，慢，多少钱？]
Here, wait... How much?

A:呀波 10块，个的 有 1，2，3，4，5波，总共 50块。[一包 10块，这里 有 1、2、3、4、5包，总共 50块。]
10 kuai per pack. You have one, two, three, four, five packs, so 50 kuai in total.

B:老早 伐思 30块5波吗？[以前 不是 30块5包吗？]
Before, wasn't it 5 packs for 30 kuai?

A:现在 涨价 了。[现在 涨价 了。]
The price has gone up.

]]> Comparison between Shanghainese and Mandarin.

A:吾头 呀 位。[下面 一 位。]
Next, please.

A:50块。[50块。]
50 kuai.

B:闹，每，几迪？[给你，慢，多少钱？]
Here, wait... How much?

A:呀波 10块，个的 有 1，2，3，4，5波，总共 50块。[一包 10块，这里 有 1、2、3、4、5包，总共 50块。]
10 kuai per pack. You have one, two, three, four, five packs, so 50 kuai in total.

B:老早 伐思 30块5波吗？[以前 不是 30块5包吗？]
Before, wasn't it 5 packs for 30 kuai?

A:现在 涨价 了。[现在 涨价 了。]
The price has gone up.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bluesky3064]]> Great lesson - thank you! Very helpful

]]> Great lesson - thank you! Very helpful

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> My favourite comment in this lesson was Jason's comment about shouting ɦŋ to a mate across the road..good point and very funny. Jiayou Jason :)

]]> My favourite comment in this lesson was Jason's comment about shouting ɦŋ to a mate across the road..good point and very funny. Jiayou Jason :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: JasonSch]]> When we talked about this lesson, 5/五/ ɦŋ was the first thing I thought of! Asking about yelling it is a great way to get a laugh out of a Shanghainese person. Of course, in all reality, it doesn't actually create any real communication problems, but it just seems so out of the ordinary for us non-native speakers!

Also, 鱼 is pronounced similarly. So, another good one is 五条鱼. Although, I can't seem to remember how to say 条 in Shanghainese. Maybe a native speaker could toss us the phonetics.

]]> When we talked about this lesson, 5/五/ ɦŋ was the first thing I thought of! Asking about yelling it is a great way to get a laugh out of a Shanghainese person. Of course, in all reality, it doesn't actually create any real communication problems, but it just seems so out of the ordinary for us non-native speakers!

Also, 鱼 is pronounced similarly. So, another good one is 五条鱼. Although, I can't seem to remember how to say 条 in Shanghainese. Maybe a native speaker could toss us the phonetics.

]]> <![CDATA[By: ruishiredbird]]> 你好david

上海话：

1万

10万

100万

怎么说呢？

非常感谢你

Dom

]]> 你好david

上海话：

1万

10万

100万

怎么说呢？

非常感谢你

Dom

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> My reference to 'county' buses is to those that run on the outskirts, maybe Shanghai doesn't have that terminology? Here they often have a C before the route number. My experience of county buses is slight but the ones I've been on here don't make any announcements. (Driver is too busy smoking, on the mobile phone ,taking sips of tea, talking to mates, etc.)

]]> My reference to 'county' buses is to those that run on the outskirts, maybe Shanghai doesn't have that terminology? Here they often have a C before the route number. My experience of county buses is slight but the ones I've been on here don't make any announcements. (Driver is too busy smoking, on the mobile phone ,taking sips of tea, talking to mates, etc.)

]]> <![CDATA[By: ruishiredbird]]> @ Jason and bababardwan

在陕北方言几乎所有的语言是鼻音！

cool not!

ng shi shanbeiren :-)

have fun

Dom

]]> @ Jason and bababardwan

在陕北方言几乎所有的语言是鼻音！

cool not!

ng shi shanbeiren :-)

have fun

Dom

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> "shock those 阿姨's in the convenient store"... haha

]]> "shock those 阿姨's in the convenient store"... haha

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> i'm wondering why we're translating （上海话）"闹" as （普通话）“给你”? we translate it in english as "here", not "give you". i always hear people saying in mandarin something like "na" (4th tone) when handing over something (assuming there is a context built). i'm not sure what character it is but my guess is something like “那”. if this is true, would it be ok to translate this sentence as “那，慢，多少钱”?

i'm starting to notice a pattern in shanghainese that it seems to be mostly a colloquial version of mandarin with semi-resemblant tones / pronunciations. at least, coming from a mandarin perspective.

]]> i'm wondering why we're translating （上海话）"闹" as （普通话）“给你”? we translate it in english as "here", not "give you". i always hear people saying in mandarin something like "na" (4th tone) when handing over something (assuming there is a context built). i'm not sure what character it is but my guess is something like “那”. if this is true, would it be ok to translate this sentence as “那，慢，多少钱”?

i'm starting to notice a pattern in shanghainese that it seems to be mostly a colloquial version of mandarin with semi-resemblant tones / pronunciations. at least, coming from a mandarin perspective.

]]> <![CDATA[By: masterkrang]]> also, what's the difference between 下一位and小面一位？

]]> also, what's the difference between 下一位and小面一位？

]]> <![CDATA[By: RJ]]> This language is absurd, and I think the SH folks are very proud of that. Wonderfully and uniquely absurd.

]]> This language is absurd, and I think the SH folks are very proud of that. Wonderfully and uniquely absurd.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> interesting. Know of any online resource where one can have a listen?

Though totally different, these "noises" remind me that there are other "noises" used in other languages, namely the clicks of Khoisan ..used by bushmen in Southern Africa.

]]> interesting. Know of any online resource where one can have a listen?

Though totally different, these "noises" remind me that there are other "noises" used in other languages, namely the clicks of Khoisan ..used by bushmen in Southern Africa.

]]> <![CDATA[By: kvmargetts]]> As an intermediate speaker of Cantonese, I noticed that some of the words are closer to Cantonese than Putonghua. However, the romanised script you have with the text didn't seem very accurate and a few of the sounds seemed to be missing altogether eg. 'ng'.  I understand that there isn't a standard romanised version of Shanghainese (whereas Cantonese has the Yale and the Sidney Lau versions), so how did you come up with this version? Did you guys make it up yourselves or is it from Shanghainese textbook or dictionary? Just interested in how it was created.

]]> As an intermediate speaker of Cantonese, I noticed that some of the words are closer to Cantonese than Putonghua. However, the romanised script you have with the text didn't seem very accurate and a few of the sounds seemed to be missing altogether eg. 'ng'.  I understand that there isn't a standard romanised version of Shanghainese (whereas Cantonese has the Yale and the Sidney Lau versions), so how did you come up with this version? Did you guys make it up yourselves or is it from Shanghainese textbook or dictionary? Just interested in how it was created.

]]> <![CDATA[By: catherinem]]> This is not a system we created. In fact we were very hesitant to include any romanization system at all, as there is no real standard for Shanghainese. The script you see is IPA (international phonetic alphabet). This is included for reference, but I suggest listening to the audio clips at the sentence level for studying pronunciation.

]]> This is not a system we created. In fact we were very hesitant to include any romanization system at all, as there is no real standard for Shanghainese. The script you see is IPA (international phonetic alphabet). This is included for reference, but I suggest listening to the audio clips at the sentence level for studying pronunciation.

]]> <![CDATA[By: ruishiredbird]]> Yes well you are right but the only different is that 45 Million people speaking Shaanxi Hua and Shaanbei Hua. Which belongs to Jin Language. How many peonle speaks Khoisan ?

And 80 Millions speak Wu Hua which Shanghai Hua belongs too!

And 70 Millions speak Yue Hua which Cantonese belongs too, and there is not only one Cantonese!

Bestr

DOM

]]> Yes well you are right but the only different is that 45 Million people speaking Shaanxi Hua and Shaanbei Hua. Which belongs to Jin Language. How many peonle speaks Khoisan ?

And 80 Millions speak Wu Hua which Shanghai Hua belongs too!

And 70 Millions speak Yue Hua which Cantonese belongs too, and there is not only one Cantonese!

Bestr

DOM

]]> <![CDATA[By: ruishiredbird]]> Well C- Pod the System is great and like it!

Fact is: 80 Millions speak Wu Hua which Shanghai Hua belongs too!

]]> Well C- Pod the System is great and like it!

Fact is: 80 Millions speak Wu Hua which Shanghai Hua belongs too!

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiaophil]]> 我还是希望中国人能来这里表示自己的住在一个“跟你不说一样的方言的地方“的经历（I'm still dreaming that some Chinese staff or what not can come here and talk about their experiences living in an area that they don't speak the local dialect）， 英文，中文都可以。你们碰到了什么麻烦？

Perhaps there just isn't someone here that fits the bill, but it can't hurt to try one more time. By the way, are there any non-Shanghainese natives around here?

]]> 我还是希望中国人能来这里表示自己的住在一个“跟你不说一样的方言的地方“的经历（I'm still dreaming that some Chinese staff or what not can come here and talk about their experiences living in an area that they don't speak the local dialect）， 英文，中文都可以。你们碰到了什么麻烦？

Perhaps there just isn't someone here that fits the bill, but it can't hurt to try one more time. By the way, are there any non-Shanghainese natives around here?

]]> <![CDATA[By: ruishiredbird]]> 对不起少了一个 "I" I like it!

]]> 对不起少了一个 "I" I like it!

]]> <![CDATA[By: davidxuzhou]]> Glad you like this lesson.

"万" in Shanghainese is pronounced as /ve/, like the first part of English word 'very'. So you just simply add numbers to this "万".

1万 /yʌ/ /ve/

10万 /sʌ/ /ve/

100万 /yʌ/ /bʌ/ /ve/

1000万 /yʌ/ /tsi/ /ve/

Hope it does help.

]]> Glad you like this lesson.

"万" in Shanghainese is pronounced as /ve/, like the first part of English word 'very'. So you just simply add numbers to this "万".

1万 /yʌ/ /ve/

10万 /sʌ/ /ve/

100万 /yʌ/ /bʌ/ /ve/

1000万 /yʌ/ /tsi/ /ve/

Hope it does help.

]]> <![CDATA[By: davidxuzhou]]> Hi masterkrang,

Get your point, but I think here the proper translation for "闹" should be "给你". If we only look at the dialogue script and take “那，慢，多少钱？" into the translation, people probably can get another meaning of this sentence: It's more like that customer in dialogue is thinking of something or have a doubt on the price before he said "慢", 'cause "那" means "那么/then". But in the original dialogue, that doubt is come after he gave his money and "慢".

Shanghainese "闹" is frequently been used when you want to have other's attention, it always come with actions, such as giving, pointing, showing, etc. But in Chinese Mandarin these is no such a word can be used as this wide. We can find "给你 or 给/giving", "这儿 or 那儿/pointing", "看 or 瞧/showing" in Mandarin, for the meaning of "闹" in Shanghainese. So, here in this dialogue it's better to use it as ”给你".

Hope that I'v made myself clear :)

]]> Hi masterkrang,

Get your point, but I think here the proper translation for "闹" should be "给你". If we only look at the dialogue script and take “那，慢，多少钱？" into the translation, people probably can get another meaning of this sentence: It's more like that customer in dialogue is thinking of something or have a doubt on the price before he said "慢", 'cause "那" means "那么/then". But in the original dialogue, that doubt is come after he gave his money and "慢".

Shanghainese "闹" is frequently been used when you want to have other's attention, it always come with actions, such as giving, pointing, showing, etc. But in Chinese Mandarin these is no such a word can be used as this wide. We can find "给你 or 给/giving", "这儿 or 那儿/pointing", "看 or 瞧/showing" in Mandarin, for the meaning of "闹" in Shanghainese. So, here in this dialogue it's better to use it as ”给你".

Hope that I'v made myself clear :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: davidxuzhou]]> There is no difference between 下一位 and 下面一位, same in Shanghainese, 吾一位 and 吾头一位. But 吾头一位 used more often, which is equivalent to 下面一位 in Mandarin.

]]> There is no difference between 下一位 and 下面一位, same in Shanghainese, 吾一位 and 吾头一位. But 吾头一位 used more often, which is equivalent to 下面一位 in Mandarin.

]]> <![CDATA[By: ruishiredbird]]> 谢谢你David!

Best Regards

DOM

]]> 谢谢你David!

Best Regards

DOM

]]> <![CDATA[By: kvmargetts]]> Oh, I've discovered that my computer (old Mac) doesn't read lots of the symbols in the IPA which is why the romanised script seemed so incomplete (and wrong). Sorry about that! Yes, IPA is good. Maybe I can download the symbols so my computer can read it - will check on the web.

]]> Oh, I've discovered that my computer (old Mac) doesn't read lots of the symbols in the IPA which is why the romanised script seemed so incomplete (and wrong). Sorry about that! Yes, IPA is good. Maybe I can download the symbols so my computer can read it - will check on the web.

]]> <![CDATA[By: lilybobo]]> When I lived in Guangzhou,the biggest trouble is that I can't 杀价 as the locals. And when I went back to my hometown,my friends laught at me for my terrible dialects.:_O

]]> When I lived in Guangzhou,the biggest trouble is that I can't 杀价 as the locals. And when I went back to my hometown,my friends laught at me for my terrible dialects.:_O

]]>