Mandarin Word Game
Fiona@ChinesePod
January 29, 2015, 11:26 AM posted in General DiscussionHi guys,
I came across this little play on words today and thought it was so fun!
夏天能穿多少穿多少
冬天能穿多少穿多少
Can you guys decifer it？ ;D
Fi
Click here for the full sized version: http://cl.ly/image/1g1b0T0N0y3I
babyeggplant
我很费解
podster
A girl gave her boyfriend a phone call: If you get there, and I haven't gotten there just wait for me. If I get there, and you haven't gotten there, just you wait!
babyeggplant
有点意思！
podster
babyeggplant, okay, here's another one for you to try. I'm going to leave it up for a while before giving my explanation in case anyone else who wants to try the challenge too:
单身的原因：原来是喜欢一个人，现在是喜欢一个人。
babyeggplant
这个比较简单。我虽然已经结婚了，但是我还是挺赞同这个想法。
bababardwan
这个比较简单。我虽然已经结婚了，但是我还是挺赞同这个想法
en, bijiao jiandan. I'll leave it too then.
haha, I like this one "你就等着吧 "
bababardwan
January 31, 2015, 04:55 AMCould it be:
In summer you can wear a lot less, wear a lot less
In winter you can wear as much as you like, wear as much as you like
...something along those lines...all depending on the emphasis you put on the two characters 多少
podster
baba, I would have translated it as "in summer you can wear as little as you like. In winter wear as much as you can."
babyeggplant
January 31, 2015, 05:45 AMI think it's simply
In summer, wear as little as you can.
In winter, wear as much as you can.
podster
Yes, simple is better. I think your translation is more direct and isolates the emphasis on 多少
veronique21
You're certainly right. Actually, at the beginnong, I thought we had to guess a word... I do like this kind of game !!
veronique21
typo: beginning
waiguoren
I first thought the emphasis was on the 'homophone' 多少 meaning 'as little' in the first case and 'as much' in the second, but Fiona's explanation seems a little different...
waiguoren
February 01, 2015, 01:45 PMI had to google these 'play on words' type things (couldn't work out the answers by myself) and came across a very interesting/saucy one (see if you can work it out):
女孩约的男孩迟到了有两个原因：
a. 睡过了。
b. 睡过了。
veronique21
I would say:
a. The sleep has gone (he can't sleep). But why is he late ? Because he was just dremaing about the date ?
b. He fell asleep.
podster
I'm going to guess one reading is "he overslept" and the other is "he slept with someone"
bababardwan
Yeah, I was thinking that, though I thought the second one was not "someone" but specifically the girl he has the date with [ ? with the implication that after the conquest he was less motivated?]
podster
yeah, that might make more sense; the V+过了 construction might convey the sense of he had "already done it" (slept with his girlfriend).
waiguoren
OK guys, here's the answer:
There are two reasons why a boy is late for his date date with a girl:
A) He overslept
B) He has already slept with her (and thus is 'less motivated...after the conquest' as baba puts it ;)
So between podster and baba you got it!
I can't help looking at your profile pic (podster) and saying 'oh nice'!
podster
January 29, 2015, 03:43 PMFi, This kind of "riddle" is fun and helps us improve our understanding of the language, I think. Someone sent me this and a few other similar ones recently. For example:
女孩给男朋友打电话：如果你到了，我还没到，你就等着吧；如果我到了，你还没到，你就等着吧。