Chatting: Text messages from China
Lantian
July 22, 2007, 11:23 AM posted in General DiscussionCHAT GOLD - I don't know what percentage of my Chinese language abilities has come from text messaging, but I suspect it's not small. I've been wanting for a long time to build a database of messages as a learning tool, but I never get around to it.
Here in this thread, as often as possible, I'm going to present a text message from someone I know. Friends, colleagues, acquaintances. It's real Chinese and the word order, word choice, and tone is often something not found in books or other materials.
I've changed names, or any real references to real people or real situations, but otherwise rest assured that it's not my weird Chinese, but that of a Chinese person. Not to say that they are not weird!
Hope this gives other some reading, writing and thinking practice. The Chinese is usually not particularly hard, it's short for a quick read, and often of a question/answer variety. Like, "What did you do today?" "Oh I cleaned the fridge." Feel free to comment or provide your other insights!
1.00 没什么想回家看看老妈。
2.00 会啊，你骂我看看，看我怎么骂你？
lunetta
July 24, 2007, 03:19 PM?The sky is (very) black , it looks like rain? The combination of 要 and 啦 is confusing me...
Lantian
July 22, 2007, 02:04 PMHi Rich, Nah...I'm not 'really' following the points anymore... 关于你的小故事，他没想到你是美国人，但是他猜了你是新疆人。 哈哈 Bazza, Before I give it away by translating, I think you know most of those characters right, try thinking in Chinese and read them slowly. The messages aren't related to each other, two different people, two different conversations. Here's a hint, it's likely that the initial texts from me were something like this: 1.00 在老家有事吗？ 2.00 你会骂人吗？ And here's another: 3:00 哦 好的 谢谢你
frank
July 22, 2007, 08:34 PMYeah, I know every character in the first one, but can't make a cohesive thought out of it. :-\
bazza
July 22, 2007, 09:19 PMI understand no 3 ok. :) I think I might understand the other two now.
szjoanne
July 23, 2007, 01:42 AMkinda interesting. good way of learning chinese
Lantian
July 23, 2007, 01:47 AMHi Frank, A hint, basically she is throwing three thoughts together in rapid, clipped sequence, you have to 'know' the clumps to get it. The clumps are very very common though. Nothing 'classic Chinese' or anything in them. Try this way, and let me know what you get...if anything. 1.00 没什么想回家看看老妈。 没什么 想回家 看看老妈。 4.00 你好。 你在忙吗？ 还记得我吗？
bazza
July 23, 2007, 05:38 AMI understand 4.00 easily. :)
Lantian
July 23, 2007, 05:51 AM5.00 你的中文还是很不错噢 噢，哦，喔，啦，啊，喔，呢
Lantian
July 23, 2007, 02:52 PM6.00 早，天亮了，起来了吧！
bazza
July 22, 2007, 01:15 PMWell I don't understand those two.
bazza
July 23, 2007, 05:33 PMMorning, lovely day, are you up?
bazza
July 23, 2007, 05:33 PMor get up! ?
Lantian
July 24, 2007, 01:41 AMHi Ex & Bz, Tian liang means sunrise. Day-beautiful. Cool huh. In "起来了吧！” the 'ba' is friendly and encouraging, thus the phrase implies strongly "get up!" Are you up, would more likely be phrased "你起来了吗？“ The whole sentence would be, "Morning. Sun's up. Get up!" 7:00 天好黑, 要下雨啦！
wei1xiao4
July 24, 2007, 07:48 AMI get all but 2:00. Any clues? I love this! Thanks for sharing. It a great way to learn from real life.
bazza
July 24, 2007, 07:51 AMIs 2.00 something about swearing?
Lantian
July 24, 2007, 02:48 PMA Re-Cap: (1) 在老家有事吗？ (2) 你会骂人吗？ (3) 哦 好的 谢谢你 (4) 你好。 你在忙吗？ 还记得我吗？ (5) 你的中文还是很不错噢 (6) 早，天亮了，起来了吧！ (7) 天好黑, 要下雨啦！ New!!! (8) 关于面谈，如果可以的话下周安排时间，您看行吗？ In this much more businesslike text message, notice the use of 您 and I thought it interesting the use of 看, and also the brevity of the next week--schedule--time. Hi Bazza, About number (2), 骂 ma4, means to mock, curse, insult and can be used in a serious or jocular tone. In this text message someone was inquiring about my ability to 'verbally fight back' in Chinese! 我会！ ;p 大家， Are people out there reading this? Or am I quoting text into the big internet mist?
lunetta
July 24, 2007, 03:05 PMOkay, I'll try number 7... ?It's a gloomy day and it's going to rain?
Lantian
July 24, 2007, 03:11 PMHi lunetta, Tian 天 in this sentence means sky. Does that help crystalize the sentence for ya?
excuter
July 23, 2007, 03:24 PMIn the morning the daylight begun to shine! ?
rich
July 22, 2007, 11:36 AMI was wondering if you were just doing this for conversation points, but I guess you don't get any for posting in your own conversation. 我大部分的中文用的也是为了写短信。我几年以前跟一个没见面的中国人发了几条短信。他刚刚从上海来天津所以一个上海的朋友用短信给我们介绍。他有一天才有时间和我见面了，所以我告诉他在那里见面，也说了我是美国的白人，很容易找到我。他马上给我回信，这次用英文说“You're American??" 他真的觉得我是中国人。I brag about that too much, but it did make me feel good, and that was 2 years ago before even getting to advanced level.