Just discovered this website - brilliant! :) Hello everyone! I found this lesson went a very very long way towards explaining a lot of reactions I previously got in social situations in China. In a way its very logical that a language would have a stock phrase that signifies something so basic to human beings as concern about the person you're talking to (ie Have you eaten?). The english way of expressing that same concern , 'take care!' is more direct, but can't be used to steer the mid-way flow of the conversation as you only say it finish the conversation. I guess its' a little like the way the English sometimes comment to strangers about the whether as an indirect way of saying they're interested in chatting to you.
Posted on: How to Start a Conversation with Chinese People
February 21, 2010 at 1:46 PMJust discovered this website - brilliant! :) Hello everyone! I found this lesson went a very very long way towards explaining a lot of reactions I previously got in social situations in China. In a way its very logical that a language would have a stock phrase that signifies something so basic to human beings as concern about the person you're talking to (ie Have you eaten?). The english way of expressing that same concern , 'take care!' is more direct, but can't be used to steer the mid-way flow of the conversation as you only say it finish the conversation. I guess its' a little like the way the English sometimes comment to strangers about the whether as an indirect way of saying they're interested in chatting to you.