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Learn to Speak Chinese Phonetically!

Why do we keeping harping on this? Simply because you can easily eliminate many of the complications of learning to speak Chinese. Native English speakers no longer need to trudge through the old fashioned and ineffective Wade-Giles method, or struggle with the current, but just as difficult Chinese Pinyin to speak Mandarin. We have an easier way! Words and phrases can be sounded out exactly the same way we learned to read and speak English in grade school.

The Romanization of Chinese Characters

Mandarin Pinyin is called Putonghua, or "The Common Language," and is widely used throughout China. Its four tones: level, rising, falling, and high rising, distinguish many words and syllables with the same consonants and vowels but with different meanings. It deciphers the Chinese characters and symbols into a Romanized alphabet, eliminating the abstract strokes completely unrecognizable to most foreigners.

Prior to the use of Pinyin, westerners depended upon the Wade-Giles Romanization system that was initially invented to simplify Chinese characters into their English counterparts. British scholar Sir Thomas Francis Wade created the method, and it was later modified by Herbert Allen Giles in 1912, and it became the preferred transliteration method among scholars. But what it truly gave the western world was a systematic and consistent method of butchering the Chinese language through mispronunciations for more than a half century. Why did it fail so miserably? Learners of Mandarin relied upon the pronunciation guide, but were seldom educated properly on how the system worked. Inevitably, most words were grossly mispronounced.

Other attempts were made to integrate a Latin alphabet for the Mandarin language during the 1920's and 30's, but most were unsuccessful. Finally, in 1985, the Pinyin Romanization system officially replaced the Wade-Giles method. The Chinese government's commitment to promote a standardized Latin alphabet for westerner and the country's minorities promoted the adoption of Pinyin Putonghua, and it is now used extensively throughout the country.

Unfortunately, native English speakers who study Mandarin quickly discover that many of the vowels and consonants used in Pinyin are pronounced differently than their English counterparts. This means that English speakers, who have been trained since primary school to sound out words phonetically, first need to learn Pinyin in order to speak correctly and clearly in Chinese. To learn Pinyin, one must "unlearn" some basic English phonics or you're bound to get into trouble (pronunciation wise).

A Better Way

The good news is that there is an easier and faster way of learning to speak Chinese. Native English speakers can now by-pass Pinyin and immediately concentrate on reading and speaking Chinese by using the familiar English phonics system. That's what makes our phrasebook, SPEAK E-Z CHINESE In Phonetic English, so handy for the traveler in China. You can pick words and phrases to say and pronounce them correctly the first time, and you can easily remember them and build your repartee in no time!

Favorite Expressions and Slang

Listed below are some great phrases you'll find handy while you're out and about in China. Most of them can be found in Chapter IV: Common Expressions, or Chapter XIII: Go Ahead and Say It in our phrasebook, SPEAK E-Z CHINESE in Phonetic English. You can download the audio files for these chapters free at the Cathay Cafe (www.CathayCafe.com)!

Almost.

Chah boo dwuh.

Of course.

Dahng rahn.

Cheers!

Gahn bay!

Really?

Jen duh?

Congratulations!

Gohng shee!

See you later!

Ee hwer jee-en!

Correct.

Dway.

See you soon!

Hway jee-en.

Don’t worry!

Bee-eh dahn sheen!

So-so.

Mah-mah hoo-hoo.

Excuse me.

Dway boo chee.

Stop!

Ting!

Figure it out.

Shee-ahng bahn fah.

Terrific!

Tye bahng lah!

Hello.

Nee haow.

Thanks.

Shee-eh shee-eh.

I don’t care.

Wuh boo zye hoo.

That’s enough.

Goh luh.

I know.

Wuh jir daow.

There’s nothing we can do.

May bahn fah.

I don’t know.

Wuh boo jir daow.

What can we do?

Zen muh bahn?

I like . . .

Wuh shee hwahn . . .

What is this?

Juh shir shen muh?

I love you!

Wuh eye nee!

What’s the problem?

Zen muh luh?

I’ll try.

Wuh shir shuh-buh.

Where are you going?

Nee chiew nar?

I’m tired.

Wuh lay-luh.

Who cares.

Shay zye hoo.

I understand.

Wuh ming bye.

Who knows.

Tee-en jir daow.

I don’t understand.

Wuh boo ming bye.

You fool!

Nee juh shah gwah!

Let’s go!

Zoh bah!

You’re cute.

Nee jen kuh eye.

Never mind.

Swahn luh.

You’re hopeless.

Nee may jeo lah.

No problem.

May wen tee.

You’re welcome.

Boo kuh chee.

This is where we say: Practice, practice, practice! Lee-en shee, lee-en shee, lee-en shee!

Hell Bank Notes

Money to Burn

Hell Bank Notes, also referred to as Ghost Money, or Jir Chee-en in phonetic English, are a form of paper money that is burned during Chinese funerals. Stemming from ancient Chinese ancestor veneration, the notes provide the dead with spending power in the afterworld. Since spirits continue doing what they did while they were alive: eating, drinking, wearing clothes, playing with their children, etc., relatives often send them the bucks via burning the money on street corners. And if money isn't enough, relatives can also purchase paper watches, clothes, mobile phones, cars, Hell credit cards, and even refrigerators, all in the medium of sending them up in smoke.

The custom has its roots in mythology, where relatives sent the King of Hell lavish bribes for their ancestors to have a shorter stay in Hades or to escape punishment altogether. Please note: in China, the word Hell doesn't carry the same negative connotation as it does to westerners; it simply implies the afterlife. Related to this fact, there's a popular story about a zealous Christian missionary that warned all non-Christian Chinese that they were bent for Hell. The majority of folks simply nodded in resigned agreement.

Hell Bank Notes come in all denominations, from 1 yuan to 500 billion. Every bill features an image of the jade Emperor, Yen Foo Yu Wong, along with his seal. The backs of the notes vary: they may depict a pavilion or pagoda, a Tibetan palace, or the Great Wall.

In modern times, the notes first showed up during the late 1960s, which surprisingly, was the height of the Cultural Revolution. Ironically, this was a time when the government highly criticized any form of religion, ancestor veneration, or capitalism. Now that consumerism is the unofficial ideology of the times, burning money is just the thing!

What's New at the Cathay Cafe?

Please be sure to check out our latest additions at the Cathay Cafe. We've added "Essentials for the Traveler - What to Have" under our Travel Tips link; we've updated our Beijing Olympics link with a "Schedule of the 2008 Olympic Games," and we've added a new video under "Cool Stuff" entitled: Sexy Beijing. You'll find it both fun and informative! As always, you can find a lot of other helpful information under the following topics: Teaching in China, Adopting in China, Backpacking, as well as some very informative news clippings gleaned from Chinese newspapers under our In the News section.

Lastly, just a reminder to keep a copy of SPEAK E-Z CHINESE In Phonetic English handy while traveling throughout China. With our survival phrasebook, you can simply by-pass the complex Pinyin system of learning Mandarin in favor of user-friendly words, phrases and sentences provided in phonetic English. And in addition to simplifying the learning process, we hope we've made both the book and the free downloadable audio lessons fun and practical. Let us know what you think!

In the News...

Public Toilets Face Another Revolution

(China Daily)

Few people in China expect that behind those doors marked "Ladies" or "Gentlemen" there will be a gleaming mirror, soft music and a pleasing fragrance.

Most hope only for a clean place with some water. But the country is taking changes to bathrooms across the nation a little further.

A new standard for design and construction of city public toilets will soon be released.

Zhang Yue, a senior official with the Ministry of Construction unveiled the plan during the 4th World Toilet Summit, which opened yesterday in Beijing.

Not only will a new classification method be introduced, but more detailed and higher requirements will be created for public toilets.

At the same time, China is seeking more hygienic and environmentally-friendly toilets.

"We will focus on developing the technologies and products that save water and energy," Zhang said.

Dry and recycled water flush toilets are both viable options.

Infrared sensors to control water flows in toilets and basins are also recommended.

China still has to reduce the size of water tanks, said Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization.

Most tanks use about 11 litres of water in average, while Sim suggested cutting that down to the more common three-litre tanks used around the world.

Another challenge is to improve the waste treatment capacity.

Currently about 45 per cent of the waste from domestic public toilets cannot be disposed through underground waste water pipes.

And the country does not have enough treatment plants, said Tao Hua, vice-president of the China Association of Urban Environmental Sanitation.

Last year, more than 30 million tons of excrement and urine that could not be disposed through pipes was collected and transported in China. Only 25 million tons were finally disposed properly.

"An important goal is to build more ecological toilets," said Liang Guangsheng, director of the Beijing Municipal Administration Commission.

In the last two years, Beijing has built nine waste treatment plants, bringing the number to 11. The latest one is in Haidian District, with a daily handling capacity of 800 tons.

As the host for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing will pour more money into lavatory renovation and reform in the next three years. And each year it will renovate 400 public toilets.

"The focus will be the 30 historic and cultural protection areas in the city's south and the hutong areas," Liang said.

By 2008, the city is expected to have more than 3,700 high-quality public lavatories, said Liang.

The country's lavatory reform is also extending to rural areas and special groups.

Methane toilets, double-vat funnel type toilets and double-grid pattern toilets are being introduced in different rural areas.

"We are exploring some lower-cost types of toilets that can be accepted by rural people and are environmentally friendly," said Tao.