New Branding For A Very Old Chinese Character
A few months ago I came across the preceding character while searching through the Chinese blogosphere. At first I thought a Chinese netizen found a way to create his own character, but then the image seemed to start popping up all over the place. The character is pronounced jiong and as you can tell by [...]
88: It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye
An SMS and online spin on a contemporary form of farewell
Before your first visit to China you ask your Chinese-speaking friend for a quick lesson in Mandarin Chinese. She tells you:
â€œä½ å¥½â€ ni hao.
Hello.
“谢谢†xie xie.
Thank you.
“å†è§â€ zai jian.
Goodbye.
After you arrive in Beijing, you are eager to start practicing the only three phrases you know with [...]
Quick Observation: Fubai - It’s Not Just For Corrupt Government Officials Anymore
“咱们今晚去è…败，好ä¸å¥½ï¼Ÿ”
My co-worker asks me if I want to go fubai （è…败）with him tonight. I am utterly confused, because as a Chinese student I learned that the word fubai is generally used to describe corrupt government officials.
There is a new definition of the word spreading around the BBS message boards. Online, fubai (abbreviated FB) most often [...]
Observer ABC: Making Sense of the Message
Many of you may have been curious about the meaning of the SMS message in my previous post covering the bulk SMS phenomenon in China. The content is not the most relevant to the Chinese marketplace, but it is still an interesting lesson on Chinese culture.
I found the SMS message online on xf1.cn. It is [...]
Observer ABC: A Lesson in Internet Language and Other Useful Phrases
Let’s make sense of this simulated MSN conversation between a Chinese boyfriend and girlfriend.
First, we need to learn the essential vocabulary:
A. Nanzihan ç”·å汉: is the essence of manliness. Someone who is considered a Nanzihan is typically strong, responsible and courageous.
B. 放鸽å fang gezi: What you say to someone if you two already have plans, but [...]
Observer ABC
Growing up in the United States, I often heard a lot of Spanglish. Nowadays at my office in Beijing, I hear a lot of Chinglish. For multi-lingual readers, you understand that there is not always a perfect translation from one language to another. There are some words that simply do a better job of conveying [...]
