CHINA A Poo Platter of Information Pictographs Ideographs

CHINA A Poo Platter of Information

Pictographs & Ideographs Mandarin has over 50, 000 characters! § Sun (a circle) § Moon (crescent) § Bright

Do Chinese people speak “Chinese”? § ? ? ? § NO!!! In China there are many languages but they all use the same characters

For Example… English Character Mandarin Cantonese Hello 喂 Ni Hao Nei Ho Goodbye 再見 Dzai Jyan Joi Gin Thank you 唔該 Shyeh m’ goi Pardon Me 對唔住 Dway Bu Chee Please 請 Deui m jyu Qing Cheng You’re Welcome 唔使 Bu Ke Qi M’ Sai I don’t understand wo bu li jie 我唔明白 Ngo m ming bak

Helpful Phrases in Mandarin § Tzuh swuh tzai nah = I need a toilet § Ming tien = Goodbye (used like “see ya!”) § Ju nee, yo yee guh. How duh, jo mua = Have a good weekend! § Wuh (ai / see wuh) nee = I (love / like) you § Mah fah nee = Excuse me § Wuh duh mai uh = Oh my gosh! § Tai gway luh = That’s too expensive § May joe, tsuh shu(r) = Weekly Team Quiz Day § Shing nyen kwai luh = Happy New Year!!!

Mandarin (#1) vs. Cantonese (#2) § Mandarin is language of the majority & the capital Beijing… § Cantonese is the language of the south and most immigrants to US. § (most US Chinese food is Cantonese inspired fusion)

A Small Twist: Wade-Giles vs. Pinyin § How does a European say “唔該“? = Wade-Giles § Transliterate the sound into the closest English sound (“shyeh” = “thank you”) § Mao didn’t feel W-G reflected well, ordered Pinyin created in 1960’s (Uses x & q instead of t’ j’ and ch’)

Linguistic and Ethnic diversity

Wei People & § Broad Plains the Yellow around Huang Ho River (Yellow River) § Flooding , Loess & the Wei People “China’s Sorrow”

The Superhighway of China § Wei people then conquered south to Yangtze River § Navigable to Qongching & beyond with 3 Gorges Dam!

The Xi (Pearl), The Last to Fall Cormorant fishing on the Li River § South China is mountainous § Effects on language & politics? §Harder to conquer & unite §Scenic Guilin

China under the Wei “Chung Kuo” § Call selves “Chung Kuo”, or the Middle Kingdom, the center of the world. § Emperor is THE source of culture and civilization…