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Re: USAGE: Help with Chinese phrase

From:Douglas Koller, Latin & French <latinfrench@...>
Date:Thursday, September 2, 2004, 19:24
Marcos escribió:

>I have read that the phrase below means "Pleased to meet you" in "Chinese": > > Jindao ni hen gaoxing. > >I assume that the language is Mandarin, an assumption bolstered by >the second word, since IIRC the Mandarin for "you" is ni3. But >I would appreciate any help from someone who is actually familiar with >Chinese languages.
'Tis Mandarin.
>1. Is this an appropriate phrase to say upon being introduced to >someone?
There's some flexibility here: Jiandao ni hen gaoxing. Hen gaoxing jiandao ni. Renshi ni hen gaoxing. Hen gaoxing renshi ni.
>2. How is it pronounced? I have no indication of what the tones are, and >I'm not so good at deciphering Pinyin. So far, my best guess is something >like this: > > dZin.daU.ni.hEn.gaU.SiN
Your first word is a typo. It's "jian," not "jin." My SAMPA sucks, so good luck, but sump'n like: /dC&~.daU.ni.hVn.gaU.CiN/ jian4 dao4 ni3 hen3 gao1 xing4 (mainland Mandarin probably reduces this to the "neutral" tone (I've been away a while))
>3. I wouldn't mind an interlinear, for sheer enlightenment value, but >that's a minor thing.
jiandao ni hen gaoxing jian - see dao - toward, arrive (a resultative verb ending here; no need to translate in English) ni - you hen - very (has no real emphatic value here) gaoxing - happy ("pleased", sure)
>Thanks in advance for any help.
Beng keqi. :) Kou

Reply

Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>