The girl on the left is indeed speaking Cantonese. She says "Sorry" @ 0:54 plus a standard Cantonese tone, which may reflect a statement rather than a question.

This mixing of languages is common in the younger generation of Chinese, especially those in Hong Kong, and it's due to two big reasons. America's culture (movies, music, corporations) and the Internet.

This isn't just happening in China though. I've seen mixing of English with German, Japanese, Spanish, whatever.

Personally, I pick the language based on how efficiently it helps me communicate. There are some things better said in Chinese, and vice versa.



Some reading:

In China, Computer Use Erodes Traditional Handwriting, Stirring a Cultural Debate

quote:

Originally posted by Scottaculous The girl on the left is indeed speaking Cantonese. She says "Sorry" @ 0:54 plus a standard Cantonese tone, which may reflect a statement rather than a question. This mixing of languages is common in the younger generation of Chinese, especially those in Hong Kong, and it's due to two big reasons. America's culture (movies, music, corporations) and the Internet. This isn't just happening in China though. I've seen mixing of English with German, Japanese, Spanish, whatever.

Well, the Japanese do borrow lots of words from English, but they don't treat them like foreign words. What they call 外来語 (gairaigo) is considered a "Japanese word" of foreign origin, and they don't seem to make any effort to make it comprehensible to foreign ears. Even in Portuguese, the few words we borrow are quickly integrated into the language either grammatically (so they sound Portuguese) or phonologically (so they... well, sound Portuguese ). For example:



However, what impressed me is that except for the Taiwanese girl that sort of says "papy" instead of "baby", the girl from Hong Kong seems to be very accurate in her pronunciation of English words, which makes me believe she still thinks of them as being "foreigner" and she doesn't seem to avoid them either. Here's all I could pick up:

0:15 - AA (does she say "size" too?)
0:16 - Okay
0:22 - Well (Really!?)
0:23 - AA Cup
0:48 - C
0:54 - Sorry (is the subsequent drawling the standard Cantonese tone you mentioned?)
1:02, 1:18 - C

That's quite a lot of loanwords in 80 seconds

quote:

Originally posted by Scottaculous Personally, I pick the language based on how efficiently it helps me communicate. There are some things better said in Chinese, and vice versa.

Oh, I agree with you, and I'm all for word borrowing. Depending on the person, I know I can use up to 3 languages and I know I'm being understood and not sounding pretentious.

quote:

Originally posted by Scottaculous Some reading: In China, Computer Use Erodes Traditional Handwriting, Stirring a Cultural Debate

Tell me about it! I suck at writing hanzi without a computer... I've got more interesting stuff to practise than the stroke order of words like 飛行機, really

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my gfs mom is hardcore cantonese .
i have no idea what she's saying when she's clearly talking about. it's usually about "does he want something to eat? ask him" but somtimes i wonder....

quote:

Originally posted by BTG my gfs mom is hardcore cantonese . i have no idea what she's saying when she's clearly talking about. it's usually about "does he want something to eat? ask him" but somtimes i wonder....

I recently found out that Cantonese people call foreigners "gaylords". I'm much amused by that.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lira I recently found out that Cantonese people call foreigners "gaylords". I'm much amused by that.

haha really? we call them 'bumboys' seefutjai

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quote:

Originally posted by KilldaDJ haha really? we call them 'bumboys' seefutjai

Yes, google gwaylo. I'm pretty sure that's Hongkongnese for gaylord.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lira Yes, google gwaylo. I'm pretty sure that's Hongkongnese for gaylord.

thats the word for 'white-boy'

theres nothing in the word that stipulates or suggests homosexuality..however if you remove the 'w' then ...

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quote:

Originally posted by KilldaDJ however if you remove the 'w' then ...

My point, precisely. I believe it was coyly inserted to deceive foreigners... but I see what they did there.

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i still like the seefutjai one better 'assbandit'

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quote:

Originally posted by KilldaDJ i still like the seefutjai one better 'assbandit'

That's yet another useful word.

*writes down on notepad*

Good, my vocabulary in Cantonese is now awesome:

• Gaylord
  
• Assbandit
  
• AA cup
  
• C cup
  
• Okay
  
• Sorry
  

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quote:

Originally posted by Lira That's yet another useful word. *writes down on notepad* Good, my vocabulary in Cantonese is now awesome: Gaylord Assbandit AA cup C cup Okay Sorry Hong Kong, here I come!

Use all of those during immigration and I will buy you a beer

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