Yueyang hua

[dan ni er]

Hi All

I can already speak fairly decent Mandarin having studied it in China. My girlfriend is from Yueyang in Hunan.

We speak mostly Chinese with each other (which gets some pretty funny looks in London when people realise we're conversing in Mandarin), however, she refuses to tell me even the most basic words or expressions in her local dialect, Yueyang hua. Never figured out why, she just says "bu gao su ni, bu hao wan".

Would anyone who may happen to be from Yueyuang tell me how to pronounce basic expressions like ni hao, ni zui jin zenme yang, ni gan ma etc in Yueyang hua.Or direct me to any resources online where you can learn the dialect.

Thanks in advance - I know this is a long shot!

[wai ming]

Can you read Chinese?

湖南词语, while not specifically for 岳阳话, does have a list of words used in 湖南话。

Most of the sites about 岳阳话 seem to be tests (of the "how much Yueyang hua do you know?" variety) but I don't know if there are answers.

[dan ni er]

Thanks Wai Ming

Unfortunately I can't read Chinese very well.

What I was really looking for was a site where I could listen to a few expressions, but can't seem to find anything like that.

[Yang Rui]

she refuses to tell me even the most basic words or expressions in her local dialect, Yueyang hua. Never figured out why

Maybe it's so she can complain about you on the phone to her parents without you knowing what she's talking about.

I think the only sensible response is to make up your own dialect of English based on a mixture of Cockney rhyming slang, street language and antiquated English, whereupon she may perchance beseech you to elucidate what you're chattin with your old Chinas.

Or she may not care.