How to say "Anyway..."?

[ben_gb]

Hi,

Does anyone know if there's a way of saying the equivalent of "Anyway..." in Chinese, for example when you want to change the subject, or bring discussion about a subject an end and maybe make a decision.

I use this quite a lot in English, but am not sure how to do this in Chinese.

For example, I might be talking about something, then say "Anyway, it's time for me to leave" (rounding up a conversation), or "Anyway, the weather has been very nice recently" (changing the subject).

(Note this presumably isn't the same 'anyway' as you might use if you say "I'm going anyway", or "I'll eat it anyway".)

Thanks for any suggestions.

Regards,

Ben

[adrianlondon]

好了 hao le

[HashiriKata]

Or one of these:

无论如何

不管怎样

[muyongshi]

Whatever you do, do not look up anyway in the dictionary and just use the translation because it's 范围 is different then in English.

I ran into this problem I think in my second month of study (damn that seems so long ago) and then I just had to adjust and find other words to compensate. I wouldn't say there are any set phrases, you just kind of have to feel out different things.

好了 seems a bit to abrupt whereas 无论如何 and 不管怎么样 sound a bit more situational. Not something I would use in every situation.

Sorry I know I haven't given you a concrete answer but I think that is because there is none.

[stickyrice]

I say 反正。

[muyongshi]

I say 反正。

I see your logic but my teacher's would kill me for using it like that. It would be a technical misuse of that word and I never here a Chinese person talk like that.

If we want to talk like the Chinese (at least that's my goal) we should look at what it is they say and I most often hear something similar to this "哦，对了" or they just simply say "哦" and ask their question or make a statement.

[gato]

好了 hao le

I think you meant 好吧, which can be used to change the subject or end a discussion. 好吧 is basically equivalent to "ok" without necessarily any agreement.

好了 means "done" (as in 菜好了) or if used in doubles (好了好了) means "okay, okay (let's go on to something else)".

[muyongshi]

You're right about the meaning of 好吧 but it still doesn't quite capture the whole idea of how we use anyway but I don't know that anything will.

[Ian_Lee]

"Anyway" has a sense of resignation while 好了/好吧 lacks.

[gato]

doesn't quite capture the whole idea of how we use anyway but I don't know that anything will.

Chinese generally are less direct than Westerners. "Anyway" translated literally would be too pushy, too negative. 好吧 is generally what people say to change the topic.

Another phrase close to the meaning of "anyway" is “算了吧", but it implies total resignation and breaking off of the conversation. You should generally avoid using it.

[muyongshi]

Chinese generally are less direct than Westerners. "Anyway" translated literally would be too pushy. 好吧 is generally what people say to change the topic.

Anyway translated directly has a completely different usage then the way we use it. The most common one I hear is 哦 and then add something to the end. Frequently with 对了 but hey I live in Sichuan and everyone here has there own way of saying things.

Great thing about China- it's so big that there is no rules for what is used. Everywhere is different (or at least in my experience:lol: :lol: :lol:)

[semantic nuance]

The Chinese equivalents of the English 'anyway' are really depending on the situations when you use 'anyway'. All of the answers provided here are all ok in different contexts.

It would be a technical misuse of that word and I never here a Chinese person talk like that.

How is it a technical misuse? Could you please elaborate. By the way, I'm a native speaker of Chinese and I do use 反正 but of course not in the situations in your sentences. 反正 is frequently used at least here in Taiwan.

Hope it helps!

[muyongshi]

I do use 反正 but of course not in the situations in your sentences. 反正 is frequently used at least here in Taiwan.

I agree that 反正 is very widely used and I myself use it a lot but in corresponds more to an "anyhow" or "in any case" in English. So what I mean by technical missuse is if I use the English usage or anyway in a translated sentence it is then wrong. Here's what I mean:

English is used to link a change in two thoughts. Not following the same pattern or showing conclusion to the idea. Anyway, how was the game last night?

See how I changed the subject?

Now in Chinese we all know that if we say 无论如何 or 反正 it doesn't work and is misusing the Chinese. 反正昨晚球赛打得如何？ It doesn't communicate the change for the previous subject.

I am by no means saying you can't use these two words but I am saying they cannot be used in accordance with the English usage.

Hey man, your Chinese is better than mine and if I am off do tell me. This is what I've learned and I remember trying to figure out why the word translated in my book as "anyway" couldn't be said the way I was saying it.

好吧, 我说完，昨晚的球赛打得如何呢？

[semantic nuance]

muyongshi, please don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to provoke anything. I was just wondering how you get the conclusion that 'anyway' in question is a technical misuse. I'd simply like to know the reasons.

But I think 'anyway' and 'anyhow' are overlapped in many usages as the link below will show: Anyway. As I said earlier, the translations of 'anyway' depends on its context. It's not necessarily wrong that 反正 is incorrect. It might not be appropriate for your sentences but it may fit well in another sentence. Take your latter sentence as an example, 反正昨晚球赛打得如何?, to single it out, yes, it's seem odd to use 反正 here. But a second thought and a minute change to the underlying context, it is ok, too.

For example, 你不要一直blah blah blah 說個不停, 反正昨晚球赛打得如何?

Stop blah blah blah...ing. Anway,just tell me how the game was. (Implication :反正昨晚球賽的結果如何你告訴我就對了, 我不要聽細節)

Hey man, your Chinese is better than mine and if I am off do tell me.

Please don't assume! You'll never know! 雖為中國人, 中文能力未必就一定比較好. 同理, 美國人的英文能力也未必就比較優.

Hope it helps!

[muyongshi]

I get what you're saying and sorry if I sounded like I was arguing. I was hopefully trying to answer your questions about my reasoning.

One of the big differences though I see here is still in the english anyway. I think in the 反正 context we more often (American English) say in any case.

你不要一直blah blah blah 說個不停, 反正昨晚球赛打得如何?

Stop blah blah blah...ing. Anway,just tell me how the game was. (Implication :反正昨晚球賽的結果如何你告訴我就對了, 我不要聽細節)

I like your example and you are right and you are also right that there is a specific implication. Now I'm not sure but you may be telling me to quit 哇啦哇啦哇啦ing and shut up and tell you how the game was. Unfortunately, I didn't watch one, sorry!

雖為中國人, 中文能力未必就一定比較好. 同理, 美國人的英文能力也未必就比較優.

所说的很有道理。

[semantic nuance]

I like your example and you are right and you are also right that there is a specific implication. Now I'm not sure but you may be telling me to quit 哇啦哇啦哇啦ing and shut up and tell you how the game was. Unfortunately, I didn't watch one, sorry!

Eh? I just used your sentence as an example. Did you mean a real game? I really don't get your point here. Sorry!!

[muyongshi]

Sorry, just my own sense of humor. No real meaning. I was joking that maybe you were implying that I was just 哇啦哇啦. Not mind me.

[magores]

Related question...

How to say "So..."?

As in, the 'break the silence' kind of "So..."

• "So... How was your weekend?"
  
• "So... Are you ready?"
  

[muyongshi]

那么

I think this one is pretty straight across the board!