Random new word of the day

[Kenny同志]

Come on! Don't tell me you spoke Cantonese/English when you were on the Mainland.

[skylee]

I didn't. But I do not plan to go to the Mainland again (at least not in the foreseeable future), so I don't speak Mandarin any more.

Correction - But I will go to Taiwan from time to time (next time in Dec 2014). So I will speak it occasionally.

[Kobo-Daishi]

 

 

This time it's two words, 蠻(蛮) and 挺.

 

They both mean "very" or "quite".

 

Usually I watch Taiwanese romance dramedies to increase my vocabulary. I'd download copies in the original Taiwanese Mandarin with their equivalent modern standard Chinese subtitles (which more or less closely matches the dialogue being spoken) and a Cantonese dubbed copy, for the Hong Kong market, also with modern standard Chinese subtitles. Sometimes the modern standard Chinese subtitles in the Hong Kong dub are different from the ones in the original Taiwanese copy.

 

Here is such a case. In this flashback scene where this girl relates how her father used to read fairy tales to her. The father asks which story she'd like to hear. The story of 白雪公主 (Snow White) or 灰姑娘 (Cinderella). She decides on 灰姑娘 and as her dad is reading she asks him what's 灰姑娘's surname. After a bit of hawing and hemming, he goes "er...ah...er...why, of course it's 灰"

 

It seems that there isn't a Han Chinese surname 灰, but, is one used by the Miao ethnic minority.

 

Anyway, the father goes on to say You seldom see the surname 灰. In the two subs they use 蠻(蛮) and 挺 for "very" or "quite".

 

I mainly knew 蠻(蛮) for being barbarians. Southern barbarians?

 

Kobo.

[oceancalligraphy]

@ Kobo

 

The character 蠻 does mean southern barbarians. In the context you saw, it has the same meaning as 滿. I see a lot of people using 蠻 instead of 滿 on the internet.

 

The proper (and more appropriate) character should be 滿, as explained https://www.moedict.tw/%E8%A0%BB at the bottom, under the heading 辨似.

[Kobo-Daishi]

@YST

 

That's quite interesting that 滿 is the proper, more appropriate character.

 

I've seen in a few Chinese dictionaries that has 蠻(蛮) meaning "很, 挺" as being 方, regional.

 

Kobo.

[skylee]

I use 蠻 and 挺. I don't use 滿.

[Guest realmayo]

That's quite interesting that 滿 is the proper, more appropriate character.

 

Assuming it is? I'm only aware of having seen 蠻/蛮 (in the PRC). 

[Lu]

I've always learned and used 蛮 for 'very', I don't recall ever seeing 满 used like that. My dictionary (现代汉语词典) says 蛮 means 'quite, pretty' (and also 'barbarian' of course).

[Demonic_Duck]

满 would actually make a hell of a lot more sense, but I've never seen it used in this sense, only 蛮.

 

Also, 挺 is used more commonly in the North, and 蛮 more commonly in the South and Taiwan.

[oceancalligraphy]

huh, I guess I learned it the opposite in Taiwan. I was taught 滿 as 很 or 十分 in school (just like the 副詞 definition at https://www.moedict.tw/滿).

Then I started to notice 蠻 for the same meaning on internet boards.

[Kenny同志]

雪乳：snow-white boobs

 

当地时间2010年9月16日，澳大利亚悉尼，黛塔-范-提思担当Cointreau酒全球形象大使飞抵悉尼表演君度秀，美娇娘穿着深V礼服露雪乳火辣性感。

 

 

黛塔-范-提思，Dita Von Tesse 同志是也。這個詞還蠻形象的。

 

link: http://pic.news.sohu.com/group-232373.shtml#g=232373&p=2110640 

[anonymoose]

Kenny!

 

酥胸

[Kenny同志]

Kenny!

 

酥胸

 

 

I already knew this one when I was a kid.

[anonymoose]

Kenny!

[Demonic_Duck]

Just how specialised is that particular piece of vocabulary? Can it be applied to any lady with bosoms of the pallid persuasion, or is it restricted only for use when describing Dita Von Teese?

[Kenny同志]

Anonymoose, 你反應太大了。But seriously, this may be something inappropriate to post here. Sorry Roddy. 

 

Duck:

 

Technically you can use it on any woman with pale breasts and in any register except in that of an official document . That being said, however, many women, especially Chinese women, may find the term offensive if so described so exercise caution!

[Demonic_Duck]

And what, praytell, is one to call them if one happens to be writing an official document on the subject of pale boobage?

[Kenny同志]

Maybe I should revise what I said. To me, it's fine to use the term in a PR of a 美胸產品 producer.

 

May I choose not to provide the alternatives here? It's embarrassing!

 

請教個問題：

 

How would you describe someone whose skin is 白皙? I know "alabaster" may be an option but am not sure whether "snow-white" and "pale" are good.

[anonymoose]

Fair. What the hell does alabaster mean?

[陳德聰]

Alabaster is a type of rock. I haven't seen that word in a long time, but it's a good one. Is "雪花石膏" something people know though? I don't think I've ever seen that term before.

 

I use "fair-skinned" as well. When purchasing foundation, generally "porcelain", "fair" or "ivory" will be used for the lightest one you can get.