你的英文讲得很好。。。。WOOPS

[dan ni er]

Why is it that when nearly every Chinese person I know that goes to complement me on my Chinese ends up saying my English, instead of Chinese, is very good. How can a whole nation end up making the same mistake??? Is it just me that experiences this ??

I think it must be something to do with the fact that when they're growing up they may have little contact with foreigners and are just used to complementing their classmates with good English, that somehow, even when they get older and are in fact referring to someone's good Chinese, they still end up saying that their English is good. In any case, it's really quite bizarre how literally everyone I meet ends up making this mistake.

[muyongshi]

I have had it happen before too but not every time (probably not even half of the time) and I have no theory why it happens....

[billiardsmike]

I've been here a little over a year. Sometimes I think I should have 哪里哪里stamped on my forehead, but not once has anyone made that mistake with me. A regional thing perhaps?

[liuzhou]

er. compIiment with an 'i', perhaps, rather than with an 'e'.

Your Chinese friends will probably pick up that mistake more quickly!

[dan ni er]

Well seems it's only me! Very strange because I literally hear this the whole time.

Liuzhou - apologies for the poor spelling! However, please allow me to make another observation....it's always the losers in china that pick up on the spelling and grammer mistakes of other native English speakers. Perhaps you have a theory on this....

[gougou]

I would guess that it's a Freudian. Many Chinese will think of English when they see a foreigner, be it because they want to learn English with you, or because they are afraid they will have to use it with you. Either way, they want to compliment you on your language, and English just happens to come out.

Liuzhou - apologies for the poor spelling! However, please allow me to make another observation....it's always the losers in china that pick up on the spelling and grammer mistakes of other native English speakers. Perhaps you have a theory on this....

Do we really have to go down this road? Just take it as a friendly reminder. I for once would have misspelled it if Liuzhou hadn't pointed it out - so thanks, Liuzhou!

[liuzhou]

You're welcome gougou.

[mr.stinky]

could this have anything to do with the educational system and the reliance on rote

memorization? maybe they learned "jeepers, your english is awesome" as a sentence

pattern, and have practiced it so many times that it's become ingrained (spelling help?)

and just naturally flows out.

[adrianlondon]

Maybe they think you're Chinese but have just overheard you speaking English, and wanted to compliment you on it.

You could always reply along the lines of "thanks, your Chinese is pretty good, too".

[Yiwan]

This reminds me that my grandmother once said Americans spoke good English. I myself would compliment you on your Chinese skill if it was good.

[Lu]

Sometimes I think I should have 哪里哪里stamped on my forehead

Slightly off-topic: I always (literary always) use 還差的遠啊 ('it's far from good'). Works fine on the mainland as well, but in Taiwan it makes people almost fall over in awe. Maybe you can give it a try when you get enough of the nali nali.

[gougou]

in Taiwan it makes people almost fall over in awe

To stay off-topic: it has the same effect with Beijing cabbies.

[imron]

Continuing off-topic: I typically use 跟你比还差点儿, which usually rates a laugh or two, especially from anyone standing next to person who made the original comment.

[billiardsmike]

Thanks for the suggestions. I egotistically thought that people laughed at me because I was so clever in saying 哪里。However, my teacher told us today that this expression is about 20 years out of date. I'll try your stand-bys.

[adrianlondon]

Yeah, my 1970's Practical Chinese Reader is full of 哪里s and 还差得远呢s, but when I was in Beijing I was told the correct response to praise is now simply 谢谢.

[muyongshi]

Let's be fair and not forget the even more outdated 马马虎虎

[imron]

I was told the correct response to praise is now simply 谢谢.

The thing is, when people are commenting on how good my Chinese is (despite the reality), I don't want to say thank you. Most of the time, what I really want to say is something along the lines of stop patronising me, however that doesn't always go down particularly well. 跟你比还差点儿, does a reasonably good job of conveying that sentiment, but does so in a light-hearted, smart-alecky kind of way.

[Qcash3]

Let's be fair and not forget the even more outdated 马马虎虎

When I was in high school my Chinese teacher swore by this phrase. When I first visited China in 2004 everyone laughed after I used this phrase, it wasn't until I returned to China in 2006 that I figured why everyone was laughing at me . It seems that my teacher had not updated her lingo since she came to the states 20+ years ago.....

[adrianlondon]

跟你比还差点儿

The grammar there is confusing me. Does it mean the same as 比你(还)差点儿.

[muyongshi]

跟你相比还差得远

相比/比=比较