yawn vs take a nap

[wai ming]

Not long ago I visited some relatives in Malaysia, native Cantonese speakers educated in Mandarin primary and secondary schools. Speaking to them mostly in Mandarin, I discovered that they used the phrase 打瞌睡 to mean "yawn", rather than 打哈欠/打呵欠. My boyfriend (also Malaysian, native Cantonese, Mandarin educated) agreed with them, translating "nap" as 午睡. While I don't think 午睡 is 'wrong', I guess it refers specifically to afternoon naps.

So has anyone else heard 打瞌睡 used to mean "yawn" or have any idea where this usage comes from? As far as I know, the Cantonese equivalent 瞌眼瞓 hap1 ngaan5 fan3 means "nap" in HK Cantonese but I would appreciate any information on usage of this phrase as well

[here2learn]

I don't have direct experience using these words myself, but if it helps, my dictionary says 瞌睡 means to doze or be sleepy OR nap, in fact my simple (too simple) computer dictionary ONLY says "to doze".... which, if you think about it, could just mean being very tired or nodding off, not actually sleeping. So maybe it's not the actual physical mouth movement they're talking about when they say 瞌睡, but the feeling of tiredness...? Like "I'm feeling drowsy" as opposed to "I'm going to lay down and close my eyes and sleep now".

Thanks, now I want to try using these phrases here in Beijing and see what happens. I'll let you all know what they say up here.

[jade-]

If you are using them in Beijing, here are what they mean:

打哈欠/打呵欠 = yawn

打瞌睡 = doze off

午睡 = nap

Let me know your results after your try.

[SWWLiu]

they used the phrase 打瞌睡 to mean "yawn"' date=' rather than 打哈欠/打呵欠. My boyfriend (also Malaysian, native Cantonese, Mandarin educated) agreed with them, ...

So has anyone else heard 打瞌睡 used to mean "yawn" or have any idea where this usage comes from? As far as I know, the Cantonese equivalent 瞌眼瞓 hap1 ngaan5 fan3 means "nap" in HK Cantonese but I would appreciate any information on usage of this phrase as well

[/quote']

I agree with you and jade- on all counts (all three expressions).

打瞌睡 and 打盹儿 both mean "closing your eyes to rest awhile", while 打哈欠/打呵欠 means "opening your mouth slowly to breathe in and out (for some fresh air/oxygen)".

Ask your boyfriend as to which motion was intended. Also, another way to tell the difference is that, psychologically, 打哈欠/打呵欠 is "visually contagious", i.e., you will want to do it if you see others doing it, but 打瞌睡 and 打盹儿 will usually just elicit a knowing smile.

Let us know the outcome of your experiments.

[skylee]

Interesting. Re the meanings of the phrases, I agree with jade-. But hey here we have come across people calling their cousins "nephews/nieces" and people who don't agree that a 花街 is a street where flowers are sold, so it is not so uncommon for people in different places having different names for the same things.

[muyongshi]

not so uncommon for people in different places having different names for the same things.

...or like when my teacher swore to me today that the phrase 小心眼 does not exist...

[skylee]

As far as I know, the Cantonese equivalent 瞌眼瞓 hap1 ngaan5 fan3 means "nap" in HK Cantonese but I would appreciate any information on usage of this phrase as well

瞌眼瞓 is not "nap". It means doze off, as in if you are in a boring lecture. An alternative term is 釣魚.

瞌 / 瞌吓 is "nap" / "to take a nap", as in 我去瞌一瞌 / 我去瞌吓 / 我瞌咗一陣.