Words Chinese people think are English (eg. High, Fighting, PK)

[AlexBlackman]

Hi

I'm a student of Chinese and I've noticed that some Taiwan/Chinese people use words that they think are English but aren't really used that way in English. Sometimes they even force these words into English sentences.

For example,

The word "high" is used in Chinese to express happiness (高興), whereas, as you probably know, if you use it in English, people will think you are talking about drugs.

Another example is the use of the word "Fighting" to encourage people (加油) and PK to talk about a head-to-head [elimination] competition.

People on another forum suggested AV being used for 毛片儿 instead of audio-visual, 很Man，used for 很有男人味儿， 3C for electronic goods, marathon for any kind of race, toast for bread untoasted or toasted.

Can you give me any more?

[AlexL]

I'll throw in "VCR" for video clip.

[renzhe]

Using "MTV" to mean "music video".

Every language has them. You could probably write a book about the German ones, like "Beamer" or "Handy".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudo-Anglicism

[imron]

AV being used for 毛片儿 instead of audio-visual,

AV is probably adult video rather than audio-visual

Regarding other words though, my pet peeves are how wine is used to refer to all types of alcohol, and orange is used to refer to mandarins/tangerines.

[daofeishi]

Another one that seems to be common is calling any kind of costume party a "cosplay", and refer to dressing up as "玩儿cosplay"

[Lu]

Aren't those just loanwords? I learned the word high/嗨 from a Taiwanese friend who spoke no English at all and wasn't interested in trying either.

[Hugh]

I always remember the staff and students at the kindergarten I worked at saying 'haw' instead of 'hawberry'. I used to tell them to say 'hawberry', but didn't dare explain why. It got really funny when we had a cookery class: 'Wash the haw', 'sprinkle sugar on the haw'.

I also knew a guy who seemed to have got 'pretty' the adjective and 'pretty' the adverb mixed up, so he would just say "That's pretty" to describe things in general, e.g. Me: "I'm going to the park today." Him: "Oh, that's pretty."

[xiaocai]

Regarding other words though, my pet peeves are how wine is used to refer to all types of alcohol, and orange is used to refer to mandarins/tangerines.

Poor vocabulary, just like how people use 个 as the measure word when they do not know the most appropriate one. But I am fine with it.

[Brandon263]

I've heard many Chinese use "pass" in Chinglish sentences to mean （X) has come to an end/is over. For example, "这个话题已经pass掉了."

As a non-native speaker of Chinese, I guess I also make the same mistake of using "English-logic" (for lack of a better word) to express myself in Chinese in ways that native speakers or advanced students would not. One usage that confuses me is the plural form of nouns, like 朋友 and 朋友们. What's the threshold at which the number of friends becomes 朋友们? At first I said朋友们 to refer to any number of friends above two but now I’m just confused. I guess things like that are easier for Chinese and advanced learners to determine.

[nsbane]

Two recent ones:

1) My school has a three day "sports meeting" at the end of the month. I thought all the administrators come together to really talk about what sports are. But no, it is a competition with all the students - turns out they mean a "sports meet," or "track meet". This use of the phrase is not limited to my school; I am friends with teachers at several other universities spread out in Gansu. When we talk, they tell me they also have a sports meeting this month.

2) AA. Instead of saying "we'll go dutch," where each friend pays for their portion of a meal at a restaurant, they will say "we'll go AA." I asked my friend yesterday where did AA come from. She looked confused - "We got it from America."

[daofeishi]

AA. Instead of saying "we'll go dutch"

China is actually the only place I've ever heard the phrase "go Dutch" used. I know it's supposedly a valid English phrase, but to me it has a strong sound of Chinglish to it.

[马盖云]

Although we have strayed from "words they think are english but aren't" to "phrases that have been oddly translated from Chinese to English"...

My two most noticable favorites I hear from my 广州 colleauges: "I go first" when they excuse themselves, from a too-literal translation of 我先走. And "I have ever..." (for example: I have ever seen this movie") again, an overly literal translation from the word 曾经 for anything they have "Once" or "Previously" seen or done.

But actually, I'm sure my Chinese sounds just as bad, as we choose the wrong synonnym for various words. And I believe hearing my friends' incorrect English actually helps me learn Chinese, if that makes any sense to you! B)

[David Wong]

I used to tell them to say 'hawberry', but didn't dare explain why.

From Merriam Webster:

Main Entry: haw

Pronunciation: \ˈhȯ\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English hawe, from Old English haga — more at hedge

Date: before 12th century

1 : a hawthorn berry

2 : hawthorn

[AlexBlackman]

@NSBane - yes, AA is a good example

@Brandon - Are you sure？ I've only seen PASS used in the context of exams, and it's used the same in standard English

@Daofeishi - Yep, 玩儿cosplay is a good example, the English term is used in a far narrower context than the Chinese. As for go dutch, it's a bit old fashioned, but I've heard it in the UK a few times.

@Imron - do they use WINE in Chinese? Using wine for all alcohol is just a case of bad English, I'm looking for "English" words which are used when speaking Chinese, but make no sense in standard English.

[imron]

Ah yes, my mistake.

[liuzhou]

My school has a three day "sports meeting" at the end of the month. I thought all the administrators come together to really talk about what sports are. But no, it is a competition with all the students - turns out they mean a "sports meet," or "track meet". This use of the phrase is not limited to my school; I am friends with teachers at several other universities spread out in Gansu. When we talk, they tell me they also have a sports meeting this month.

Sports meeting is standard British English (upon which the Chinese national curriculum is based) and is used across China.

"Sports meet" is an Americanism.

China is actually the only place I've ever heard the phrase "go Dutch" used. I know it's supposedly a valid English phrase, but to me it has a strong sound of Chinglish to it.

Definitely not Chinglish. The OED dates it to 1915 and says it is of American origin.

[David Wong]

I can't think of many, and some of these probably not common on the mainland:

chop - meaning a rubber stamp (seal).

economy/economic/economical rice - affordable fast food

offer - discount/sale

And what about Chinese English phrases that have made it into standard English, like "long time no see", or "lose face"?

[AlexBlackman]

And what about Chinese English phrases that have made it into standard English, like "long time no see", or "lose face"?

Well, I'm trying to create a list of words NOT to say, for some of my English-learning Chinese friends.

Ｍａｙｂｅ　in the future I should write an article on words of Chinese origin mistakenly thought to be incorrect in standard English， so thanks for your suggestion.

[liuzhou]

chop - meaning a rubber stamp (seal).

Nothing wrong with that. The use of the word 'chop' in English to mean a seal or stamp has been around since the early 17th century. It comes from the Hindi "chhāp' meaning an impression, print, stamp, brand, etc.

[Kenny同志]

Most of the English words people use to appear trendy have Chinese equivalents. I shall write something about this on my blog when I am free.Oh, I've got too many projects! :rolleyes:

Well, I'm trying to create a list of words NOT to say, for some of my English-learning Chinese friends.

Please share the list here. Thank you.