Things or words that make you sound like a girl in Chinese

[Demonic_Duck]

To be honest, I would never have thought of most of these as “girly”, especially “好吧”, which is pretty neutral...

 

I think “人家” to refer to oneself sounds childish more than feminine. If a grown woman used it I'd think she was 撒娇ing to the extreme.

 

Also, this thread needs an equivalent for masculine-sounding expressions that women aren't expected to say (though it would mostly just consist of swearing...)

 

真是！ as an exasperated exclamation

Shouldn't that be “真是的”?

[MPhillips]

I don't want to start up a Taiwan Guoyü vs. Mainland Putonghua controversy, but I believe 真是 is what they (people in Taiwan) say for Eng. "I never"; however I don't have any ikijibiki's around to ask, the one Taiwanese person I knew here left long ago (too hot for her even, the guy I bumped into from Fuzhou yesterday sure isn't enjoying this climate much either). Actually I don't know how many people really go around saying 真是 or 真是的，just like I don't know anyone who goes around saying "Well, I never!". Of course, if I'm falsely imputing a mistake due to me to Taiwanese usage, I'm sorry.

[Demonic_Duck]

The main place I've heard “真是的” is in 《蜡笔小新》, which is Taiwanese-dubbed.

 

Edit: as in, dubbed by Taiwanese people, not in Taiwanese.

[MPhillips]

Hey Demonic Duck!--You may well be right & my hearing may be to blame, when I'm in New York's Chinatown day after tomorrow-- 老天爷 willing the terrorists won't blow up my plane with their tubes of exploding toothpaste, which they're plotting to do in retaliation for airstrikes against Syria (US guvmint alert via CNN)--I will try to "language rape" a not too unwilling person from Taiwan & get an authoritative answer.

[Kamille]

好可愛喔~~~~ *_*

 

Seriously now, I'm the same as Demonic-Duck: when did 好吧 start sounding girly? Same for most of the others. 偶而, girly oO ? I think it all depends on the pitch. (Anything said with a cat's voice on a Taiwanese night market to catch the attention of the customer will sound girly, if you catch my drift    ).

 

Although "臭-whatever" (not only 臭流氓) does indeed sound a bit girly to me, at least I only heard it used by girls. Oh and "你想怎樣?" said with an exasperated tone, that also sounds girly, obviously  . (Not that I agree that Taiwanese men use that expression, or that they sound girly in any way, I think the use of so many 語氣詞 in Taiwan's mandarin has to do with Hokkien, which was itself influenced during some 60 years by a 語氣詞-loving language: Japanese).

[oceancalligraphy]

I say both 真是的 and 真是 depending on what my reaction is. Usually 真是的 goes with a 撒嬌 tone (basically a childish whiny voice) and a stomp and pout for added emphasis (yes, I'm Taiwanese and female). >_<  真是 is in my regular tone and maybe shaking my head or a roll of the eyes. Something about the 的 makes it more whiny and childish, maybe?

 

I don't see how any string of words sounds girly. It's more about the tone, whether it's adding a nasal tone or 撒嬌. Some girls sound like that naturally, others don't. Sometimes there's just an added inflection to get a point across.

 

umm.. "language rape"? I don't think I want to know what that's about...

[MPhillips]

Dear yst, I'm sorry about that term, I used to dislike it a lot too, I guess I heard it so often that it finally rubbed off on me. Well, at least I won't have to be annoying anybody today, I'm on the shy & retiring side.

[Angelina]

"好不好！“

 

It will make you sound like a girlie girl.

[Cici Burger]

 

"好不好！“

 

It will make you sound like a girlie girl.

 Well, if you add a “嘛" , it will be more girlish. Girls like ending sentences with a 嘛。

[roddy]

To be honest, I would never have thought of most of these as “girly”, especially “好吧”, which is pretty neutral..

 

Agree with the Duck - similarly "好不好" It's like people have decided anything said by women sounds girly, missing the fact that men say it too. Nine times out of ten any 'girlness' that people pick up in speech comes not from the language, but from the tone and possible pouting. I've seen a fight break out between a bunch of touts or one sort of another at Xidan and the early stages of it included a very clear, very aggressive, 我讨厌死你了 (or something like that, this is going years back). 

 

I suspect often what happens is that people fall into certain ways of speaking with teachers and partners which, for reasons of authority and linguistic competence (and fun) become quite playful and acted out. But these then become ingrained and you can't turn them off. But it's as likely to be how you're saying, as what you're saying. And if you have a limited vocab you end up saying the same thing over and over, which is irritating in any gender.