Like a Cat in the Cream

[aesmael]

I believe I mentioned at least once before that I am trying to learn Mandarin? Well, one of my closest friends is Chinese and today I managed to have a (very) short conversation with her on QQ. So I feel proud.

It is entirely possible the rest of this post is riddled with errors.

Me: 你好。
[(Now) Fetches dictionary to make sure I am getting it right] 你 is pronounced ni3, meaning 'you'. The number three indicates it is pronounced with a falling then rising tone (I have been told by friend and by my teacher when I studied mandarin very briefly at university that my pronunciation is very good but I have not practised at all in a year so I am sure it is terrible now). 好 is pronounced hao3 and means 'good', at least in this context. Together the two are used to say hello. In a formal situation 您好 (nin2hao3, 2 means a rising tone)would be said instead. I think there is a rule for two characters in a row using the third tone but I forget what it is.

Her: 你好。
^Pointy cap says look up! Whatever could it mean?

Me (feeling emboldened): 你好吗？
吗 (ma, neutral tone) is a question particle and turns it into 'how are you' (I think it exactly becomes 'You good?')

Her: 我很好。谢谢。
我 is wo3, for 'I'. 很 is hen3 for 'very'. 好 still means 'good'. So, 'I [am] very good'. Mandarin speakers tend to leave out unnecessary words where possible. I don't think there even are extra words to put in that one. 谢谢 is xie4xie (falling tone and neutral), an informal way of saying 'thanks'. I should have known that one too but I forgot.

That is all for now, but I hope I can learn more soon. I would dearly love to be able to carry a conversation in mandarin.

Comments

[lost-angelwings.livejournal.com]

I know nothing about mandarin :( I can barely speak cantonese XD I can read that tho! :D So yay! ^_^

You're doing well! :D

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! I know it is silly but I am relieved you can read it even tho it was already written down and my friend understood it then.

Hehe, I was kinda hoping you knew some mandarin tho so I could ask for some help. Oh well. :-P

[mantic-angel.livejournal.com]

I think this is indeed the first mention of such learning, although the second time you have used it in a post at least (I think one of your earliest posts had examples of a few languages?)