-
Sorry about the follow up to this being so delayed. WE left off with
the Mandarin(Pu Deng Hwa) phrase "Ni Hao", and "Ni Hao ma?"
"Ni Hao" simply meaning Hi, literal translation is "You Well?". The
usual response is the same.."Ni Hao! or even shorter "Hao!".. "Ni Hao
ma?" Is more personal for someone you know well. Asking how are they
feeling? if the response is "Hen Hao" it means very well. Bu Hoa
is "Not well. "Xie xie!" (Thanks) They may respond back with Ni Neh?
WHich means "You also?" which fires the question back at you.

For Cantonese speakers (GuanDong Hwa) the phrase is "Nay Ho"
and "Nay Ho Ma?". The answer is slightly different with "Ho Ho" or
just "Ho" for short. "Ho" like "Hoa" means "Well". "Doh Jay" means
thank you, the equivalent of Xie Xie (Shay-Shay). Nay Neh? again
fires the queston back at you meaning "you also?" Saying good bye is
easy, oddly enough is "Bye Bye!"


-- In tristatewushukungfu@yahoogroups.com, Mel Roberts <tonji152@...>
wrote:
>
> Thank you so much Avishay,
>
> I really appreciate the encouragement, It's so great
> to hear from other members of this yahoo group I
> formed
> Except for 3 or 4 others it's very rare to hear from
> the members. I want more for this group then just
> "Look and see" what I've been up to. Another new
> member stated he wanted to learn more about Chinese
> culture so I thought this would be fun and see where
> it goes.
>
> Mel
>
>
> --- avishay <avishayisaiah@...> wrote:
>
> > oh btw have you checked out zhongwen.com its a
> > great site for
> > chinese-english / english-chinese online dictionary
> >
> > --- In tristatewushukungfu@yahoogroups.com, "Mel"
> > <tonji152@y...>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi group, I'm far from being a linguist expert
> > but I have been
> > > studying Pu Deng Hwa (Mandarin) from a native
> > speaker for nearly 8
> > > months. I love the reaction I get when I greet a
> > Chinese National
> > > using such a simple phrase. Ni hao ma? Pronounced
> > "KNEE"-"HOW"-
> > "MA?"
> > > if you leave off the "MA?" Ni hao will simply mean
> > "HI". Ni (KNEE)-
> >
> > > Means "YOU", Hao (HOW) refers to being good and
> > "Ma?" in this case
> > > signifies the phrase as a direct question with an
> > expected answer.
> > > Whereas just saying "Ni Hao?" without the "MA?" on
> > the end. (Hi)
> > as
> > > you are walking by without having time to stop for
> > a long
> > > conversation, no answer is really expected or you
> > are very
> > familiar
> > > to the person you are speaking with and there is
> > no need to be
> > > formal. To say hi to more than one person or a
> > group you add "MEN"
> > to
> > > the word "NI" Changing the phrase to "Nimen Hao?"
> > These greetings
> > are
> > > appropriate for morning, noon and night. The
> > answer back is the
> > same.
> > > If someone says "Ni Hao?" to you, you would anwer
> > back "Ni Hao!"It
> > > gets more complicated when Ma is used. THe answer
> > back will be
> > more
> > > invloved. "I'm very well, thank you and you?"
> > would be "Wo hen
> > > hao,xie xie,ni neh?" Wo sounds like "Wa" which
> > means I, "Hen"
> > (means
> > > very) Hoa (Good or well) and thank you "Xie Xie"
> > sounds like "Shay-
> > > Shay!" "Ni Neh" sounds like "Knee Nuh?" (And you?)
> > NOw the
> > question
> > > is back in the in face of the person who started
> > the conversation
> > the
> > > standard response would be I'm also very good or
> > Yeh hen hao! Yeh
> > > (also) Hen (Very) and Hao (Good or well).
> > >
> > > Zhai Jian, Sound like (Z'eye Gee-ann) means Bye!
> > > Mel
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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