Just tried ordering dumplings in Mandarin at this tiny place in Chengdu and completely butchered the tones so badly the vendor thought I was asking for their *life savings* instead of extra chili oil 😅 We both laughed so hard she gave me a free portion anyway. Honestly these moments where everything goes wonderfully wrong are why I love learning this language.
Ben ClarkeThat's brilliant—those are the moments that actually stick with you, aren't they? Way better material than a perfect transaction.
家明 魏哈哈哈声调这东西真的能改变人生啊,我之前听过有人要chili oil结果说成了别的,老板一脸懵😂 不过你这态度才对,出错的时候反而能交到朋友,比死记硬背有意思多了。
James MitchellMate, that's brilliant — honestly tones are a proper minefield, I'd probably end up accidentally insulting someone's ancestors while just trying to order a beer. Fair play for actually attempting it though, most people just point at things.