Sun 15 Jul 2007
I speak Cantonese, You speak English
Posted by 馬先生 under Hong Kong
I went to Delifrance with an overseas-born Chinese guy. He ordered and spoke only English with an Australian accent, and was replied back in Cantonese.
When I ordered in Cantonese “呢個朱古力酥唔該 - ni1 go3 zyu1 gu2*1 lik6*1 sou1 m4 goi1 - this chocolate croissant please”, I was replied back in English “fourteen dollars”. I even said “我想增值八達通一百蚊 - ngo5 soeng2 zang1 zik6 baat3 daat6 tung1 jat1 baak3 man1 - I want to add $100 to my Octopus card”, and was replied in English “put there then OK”.
I normally don’t have a problem when someone speaks English to me not knowing my Cantonese level as I don’t really look like the locals, but being replied back in English especially when I spoke Cantonese first is pretty rude. I think I need many more years in Hong Kong to finally get used to ignorance.
Lastly, I went to the local TV store in Tuen Mun to look for LCD TVs the other week. I ask the questions in Cantonese and the guy looks to my wife and answers. He didn’t even look at me or give me a chance to see if I could understand, I’m simply ignored and he continues to be quite pushy to my wife - 死纏爛打 - sei2 cin4 laan6 daa2.
Hong Kong
July 16th, 2007 at 2:15 am
True……I understand what you feel so well. Coz I’m being ignored by sby……
July 16th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
That’s frustrating. I was once in a cab in Shanghai with a Japanese friend who barely spoke Chinese and the cabbie just stared at her waiting for her to tell him where to go until. I finally had to pound on the plexiglass shield a couple of times to get him to realize that the big white guy in the back was the one speaking Chinese.
July 18th, 2007 at 1:59 am
Hmmm, that seems to me to be Chinglish … I think most speakers of English would say:
Indeed, personally, I would prefer active voice: He/she replied to me in English that …
July 18th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Hi Loki on the run. Hard to avoid bad influences here, I’m surrounded by Chinglish speakers. Since moving to Hong Kong, my English proficiency has slightly decreased. It doesn’t help when Hong Kong people say every 2nd or 3rd word in English when speaking Cantonese.
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:56 am
Counter rudeness with rudeness. If they look to your wife, you can say: I’m talking look at me… or something to that effect.
November 13th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I am a native Cantonese speaker, but I notice that when I go to a restaurant or the like with a westerner guy, the waiters/waitresses etc., whether they are Chinese, Philippinos or Westerners, never talk to me but my white friend. Sometimes they don’t even acknowledge my existence! How do you explain that?