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Category Archives: tones

Soundbites: is it easier for Zhonglish speakers?

… easier for Zhonglish speakers to understand the accents of wàidìrén (外地人 = Chinese from outside the big city), that is. The hypothesis would be something like this:
Since the first thing to vary in non-Beijing Mandarin is often the tone on a word [unsubstantiated impression -- it would be cool to know of an actual [...]

Posted 17 October 2009 † syz § BJS Daily § wàidìrén § zhonglish ‡ Comments (6) °

Beating a dead grass mud horse

On the rhythms and tones of a foul and trendy pun — yes, another dead horse post

Warning: Despite the innocent voices of some of the main actors, Beijing Sounds was never intended as a family blog. Even fluffy animals won’t soften this hard fact, so read on at your own peril and heed the check-with-your-doctor [...]

Posted 15 March 2009 † syz § Chao Yuen Ren 赵元任 Zhào Yuánrèn § Stress in Mandarin ‡ Comments (9) °

Zhonglish for two-year-olds

On how English messes with even the kids’ Mandarin

After months of exile in Minneapolis, Siberia, the nominal proprietor of Beijing Sounds now has concrete plans to return to the main studio location in beautiful suburban Shàngdì in the northwest outskirts of the capital city. The mood surrounding this semi-permanent move, to take place around the [...]

Posted 25 January 2009 † syz § linguistics § music § personal § recipes § society § street § teacher § wàidìrén § zhonglish ‡ Comments (7) °

The Onion in… Zhonglish?!

On maintaining political correctness when other people’s languages still sound funny

New Mexico, USA — Christmas, 1978. In the wrapping paper-strewn living room of grandma’s house, after the midday dinner, the adults are engaged in the safe banter of nostalgia, the children, including nine-year-old syz, engrossed in the newly acquired toys, tools and trinkets.
There is no [...]

Posted 22 December 2008 † syz § linguistics § youtube § zhonglish ‡ Comments (7) °

Saturday sounds like this

On proper vocabulary, rethinking the third tone, and the Hànzì thought police

It was still before 8 a.m. when the staccato cacophony of metal on tile shocked Mr. Zhao out of bed.
Mere mortal sleepers might have been awakened long ago on this Shangdi Saturday morning, what with the constant pattering of feet, the grinding drone of [...]

Posted 14 December 2008 † syz § Yuèmǔ U. § běijīnghuà ‡ Comments (6) °

Statistical analysis: Zhonglish-Chinglish conference a success

On how to give away T-shirts, a taxicab Tāngr-Tāng recap with a bit of Zhonglish, and the bonus: a groundbreaking announcement for the 2009 conference

Posted 30 November 2008 † syz § beijing-r § běijīnghuà § personal § zhonglish § érhuàyīn ‡ Comments (8) °

Mandarin Study Programs?

On YU Alternatives — anyone have recommendations?

Here’s a bit of the guest lecture today at YU:

Posted 14 October 2008 † syz § Yuèmǔ U. § zhonglish ‡ Comments (34) °

Olympic Endeavors

Olympic sloganeering & ingenuousness, Mandarin acquisition & n-closing, the Catch-22 of tones

If you’re a return reader to this blog of questionable taste, obscure subject matter and infrequent update, you probably have an appetite for a good cynical rant. Not that you’d be able to feed the habit on this url, mind you: as a recovering [...]

Posted 20 July 2008 † syz § zhonglish § érhuàyīn ‡ Comments (13) °