Tiger-tiger that text
February 13th, 2010, 1 comments, Posted by Syz (Steve Hansen)

It’s duǎnxìn (短信 = text msg) season in China, with its tradition of sending new year’s greetings to everyone in your address book. The nice thing about the coming year of the tiger (虎 = hǔ) is that, repeated, the syllable becomes a word in its own right (tiger-tiger?) that the ABC Dictionary glosses as “energetic; vigorous”. Thus you might end up with

给您虎虎的祝福，虎虎的甜蜜，虎虎的运气，虎虎的健康，虎虎的快乐，虎虎的心情，虎虎的顺利，虎虎的幸福，虎虎的人生！×××祝您虎年快乐

Wishing you tiger-tiger blessings, tiger-tiger treats, tiger-tiger luck, tiger-tiger health… [get the picture?]

Not your style? Laowai Chinese offers some simpler texting options.

And for all of you I won’t get to text tonight: Happy year of the tiger! 虎年快乐！(Hǔnián kuài lè)

1 comment | posted in Traditions




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      2. Alan: When I was at school, ‘Comprehension’ tests were always to test our listening...
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      1. Nate Glenn: I know from my reading on Japanese that there are two types of aphasics: ones who...
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      1. Kellen Parker: I think the problem here is definitely differing interpretations of...
      2. Eric: Kellen, like ZRV, I find the claim you make about the transfer from Cantonese to Korean...
      3. Kellen Parker: Zrv, Indeed a good friend of mine from Guangzhou who now resides in Korea and who...
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      1. Kellen Parker: pot, You’re right, the subtitles are misleading. The whole 东北话，四川话，北京话 I let...
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