One of my students told me “You are a red horse” this morning, in Taiwanese/Mandarin. Even though the other (more advanced) kids couldn’t explain it, nor could the assistant, I’m wondering if they were just being nice and not telling me what he really meant to say by that. Help anyone?
If context helps, I had just told him to stop talking while another student was talking, sit down, and stop poking someone in the eye. Let’s just say he’s new and spoiled.
[quote=“superemma”]One of my students told me “You are a red horse” this morning, in Taiwanese/Mandarin. Even though the other (more advanced) kids couldn’t explain it, nor could the assistant, I’m wondering if they were just being nice and not telling me what he really meant to say by that. Help anyone?
If context helps, I had just told him to stop talking while another student was talking, sit down, and stop poking someone in the eye. Let’s just say he’s new and spoiled.[/quote]
Are you sure it wasn’t 紅毛 (Hóngmáo in Mandarin or Ang-mo in Taiwanese)? Meaning “red hair”, it’s slang for “foreigner” (first used for Dutch colonists, I believe). Could that be it?
That sounds like it could make sense but I wonder where one so young would pick up that kind of slang (6, maybe a little younger). Most of the time even the assistants can’t understand his speech because it’s so unclear. Even if it is annoying, at least he’s not calling me a red horse (meaning more toward crazy than bratty). I already have one student who will change the topic to anything silly he possibly can so I really don’t need another. Thanks for the explanation!