Phrases from those who know them to those who wish to. Things that would come handy out in the streets.
All I got is “pai say”
I keep hearing “adoga” but I dont ever hear the G in it so I dont know if im listening right or what
You heard it right. It means foreigners in Taiwanese.
You heard it right. It means foreigners in Taiwanese.[/quote]
It means “big nose” or literally, “steep” or “high” nose. It’s offensive and when you hear it you should say, “Wo bu yao ting ni de bu ke chi de hua”.
Wa = I
Li = you
Eee = he/she/it
Pluralize by adding “ai” as in “Li ai”
Wa tee a bo = I don’t understand.
Ja ba bu wei? Common greeting, equivalent of “Che bao le ma?” Means “Have you eaten rice today?”
Response: Ja ba (positive) or Ah bu wei (negative)
“Wa tee ooo jay soo soo a” is I understand a little
“Kao” is very bad, careful how u use it.
“Kao bei” is even worse. That said, when I use it after letting in a particularly bad goal, all the Taiwanese players within earshot get a good chuckle out of it. ymmv
Are you serious??? I mean really? 
I don’t know that. If it’s true, I don’t think people even know that, becasue I, for one, am surely don’t know it’s offensive.
Are you serious??? I mean really? I don’t know that. If it’s true, I don’t think people even know that, becasue I, for one, am surely don’t know it’s offensive.[/quote]
I’m as serious as the nose on my face.
When we look at language we shouldn’t look at what a word literally means, but rather what it means in usage. In Taiwanese, it means foreigner or more accurately (if we only look at usage) non-Asian foreigner usually a white person from European ancestors.
You might find the literal translation offensive, but it surely isn’t offensive in usage. You need to look at the word from a Taiwanese perspective not a western perspective. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.
[quote=“heimuoshu”]When we look at language we shouldn’t look at what a word literally means, but rather what it means in usage. In Taiwanese, it means foreigner or more accurately (if we only look at usage) non-Asian foreigner usually a white person from European ancestors.
You might find the literal translation offensive, but it surely isn’t offensive in usage. You need to look at the word from a Taiwanese perspective not a western perspective. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.[/quote]
Sorry, but how is it different from pejoratives used in the west to describe eye features of Chinese?
You’re witnessing linguistic change: the disappearance of final stops in Taiwanese under the influence of Mandarin.
(“a-tok-a” becoming “a-to-a”)
The usefulness of the following phrase is debatable but it is worth knowing for reference:
Qua sha xiao = what the f@#$ are you looking at?
Hear this in your direction and take that as a cue to get the hell out of wherever you are. Say this and expect to be on the receiving end of a Taiwanese beat down, meaning 10 guys pounding you into the pavement.
Are you serious??? I mean really? I don’t know that. If it’s true, I don’t think people even know that, becasue I, for one, am surely don’t know it’s offensive.[/quote]
It shouldn’t be too hard to imagine how it could be IMO. “Big nose.” A characterization based on a physical characteristic. Most foreigners I know may tolerate it more or less but find it basically offensive.
There’s a thread with many colorful Taiwanese phrases somewhere, I’ll take a look: forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … 40&t=42824
I asked around today and got
li kao bei approximated to li1 kao4 bei1 (mandarin tones of course)
a couple useful standalone phrases:
ka gin la! (hurry up)
sho shim (careful)
men ke ki (no need to be so formal)
Isn’t that “m-ben”, not “men”?
more like “m-men” when said on it’s own. In a phrase like “mian khe khi” it goes pretty fast though. Not sure that first “m” is even there.
[quote=“Toe Save”][quote=“heimuoshu”]When we look at language we shouldn’t look at what a word literally means, but rather what it means in usage. In Taiwanese, it means foreigner or more accurately (if we only look at usage) non-Asian foreigner usually a white person from European ancestors.
You might find the literal translation offensive, but it surely isn’t offensive in usage. You need to look at the word from a Taiwanese perspective not a western perspective. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.[/quote]
Sorry, but how is it different from pejoratives used in the west to describe eye features of Chinese?[/quote]
The intent of the speaker.
The perspective and the culture.
You are upsetting yourself over something that has no offensive connotation in the Taiwanese mind and is not intended to have any. So be it.
[quote=“heimuoshu”][quote=“Toe Save”][quote=“heimuoshu”]When we look at language we shouldn’t look at what a word literally means, but rather what it means in usage. In Taiwanese, it means foreigner or more accurately (if we only look at usage) non-Asian foreigner usually a white person from European ancestors.
You might find the literal translation offensive, but it surely isn’t offensive in usage. You need to look at the word from a Taiwanese perspective not a western perspective. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.[/quote]
Sorry, but how is it different from pejoratives used in the west to describe eye features of Chinese?[/quote]
The intent of the speaker.
The perspective and the culture.
You are upsetting yourself over something that has no offensive connotation in the Taiwanese mind and is not intended to have any. So be it.[/quote]
I agree with everything that you are saying, except that I am upsetting myself. I know it’s not meant in a bigotted way. That doesn’t make it right. I bring it up to shed light on the idea that it sounds wrong, regardless of intent.
Cheers.
Just cause it sounds wrong don’t make it so. If there is nothing in the lanuage used being insulting or offensive why get upset about it.
I heard this at work the other day and I asked what it meant, and the staff just said it means my nose is bigger than theirs. But they also said as we have high bridges on our noses they are more beautiful and they all wish they could have noses like ours. So it seems more likey to be a term of endearment than anything else.
Just cause it sounds wrong don’t make it so. If there is nothing in the lanuage used being insulting or offensive why get upset about it.
I heard this at work the other day and I asked what it meant, and the staff just said it means my nose is bigger than theirs. But they also said as we have high bridges on our noses they are more beautiful and they all wish they could have noses like ours. So it seems more likey to be a term of endearment than anything else.[/quote]
I doubt that anyone who’s had much to do with the Taiwanese for a long period of time would believe that the origin or current usage of the phrase was as a term of endearment. It’s certainly not a hugely insulting pejorative at this point in time, but IMO it’s just as inaccurate to misrepresent it as a term of endearment based on its literal meaning as it is to misrepresent it as a racial slur.
I couldn’t agree more. It is neither. Nowadays it is just a term that refers to (unfortunately) western foreigners. Just like ‘waiguoren’ they are unlikely to use it to refer to foreigners from other Asian countries, meaning the translation of foreigner is incorrect because it is more limited.
How do you say “slant eyes” in Taiwanese? I mean if “big nose” is ok than “slant eyes” is fair game… I’m not for political correctness, just like to point out double standards. No really, anyone know? 