Showing posts with label Taiwanese Japanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taiwanese Japanese. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

気持ち (きもち) kimoji

I grew up using this Japanese expression "kimoji"- sort of like gemütlich in German, good atmosphere in English and 氣氛 in Chinese.

Since I have been trying to learn the Japanese alphabets since around the time when I became telepathic again, based on the sound I have used gazzillion and a time in my life so far, I used hiragana to come up with the spelling for kimoji- きもじ.  Yet, I simply couldn't find in any of my googling result stating kimoji is like 氣氛 in Chinese.

So I thought of this Taiwanese friend of mine who seems to be really well-versed in Japanese and sent her this SOS message, "how do you write in Japanese "kimoji"?"

Following is the ensuing conversation:

  • Expert, "気持ち (きもち)"
  • Ratprincess, "thanks... so it is not ji but chi?"
  • Expert, "ya"
Also (German)... 

So it is... 気持ち (きもち or kimochi) in Japanese is きもじ (kimoji) in Taiwanese Japanese!

Could have continued to be wrong a million and a time more!  Except, in Taiwanese Japanese, 気持ち would remain to sound like きもじ (kimoji)-- I guess.

(This was originally posted in Ratology Reloaded on November 5, 2012.  Decided to cross-post it here.)

Friday, June 7, 2013

Yīng yīng měi dài zi 英英美代子

Before my accident in June 19th, 2007, I hardly knew what it be like to be Yīng yīng měi dài zi (英英美代子).  Then, I found myself entered into the Yīng yīng měi dài zi era.

"Yian yian mo dai zi" is a Taiwanese expression meaning... hanging there doing nothing or “閑閑沒事做” .  It's been very fashionable to pronounce Taiwanese in Mandarin these days.  This is why people came up with the genious idea of converting the Taiwanese expression of "Yian yian mo dai zi" into the mandarin expression of "Yīng yīng měi dài zi" or “英英美代子.”  英英美代子, at the same time, looks like a Japanese name in Chinese... something like Ying Ying Miyoko.

So, if you hear me saying that I am a 英英美代子的無業遊民.  It means that I am an unemployed (無業遊民) hanging there doing nothing ( 英英美代子). (8-O Auch...)

And, the next time someone ask you what you have been up to, you can reply by saying, "Yīng yīng měi dài zi (英英美代子) la!" 8-O lol


(There seems to be some issue with the youtube clip with the recorded pronunciation... hope it will be resolved soon since I've gotta go nite nite.  Got the issue figured out... how I could play the clip. I have to unjoin the HTML 5 trial in order to see the clip.  Guess the HTML 5 player didn't like this my being Yīng yīng měi dài zi 英英美代子 while people are working so hard to get its specifications nailed. 8-O lol)