h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Um, what about 'yes' and 'no'?

Good question! That would be helpful to know :P

Good point! Unfortunately, the concept of 'yes' and 'no' in Chinese is far more complicated than in English. There are actually different sets of yes/no words for different situations. For example, if someone were to ask you in Chinese, 'Do you want this or not?' you would be using a different set of words to reply than if the question had been 'Are you so-and-so?' or 'Fine by you?' - or 'Can you help me with this?' I'm hoping for Mike to happen by and explain this in detail.

Good counterpoint. Being language challenged I selfishly presumed there was a direct translation. In hindsight I realize there can be positive and negative variations for words that carry along the yes or no status.

On another note: have you ever read Last Chance To See, by DN Adams and Mark [I'm going to mess up his name I think] Carwardine? IT's a non-fiction account of their travels to see endangered animals. On one part they were in China, looking for a river dolphin. They wanted to see if they could record the navigational sounds it makes and had the most difficult time shopping for a condom so they could waterproof the microphone. They simply coudn't get the point across. Shop people kept offering them birth control pills -it's hilarious. They could have used some of the phrases here, but there are none for what was found to be called a "rubber-over".

Yes, it's quite complex - the affirmative and denial.

But there is a simple way to free-float, by saying/agreeing with

1. It is shi 4th tone
Correct dui 4

or

2. It is not bu shi 2 4
Not correct bu dui 2 4

bu is a "no"

Cheers with my tidbits.

Thanks! I am a tech on a hotline, and the guy next to me is named Jose. His mom is Hispanic and his dad is Chinese, and he looks very Chinese but speaks American English, Spanish and Chinese. The other day he was speaking to one of our Chinese customers and he kept saying bu shi, not knowing what this meant OR that he was in a Chinese conversation I thought he was saying something less polite -
bu** shi*
in English. Now we're both laughing about it.
Thanks again!
Jeff