The Funniest Mistake You Can Make When You’re Learning Chinese

You never know what someone is going to say in Chinese class! I have a million fun memories of moments with my students. But one of my favorite moments was a few years ago when a student of mine, a man in his 30s, was going over daily activities that his family did. He was going along just fine, coming up with sentences that gave a snapshot of what they did on a daily basis. As he kept describing the activities he came up with a new sentence. It took him a little while to put it together in his head and I could tell he was searching for the right words. Finally, he said, confidently:
"现在我的老虎和孩子都在睡觉 (Xiànzài wǒ de lǎohǔ hé háizi dōu zài shuìjiào). My tiger and children are sleeping now."

But what he meant to say was:

"现在我的老婆和孩子都在睡觉 (Xiànzài wǒ de lǎopo hé háizi dōu zài shuìjiào). My wife and children are sleeping now."

It's easy to forget vocab in any language, but especially in Chinese. This man was no exception to this rule: He completely forgot how to say the word "wife" in Mandarin. He sat there and kept trying to think of it and came out with "老虎 (lǎohǔ) tiger" instead. Obviously these are two completely different words with completely different meanings! The other students and I couldn't keep a straight face. We all burst out laughing! He took it like a champ and laughed too, once I pointed out his error.

Sometimes, Chinese learners feel it's very hard to distinguish similar Chinese words when they are learning Chinese characters.

For example, let's take a look at "老婆 (lǎopo)" and "老虎 (lǎohǔ)".

One of my favorite Mandarin Chinese conversation classes to teach is debate. When my classes have friendly debates about social issues or cultural differences, it gives Chinese learners a chance to think critically and also learn and apply some important, everyday Mandarin expressions to the discussion. Today, I will teach you one of these important sayings: "唱反调 (chàng fǎndiào)".

People use this phrase to show that they have a differing opinion about a topic or issue, or when they deliberately act contrary to someone else's behavior. It's a Chinese equivalent of the English "sing a tune opposite to that of" or express an opposing opinion. In fact, the literal translation is exactly that!

Let's break it down:

唱 (chàng) = a verb, meaning "to sing";
反调 (fǎndiào) = a noun, meaning a contradictory opinion;
唱反调 (chàng fǎndiào) = sing a tune opposite to that of; deliberately speak or act contrary to.

Quiz:

A. Everyone wants to sleep now, but you are playing pop music loudly.
B. Your parents hope the all of their children can get married soon, but you say that you wish to remain single.
C. The USA and China sign a new trade agreement.
D. You decide to not wear the school uniform and dress with your own style.
See Answer