In a previous article, I introduced a popular speaking topic that I explore in my Mandarin Chinese classes with curious students: 10 Expressions You Should Never Say to a Chinese Woman. In Part I, I introduced the first 5 expressions that Chinese women hate to hear, from "多喝热水。(Duō hē rèshuǐ.)" = "Drink more hot water." to "都是我的错。(Dōu shì wǒ de cuò.)" = "It's all my fault". Many Chinese guys don’t even realize how annoying and careless these expressions sound to a Chinese wife or girlfriend.

So, how do we know which expressions are so annoying? These ten expressions were selected by a random survey of female Chinese Internet users. The results were compiled onto a list titled "The Top 10 Chinese Expressions Men Say That Annoy Women the Most".

And so today we learn expressions #6 to #10. Pay attention, guys!

#6: "随便。(Suíbiàn.) = Do as you please/whatever."

When a woman gives a man multiple choices for something to do, or for which dish to order off the menu, the most annoying answer from the man is often "随便。(Suíbiàn.) Do as you please/whatever." It is a bit like saying "I don’t care. Do whatever you want." Usually, women like to hear an opinion and appreciate some decision-making from their man!

For example:
Nǚ: Nǐ xiǎng yào qù kàn diànyǐng hái shì qù guàngjiē?
女：你   想     要  去  看    电影       还是  去   逛街？
Woman: Do you want to go to a movie or go shopping?

Nán: Suíbiàn.
男： 随便.
Man: We can do as you please.

A woman may think "Why can’t he make a choice? I even offered him two specific choices. This should be easy enough, but…".

#7: "还在吗? (Hái zài ma?) = Are you still online?"

The situation: A woman is chatting online with a man. For a few moments, both sides remain silent in the conversation. When the man asks "还在吗? (Hái zài ma?) Are you still online?" The woman would consider this question a useless sentence, or nonsense. Usually, women don’t like to answer this kind of question. In a relationship between a wife and husband, or a boyfriend and girlfriend, women will feel better if the man can get...Read More