Everything, Everywhere, All at Once | Chinese Language Analysis

[@EvaCottontail]

I'm from Ipoh (birthplace of Michelle Yeoh) and we speak both Cantonese and Mandarin here. Cantonese is the main dialect here among the older generation and passed to the younger generation verbally while Mandarin's taught in school. In public, when conversing with hawkers or at Chinese owned businesses, it's normal to hear the shopowner or staff switch between Cantonese and Mandarin as well as for someone to speak a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin sometimes. In the 50s and 60s, education was in the English and Malay language so Cantonese, Mandarin or other Chinese dialects (we have some Hakka and Hokkien here too though less common) is used amongst family and children at that time pick up the language from speaking with family and friends rather than the education system.

[@GeneChiu]

With regard to the way they speak the different dialects as a non-native speaker, I can relate. My first language is Chinese, but in the Toisan and Xinhui dialects. My mother's side of the family speaks Toisan and my father's side speaks Xinhui. Then when I was 4, my parents put me into Chinese school here in Canada where they taught Cantonese. I spoke Xinhui mostly at home and some Toisan. When I met my wife, her parents spoke Cantonese. I am aware that when I try to speak Cantonese, I have an accent (as another Cantonese friend told me) because of the various dialects I speak. My Cantonese isn't perfect because of the mix of languages I speak.

[@cannotwait2230]

5:40 Interestingly her birthplace/hometown Ipoh Malaysia predominantly speak Cantonese.

[@lapissakura4653]

I love this movie. It spoke to me completely as a heritage speaker who struggles with my relationship with my parents. I am so determined to learn my parents’ tongues, but I get discouraged often since there are so few resources for Canto

[@Gunnar-Peterson]

Great video, I found your channel through your Taishanese videos, it's good to see someone explaining the language as clearly as you

[@ukelilly]

Thanks for pointing those things out. Regarding the language part, I enjoy hearing both mandarin & cantonese and be able to understand most :)

[@thelias91]

your video is truly interesting ! I saw the movie (i don’t really like the way the movie show the different universe) but it’s really interesting to see all these implementations of these languages. Only people with a specific language background can understand by watching the movie haha.

[@luiscastellanos5527]

I've watched the movie 3 times and bought the poster. Ke Huy Quan who played Michelle Yeoh's husband went to Alhambra high school. So some of his clothing he wore on the Goonies movie is on display in the Cane's restaurant in Alhambra. I love practically everything Michelle Yeoh has been in including her recent role in the Star Trek Discovery series. And James Hong I've seen him in so many many movies who is also a superb actor which is why this is one of my favorite movies. Which I'd gladly go see in the theater again.

[@RaymondHng]

Michele Yeoh is in _A Haunting in Venice_ in theaters now.

[@celestinewoo9249]

Awesome analysis, Jade!

[@trinitysun9856]

Awesome, I want to see that movie now. Laughed when he said her cantonese is getting worse everytime.

[@EarnieHorne]

Can you comment on how Evelyn says "Girlfriend"?. I thought it would sound like Nǚ péngyǒu, but Evelyn uses another word for girl, which I don't recognize. I'm referring to later in the movie when Evelyn is telling Gong Gong that it doesn't matter if he is not proud of her, because she is finally proud of herself.

[@RaymondHng]

At 3:00, Evelyn says 好朋友 (hou2 pang4 jau5) which is _good friend_ . Later in the film, Evelyn correctly refers to her as 女朋友 (neoi5 pang4 jau5) which is literally _woman friend_ and colloquially _girlfriend_ . The proper Cantonese pronunciation for 女 is _neoi5_ . But if Evelyn pronounced 女 as _leoi5_ , she was using Hong Kong Cantonese pronunciation which merged the initial _n-_ sound with the _l-_ sound. For example, 男 "boy" _naam4_ becomes _laam4_ and 你 "you" _nei5_ becomes _lei4_ . This is referred to as "lazy pronunciation" by some critics. (it's faster to say _lalalalala_ than it is to say _nananana_ .) Toisan speakers, however, kept the initial _n-_ sound. See the Wikipedia entry "Proper Cantonese pronunciation" for more details.

[@coolmindtips1588]

Where i can watch this movie?

[@oneonly4973]

Hi, how can i get LEARN TO SPEAK CANTONESE SPEAKING book1 and book2. I am from Macau

[@InspirLang]

Hi, you can get them on inspirlang.com/bookstore/

[@lunghingyuen6141]

jade please post more veido taishanese with your parents on youtube is that okay with you ?

[@lunghingyuen6141]

hi jade wu how are you its me Lung i want to let youknow hat i have a enleopes for you its about the fdny phoneixsocity can i bring the enevlopes to you because iwant you to readyt he letter isthat good for you