Understand Native Chinese Speakers: What People Actually Mean When They Say These Things.

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[@chrispompom]

“You don’t have many friends to lose”. So savage 😭😭❤️

[@mysabahTV]

You know you win some close Chinese friends when they stop being polite to you. 😀

[@liamliu9745]

In literally we also will be very polite to our friends, but we won't be so shy to express ourselves

[@stevemiller2706]

😂🤣😅 Hmm? Many American Asians. Now I gotta think on this. The rude ones like me? 🤔 And all those Asian girls that are so loveable ❤, may be simply 'being polite'?

[@PierreMiniggio]

6:22 It's interesting, because in french we have an expression "C'est pas Versailles ici !" which literally means "It's not Versailles, here !". We usually use it to talk about someone who conducts in a way that is out of place compared to the environement. The most typical way to use it, is when you notice someone forgetting to turn off the light when leaving his room. Like you point the light to them and say "Hé ! C'est pas Versailles ici !" to mean "Hey, shut down that light, we're not a rich family that can afford to live in a property like in Versailles !" So basically this french expression is basically bringing someone back down to earth, where this chinese one seems to be almost exactly the opposite : people trying to act like they're relatable when they're not. So idk if both of these expressions come from Versailles being seen as the prestigious place where the kings and their close acquaintances used to hang out, living a lifestyle so different than the average person. Buit that would sound logical to me if they both did. Also, you pronounced "Versailles" almost like if it was a spanish word, that was quite funny to hear :D

[@harshmnr]

Actually, I had to research Chinese slang for a project last year so I know about the origin of this one. It comes from the Japanese manga Rose of Versailles in which the characters live very luxurious lifestyles, like you said. So it's like they are talking as if they are from that world where such fancy things are normal. ~:~

[@PierreMiniggio]

@@harshmnr Oh cool ! ♥

[@georgeofhamilton]

Imagine someone using that expression in Versailles.

[@PierreMiniggio]

@@georgeofhamilton I'm sure some people have done it before 🤣

[@martiddy]

I think chinese people use the word in a sarcastic way, meaning that they say that they are bragging about their "humbleness", while having a rich lifestyle.

[@nikaswords17]

This is a cultural difference that's very difficult for me to get used to. I feel like it's a little tiring and unnecessary. I'm from Germany and our culture is known for directness and honesty (even when it hurts). I think it stems from the thought of not wanting to waste other people's time, especially in interpersonal relationships. If you don't like me, that's okay - please don't pretend otherwise. That's the general thought. Many foreigners (even Western foreigners) perceive us always saying the harsh truth as rude/ impolite. It's difficult to understand because as a society, we are raised to have a common underlying agreement that it's in everybody's best interest to just cut the chase and tell your honest opinion right away. Of course it depends on who you're talking to though! In a professional work environment or with elders, of course you can't say everything that's on your mind and you have to be a hypocrite sometimes - but whenever you can, you should stick to the "no bullshit rule". Of course that does not mean that you should say everything that's on your mind 24/7 or insult people. Direct critique should only be said when you actually have a solution or idea for helping the other person improve. It's not about roasting others or letting your frustration out on others. I have a few chinese friends and they help me understand this cultural difference better, but i still think at the end of the day, it's more polite to be very honest even if the other person at first doesn't like hearing it.

[@t0nyxgq]

I'm a Chinese guy but I think I'm German inside. I'm married to another Chinese person who's much more Chinese than I am. She would tell me what her family really means when they say certain things and I'm always thinking "if they want me to do this, why not just ask me directly? why beat around the bush?" It's this whole thing about preserving face... outwardly sounding kind and not being too much but inwardly really want to insist something. I just take things at face value... mean what you say and say what you mean. They'll just have to deal with me that way and over time, they'll learn... or maybe just secretly hate my guts.

[@nikaswords17]

@@t0nyxgq I hope you still have a good relationship with your mother and father in law 😂✌️

[@t0nyxgq]

@@nikaswords17 oh it’s great. They’re used to me now. My actions speak louder than words :)

[@dimelo3027]

Haha, Western people are direct and straightforward? Not when it comes to politics and race, Western people are the most pretentious and hypocritical when it comes to politics and race. So pretentious and hypocritical it is almost insanity and self-destructive.

[@okwatever3582]

It's true that Chines and German cultures are drastically different from one another.

[@jssmedialangs]

1:47 I almost choked on my food while watching this! 😂😂😂

[@svetlananana9609]

Love that! So useful, as my direct way clashes directly into the flowery way of talking of Chinese peopke

[@AZUCHIGREY]

Thanks for the helpful video as always!

[@QuizmasterLaw]

Maybe a "10 Question Evaluation Quiz to Figure out Your Chinese Level" as a lead magnet or course advertisement? really love your work! and you are pretty!

[@saiywatmain7495]

Thank you very much for free pdf.

[@jooniessmilecult5784]

Awesome content as usual ! Thank you ❤

[@TatyanaMincheva]

Thanks! ✌Another great and very informative lesson! I love your channel!

[@670839245]

I'm a native speaker (randomly ran into this video by recommendation) but I can't really understand hidden meanings behind words or other behavior, but I know those hidden or unsaid stuff exist, so I'm often in doubt and fear that I'm triggering someone but they didn't say it out loud

[@Blitzcreeper239]

We don't *always* mean the opposite of what we say. In fact, rarely, for me personally. It's really in the name of courtesy and human decency, a good English example is "Pleasure/Nice to meet you". We may not mean it but neither are we fully backhanded about it, it's just a formality we offer to keep the social exchange civil. Don't worry too much about offending people, if they daren't say it to your face they aren't worth your time to begin with. Unless they are offering you a job or something, then it's a case of sucking up lol.

[@pro369]

Confidence and lucidity, a great video and stance, thanks

[@xochachoxin4119]

Shuo Laoshi, I'll watch more than ten times and all the way till the end ;))

[@skykiss12]

最亲爱的 Shuo，你把中文课讲得如此清晰迷人。很难不爱上你。

[@brett4756]

You make learning so much fun it's most enjoyable! ❤

[@lindsayrendall]

Thanks great lesson

[@LuqmanMichel]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@johnbrancato7729]

THAT was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

[@sesinhosantos5047]

The last sketch was the most funny. There are quite some of those in dramas. Since I don't know about Chinese culture I can't tell if it's dramatization or representation of the actual thing.

[@musicdreamer2903]

😂 老师，你教的好！我是马来西亚华裔，你讲的，很准！

[@itsmecharity]

你好,im charity and im 13 years old and for now on im learning at chinese and i watched your videos i learn it and your nice🥰🥰

[@QuizmasterLaw]

Versailles is pronounced like "vair sigh" and is the palace, like China's Gugong. So if you say someone is humblebragging they are claiming to live in a shack when in fact they live in Gugong.

[@lilylimberg]

I love this video! 💛

[@sirarungasal3732]

love your video Shuoshou :) love from Indonesia

[@cupcakechronicles4551]

glad to see zai ma that sht grinds my gears

[@ShuoshuoChinese]

Leave a ✌if you've watched this video to the end!

[@amesville]

✌

[@rranxiing]

✌

[@threven3737]

✌️

[@lvhon9]

I'm Chinese but grew up in North America so this has been VERY INSIGHTFUL

[@rafaeldavid9726]

You're awesome!

[@Toto-mn7co]

Im chinese and im still watching this cuz this is hilarious content

[@marshy_5406]

Hek with the “I just saw your message” I feel called out

[@HuaWen]

Very helpful

[@mohsinjaved1358]

✌ YOur content is awesome, I never thought of not watching all of it

[@Juncboks]

Versailles (ver-sai) was historically an overly affluent place where the royal and rich vacationed. The phrase probably infers that someone is being a bit excessive in their expression. The rich acted as if going to Versailles was, "just another vacation." Simply to flaunt their status as if it were a casual thing for them, when really it was the pinnacle of luxury at the time.

[@Nachscrach]

Awesome !

[@Graphite2983]

6:17 That was savage! 🤣

[@HERObyPROXY]

I’m never this early for a video lol! 谢谢你老师！ 好晚喔！我应该上床吧… ✌️

[@umargul5644]

Great 👍

[@ngapham9363]

哈哈 很有意思❤你是非常幽默的人

[@QuizmasterLaw]

Wan An = Good Evening Good night = hao hao xue jiao My pinyinizer needs reinstalled. Point is: wan an doesn't exactly mean "good night" it's really more like "good evening" Great lesson Shuo! Xiexie ni laoshi!

[@ShuoshuoChinese]

Well 晚安 originally does mean: 好好睡觉

[@yukimikako]

No

[@mcmickey3344]

谢谢分享 晚安！

[@gishamalvin4596]

✌️,爱你，说说老师

[@petrokemp1567]

我很喜欢你的视频

[@user-gd7lu3ot9p]

i‘m Chinese and if you want to learn Chinese you can communicate with me because I want to learn English☺️ I also want to have a foreign friend

[@user-jl4cm4xr5p]

I’m a Chinese too, I wanna learn English too, I also wanna have a foreign friend too

[@Beyondzz]

4:40 I should probably remember this as an introvert. I do this way too often already 😂

[@sarahpanda3252]

I appreciate the video, but I don't agree with most of what you mentioned. It is not true that whenever a person says these, those thoughts were what's actually behind the phrase. Very often it's completely normal and true to say 不好意思 最近工作很忙。。一直没空回你信息. The person actually couldn't find time to reply properly. This happens very often. The same goes for 对不起 我刚刚有事. It's most of the times true that the person simply had something to do/didn't see your message or saw it, but just couldn't reply. In my opinion, you should have made more clear that these phrases are an expression of the Chinese 含蓄(modesty). Likewise, you can't argue that every English person saying "I'm afraid that..." or "That's interesting!" has a hidden meaning. I know enough people who exactly mean it like this. Also, maybe the person chooses these 'polite' responses because the person actually wants to be polite/don't cause the other person any harm? In my opinion, the video conveys that people use these phrases whilst being fully annoyed by you. However, that's not at all true. These phrases are simply an expression of Chinese society, the standard of politeness and respect when engaging.

[@yukimikako]

True

[@user-jl4cm4xr5p]

I’m a Chinese, I have to say I can’t agree more in the case

[@huaiwei]

Yeap as a bilingual person, I fully agree with this. The use of such expressions are so common place in both Chinese and English, and in most cases, people either actually mean what they say ("no problem at all" is actually likely true), or they are hardly think much about it and are using common phrases they have always used in similar situations. Most of these phrases are just used as convenient "fillers" or responses to get on with life.

[@mjlee5617]

Yeah so true.

[@miskarice]

If you like this video, watch it ten times🤣🤣 as you say, 老师🫡

[@basicinfo6816]

Nice

[@JohnSmith-nb6lq]

还不错

[@QuizmasterLaw]

[@jonnyh7848]

感觉前面几个都还好，直译英文大多也能联想到引申义，我想到一个：“我谢谢你哦！”🤣

[@georgeofhamilton]

That thumbnail image is really something.

[@stevemiller2706]

Your lead pic was my favorite cute girl sign language 😍. Thanks. Maybe I make that my screen saver.

[@shadowfacts395]

✌️✌️✌️谢谢老师

[@eddyavailable]

"You better not go, because..." in english languange culture...has a more threatening meaning to it. the better way is to say "its better for you not to go because ...."

[@ostracostio64]

Does mandarin have anything other than hanzi to spell foreign words with?

[@martiddy]

As someone who is very direct when talking and very bad at getting indirects, seems like it would be very difficult for me to adapt to the chinese society. At least now I know.

[@studywithshin2205]

The ending part 😂😂😂

[@marcelinodigal2055]

老師，麻煩妳在您的課程和視頻中加入繁體字。謝謝您。

[@AG-ee6um]

Lol 多喝热水 it's like "tomate algo" in Spanish 😂 we say it too much

[@danielw3216]

啊哈哈哈哈，最近知道了我中国朋友说晚安的意思

[@DanBurgaud]

"對不起" vs "不好意思" I used the former and had difficulty first time someone used the latter on me...

[@huayulan631]

Don't ask me “在吗？” just telling me what you want to say directely.HAHAHA

[@Guo.Li.Jing.]

Exactly!! HAHAHAHHA

[@user-jl4cm4xr5p]

我是个中国人，我在这儿练英语听力，并且希望在这儿交到英语母语的朋友，老师教的很好，唯一美中不足的是我有时听不懂您的个别单词，我的词汇量太少了,如果有中英文字幕就太好了哈哈

[@rorschachgotnicemask9449]

那你最好去马思睿那边，至少是个英语母语人，术业有专攻嘛。 说说视频里常有英语口语错误，东南亚英语词态错误很常见，他们都不在意的😂

[@bjornschultz8316]

Agree on 晚安 😂

[@magdalenaszulc8997]

多喝 热水 is something even foreginers say after spending some time in china.

[@0animalproductworld558]

Love the thumbnail pic 🦍

[@roberttaylor5997]

你最好不要怎么做. I think for the purposes of this video I would translate that as something like "It would be best if you didn't do that." In English, "You'd better not do that" is pretty much a direct threat of violence or other unpleasant consequences, i.e. it's not polite or indirect at all.

[@athomenotavailable]

It really depends on the context, 你最好不要这/那么做 is a pretty neutral sentence. I could use this to tell someone not to try running over quicksand or not to send a inappropriately composed email. Your first translation of "It would be best if you didn't do that." is more accurate. On the other hand, 你最好不要这/那么做作 or 你最好不要这/那么作 is an obviously negative phrase, because 作 in such a sentence means being pretentious/troublemaking/fake/unnatural/etc, so it would translate as "You'd better not be such a "

[@unknownuser31792]

Bangkok Thailand.

[@manchoiho]

As a Cantonese speaker can confirm you speak Mandarin

[@rein0123]

As a mandarin speaker I can confirm she speaks mandarin

[@karkasos]

As a French speaker I can confirm she speaks mandarin and English

[@globalchinesearmy2307]

People who are the not stupid know that China always the best country, Rising above own score. No other nation can be matched. You must respect and obey the most glorious nation China. I am so proud to be a Chinese. We Chinese are the smartest, strongest and greatest race.

[@lyjmax]

为什么要以一种愉快的状态去接受愚昧的行为？这是美好的么？我想把人生更多的时间花在美好的事情上。

[@fernandoo.8737]

The last scene hahahahaha

[@imawkward1005]

Can you use 最好 when referring to yourself? Like "I shouldn't have done that/ I should eat something today" etc

[@AdrianSChoi]

normally used to towards others, but you could say smth for example 'you are right, i'd better review for the exam' 你说得对，我最好还是复习一下

[@Guo.Li.Jing.]

@@AdrianSChoi I think it's a typo, but just to clarify, you meant 你说得对，right?

[@AdrianSChoi]

@@Guo.Li.Jing. both are correct. 你说的对 literally means ‘what you said is correct’ while 得 is used for adverbs, so 你说得对 means ‘you are saying correctly’. 对（correct）is describing 说(talk), which is a verb.

[@AdrianSChoi]

@@Guo.Li.Jing. oh shoot, yea typo, sorry thought you were asking about 的 or 得

[@Cookie-vs6zz]

Laoshi, thank you for very usefull content!) Is it 100 % ly when chinese people use these sayings or cliche mean what you just explained or can we assume that there's room for sincerity?😅 And by saying: "我下次请客”, people actually mean what they said?

[@xuanyangnamere7468]

I am Chinese and I have been lived in China for 16 years.In fact, what you say is true in real life, but in a relatively small proportion.The same words can mean different things when said by people with different personalities and identities.In some situations their purposes may also be different though they actually mean what they said ,let alone whether they are sincere. For example, when “我下次请客”said by one of your colleagues who is cautious and doesn't want to owe you a favor, it means he or she really wants to invite you to dinner .When your friends say this sentence, they may actually want to treat you to tasty food and make you feel happy.However, if "我下次请客‘’ said by a relative you don't know at all, then it 99% fake.“我下次请客” in these cases all have different purposes though two of them actually mean what they said. Whether or not this is what it means depends on the actual situation.I believe you can tell the difference between them.😎我的回答并不是很权威，但还是希望能够帮到你: )

[@Cookie-vs6zz]

@@xuanyangnamere7468, Hi and thank you for such an expanded answer! That's what i needed a context, for better understanding.

[@tymanung768]

@@Cookie-vs6zz The explanations of NON literal, vs. literal is extremely important BUT never in dictionaries!!! Xiexie Shuo Laoshi!!!

[@luluy4990]

As a Chinese, I can't fully understand it, but I know that the end of the conversation is this, and it should be regarded as fart! Personal experience of going back to China for vacation. That's what my wife's friend said, but I believed it at the time. My wife said he was polite, don't take it seriously.

[@huaiwei]

Don't think too much about it. In Western societies when someone says "see you next time / so happy to see you / I will be back", you know the level of sincerity based on who that person is. It is no different in Chinese societies.

[@AHmeDALI-ri7ld]

我爱你

[@danilovozza9164]

And then, how i can be sure of what meaning a phrase has at a specific time? How i can understand if someone is saying that in a good or bad way? 😩

[@eddyavailable]

indirectness.....cultural clash.

[@deisebrsoares]

O final kkkkkkkkk

[@Impactframess]

LMAO I love this fucking thumbnail

[@athleticos99]

随便你 means upto u, also means, i dont care, what u wanna do is none of my biz

[@lonerprofile]

SERIOUSLY. The literal meaning is genuine and correct. Her "other definition of the words" only represent in China people perspective. We(other chinese ethnicity people or other chinese speaker) don't mean that way. This is definitely incorrect content.

[@Guo.Li.Jing.]

I see! I'll take the video with a grain a salt

[@lonerprofile]

@@Guo.Li.Jing. If you look into her profile, location from Taiwan, but obviously she is from China. Fishy?

[@dhcarrot1195]

It’s not incorrect per say, she’s just presenting it with a very sarcastic outlook. The same thing can exist in an English social setting, where people don’t really say what they mean.

[@user-zk9nd4fz2h]

我把自动回复设置为：问就是不在😆

[@karabogaz]

wan an is an issue in basically any language.... it should be the wish of a good night, not sending someone to bed :D

[@Dawnarow]

Is it possible to space out the words to match the translation? I've always found that extremely easy of a step to help foreigners learn since they gradually have to learn 2 more languages to properly learn Chinese as opposed to learning french from english etc. Thank you!

[@rastegar7381]

Whe have some things like that in Persian 😅

[@nourmerzoug7832]

This is the first time

[@SingMeAMelody]

1:50 I was trying to memorize Kongpa and that “I’m afraid your husband is gay” caught me so off guard 😭😭😭

[@mahbrum]

These sayings are called euphemisms (politely saying something but meaning something else). Euphemisms are used in every language in the world, not only Chinese (be it Mandarin or Cantonese). Please don't think this is only a Chinese thing. I think the British are the best at euphemisms because snobs have a way of saying something nice and cutting at the same time. Cheers, from a Canadian-Chinese person.

[@uamdbro]

I don't think she even remotely implied it was only a Chinese thing?

[@zacaryb3872]

I love your videos, but this thumbnail through me off. I wasn't expecting to be flipped off this morning haha

[@AZUCHIGREY]

Haha, I actually thought it was her ring finger! But you're right. I don't know what to feel now.

[@ShuoshuoChinese]

Thank you for telling me! I didn’t realize it was offensive, sorry if it hurts your feeling 😔

[@AZUCHIGREY]

@@ShuoshuoChinese No problem, I don't think many people would be offended, but I found it funny when I noticed it after reading this comment.

[@zacaryb3872]

@@ShuoshuoChinese No hurt feelings, just caught me off guard and if anything made me click on the video... some people could choose to be upset about it, but yeah, no offense taken.

[@valetudo1569]

"I'm afraid your husband is gay" LOL ... I've actually run into this situation in China before... I did not dare to tell the girl though lol

[@connorsu4587]

the 在吗 really made me laugh

[@athomenotavailable]

This whole video is misleading, you are saying that the extra meaning is inherent in these basic phrases, but actually it's not. These phrases are just more polite ways of asking /rejecting/advising/etc and can be used between close friends as well as distant acquaintances. Sure it's possible that some people may be thinking what you claim when they say it, and some people may assume that others are thinking what your claim when they hear it said to them, but this is not definite. That's like claiming that "you are very welcomed!" actually means the person is being sarcastic because he used "very" and an exclaimation mark.

[@yosha4689]

口是心非

[@clarencechew6453]

✌️

[@user-rf9xl8pc5k]

凡（humble）尔（but）赛（braggy），其实就字面意思找的词

[@Mickey42141]

i hate 多喝热水 phrase haha

[@willan.witan.]

6:12　Ｐｆｆｆ

[@juhovh]

Any chance the 凡尔赛 for humble bragging is simply coming from changing the tone of the first character, so it becomes 反而赛, a competition of saying the opposite? Generally the internet speak tends to be rather liberal with tones.

[@KylaSchmitt]

Most of these examples also fit Germany 😅🤣🤣