Learn what topics you should avoid during small talk in Chinese
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: What topics are taboo in China? |
| Dehua: And what are some things you should avoid doing? |
| Michael: At ChineseClass101.com, we hear these questions often. In this scenario, Karen Lee and Zhimin Zhao are chatting in a coffee shop. The atmosphere changes when Karen brings up the taboo topic; she says, |
| "I want to be cremated after I die." |
| 李 凯伦: 我想要在死了以后被火化。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào zài sǐle yǐhou bèi huǒhuà.) |
| Dialogue |
| 李 凯伦: 我想要在死了以后被火化。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào zài sǐle yǐhou bèi huǒhuà.) |
| 赵 芝敏: 我们说点别的吧。 (Wǒmen shuō diǎn bié de ba.) |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| 李 凯伦: 我想要在死了以后被火化。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào zài sǐle yǐhou bèi huǒhuà.) |
| Michael: "I want to be cremated after I die." |
| 赵 芝敏: 我们说点别的吧。 (Wǒmen shuō diǎn bié de ba.) |
| Michael: "Let's talk about something else." |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: You might have heard that Chinese are usually very open and talkative. Even asking questions like "Are you married?" or "How much do you make?" might result in learning everything about someone's life. Especially outside of business situations, Chinese people seem to not have any taboo topics, or, in Chinese, |
| Dehua: 禁忌话题 (Jìnjì huàtí). |
| Michael: But what are taboo topics? Well, those are topics that are commonly avoided in public discussions, or something that shouldn't be mentioned while talking to strangers or acquaintances. And, in some cases, it's even frowned upon when mentioned during conversation with one's family or close friends. Such as, in our dialogue, when Karen mentioned "death," |
| Dehua: 死 (sǐ). |
| Michael: You can already hear from Zhimin's reaction that she is uncomfortable and wants to change the topic because talking about death generally makes people feel uncomfortable, especially among the older generations. |
| Michael: Even using the number 4 might irritate people because "four" in Chinese sounds the same as "death," but in different tones. "Four" is ... |
| Dehua: 四 (sì) |
| Michael: and "death" is ... |
| Dehua: 死 (sǐ). |
| Michael: So, in many buildings, there is no level 4, 14, 24, etc. |
| Michael: Other than death, Chinese people generally avoid discussing politics and religion, or anything about the government, especially over social media. It may be okay to discuss such topics with your friends and family privately. |
| Michael: And, in general, avoid wearing white during Chinese New Year or other celebration events, because, in traditional Chinese culture, people used to wear white at funerals, although nowadays most Chinese people also wear black at funerals. |
| Michael: Also, avoid wearing white or blue flower hair accessories because that's what people wear when their family members pass away. |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review the sentences we've heard in this lesson. I'll say the sentence in English, and then I want you to try and reply in Chinese. Dehua will then model the correct answer—listen to her carefully and repeat, with emphasis on your pronunciation. |
| Do you remember how to say "I want to be cremated after I die"? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dehua: 我想要在死了以后被火化。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào zài sǐle yǐhou bèi huǒhuà.) |
| Michael: Did you get it right? Listen again and repeat. |
| Dehua: 我想要在死了以后被火化。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào zài sǐle yǐhou bèi huǒhuà.) |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dehua: 我想要在死了以后被火化。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào zài sǐle yǐhou bèi huǒhuà.) |
| Michael: Now for our next sentence. Do you remember how to say "Let's talk about something else"? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dehua: 我们说点别的吧。 (Wǒmen shuō diǎn bié de ba.) |
| Michael: Listen again and repeat. |
| Dehua: 我们说点别的吧。 (Wǒmen shuō diǎn bié de ba.) |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dehua: 我们说点别的吧。 (Wǒmen shuō diǎn bié de ba.) |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Dehua: 再见！ (zàijiàn!) |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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