Yes and the "N" word

I have finally discovered a language barrier issue that has perplexed me since my arrival. Whenever you talk to the Chinese, they have a tendency to say "Yes" all the time. Even when you are asking a question. For example.

Question: How did that report turn out?

Answer: Yes

They do it all the time, it'll drive you crazy. So finally I asked Nancy and Jerry today if yes meant different things in Chinese. One said yes, the other said no. (Oh boy!) So after playing around of twenty questions, I figured it out. The Chinese ask and answer questions differently than English speaking people. Yes can easily mean, "Yes, I didn't understand" Even though it's completely out of context for us. Very strange...so now I've learned to follow up my initial question with two or three probing questions. Amazing!

The other thing is the "N" word. I might have posted about this early, but it's to funny not to revisit. The Chinese use the word "Nigga" as we would say "Um" or "Oh", basically thinking out loud.

It's so funny to hear, especially when they use it in conjunction with American names. It's like a scene out of 8 mile.

Example: "Da shu ma tha shi ba nigga Jeff"



It's hilarious, it's hard not to laugh every time it's used with a name. It's like being part of a rap posse! Good stuff!