In the Chinese language there are a great many polite phrases used in conversation. The ability to use these is a sign of education. Every student of the language should become acquainted with the most common ones, for he will have occasion to use them constantly. Some of these phrases have been introduced and explained in these lessons already, but here an attempt will be made to gather together all those that would be ordinarily used is conversation.

When you meet any one for the first time, according to Chinese etiquette you are at liberty to ask him what his honorable name may be. The expression for this is Tsung sing° (??), or Kwe°-sing° (??). In answer he will tell you his surname, but in doing so he will refer to it as his humble name. Thus he will say Bi°-sing° Tsang (???) (if his surname is Tsang).

Next you might proceed to inquire what his other name was, that is, his private name in distinction from his surname. This you would ask by saying °Tshing kyau° da° ‘au° (????), “Please teach me your great appellation” or The °foo (??). In answer he might say °Tshau-z° Kya-foo (????), meaning “the grass characters are Kya-foo,” or he might say °Siau-ming (??). (Kya-foo is taken as an example of a name).

Then you might proceed to ask his age. This you would do by saying Too-sau kwe°-kang (????). The answer would be °Ngoo hyui doo° san seh soe° (??????). Lit. “I have vainly passed thirty years.” If you ask an old gentleman his age, you would say °Kyi-hau° kau-zeu° (????). Lit. “What is your high longevity?”

If you ask a person how he is, as has been already intimated, you would say °Hau-la°-va° (???). The answer might be Khau° fok (??), meaning “I depend upon you for my happiness.”

If a person asked you how many years you had been in China, he would say Tau°-ts bi°-kok °kyi z-tse (???????). You would answer °Ngoo tau°-ts kwe°-kok nyan nyien (???????). “I arrived in your honorable country twenty years ago” (or any length of time you had been in the country).

When you are asking a guest to take a seat, if he is at all an honorable guest, you must request him to take an honorable seat. This you do by saying °Tshing °zaung-deu °zoo (????), meaning “Please sit up higher.”

In asking how many children you have your guest would say °Kyi-we °sau-kyuin (????), “How many little princes have you.” Your answer is San kuh °siau-koen (????), or °san kuh °siau-noen (????), or san kuh °siau-°choen (????).

At table, if you finish before others, you raise your chop-sticks and say to the others Man°-yoong° (??), “use slowly.” Then place the chop-sticks on top of the bowl. Your host could answer Yoong°-°pau (??), meaning, “Take plenty.”

When a guest is leaving, in addition to saying Chi°-tse, he may say Kyung-tshau ??), meaning, “I have troubled you.” Your answer may be De-man de-man (??), meaning, “I have treated you without proper respect.” Or he may say, as he is walking away °Tshing lieu kyung-boo° (????), meaning, “Please restrain your orderly footsteps”; or simply Lieu-boo°, meaning “Don’t trouble to come out.” If you have to excuse yourself after a short stay, you should say Sau-be (??).

VOCABULARY

• England, Iung-kok ??.
• America, °Me-kok ??, or Hwo-ji-kok ???. Lit., Kingdom of the Flowery Flag.
• France, Fah-kok ??.
• Germany, Tuh-kok ??.
• Russia, Ngoo-kok ??.
• Antiquity, anciently, °koo-z-kan ???.
• Neighbor, ling-°so ??.
• A godown, °dzan-vaung ??.
• Inconceivable, °siang-’veh-tau ???.
• Lazy, °lan-phok ??, or °lan-doo° ??.
• Tricky, diau°-bi ??.
• Communication, intercourse, le-°waung ??.
• Matches, z°-le-°hoo ???.
• Next (juxtaposition), kah-pih ??.
• Promise, iung°-°hyui ??.
• Recently, °jung-le ??.
• To meet with misfortune, chuh °khoo ??. Literally, “Eat bitterness.”
• Comfortable, suh-i° ??.
• The earlier the better, yoeh-°tsau yoeh-°hau ????.
• To relax the mind, san° sing ??.
• Soap, bi-zau° ??.
• To strike a match, wak ?.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

• (1) Di°-foong sing° iau° noong° tan tau° yeu-tsung°-jok °li chi°.
• (2) °Koo-z-kan Tsoong-kok tah-ts bih-kuh kok-doo° ih ngan ’veh le-°waung.
• (3) °Jung-le Ngoo-kok tah-ts Toong-yang da°-ka °tang-tsang°.
• (4) Dzu° la kah-pih kuh nyung °z kyau° ling-°so.
• (5) Di°-kuh nyung ’veh ba° °z °lan-phok, ‘a-z diau°-bi.
• (6) Sang-i°-nyung la° °dzan-vaung °li tsaung-ts too-hau° hoo°-suh.
• (7) °Tshing °zoo la° bih-kuh iui°-°ts laung°, °i-tsak ’veh da° suh-i°.
• (8) °Ngoo iung°-°hyui °ngoo kuh si-tse, zak-zen tsoo° le °hau meh iau° ka yi-kuh koong-dien.
• (9) I-kuh nyung we°-ts chuh °tsieu, °too doong-dien, °lau ’veh °lau-zeh °i-kyung chuh-ts too-hau° khoo.
• (10) Tsoong-kok tah °Me-kok tsho-’veh-too ih yang° doo°-°siau.
• (11) °Pung-le °Me-kok nyung °z dzoong Iung-kok le kuh.
• (12) Di°-foong sing° °kyi-z iau° °ngoo °sia kuh? Yoeh-°tsau yoeh-°hau.
• (13) I-kuh nyung zeh-ke° diau°-bi zeh-°dze °siang-’veh-tau°-kuh.
• (14) °Seu °lau mien°-khoong iau° kha le koen-zing meh °tsoong iau° yoong° bi-zau°.
• (15) Iau° wak z°-le-°hoo tsoong iau° wak la° ‘ah-°ts laung°, ’veh zen meh ’veh we° yaung.

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(Translate into Chinese)

• (1) You should love your neighbor as yourself.
• (2) All over China now there are post offices, and you can send a letter to any part of China for three cents.
• (3) America is called the Kingdom of the Flowery Flag, because its flag is very beautiful.
• (4) A lazy man likes to get up late in the day, and during the day he likes to go to sleep.
• (5) Germany and France are next to one another on the map.
• (6) The fox is one of the most tricky of all the animals.
• (7) How long have you been in my humble country? I arrived in your honorable country only about one year ago.
• (8) Since I have promised it, I will certainly do as I said.
• (9) In ancient times most men were unable to read and write; now a large portion of the people can do so.
• (10) Children should not play with matches because they might set the house on fire.
• (11) Men can not always be using their minds; they must at times relax their minds.
• (12) Yesterday I felt very wretched, and was in bed all day; to-day I am more comfortable.

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