Food Tones

[liuzhou]

Like many other languages, Mandarin Chinese is tonal. This means that each syllable is assigned one of five tones. Other syllables with otherwise the same pronunciation will often have different tones.

 

These tones are important. Get the tone wrong and you change the meaning. This can be embarrassing in that while you intend saying something inconsequential, you actually come out with something shocking or amusing.

 

One that I hope is deliberate (I know it isnt) is food related.

 

Bell peppers, the most pointless vegetable ever are, in Mandarin 甜椒 (tián jiāo). The first syllable, tián, has a rising tone while the second has a high flat tone.

 

Accidentally change both tones to falling then rising and you've changed the meaning to the verb 'to lick feet', something more flavourful!

 

 

There are many more food related examples which I will put here as I come across them.

 

 

 

 

[liuzhou]

Another example is 水饺 (shuǐ jiǎo), meaning "boiled dumplings". Both syllables use a falling and rising tone.

 

If you get it wrong and use only falling tones, 睡觉 shuì jiào, then you are saying "sleep" or "go to bed".

 

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Fancy some lettuce? Be careful.

 

 

The Chinese for lettuce is 生菜 (shēng cài). High flat tone on the shēng and falling tone on the cài.

 

Accidentally, change the tones to 剩菜 (shèng cài), both falling tones instead of some nice crispy lettuce, you've aked for leftovers!

 

Or, change the tones to 生财 (shēng cái) flat, then rising, and you've said "make money". Fear not, the vendors will manage that just fine.