Shadowdh Posted October 13, 2007 at 02:28 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 02:28 PM Hi there all, I have come across this term in my class and was wondering the exact meaning... its "AA制"... as far as I can make out it means share the bill, is this correct... thanks in advance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gato Posted October 13, 2007 at 02:49 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 02:49 PM It means "to go Dutch," as far as I know. Do the Dutch always "go Dutch"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imron Posted October 13, 2007 at 02:51 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 02:51 PM Yep, split the bill is exactly what it means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zozzen Posted October 13, 2007 at 04:00 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 04:00 PM When I was asked the same question by my Swedish friend and I said "to go dutch", he found it offensive. Does Dutch feel the same way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imron Posted October 13, 2007 at 04:11 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 04:11 PM I don't really think the term "go dutch" is used that much except in China - I guess it's in one of their English textbooks and it just stuck. I'd heard of it, but would never have used it (and still wouldn't for that matter). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianlondon Posted October 13, 2007 at 06:28 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 06:28 PM We always call it "go Dutch" here in England. I'm not sure whether it means "split the bill into equal parts" or "split the bill and pay for what you ate/drank". I think the former. When I was working in Frankfurt (Germany), the locals always seemed to do the latter which meant the waitress had to go to each person to ask what they ate, take their credit card, take the money etc. It was always fun wondering what would happen after she'd been around the table and there was still some stuff left unpaid for. Anyway, I heard "AA zhi" a couple of times when I was in Beijing, but it sounded like three first tones in a row, however 制 is fourth tone. So ... why do they say "AA制"? I asked my teacher once and she had no idea, even though she knew what it means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luobot Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:09 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:09 PM AA - How do you pronounce that? Is it "Ay" or "Ay Ay" or is it like sticking your tongue out for the dentist and saying "Ahh" ? Is there a character for it? ps - I’ve never experienced anything remotely like that with my Chinese friends. Someone always pays for the table, and it’s usually a verbal if not a physical struggle to get your hands on the check. My understanding is that this competition to pay the bill is a Chinese cultural tradition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianlondon Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:29 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:29 PM "ay ay zher" in totally non-pinyin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowdh Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:32 PM Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:32 PM Woo hoo, I am glad I got that right... one more off the list... about 10000 to go... Thanks for the confirmation folks. I'm with Adrian, well not "with" Adrian but you know what I mean , In the UK and NZ we use it alot. The pronunciation we have been using is AA (as in the sound of the letter A) zhi (in the pinyin)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianlondon Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:45 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:45 PM OK, I'm getting closer. According to this http://baike.baidu.com/view/2930.htm the AA is latin, meaning each/every. It then says it means "Algebraic Average" which is very non-latin. Can someone with better Mandarin skills than me read that page and post here if it offers a good explanation for what AA actually is and why it's made its way, untranslated, into Mandarin? It seems that whoever wrote that page is a bit confused (or, more likely, I didn't understand it very well). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luobot Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:58 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 10:58 PM I guess AA is the character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianlondon Posted October 13, 2007 at 11:20 PM Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 at 11:20 PM There is no character. It's the letter "A" from the roman alphabet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wschao Posted October 14, 2007 at 12:05 AM Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 at 12:05 AM Hongkongers use this term a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gato Posted October 14, 2007 at 12:47 AM Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 at 12:47 AM The Baidu page adrian linked to gave several versions of AA's origin. The author said he asked the president of Beiwai about it once, and he said it stood for "Algebraic Average" (averaging the bill, that is). The second version supposedly is "Acting Appointment" based on historical practices of English merchants splitting the bill while having business meetings on the Continent. The third possibility is "All Apart" supposedly used in HK. It also said that the phrase "to go Dutch" is due to a stereotype that the English have of the Dutch.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted October 14, 2007 at 01:31 AM Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 at 01:31 AM I think the term is from Hong Kong. It means "to go Dutch" but AFAIK the term has nothing to do with the Dutch or the English (or else English speakers would be using this term instead of asking its meaning). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowdh Posted October 14, 2007 at 02:09 AM Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 at 02:09 AM Hi Skylee, we (English speakers) dont use AA制 but we do use the term to go dutch... (please forgive me if I misunderstood your post regarding "(or else English speakers would be using this term instead of asking its meaning)." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muyongshi Posted October 14, 2007 at 03:46 AM Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 at 03:46 AM It also said that the phrase "to go Dutch" is due to a stereotype that the English have of the Dutch.... but we do use the term to go dutch No we don't.... I think this is a regional difference as I have never heard this term before I came to China and none of my friends have either. So it is not an English Language phrase but as earlier has been pointed out is used in England and NZ but I am still curious as to what this stereotype entails.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowdh Posted October 14, 2007 at 04:16 AM Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 at 04:16 AM No we don't.... Yes we do, but then I guess that depends on the region as you say, and perhaps the language being spoken, I was referring to English use in the UK, NZ, Australia (although not as common here) and I have heard it used in the US and movies/programs from the US... it could also be that its a term more used in times gone by and not so common with the youth of today.. not that I am that old mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdn_in_bj Posted October 14, 2007 at 05:24 AM Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 at 05:24 AM It's also called simply "AA" for short. ps - I’ve never experienced anything remotely like that with my Chinese friends. Someone always pays for the table, and it’s usually a verbal if not a physical struggle to get your hands on the check. My understanding is that this competition to pay the bill is a Chinese cultural tradition. The power-struggle to pay the bill could also be part of the face thing, I think. I know that some groups of close-knit friends like to always "AA" (though not always on the spot - sometimes one person will pay at the restaurant and everything gets settled at the end of the day/evening before everyone is about to go home), but it probably depends on the group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luobot Posted October 14, 2007 at 07:00 AM Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 at 07:00 AM The power-struggle to pay the bill could also be part of the face thing, I think. Just listened to this podcast on Fighting over the Bill. The dialogue has a funny punch line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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