bilyou Posted July 24, 2009 at 12:57 PM Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 at 12:57 PM This is going to sound like a very strange question, but is Mandarin Chinese for "I love your horse" : wo3 ai4 ni3 de ma3 ? In traditional characters is it : 我 愛 你 的 馬 ? I would be most grateful if anybody could help me with this! Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted July 24, 2009 at 01:22 PM Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 at 01:22 PM 我 愛 你 的 馬 ? It is not wrong. But I would probably say "我很喜歡你的馬" (I like your horse very much) instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilyou Posted July 24, 2009 at 03:16 PM Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 at 03:16 PM It is not wrong. But I would probably say "我很喜歡你的馬" (I like your horse very much) instead. Thank you very much, I know it sounds a bit odd but it's a direct quote and in the original context it has to be "love". Thank you! Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gato Posted July 24, 2009 at 03:17 PM Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 at 03:17 PM Somehow it made me think of 我草泥马. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heifeng Posted July 24, 2009 at 03:50 PM Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 at 03:50 PM It made me thing of 马子。 Gato, high five for mind in the gutter~ yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gougou Posted July 25, 2009 at 03:41 AM Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 at 03:41 AM Am I the only one worried to see this in the tattoo section? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muyongshi Posted July 25, 2009 at 04:01 AM Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 at 04:01 AM Well, it is also the Quick Translations area, otherwise I would agree with you and be worried due to both heifeng and gato's train of thought. Which I must admit is exactly what I thought when I read the words 我爱你的马 and I could just see someone with a tattoo like that walking through triad district Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xuechengfeng Posted July 25, 2009 at 08:16 PM Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 at 08:16 PM Someone call PETA. I'm suspicious of the original translation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted July 28, 2009 at 02:07 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 at 02:07 PM 我很喜歡你的馬: if you think this is a very fine horse, or very friendly, or it just won you a lot of money, or something like that. 我愛你的馬: if you want to marry the horse. That being said, while 喜歡 means 'to like' it can be very close in meaning to 'to love'. Not sure if this is a regional thing, but in Taiwan at least, 我喜歡你 has the emotional weight of 'I love you'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted July 28, 2009 at 02:19 PM Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 at 02:19 PM 我喜歡你 has the emotional weight of 'I love you'. This is how I understand it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HashiriKata Posted July 31, 2009 at 02:22 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 at 02:22 PM Quote:我喜歡你 has the emotional weight of 'I love you'. This is how I understand it. Then I guess it must be quite difficult to say "I like you" in Chinese ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted July 31, 2009 at 04:45 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 at 04:45 PM 我觉得你这个人还不错, perhaps? I seem to recall someone using that with that meaning. Or perhaps the Chinese just move on to 喜欢 faster than English-speakers move on to love. English-speakers, in turn, miss out on the word 'verliefd', which dictionaries say means 'in love', but from what I've seen on tv 'I'm in love with you' means the same as 'I love you', which is something different than 'verliefd'. And sorry for the off-topic. Edit: Wait, that actually depends on what kind of 'like' you mean. 'Like' is a wonderful word that way, can be totally innocent or very serious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted July 31, 2009 at 06:02 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 at 06:02 PM Sometimes I wonder if different people interpret these words in different ways, so you're never sure what the other means when they say 我喜欢你, or what they hear when you say it, even if you speak the same language and are of the same culture. Let alone if you're from different languages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeyah Posted July 31, 2009 at 06:04 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 at 06:04 PM (edited) Let alone if you're from different languages. True... But sometimes 我爱你 can be even more misleading than 我喜欢你 I wonder if this applies to horses, too? Edited August 1, 2009 at 08:09 AM by leeyah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted July 31, 2009 at 06:31 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 at 06:31 PM Ah, but the OP is not addressing the horse, but the horse's owner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeyah Posted July 31, 2009 at 07:03 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 at 07:03 PM Ah, but the OP is not addressing the horse, but the horse's owner! Pardon? I'm not sure I got it right, must be the difference in culture or whatever , but anyway... em 'I like your horse' ... how about 你的马真不错啊！Sounds great! And I'm sure a compliment like this from a laowai will make the proud owner (of the horse of course) even more proud! PS: yes, I stole 不错 from Lu, but for a noble purpose, appologies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realmayo Posted August 1, 2009 at 09:05 AM Report Share Posted August 1, 2009 at 09:05 AM Thanks to gougou I keep thinking this is for a tattoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianlondon Posted August 1, 2009 at 10:23 AM Report Share Posted August 1, 2009 at 10:23 AM Maybe it's going to be branded on his horse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeyah Posted August 1, 2009 at 10:37 AM Report Share Posted August 1, 2009 at 10:37 AM Maybe it's going to be branded on his horse. ?? Someone call PETA Please do! It's urgent!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muyongshi Posted August 2, 2009 at 05:45 AM Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 at 05:45 AM Even though it seems ridiculous to actually say anything further on this thread, in all seriousness a lot of the "confusion" could be reduced by including 匹. 你这匹马很不错，我喜欢你这匹马 all sound a lot better than 我喜欢你的马. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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