imitation Posted December 4, 2005 at 04:09 PM Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 at 04:09 PM Probably a silly question but what are the actual characters I'm using when I tell the taxi driver zhi z/zhou in Guangzhou, I guess the zhi is 直， but I have no idea what the z/zhou part is, am I just hearing a southern accent on 走. Also is this expression common in north China also? Thanks Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hakkaboy Posted December 4, 2005 at 05:18 PM Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 at 05:18 PM Probably a silly question but what are the actual characters I'm using when I tell the taxi driver zhi z/zhou in Guangzhou, I guess the zhi is 直， but I have no idea what the z/zhou part is, am I just hearing a southern accent on 走. Also is this expression common in north China also?Thanks Tim Go straight ahead is: 一直走 yi1zhi2zou3 zou3 means "walk" or "go". This is standard Chinese found in the north as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
笨笨德 Posted December 4, 2005 at 06:54 PM Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 at 06:54 PM yeah its 直直走... sounds more like zhi zhi (zh|j)ou here in taiwan too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
對話的喧囂 Posted December 4, 2005 at 07:02 PM Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 at 07:02 PM 直走 , 直直走, or 一直往前走 are all ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted December 4, 2005 at 09:24 PM Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 at 09:24 PM Probably a silly question but what are the actual characters I'm using when I tell the taxi driver zhi z/zhou in Guangzhou, I guess the zhi is 直， but I have no idea what the z/zhou part is, am I just hearing a southern accent on 走. I dont underestand, are you telling the taxi driver zhi zou? or are you hearing the driver say zhi zou? Are you hearing a southern accent from yourself? PS: A few years back you would tell him zic hang 直行.... I guess now they replaced the drivers with migrant workers.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imitation Posted December 5, 2005 at 03:56 AM Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 at 03:56 AM I'm just using the phrase as I hear it, understanding it's meaning but not being 100% on the pronunciation or the break down of the characters. What I "hear" and what I "say" back is zhi4 zhou3, but I couldn't for the life of me work out what zhou3 was, I assumed it was zou3 that I knew, but it sounded so far away from how I hear that sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mugi Posted December 5, 2005 at 03:18 PM Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 at 03:18 PM If you are hearing zhi2 zhou3, it's definitely a southern pronunciation of zhi2 zou3, 直走 The simplest thing to say to a taxi driver to keep him going straight ahead though: Mandarin: yi1->4 zhi2 zou3 一直走 Cantonese: yat1(7) jik6(9) hang4 一直行 I wouldn't bother trying to copy a local driver's accent - the next driver you get might not understand what you're trying to say. Safer to stick with standard pronunciation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ala Posted December 5, 2005 at 05:14 PM Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 at 05:14 PM 一直走 in Shanghainese means "ever goes", like the Energizer bunny. We use 笔直走 for "go straight ahread". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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