Hai = 高兴

[renzhe]

In a recent TV episode, the following sentence came up:

我觉得你跟他特 hai.

The subtitles, however, said this:

我觉得你跟他特 高兴.

My question is, which character represents "hai" here? I'm guessing 哈, but this is not something easily found in a dictionary.

[WilsonFong]

I think it's supposed to be "high"

[renzhe]

I was guessing that this would be the origin, but I was wondering if it's become Chinese enough to warrant a character.

Like 酷 (cool) or 秀 (show).

Edited October 15, 2009 at 10:20 PM by renzhe
EDIT: Added the English words. Not everybody is an expert on Mandarin slang...

[imron]

Probably this character 嗨, and yes, I believe it comes from the English "high", but has different connotations (i.e. it can be completely unrelated to drug-use).

[Michele]

It does come from english "high" but in china the meaning in unrelated to drug-use and chinese people write "high", not "嗨"

[renzhe]

Yes, it has little to do with the state of being "high".

The context was being in a happy relationship, having found your soulmate.

[gato]

http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/61486011.html?fr=ala1

感到很hai是什么意思

很激动 很兴奋 情绪很高昂 很亢奋

high呀 就象 喝酒喝高了一样 就这意思

[Don_Horhe]

I've also heard it being used, albeit rarely, in a drug context (marijuana, to be specific). Your word of choice then would be 飞.

[Kenny同志]

yes, Hai is "high", but I don't like this word and I never use it. It is not justified enough to have a character to represent it.

Most traditional Chinese do not use it. Those who use it are mostly forward guys.

It's kind of upsetting when a native Chinese speaker inserts into what he or she says English words, or at least, I find this upsetting until the very words become absolutely necessary.

Edited October 17, 2009 at 02:40 PM by kenny2006woo

[Lu]

I've heard this used a lot in Taiwan, also figured it was 'high', and it was never related to drug use, it just meant a great time was being had.

Another nice one is 'over', used for things that are just TOO MUCH.

Kenny Woo, I generally would agree that it's a shame when foreign words creep into a language like this, but it happens often.

[Kenny同志]

Thanks for sharing my feeling, Lu.

For me, it is acceptable if he who speaks Chinese uses an English word or words at his wit’s ends. However if he do this to impress or show a sense of superiority, I may consider it aversive.

[Kenny同志]

I do not know whether "aversive" is overused, but i dislike it when people do that.

Edited October 17, 2009 at 04:25 PM by kenny2006woo

[James Johnston]

À propos the use of foreign words, I also detest this kind of mestizo patois. I mean, what kind of schmuck has the chutzpah to sabotage our kosher languages. I guess they think this kind of laissez-fair use of language is very à la mode and shows a certain je ne sais quoi. What rubbish!

I say ‘vive la différence’! We need linguistic apartheid. Just thinking about it makes me so angry. Perhaps I'm the one with the problem. I’m afraid there’s an imbalance of my yin and yang; I guess I need to watch what I eat, I need less hamburgers and more tofu. Right I’m off for a relaxing cup of char.

Adieu!

Coda: quod erat demonstrandum

Edited October 17, 2009 at 04:52 PM by James Johnston

[Kenny同志]

We need linguistic apartheid

James, yes, that kind of thing is detestable, but I cannot see sufficient reasons for linguistic apartheid. Rather, as the world is becoming more and more globalized and interdependence between countries increasing, each language needs communication. The problem is that more often than not, people abuse their native tongue either by introducing foreign words that are not necessary at all or by coming up with bad translations, and in some cases, like this one, not even translation at all. Take the word in discussion for example, forward guys say 今天现场的气氛很high; what they say is nothing more than 今天现场的气氛很热烈. They do this just to try to be different.

We do need to introduce into our native tongue some foreign words because we need to know the outside world but we do not have equivalents of the words, however I think we should be cautious in that process, so as to convert those alien words into words that are acceptable in our mother language.

The following translations are, I think, good examples of introducing alien words into Chinese.

Logic 逻辑

Humor 幽默

Television set 电视机

Movie or film 电影

train 火车

[James Johnston]

We need linguistic apartheid.

I hope you can forgive my cheek, but I'm afraid I was being ironic. Some Chinese speakers may be sensitive about foreign intrusions into the Chinese language, but as an English speaker, I feel it is an important part of the richness of the English language.

My whole comment above was just an attempt to include as many 'foreign' words and phrases from a variety of languages as I could. Nonetheless, every one of these would be in a good English dictionary.

The languages represented are: Afrikaans (hence 'apartheid'), Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin, Spanish and Yiddish.

[Lu]

James Johnson, I greatly appreciate the irony and I see how other languages add to the richness of English, yet for my own language I also don't like it when foreign words get used for no reason at all, just because the speaker is too lazy to find a Dutch alternative. I find it interesting how English words get adopted into Chinese but with a slightly different meaning, but I can understand how a native speaker feels as defensive about Chinese as I do about Dutch.

[Kenny同志]

James, it is OK.

I’m afraid there’s an imbalance of my yin and yang;

You know something about traditional Chinese medicine?

I always wanted to be a TCM practitioner. What a shame I cannot pursuit my dream now. To my joy, there' s a profession called translation which I truly love. It seems translation of TCM and modern medicine is not such a bad idea. Of course, I have a very long way to go.

[muyongshi]

Is 幽默 really a borrow word????

[Kenny同志]

Yes, I am sure. It was introduced into Chinese by 林语堂.

[muyongshi]

Wow!!! I'm surprised. So, how did the concept of humor get communicated before? Or is the point that Chinese aren't funny ( joke people, lighten up....)