Why do the Chinese say "actually" so much when they speak English? (place, people)

[lidolido]

[quote=Teak;10398188]Okay. I was in Tianjin in 1989-90 so perhaps 'nei-ga, nei-ga...' is outdated.

I have been using Malay for the past decade, but I have yet to find a time-buying word in that language. Malays either don't say much (are not loquacious), or else very colloquial which makes it hard to understand (different dialects even within a short distance).

Well, Tianjin is an interesting place. People there have a unique dialect (which one is not?) that is often used in comedies to make things funny. That city is hometown of great comedy show stars (xiangsheng actors) and famous folk arts.
I know one friend whose ancestors were from Malaysia. However, he speaks no Malay and I don't think there is a large population in mainland China speaking it.
89-90. You experienced something, didn't you?

[Teak]

Originally Posted by lidolido

Well, Tianjin is an interesting place. People there have a unique dialect (which one is not?) that is often used in comedies to make things funny. That city is hometown of great comedy show stars (xiangsheng actors) and famous folk arts.

89-90. You experienced something, didn't you?

I remember my driver listening to Xiangsheng comedy (cross-talk, right?) on the radio when he drove me home every day from work. The high school was 30 minutes from the college where I lived in an apartment. In those days, there were still thousands of bicycle riders and very few cars. He would honk the horn constantly so that the river of bikes would part and make way for the car. Looking back, I watched the bikes converge again, like a flowing river.

Tianjin is also famous for jian-bing-guo-zi, a millet flour pancake fried up with an egg spread on top and sweet bread twist wrapped inside. Excellent for breakfasts! Only Tianjin and Beijing had that type of street food.

[kettlepot]

I heard my Vietnamese insurance agent say "la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la" repeated very quickly on the phone. I asked him what it meant, and he said it was a kind of filler word while you are trying to think of what to say next. A classic, time-buying word.

[Peggy Anne]

I have heard people talking, and they seem to stop mid sentence, and either change course to clarify, or undo an error for example
"Well I was walking, and I bent down to get the coin. uh no, Actually, I just sat on the ground because I was tired"...I haven't spoken to a Chinese person yet. But I will one day. A lot of them in Vegas.

[jtur88]

Arabic speakers have a similar word, and even when they are speaking careful and perfect English, they still put in the Arabic word as though it were an English word, and it occurs very frequently. It's "yah-nee". Standing alone, it means "well, sort of", and within a sentence, roughly the equivalent of English "you know", It often occurs as a verbal emoticon for "tongue in cheek".

[HonuMan]

Over the past year or so, I've noticed an increase in the use of "actually" among the general population here in Portland. It isn't used to buy time while thinking (like "um," "ahh," or "well"), but as a form of emphasis. I recently mentioned this to my wife while we were at a grocery store, and she said she hadn't been aware of the phenomenon. Immediately threafter, I asked a clerk the price of a vegetable that wasn't marked. He replied, "That's actually on sale, sir -- $1.99 a pound." Then we went to a checkout line that was two customers deep. A different clerk opened a new register. "I actually can take you folks here," he said to us.

[tuteishungry]

Originally Posted by wehotex

I have noticed this since my first exposure to English speaking Chinese in the 80s to the present. Is there a similar word or phrase in their language that cooresponds to English? Just curious.

Man, i've heard a lot of stereotypes but this is a new one. I'm part Chinese and I work with a lot of Chinese women in my office and I don't like "actually" (which would be 'actuary'). However, I do like to say totally, and really quite a bit. Maybe you're hanging out with a rare breed of Chinese people.

[Teak]

Originally Posted by tuteishungry

Man, i've heard a lot of stereotypes but this is a new one. I'm part Chinese and I work with a lot of Chinese women in my office and I don't like "actually" (which would be 'actuary'). However, I do like to say totally, and really quite a bit. Maybe you're hanging out with a rare breed of Chinese people.

I think that it depends upon whether they are actually learning English as a foreign language (as in China), or whether they are totally into America (living in USA) and using, like, the slang of the day, ya know what I mean?

But I don't, like, actually think that it is a stereotype.



When native speakers use actually, I think it has more to do with trying to put emphasis on the veracity (truth) of what is being said. E.g., "She said that she actually did attend all of her classes." In other words, "believe me on this one".

[dougie86]

Originally Posted by tuteishungry

Maybe you're hanging out with a rare breed of Chinese people.

or they all happen to work in the insurance industry

[tuteishungry]

Originally Posted by Teak

I think that it depends upon whether they are actually learning English as a foreign language (as in China), or whether they are totally into America (living in USA) and using, like, the slang of the day, ya know what I mean?

But I don't, like, actually think that it is a stereotype.



When native speakers use actually, I think it has more to do with trying to put emphasis on the veracity (truth) of what is being said. E.g., "She said that she actually did attend all of her classes." In other words, "believe me on this one".

Very cute.

Originally Posted by dougie86

or they all happen to work in the insurance industry

I work in accounting. It works out. We can't drive so we need insurance, and we're fantastic at math.