Elementary Chinese: Getting Taller (Not Fatter) #2

Today we'll continue analyzing the ChinesePod elementary lesson: Getting Taller (Not Fatter).

豆豆，这是叔叔，快说叔叔好
Dòudou, zhè shì shūshu. Kuài shuō shūshu hǎo.

Doudou, this is Uncle. Hurry up and say hello to Uncle.

Literal translation: Doudou (nickname), this be Uncle (diminutive). Hurry say Uncle good.

The second sentence: Kuài shuō shūshu hǎo, is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the speaker doesn't really mean that the child should hurry and say hello, but adding the word hurry (kuài) implies that the child should demonstrate eagerness, as a sign of respect for Uncle. Culturally, it's important for Chinese children to be well-behaved and to show respect for their elders. Secondly, saying hello to Uncle: shūshu hǎo (uncle good), might sound odd at first, but it is really just related to the way one would say hello to a person of equal position: nǐ hǎo.

Word Details, from mdbg.net
dòu
hǎo
kuài
shì
shū
shuō
zhè

再 见!（zài jiàn!)

James

Visit ChinesePod.com at ChinesePod.

This lesson can be found at http://chinesepod.com/lessons/getting-taller-not-fatter.

mdbg.net Chinese dictionary: http://us1.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php.