Speaking Cantonese...
As mentioned earlier...a rather entertaining story about unintentionally speaking Cantonese...
About 11 years ago I had arranged for a group of people to go out for dinner...friends and family...it was a big night as I was introducing my then boyfriend to my parents...safety in numbers being the philosophy behind the dinner...
So we all arrived and sat down...my two parents opposite each other...my boyfriend (very important note...fluent Cantonese speaker!) next to my father and opposite me...my mother opposite my father..next to me....my boyfriends best friend next to him....so are we all clear on the seating arrangements (rest of my friends at the other end of the table...)
So the meal passes surprisingly well...everyone chatting and getting along fine...my mother seems to have accepted the fact that my boyfriend was a bit of a wild child and my father realised that my boyfriend was obviously highly intelligent and well read...so all was hunky dory....
..until the coffee was served.....my Mother speaks a fair amount of good French and everyso often comes out with the odd phrase in French....so her coffee was put in front of her....she looks over at my boyfriend...gestures at the coffee condiments and says "Du lait".........my boyfriends face was a picture....as was mine...my Mother had absolutely no idea what she had just said.....but since then she has never asked for the milk in French!!!!!! Allegedly her Cantonese pronounciation was spot on for that one phrase!!!!
About 11 years ago I had arranged for a group of people to go out for dinner...friends and family...it was a big night as I was introducing my then boyfriend to my parents...safety in numbers being the philosophy behind the dinner...
So we all arrived and sat down...my two parents opposite each other...my boyfriend (very important note...fluent Cantonese speaker!) next to my father and opposite me...my mother opposite my father..next to me....my boyfriends best friend next to him....so are we all clear on the seating arrangements (rest of my friends at the other end of the table...)
So the meal passes surprisingly well...everyone chatting and getting along fine...my mother seems to have accepted the fact that my boyfriend was a bit of a wild child and my father realised that my boyfriend was obviously highly intelligent and well read...so all was hunky dory....
..until the coffee was served.....my Mother speaks a fair amount of good French and everyso often comes out with the odd phrase in French....so her coffee was put in front of her....she looks over at my boyfriend...gestures at the coffee condiments and says "Du lait".........my boyfriends face was a picture....as was mine...my Mother had absolutely no idea what she had just said.....but since then she has never asked for the milk in French!!!!!! Allegedly her Cantonese pronounciation was spot on for that one phrase!!!!
posted by Madame Chiang at 9:38 pm
3 Comments:
Au heck, what does it mean in Cantonese? I know the French but not the nasty.
An echo ~ please enlighten us to its meaning.
It essentially sound's like someone saying "F*ck You" in Cantonese
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