Mandarin Word Game
Fiona@ChinesePod
January 29, 2015 at 11:26 AM posted in General DiscussionHi guys,
I came across this little play on words today and thought it was so fun!
夏天能穿多少穿多少
冬天能穿多少穿多少
Can you guys decifer it？ ;D
Fi
Click here for the full sized version: http://cl.ly/image/1g1b0T0N0y3I
Fiona@ChinesePod
February 03, 2015 at 11:40 AM
Hey guys! Here is the answer to the word game with some examples :) I'm loving all the other examples!
Fiona@ChinesePod
February 03, 2015 at 11:42 AM
I heard this one in the context of Jay Chou's recent marriage. LOL
waiguoren
February 02, 2015 at 11:13 AM
Another one for you all to try:
两种人容易被甩：
一种不知道什么叫做爱
一种不知道什么叫做爱
babyeggplant
February 04, 2015 at 01:18 AM
Don't miss the 不 in 不知道 up there!
There are two types of people who always get dumped:
One type doesn't know what love is
One type doesn't know what lovemaking is
bababardwan
February 02, 2015 at 12:07 PM
two kinds of people that's its easy to get dumped by
The first kind knows something called love
The other kind knows something called making love
waiguoren
February 01, 2015 at 01:45 PM
I had to google these 'play on words' type things (couldn't work out the answers by myself) and came across a very interesting/saucy one (see if you can work it out):
女孩约的男孩迟到了有两个原因：
a. 睡过了。
b. 睡过了。
podster
February 05, 2015 at 04:01 AM
I have been tempted to say "oh, nice" a few times on the discussion boards, but managed to control myself so far. 那就好了！
waiguoren
February 02, 2015 at 10:44 AM
I'll try!
He overslept, as in 'he slept in' (he slept too much).
Say he set his alarm for 7am but didn't wake up until 7:30am: 他睡过了
veronique21
February 02, 2015 at 07:21 AM
Hey, waiguo pengyou, I don't understand the first answer: he overslept. Can you explain ?
waiguoren
February 02, 2015 at 06:49 AM
OK guys, here's the answer:
There are two reasons why a boy is late for his date date with a girl:
A) He overslept
B) He has already slept with her (and thus is 'less motivated...after the conquest' as baba puts it ;)
So between podster and baba you got it!
I can't help looking at your profile pic (podster) and saying 'oh nice'!
podster
February 02, 2015 at 04:38 AM
yeah, that might make more sense; the V+过了 construction might convey the sense of he had "already done it" (slept with his girlfriend).
bababardwan
February 02, 2015 at 01:36 AM
Yeah, I was thinking that, though I thought the second one was not "someone" but specifically the girl he has the date with [ ? with the implication that after the conquest he was less motivated?]
podster
February 01, 2015 at 04:00 PM
I'm going to guess one reading is "he overslept" and the other is "he slept with someone"
veronique21
February 01, 2015 at 02:56 PM
I would say:
a. The sleep has gone (he can't sleep). But why is he late ? Because he was just dremaing about the date ?
b. He fell asleep.
babyeggplant
January 31, 2015 at 05:45 AM
I think it's simply
In summer, wear as little as you can.
In winter, wear as much as you can.
waiguoren
February 02, 2015 at 02:31 AM
I first thought the emphasis was on the 'homophone' 多少 meaning 'as little' in the first case and 'as much' in the second, but Fiona's explanation seems a little different...
veronique21
January 31, 2015 at 06:52 AM
You're certainly right. Actually, at the beginnong, I thought we had to guess a word... I do like this kind of game !!
podster
January 31, 2015 at 06:26 AM
Yes, simple is better. I think your translation is more direct and isolates the emphasis on 多少
bababardwan
January 31, 2015 at 04:55 AM
Could it be:
In summer you can wear a lot less, wear a lot less
In winter you can wear as much as you like, wear as much as you like
...something along those lines...all depending on the emphasis you put on the two characters 多少
podster
January 31, 2015 at 05:10 AM
baba, I would have translated it as "in summer you can wear as little as you like. In winter wear as much as you can."
podster
January 29, 2015 at 03:43 PM
Fi, This kind of "riddle" is fun and helps us improve our understanding of the language, I think. Someone sent me this and a few other similar ones recently. For example:
女孩给男朋友打电话：如果你到了，我还没到，你就等着吧；如果我到了，你还没到，你就等着吧。
waiguoren
February 02, 2015 at 11:08 AM
I don't think this is 简单 for me but I'll give it a crack.
The reason for being single is: first you like someone else, but then you just like being by yourself?
bababardwan
February 02, 2015 at 01:44 AM
这个比较简单。我虽然已经结婚了，但是我还是挺赞同这个想法
en, bijiao jiandan. I'll leave it too then.
haha, I like this one "你就等着吧 "
podster
February 01, 2015 at 02:55 AM
babyeggplant, okay, here's another one for you to try. I'm going to leave it up for a while before giving my explanation in case anyone else who wants to try the challenge too:
单身的原因：原来是喜欢一个人，现在是喜欢一个人。
podster
January 31, 2015 at 01:31 PM
A girl gave her boyfriend a phone call: If you get there, and I haven't gotten there just wait for me. If I get there, and you haven't gotten there, just you wait!
waiguoren
February 03, 2015 at 11:09 PM剩女产生的原因有两个：
一是谁都看不上，
二是谁都看不上。