Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Why-le?

Chinese vocabulary word of the month:

Huaile:

  • Pronunciation: rhymes with Why-le
  • Definition: bad / evil / rotten / spoiled
  • Personal Interpretation: Piece of crap
  • Linguistic Note: Often but not always followed by xinde, particularly when used by handyman

Xinde:

  • Pronunciation: Shin-duh!
  • Definition: [buy a] new [one]


EXAMPLES from September 2011:

  1. The kitchen bar has lost its “leg.”

Handyman’s response: Huaile.

Clearly, this is huaile.

  1. The switch that turns the lights on in the back garden no longer works despite massive jiggling (which worked last year).

Handyman’s response: Huaile.


  1. The handle has broken off the front gate.

Handyman's response: Huaile. Xinde.

[Piece of Crap! Buy a new one!]


  1. (Unrelated to the above problem…) The same gate no longer closes.

Handyman’s response: Huaile.


  1. The light fixture has fallen off the patio wall.

Huaile. Xinde.


  1. The doorbell has stopping dinging.

Huaile. Xinde.


7. The 2 light bulbs that are burned-out cannot be replaced. They will not “unscrew” from the sockets.

Handyman’s response: Huaile. Xinde.

(Xinde light fixtures, not xinde light bulbs!)


  1. The door handle has broken off the door to our patio; as a result, said door no longer opens or closes.

Handyman’s response: Huaile. Xinde.

(Xinde door, not xinde handle!)


  1. Chinese panty-shield glue is so mighty, it rips out crotch of underwear.

Handyman’s response: Huaile. Xinde.

Oh, no! That was not the handyman! That was me!

My response: WHY-le? WHY-le? WHY-le?

Yes, the entire Chinese house is huaile, but the Chinese panty liner is mightier than the American panty!*


With love, laughter, frustration, and bewilderment,

Kimbeijingerly



* For those of you who think this is perhaps a one-time deal, I assure you that it happened TWICE last month!



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5 comments:

  1. UnknownOctober 12, 2011 at 3:54 AM

    Kimberly! Thank you for sharing your adventures. I'm off to xinde some new shoes this weekend. Did I use it right?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beijing BarronOctober 12, 2011 at 4:55 AM

    Zai zhonguo, Duo shi huaile (in china, everything is broken). That's my motto

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pam OlsonOctober 12, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    K ... we've missed you! Now I plan to remember these new vocab words ... they should come in handy during my december visit!

    btw, to unscrew a bulbless socket, an American handyman will tell you to cut off the end of a baking potato and stuff the cut end into the socket, then turn. Allegedly, the socket will turn and fall out. Of course, to do this, you need a potato. Zai zhonguo, perhaps all that is available is rice!


    xoxo!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hollie J.October 12, 2011 at 6:53 AM

    I think the only logical thing to do is to fix everything with the glue of the panty liner. Smack one on the leg of the chair, Rip out that light bulb, and use the damn thing for the door handle and the gate!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lucia AlvarezOctober 12, 2011 at 10:59 PM

    Kimberly, en clave de humor todo pasa mejor . La rima es estúpida y tu texto muy divertido

    ReplyDelete

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