Subject: Language question
richjiii
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Post at 8-7-2014 18:54  Profile P.M. 
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Language question

I have been to Macau and Hong Kong before and had a great time.  I told a buddy about it and we are visiting on a mongering trip to both HK and Macau late November.  I would like to be able to speak a little of the local language. In your opinions would it be better to learn Cantonese or Mandarin? Mainly to talk to the WGs but also be able to ask simple questions etc.
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ggherkin
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Post at 8-7-2014 21:00  Profile P.M. 
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I take my hat off to you if you can add any variant of Chinese in that amount of time. I know it took me a lot longer, and my Chinese is still extremely broken.

In HK and Macau, Cantonese will work fine, of course, but I think it is harder to pick up. There's also the notion that if you are going in to China on a future trip, Mandarin could be very useful, and not just for punting.

When it comes to sex words, I've found that most girls in HK and Macau can decipher my attempts to speak either Mando or Canto, even if they are only fluent in one of those. The sex vocabulary is not that large.

I've found that people generally appreciate the effort to speak their language, even if all it does is make them smile or wince.

Bottom line: Either, but I'd do Mandarin for the other benefits.

Gherk

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yoyotam   8-7-2014 21:09  Acceptance  +1   i second that what you said !
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richjiii
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Post at 10-7-2014 19:37  Profile P.M. 
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re: language question

Thanks ggherkin! There is a place here in NYC Chinatown that offers a "vacation survival Chinese" course.  I spoke to them (minus the mongering part) and they offered Cantonese but recommended Mandarin because they thought it would be easier to learn and  I would be able to travel to other places in China in the future and there are more Mandarin speakers coming to America so I could keep in practice here.
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ggherkin
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Post at 10-7-2014 23:57  Profile P.M. 
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Get yourself a Chinese girlfriend with a sister. Out of self-defense, you'll be learning Chinese in no time

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yoyotam   11-7-2014 11:45  Acceptance  +1   "a girlfriend with a sister" lol !
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kaleu
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Post at 11-7-2014 11:32  Profile P.M. 
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In the past, most of the Chinese going to America spoke Cantonese.  Maybe that is changing now.  I don't know.  Personally, I think Cantonese is easier, but Mandarin is more useful.

I would go for a Mandarin class, but unless you are super dedicated or gifted in languages, you aren't going to learn much by November.  Still, give it a try.

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SneakingAround   11-7-2014 13:42  Acceptance  +1   Agreed, but make the decision based on where you plan to spend more time: HK or mainland.
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ggherkin
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Post at 11-7-2014 12:07  Profile P.M. 
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And don't forget ... when it comes to language, immersion is always the best way.

Immerse yourself in someone Chinese, and see if you agree with me

Gherk
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