How To Say Hello In Chinese (Mandarin)

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Problem
I want to know the common Chinese (Mandarin) greeting.

Answer
A Chinese speaking woman just told me this.

CHINESE (MANDARIN) GREETING
The greeting is:

Ser (sir) pau (pow) la ma.
This translates as
eaten
already
(interjection, meaningless word)
Question word such as really / is that so

Translated into an English sentence which reads grammatically and coloauqially:
Have you eaten already?

Yes, I have eaten already.




















BRITISH GREETINGS
It is the equivalent of the English, British, formal,
'How do you do?'
'Very well, thank you.'
You say say that even if you are ill.

AMERICAN ENGLISH
Americans also ask, "How are you doin' ?" But they don't expect a detailed answer.

From my point of view, as a teacher of the English language to Singaporeans and other Chinese and Asian language speakers, the interesting words are la and ma.

JAPANESE QUESTION WORDS
Ma, the question word, I already knew. The Japanese equivalent is deska. I can hear a conversation on a train or in a street at or restaurant or supermarket, with sentences ending in deska and quickly know that the speakers are Japanese.

CHINESE QUESTIONS
Ma, being only one syllable, is harder to notice. If you do hear ma, you have identified Mandarin.

The other interesting thing is the word la. Singlish is famous for sentences which sound English but end with the word la. As the word has no translation in English, it is redundant.

How do you avoid answering the question, and giving the impression to your host that you don't want to be fed, when you are hoping for dinner? I have often been nonplussed when asked, Have you eaten? in English.

My friend says that when the phrase is used merely as a greeting, it will be the conversation opener and out of context (presumably said fast at the bus stop or doorway, not as you sit down to eat).

Now you know the phrase:
'Sir pow la ma,' - you can identify it and use it. That sentence will be used frequently, which will remind you.

My new friend suggested watching Chinese films (with subtitles). You can listen for phrases you already know and learn new ones.

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Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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