# Are Chinese chopstick manufacturers mocking me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769 "2004-06-29T21:23:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/1 "2004-06-29T21:23:44Z")
I had dinner at a Chinese Buffet yesterday, as I often do. When I opened my chopstick package, I read the following on the side opposite the pictorial direction side: > [@](#): > > Welcome to Chinese Restaurant. > please try your Nice Chinese Food with Chopsticks > the traditional and typical of Chinese glorious history. > and cultural This is _exactly_ what is written there. It also says: PRODUCT OF CHINA. So…is there an attempt by the Chinese manufacturer to be cute, or do they think what they have written on the packaging is grammatically cool? How difficult would it be to pay someone who is a native english speaker to proofread, considering that you are sending out millions of pieces? Oh, and the food was great. ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/2 "2004-06-29T21:27:04Z")
This is so offensive. The Chinese are now deliberately stealing the American gags about bad Chinese translations of English, and releasing them back to the west as a very subtle and sarcastic form of mockery. As soon as I can work out who to be offended on behalf of, I’ll be up to bat. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/3 "2004-06-29T21:36:55Z")
> [@Ross](#): > > This is so offensive. hehehe…yeah, right. After decades of having round eyes mock their speech as they walk away from the table. 😉 Seriously, any Dopers in China able to handle this? Also, if someone could give me phonetic phrases in Chinese so I can tell a waitress that the food is good or she looks nice I would appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Kegg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Kegg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kegg)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/4 "2004-06-29T21:56:26Z")
In Cantonise, “ho sik” is good food. “ho fogay” is good waitress. but be carefull how you say it (all even tone) or you could be saying turkey!!! * * * Spelling and grammer subject to change without notice. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/5 "2004-06-29T22:07:57Z")
I have a friend who goes on buying trips in China. There are a _lot_ of small factories (located outside the larger cities) that specialize in turning out small items for worldwide export. The stuff is made really cheaply and sold for a not huge mark-up. My point is the guys don’t spend extra money on unnecessary things like having a foreigner proof-read something that won’t make much difference. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/6 "2004-06-29T22:25:57Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > My point is the guys don’t spend extra money on unnecessary things like having a foreigner proof-read something that won’t make much difference. That was my first thought. The cynic in me, however, kept imagining Wong Chopstick Company owned by some tycoon who hasn’t spoken a word of Chinese his whole life. Thanks for the phrases **Kegg**. I’ll give them a try. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/7 "2004-06-29T23:19:31Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > How difficult would it be to pay someone who is a native english speaker to proofread, considering that you are sending out millions of pieces? Odds are, they just wanted to have something there for you to read. Grammatical accuracy probably wasn’t even on the radar. > [@Kegg](#): > > In Cantonise, “ho sik” is good food. “ho fogay” is good waitress. but be carefull how you say it (all even tone) or you could be saying turkey!!! Literally, “ho sik” is “good (to) eat”, though I’d use “ho kay toi” (good waiter) or “door jeh” (thank you) instead of trying to dance around the turkey thing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/8 "2004-06-29T23:33:58Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > So…is there an attempt by the Chinese manufacturer to be cute, or do they think what they have written on the packaging is grammatically cool? How difficult would it be to pay someone who is a native english speaker to proofread, considering that you are sending out millions of pieces? Dunno, but it’s _everywhere_ - have a look at [www.engrish.com](http://www.engrish.com) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/9 "2004-06-29T23:45:09Z")
Several years ago, when I lived in Beijing, a new office for a major western bank opened up not far from a friend’s apartment. I walked by as the painters were putting the finishing touches on the fancy sliding glass doors, and their work read: “Welcoming to You.” On the front doors of an American-owned bank, ferchrissakes! There just isn’t a lot of effort expended in getting proper translations of things. And in Mandarin, good food is “hao chi” [sounds like how chir] and you can call for the waitress by saying “xiaojie” [sounds like shao - jieh]. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/10 "2004-06-29T23:49:35Z")
How do you say the waitress looks good enough to eat ? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/11 "2004-06-29T23:50:02Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > I had dinner at a Chinese Buffet yesterday, as I often do. When I opened my chopstick package, I read the following on the side opposite the pictorial direction side: > > This is _exactly_ what is written there. It also says: PRODUCT OF CHINA. > > So…is there an attempt by the Chinese manufacturer to be cute, or do they think what they have written on the packaging is grammatically cool? How difficult would it be to pay someone who is a native english speaker to proofread, considering that you are sending out millions of pieces? > > Oh, and the food was great. You said it all in the last sentence, IMO. Also IMO, the food _does_ taste better when eaten with the glorious implements mentioned. Damn, I want some noodles. Carbs are your friends. 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/12 "2004-06-30T01:11:05Z")
If we’ve got the same package of chopsticks, the other side of the wrapper has instructions on how to use chopsticks which are written about as perfectly as you could expect, though lacking any kind of punctuation: Learn how to use your chopsticks Tuck under thumb and hold firmly Add second chopstick hold it as you would a pencil Hold first chopstick in original position move the second up and down Now you can pick up anything So if this can be translated well, why can’t someone rewrite the front to say something like "Welcome to **this** Chinese restaurant. Please try your **delicious** Chinese food with chopsticks, **which are** traditional and typical of **China’s** glorious history and culture. (Bolding are my edits. Hey, I was only trying to make the sentence read, not make a lot of sense.) ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/13 "2004-06-30T01:38:55Z")
At dinner a few years ago with some friends, one fortune cookie said: STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS That’s all it said. Another diner at the table complained - his cookie just read: “HOT” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/14 "2004-06-30T02:57:11Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > So…is there an attempt by the Chinese manufacturer to be cute, or do they think what they have written on the packaging is grammatically cool? I don’t know, but I have seen that same message on a certain brand of chopsticks for many years. ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/15 "2004-06-30T04:10:04Z")
It’s “Chinglish” - a brave and sincere attempt at English by a non-native speaker. Obviously, they think they’re doing it right. Typically, a chopstick factory would have no English speakers, but maybe someone who studies it as a hobby got suckered into writing the copy for the package. No-one else at the company would know it was flawed. It’s so common here (to some extent) and in the Mainland (a lot) that you don’t notice it after a while. You can understand the basic meaning and that’s good enough. Incidentally, there’s a street near where I live called Rednaxela Terrace. One theory is that the painter of the original sign (over 100 years ago) wrote the word ‘Alexander’ from right to left, as Chinese was then. ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/16 "2004-06-30T06:57:40Z")
I doubt the translation’s accuracy has any impact on their sales, so yeah it probably would be a big deal to scout around, hire a good translator, have the bosses haggle over the issue, finally change the printing dyes in the factory, and the continue selling the same numebr of chopsticks for the same price when they’ll never so much as get one “thank you” card for their efforts from a concerned enlgish-speaking customer, let alone see any more money come back from the change. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/17 "2004-06-30T10:03:22Z")
I’ve long made fun of that blurb, but I think you’ve got it wrong, unless they’ve corrected it. Isn’t “glorious” actually printed as"glonious" and isn’t “cultural” spelled as “cultual?” The shit I remember. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/18 "2004-06-30T12:50:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Are Chinese chopstick manufacturers mocking me? Why yes. Yes they are. And the Secret Masters of the World are sending you coded messages in the rummage sale ads in your local paper. And Brittany Speares is sending you messages in her songs, professing her true love for you—meassages only _you_ can understand. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/19 "2004-06-30T13:19:05Z")
We get them over here, too. It’s done deliberately so that you and your friends can have a little chuckle – “Get a load of these crazy foreigners” – and enjoy a little frisson of cultural superiority with your hoi sin sauce. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769/20 "2004-06-30T13:34:06Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Why yes. Yes they are. > > And the Secret Masters of the World are sending you coded messages in the rummage sale ads in your local paper. > > And Brittany Speares is sending you messages in her songs, professing her true love for you—meassages only _you_ can understand. **Britney Spears** \* 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-chinese-chopstick-manufacturers-mocking-me/252769.md?page=2)