We just start speaking louder. Flailing of limbs usually helps
Just for the record, you should be aware that because this thread is nine years old, most of the posters are no longer around (although some are).
Topics tend to go on forever. Some of my most valuable information has come from posts 10 years old. Since my post, others have posted, and I assume more will continue to post as this topic comes back alive again.
But thanks for the heads up, I did just realize the date.
I don’t think they can. I hear Chinese people talking a lot and even when they are clearly happy (laughing with each other etc.) it sounds from the tone of their voices like they are really pissed off all the time.
You know, I just thought about it, and in English (I live in Singapore here) most of us don’t use tone to express emotion, we use loudness, emphasis on parts of words, and word choice, to determine emotion. Interesting.
But I’m imagining a British or American speaker now, and I can think of a few tones which would differentiate emotions.
Yup. “La” is actually “lah”, and is borrowed from Malay. It is usually used to soften a request, even by native English speakers in Malaysia. “I’d rather you didn’t do that, lah…”
Really interesting thread, even if it is a zombie.
You aren’t always native Chinese? How do you transition between being native Chinese and being something else? What are you when you are not native Chinese?