Tweet

36 Responses to “Can Anyone Help with a Mandarin Chinese Tongue Twister?”

1. Emma Says:
   May 27th, 2006 at 4:37 am

   八百標兵奔北�?�
   炮兵並排北邊跑
   炮兵怕把標兵碰
   標兵怕碰炮兵砲

   Emma

2. David W Solomons Says:
   May 29th, 2006 at 10:10 am

   Systran translates this as folows:
   North 800 pivot men rush the slope artillery north to run the
   artillery to fear abreast in row bumps the pivot man the pivot man to
   fear bumps the artillery artillery
   Can someone confirm or improve this?

3. Agnes Sim Says:
   May 30th, 2006 at 4:42 am

   Eight hundred pivot soldiers rush towards north hill slope
   Artillery soldiers abreast in rows run towards the north
   Artillery soldiers afraid to bump into the pivot soldiers
   Whereas the pivot soldiers afraid to bump into the artillery’s bomb

4. Lisa Says:
   May 30th, 2006 at 7:44 pm

   Many thanks for everyone’s help!

   Now I’m wondering what “pivot men” means. My husband found a definition at http://www.allwords.com/word-pivot.html . It said:

   5. The soldier or position from which a military formation takes its reference when altering its position, etc.

   Now I’m wondering, how can you have 800 pivot men?

   Can anyone shed light on this?

   -Lisa

5. Lisa Says:
   May 30th, 2006 at 10:46 pm

   Ray from Hong Kong wrote me that it should really be “spear soldiers” (spearmen) instead of “pivot soldiers”.

   If you put “spearmen” into the rhyme instead of “pivot soldiers” it makes sense.

6. Danielle Says:
   December 9th, 2006 at 9:42 pm

   Can anyone help turn this English version of a Chinese nursery rhyme into Mandarin or Pekinese? Or supply the original version in Chinese? Thanks for your help :o)

   Old Grandmother Wind
   Old grandmother Wind has come from the East
   She’s ridden a donkey — a dear little beast
   Old mother-in-law Rain has come back again
   She’s come from the North on a horse, it is plain
   Old grandmother Snow is coming you know,
   From the West on a crane — just see how they go
   And old aunty Lightning has come from the South,
   On a big yellow dog with a bit in his mouth.

7. Anna-Marie Says:
   February 3rd, 2007 at 1:20 pm

   Dear Danielle,
   Here are the simplified karakters for your nursery rhyme
   �?祖�?风�?祖�?风�?�自
   她乘�??驴亲爱的�?的野兽
   �?婆婆雨有�?回�?�
   她�?�自北部在马的东方,
   这是雪�?�临您知�?�的简�?�的�?祖�?, 从西方在起�?机看�?怎么他们是并且
   �?婶婶闪电�?�自�?�部,
   在一�?�大黄色狗以�?在他的嘴。

   kindest regards
   Anna-Marie

8. Anna-Marie Says:
   February 3rd, 2007 at 3:25 pm

   盆和瓶 pén hé píng PAN and BOTTLE
   桌上有个盆 zhu�? shàng yǒu gè pén A pan on the table,
   盆里有个瓶 pén l�? yǒu gè píng there’s a bottle in the pan:
   砰 砰 砰 péng péng péng bang, bang, bang.
   是瓶砰盆 shì píng péng pén Is it the bottle hitting the pan
   还是盆砰瓶 hái shì pén péng píng or the pan hitting the bottle?

9. Anna-Marie Says:
   February 3rd, 2007 at 3:32 pm

   This will be better I think
   盆和瓶
   桌上有个盆
   盆里有个瓶
   砰 砰 砰
   是瓶砰盆
   还是盆砰瓶
   pén hé píng
   zhu�? shàng you gè pén
   pén li you gè píng
   péng péng péng
   shì píng péng pén
   hái shì pén péng píng

   PAN and BOTTLE
   A pan on the table,
   there’s a bottle in the pan:
   bang, bang, bang.
   Is it the bottle hitting the pan
   or the pan hitting the bottle?

   kindest regards
   anna-marie

10. Lisa Says:
    February 6th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

    Thanks so much! I just added Pan and Bottle to our China Song pages at:

    http://www.mamalisa.com/world/china.html

    If you’d ever like to send any other traditional songs or nursery rhymes from China, I’d be happy to post them. I’d also be happy to post a recording if you’d like to sing one of the songs. (But I understand that many people don’t like to record themselves singing.)

    Thanks again. It’s greatly appreciated!

    -Lisa

11. Anna-Marie Says:
    February 6th, 2007 at 3:39 pm

    Dear Lisa,
    here is another nursery rhyme

    Hong2 qing1ting2
    Hong2 qing1ting2
    qing1 qing1 ting2.
    Shi2 shang4 qing1 qing1 ting2,
    shui3 shang4 qing1 qing1 ting2,
    feng1 li3 qing1 qing1 ting2.

    (written in traditional chinese characters)
    紅蜻蜓
    紅蜻蜓
    蜻輕�?�
    石上蜻輕�?�
    水上蜻輕�?�
    風里蜻輕�?�

    Red Dragonflies
    Red Dragonflies
    they gently stop.
    On the rocks gently they stop;
    On the water gently they stop;
    In the breeze gently they stop.

    if you like I can give you the dutch translation too.
    maybe this is good for people in Belgium and the Netherlands

    rode waterjuffers (libel)
    rode waterjuffers
    ze stoppen heel zacht
    stilblijvend op de rotsen
    zacht verpozend op het water
    licht pauzerend in de wind

    Is this useful to you?

    kindest regards
    Anna-Marie

12. Lisa Says:
    February 6th, 2007 at 6:13 pm

    That’s wonderful! I added it to the China page.

    Any time you’d like to send a song or nursery rhyme, I’ll be more than happy to post it!

    Best regards,

    Lisa

13. Anna-Marie Says:
    February 8th, 2007 at 3:49 pm

    Dear mama Lisa,
    with pleasure I send you another nursery rhyme
    please let me know if you like me to put tones on the vowels instead of numbers behind.

    Mei4 mei bei1 zhe4 yang2 wa2 wa,
    Zou3 dao4 hua1 yuan2 lai2 kan4 hua1,
    Wa2 wa ku1 le jiao4 ma1 ma,
    Shu4 shang4 de xiao3 niao3 xiao4 ha1 ha1.

    simplified characters
    妹妹背这洋娃娃，
    走到花园�?�看花，
    娃娃哭了�?�妈妈，
    树上的�?鸟笑哈哈。

    traditional characters
    妹妹背這洋娃娃，
    走到花園來看花，
    娃娃哭了�?�媽媽，
    樹上的�?鳥笑哈哈。

    english translation
    Little sister carries her foreign doll
    to the garden to see some flowers.
    The doll cries for its mother.
    A bird up in a tree laughs.

    spanish translation
    hermanita porta su muñeca extranjera
    al jardin para mirar las flores
    la muñeca llora a su madre
    un pájaro en un arbol esta reiendo

    dutch translation
    zusje draagt haar buitenlandse pop
    naar de tuin om bloemen te bekijken
    de pop huilt om zijn mama
    een vogel in de boom lacht

    kindest regards
    anna-marie

14. Anna-Marie Says:
    February 10th, 2007 at 3:50 pm

    Dear mama Lisa,
    here are the chinese characters for the song Liang zhi lao hu”
    on the tune of “Frère Jacques”
    traditional characters
    兩�?��?虎
    兩�?��?虎
    跑的快
    跑的快
    一�?�沒有眼�?�
    一�?�沒有尾巴
    真乞怪
    真乞怪

    simplified characters
    两 �?� �? 虎
    两 �?� �? 虎
    跑 得 快
    跑 得 快
    一 �?� 没 有 眼 �?�
    一 �?� 没 有 尾 巴
    真 奇 怪
    真 奇 怪
    liang3 zhi3 lao3 hu3
    liang3 zhi3 lao3 hu3
    pao3 de kuai4
    pao3 de kuai4
    yi4 zhi3 mei2you3 yan3jing1
    yi4 zhi3 mei2you3 wei3ba
    zhen1 qi2 guai4
    zhen1 qi2 guai4

    english:
    two old tigers
    two old tigers
    running very fast
    running very fast
    one has no eyes
    one has no tail
    how strange
    how strange

    dutch
    twee oude tijgers
    twee oude tijgers
    lopen heel snel
    lopen heel snel
    ene heeft geen ogen
    ene heeft geen staart
    hoe raar is dat
    hoe raar is dat

    kindest regards
    Anna-Marie

15. Lisa Says:
    February 10th, 2007 at 8:06 pm

    Thanks so much Anne-Marie!

    I think the way you put the pronunciation is fine. I put the following below Red Dragonflies as an explanation of the numbers. Would you agree with this explanation? (If so, I’ll put it below the other songs too.)

    The numbers are the tones used for each word. The Chinese use 4 different tones.

    1. Is a high level tone (almost like your singing the word)
    2. Is a high rising tone
    3. The tone starts at a neutral point then drops down low then returns.
    4. Drops fast and abrupt

    Thanks again!

    -Lisa

16. Anna-Marie Says:
    February 11th, 2007 at 2:03 pm

    Dear mama Lisa,
    your explanation of the tones is indeed correct.
    Is it ok if I write the nursery rhymes and tongue twisters always in this blog? even if they are originally in an other language?

    I am enjoying your site very much.

    kindest regards
    anna-marie

17. Lisa Says:
    February 12th, 2007 at 2:21 pm

    Hi Anne-Marie,

    You’re welcome to write nursery rhymes and tongue twisters here in the blog. Then I can transfer them to the appropriate country page. (Even if they’re in another language.)

    Thanks for your kind words!

    Best regards,

    Lisa

18. Anna-Marie Says:
    February 15th, 2007 at 10:45 am

    Dear mama Lisa,
    this is a Chinese children story

    chinese karakters are the same simplified as they are traditional.

    xiăo m�?o niào chuáng !
    xiăo m�?o niào chuáng le .
    xiăo m�?o pà nán wéi qíng , bă bèizi gài zài chuáng shàng
    (
    Yí , nă r lái de wèi r ?
    À , yuán lái shì zhè yàng !
    xiăo m�?o , xiăo m�?o , xiū , xiū , xiū .
    w�? …..

    �?猫尿床�?
    �?猫尿床了。
    �?猫怕难为情，把被�?盖在床上。
    (�?�的�?狗说) :
    咦，哪儿�?�的味儿？
    啊，原�?�是这样�?。
    �?猫，�?猫，羞�?羞�?羞�?。
    (�?猫哭) 哇———- 。

    free translation : english
    kitten wets the bed!
    kitten has wetted the bed.
    kitten fears being brought in embarrassment,
    take a blanket and lays it on the bed.
    (little dog came in and says : )
    Yuh, where is that smell coming from?
    Ah, this is the cause!
    kitten, kitten, shame ! shame! Shame!
    (kitten weeps ) Wah——-.

    dutch
    poesje plast in bed
    poesje heeft in bed geplast
    poesje vreest in verlegenheid gebracht te worden ,
    grijpt het deken en legt het op het bed
    (het kleine hondje komt binnen en zegt : )
    bah , vanwaar komt die geur ?
    Ah, de oorsprong is van deze aard !
    poesje , poesje , schaam je , schaam je , schaam je .
    ( poesje weent ) whei———

    this is a wellknown story in China
    kindest regards
    anna-marie

19. Anna-Marie Says:
    February 15th, 2007 at 10:59 am

    sorry for confusion in pinyin text
    should be :

    xiăo m�?o niào chuáng !
    xiăo m�?o niào chuáng le .
    xiăo m�?o pà nán wéi qíng , bă bèizi gài zài chuáng shàng
    (lái de xiăo g�?u shu�? : )
    Yí , nă r lái de wèi r ?
    À , yuán lái shì zhè yàng !
    xiăo m�?o , xiăo m�?o , xiū , xiū , xiū .
    (xiăo m�?o kū : ) w�? …..

    anna-marie

20. Lisa Says:
    February 15th, 2007 at 12:21 pm

    Thank you Anne-Marie!

    I’m wondering if you’d know of a traditional Chinese song, nursery rhyme or poem that I could post for the Chinese New Year? I think a lot of people would enjoy it, if it’s possible to find one.

    Please feel free to let me know if there’s anything you’re looking for, that we can help you find.

    Thanks again for everything!

    Best regards,

    Lisa

21. Anna-Marie Says:
    March 18th, 2007 at 11:57 am

    Dear mama Lisa,
    here is the chinese text and translation of the song I sent you
    It is my favorite song

    忘�?了!

    �?怕山高
    �?怕路�?�
    美丽影象
    忘也忘�?了
    �?�看一眼
    一切都这么美好
    �?看一眼
    我这一生�?�?�了
    我这一生�?�?�了
    �?怕山高
    �?怕路�?�
    美丽影象
    忘也忘�?了

    bú pà sh�?n g�?o
    bú pà lù yáo
    mĕi lì yĭng xiàng
    wăng yĕ wăng bù liăo
    t�?u kàn yì yăn
    yí qiè d�?u zhème mĕi hăo
    zài kàn yì yăn
    wǒ zhè yì shēng bú biàn liăo ǒ= wo3
    wǒ zhè yì shēng bú biàn liăo
    bú pà sh�?n g�?o
    bú pà lù yáo
    mĕi lì yĭng xiàng
    wăng yĕ wăng bù liăo

    Nederlands vrije vertaling
    titel : Niet vergeten !
    Vrees niet de hoge berg
    Vrees niet de verre weg
    De mooie schaduwvormen
    Vergeten doe je nooit
    een steelse blik
    zulks moois beantwoordt aan alles
    nogmaals een oogopslag
    ik zou dit ontstaan niet veranderen
    ik zou dit ontstaan niet veranderen
    Vrees niet de hoge berg
    Vrees niet de verre weg
    De mooie schaduwvormen
    Vergeten doe je nooit!!!

    English : free translation
    titel : Don’t forget
    don’t be afraid of the high montain
    don’t be afraid of the long road
    the beautifull shadows
    You’ll never forget
    take a quick look
    such beauty fullfill everything
    again a quick look
    I wouldn’t change this origin
    I wouldn’t change this origin
    don’t be afraid of the high montain
    don’t be afraid of the long road
    the beautifull shadows
    You’ll never forget!!!

    I hope you enjoy it as much as I do
    big hug
    anna-marie

22. Danielle Says:
    September 11th, 2007 at 5:45 pm

    What are the chinese characters for big sister and little sister? Is there any way you can say little big sister or big little sister?

23. Sarah Says:
    January 10th, 2008 at 9:05 pm

    In pinyin, big sister is pronounced jie jie and little sister is pronounced mei mei [may may]j.

    jie jie �?�?
    mei mei 妹妹

24. myncroaro Says:
    December 18th, 2008 at 8:21 pm

    Hello

    As a fresh http://www.mamalisa.com user i just wanted to say hi to everyone else who uses this forum B-)

25. mnorgovudkka Says:
    December 28th, 2008 at 9:47 pm

    Hy my name is mnorgovudkka
    Im from mongolia
    Buy

26. Jennifer Says:
    February 13th, 2010 at 11:45 am

    Ok……. I like it, but can u send one to me by e-mail?

27. Sammy Li Wei Long Says:
    May 22nd, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    Dear Mama Lisa,

    Here is a little bit of correction for the song Ling Zhi Lao Hu
    in English so that people can sing it in English according to the tune:
    Liang Zhi Lao Hu , Two Old Tigers:
    Two old tigers
    Two old tigers
    Run very fast
    Run very fast
    One of them has no eyes
    One of them has no tail
    Oh how strange
    Oh how strange

    Yours sincerely,

    Sammy Li Wei Long
    dgates.newsletter@gmail.com
    Sydney, Australia

28. tony rivas Says:
    July 26th, 2010 at 7:43 am

    i was told a tongue twister in either mandarin or cantonese. it is about a princess called say/sai/she (??) who died when she was 44. can anyone help with both the original language and an english translation??

    thank you
    tony

29. Sarah Says:
    July 28th, 2010 at 6:55 am

    Can someone please show me what the name “Shaun” would look like in chinese writing?

30. Fire Basket · Says:
    November 14th, 2010 at 9:10 am

    is there something like a free translation service that we can use online ? ”`

31. Wendy Says:
    April 27th, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    Dear Lisa:

    I Am From China And I Not Speak To Much EnglishXd
    Ypurs Tongue Twisters Are Amazing.
    I’m In Panama I Send You Greetings In Panama.

    My Email Is wendyzhongzeng@example.com If You Want To Add Me Ok. Bye Bye:)

32. Wendy Says:
    April 27th, 2011 at 7:23 pm

    A Question How Old You Have??

33. novera rahman Says:
    June 8th, 2011 at 6:21 am

    could anybody inform me what does the “po” in the upper right corner mean??….i mean the exact English translation of that particular word??

34. Monique Says:
    June 10th, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    坡 = pō = slope

35. novera rahman Says:
    June 24th, 2011 at 4:09 am

    thanks a lot!!!….yay!

36. zhunlian Says:
    October 1st, 2011 at 10:18 am

    i have a poem can i post it? if i can here it is
    yu2 er yu2 er shui3 zhong1 you2 you2 lai3 you2 qu4 le4 you1 you1 lei2 le wo4 shui3 cao3 e4 le chi1 xiao3 chong2 le4 you1 you1 le4 you1 you1 shui3 jing1 shi4 jie4 ren4 zi4 you4
    English:
    Fish wanders in the water,enjoying the great wonder.Resting in the waterweed when weary;eating the little worm when hungry.It’s so good to feel free in this crystal world

Leave a Reply