Chinglish becoming more popular in China

But not everyone sees the trend as 'gelivable' (fantastic or cool)
By Kor Kian Beng, The Straits Times, 5 May 2014

A CHINESE office worker exasperated with a colleague who keeps finding fault with his report might well retort: "You can you up, no can no BB!"

Welcome to the world of Chinglish. But first, the translation: "You do it if you are so capable; otherwise keep quiet!"

Just as Singaporeans love their Singlish and Thais have Tinglish, English with very strong Chinese characteristics has become increasingly popular in China.

"No zuo no die", often seen on social media, is used to warn others against doing something foolish that may land them in trouble. Popular words include "tuhao" (people who have lots of money but no taste or manners) and "diaosi" (geeks or losers).

Of late, more Chinglish phrases have entered the English lexicon, a development that, to many in China, underscores their country's growing influence on the world, especially with Chinese slowly becoming the language of choice in the Western world.

On April 9, "you can you up, no can no BB" became the latest entry in the online Urban Dictionary, which has 7.7 million definitions for slang and buzzwords not found in standard dictionaries.

Earlier entries included "gelivable" (fantastic or cool), derived from gei li, or "to give strength or energy". There is "erbility" - not to be mistaken for "ability" - used on someone who does something stupid. Similarly, "zhuangbility" (boastfulness) and "shability" (foolishness).

The latest entry was reported in an almost celebratory tone by Chinese state media. Xinhua news agency, on April 18, said "English speakers may soon be saying 'you can you up, no can no BB' in response to criticism".

The Global Times tabloid, in a commentary on April 26, noted that the popularity of a language is likely the best gauge of how much influence the country of origin has on the rest of the world.

"It is possible that Chinglish will be treated less as a negative example of English misuse, since an increasing number of Chinglish words and expressions are being accepted by mainstream native speakers," wrote reporter Liu Zhun.

This positive tone contrasts starkly with how Chinglish used to be frowned upon. In the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China ordered signs and menus with Chinglish to be removed.

Still, the debate on the pros and cons of Chinglish continues.

"Some worry that too many loan words and exotic expressions will damage the independence of a language, but some believe it further proves the irreversibility of globalisation," wrote Ms Liu.

Proponents say Chinglish results from the creative use of language to invent words that reflect socio-political realities. For instance, "smilence" comes from the phrase xiao er bu yu, which means "smile in silence", while "sexcretary" refers to a secretary who sleeps with her boss.

Detractors see the prevalence of Chinglish as hindering the proper learning of English.

Ms Fan Rongrong, 26, who teaches English to working adults at the Open University of China in Beijing, advises her students not to use Chinglish in their school work if they want to master the English language.

Ms Sui Chunhui, 30, who works for a cultural exchange company in Beijing, does not use Chinglish, especially at work.

"It's not mainstream and it makes us come across as being too casual," she said.

Still, the Chinese authorities are more likely to welcome the rising popularity of Chinglish than the impact English has had on the Chinese language.

The People's Daily, a Communist Party mouthpiece, in an April 11 article, criticised a proliferation of English acronyms in the mass media for sullying the "purity" of the Chinese language.

Zhongshan University language professor Zhou Haizhong believes that China should be more accepting of Chinglish and view it rationally and objectively, adding that it will fade away if its usefulness diminishes.

"Students should learn standard English while the relevant authorities should facilitate the usage of Chinglish so that it becomes a unique reflection of how Chinese and Western cultures have assimilated with each other," he told The International Herald Leader, a Xinhua publication, in an interview last December.

PM Lee: S'pore's mother tongues will evolve
By Tham Yuen-C, The Straits Times, 5 May 2014

AS LIVE languages that are meant to be used, Singaporeans' mother tongues will evolve and change over time, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

But he emphasised in a Facebook post that Singapore pays a lot of attention to languages, and the Government would do its utmost to keep mother tongue languages alive.

He urged Singaporeans to write and speak these languages not just correctly, but colloquially too.

"Then we will really be cool, or as we say in Mandarin: ku," he said, using the Chinese character for the word.

Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

Mr Lee's post was sparked by a BBC article online about how the Chinese language was changing in China.

"People are using English words in spoken and written Chinese directly, without translating them into Chinese or even transliterating them into similar sounding Chinese characters," he wrote.

The Chinese, for instance, use English abbreviations such as Wi-Fi, CEO and MBA without any translations.

The abbreviations refer to wireless Internet, chief executive officer and a master's in business administration.

This trend is causing controversy in China as some are supportive of such usage, saying it is practical since everyone knows what a term like Wi-Fi means, while others feel it would pollute the Chinese language with foreign words.

Noting that English words were also being incorporated into Malay spoken in Malaysia, and Tamil spoken in India, Mr Lee added that languages often take in influences from other languages.

"The reality is that a language is a live, changing thing. It constantly absorbs words, concepts and usages from foreign languages, so long as people are using it in their daily lives," he wrote.

"Otherwise it becomes a dead language, studied by scholars but not spoken by ordinary people any more, like Latin or Sanskrit."