Unhippest Mandarin word
Forty-year-old, fashion-blind, popular-press-eschewing recluses are generally excused from petty infractions of regulations against fuddiduddiness.
But some violations are inexcusable, apparently. So when I used the word 语言伙伴 (yǔyán huǒbàn, “language partner”) in a piece of writing the other day, my language partner grimaced. Her correction went something like this:
“Maybe you could just use the English word, ‘language partner’.”
“But isn’t the whole point to write Chinese?”
“Or you could use LP.”
“And Chinese speakers would know what ‘language partner’ or even ‘LP’ means?!”
“Well, my friends would. Nobody uses 语言伙伴. It’s sounds so, well, weird — kind of like some old-fashioned made-up word.” Continue…