Raising the tone
Apr. 18th, 2009 07:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
khiemtranIn further proof that Chinese is easier than you might think, I found out last week that I've actually been mispronouncing one of my most trustworthy phrases.
Asking for a receipt is quite a common activity, especially since there's a widespread system of reimbursements. In the days when everyone worked for a "work unit", everything from meals to mini-bus "bread loaf bus" rides could be reimbursed, so people hoarded receipts like mad. One trick is that the word that works best, "fa piao", never seems to turn up in any phrasebooks. Usually, the books say "shou ju", which is the most common dictionary translation for receipt, but which has got me a few blank looks even when I'm sure I had the tones right. The Chinese themselves say "fa piao", and since I found that out the last time I was in Beijing, I've got a receipt every time, without so much as a blink.
The funny thing is, on my last trip to Hangzhou, I'd forgotten the tones for it and after asking a friend, misheard him and thought they were second and fourth. It turns out they are actually first and fourth, but no-one seemed to care or notice, and once again I got a receipt each time (a handy thing if you're eating out with conference delegates who *all* want receipts for their travel expenses).
The new restaurant receipts also come with a sort of scratch and win window where you can win a prize every so often. This is to encourage customers to ask for them, since an official receipt also means tax needs to be paid somewhere. It also means you have to be able to read Chinese pretty well to tell if you've won or not. I don't *think* I struck the big one this time...
Asking for a receipt is quite a common activity, especially since there's a widespread system of reimbursements. In the days when everyone worked for a "work unit", everything from meals to mini-bus "bread loaf bus" rides could be reimbursed, so people hoarded receipts like mad. One trick is that the word that works best, "fa piao", never seems to turn up in any phrasebooks. Usually, the books say "shou ju", which is the most common dictionary translation for receipt, but which has got me a few blank looks even when I'm sure I had the tones right. The Chinese themselves say "fa piao", and since I found that out the last time I was in Beijing, I've got a receipt every time, without so much as a blink.
The funny thing is, on my last trip to Hangzhou, I'd forgotten the tones for it and after asking a friend, misheard him and thought they were second and fourth. It turns out they are actually first and fourth, but no-one seemed to care or notice, and once again I got a receipt each time (a handy thing if you're eating out with conference delegates who *all* want receipts for their travel expenses).
The new restaurant receipts also come with a sort of scratch and win window where you can win a prize every so often. This is to encourage customers to ask for them, since an official receipt also means tax needs to be paid somewhere. It also means you have to be able to read Chinese pretty well to tell if you've won or not. I don't *think* I struck the big one this time...
