Xiao Ka's Firefly Pinyinary
I am a browncoat
- 人 listen
- wo3 shi4 he4 shang4 yi1 ren2
- oo'oh shr heh shang ee ren
Serenity
- 靜 listen
- ning2 jing4
- ning jing
The Signal
- 波 (electric wave) listen
- dian4 bo1
- dee'en boh
You can't stop the Signal
- 了 (you cannot cut the signal) listen
- ni3 bu4 neng6 ba3 dian4 bo1 jian3 diao4 le
- nee boo nung ba dee'en boh jee'en dee'ao luh
Live life with Blue Sun
- 子 (depend on blue sun to live/pass the days) listen
- kao1 lan2 ri4 guo4 ri4 zi
- kao lan r guo r dz
- 子 (live/pass the days with blue sun) listen
- gen1 lan2 ri4 guo4 ri4 zi
- gen lan r guo r dz
You're listening to the Signal
- 波 listen
- ni3 zai4 ting1 zhe3 dian4 bo1
- nee dzai ting jeh dee'en boh
Congratulations
- 喜 (usually said twice) listen
- gong1 xi3
- goh'ng shee
You look nice
- 帥 (so handsome) listen
- hao3 shuai4
- hao shoo'ai
- 亮 (so pretty) listen
- zhen1 piao4 liang4
- jen pee'ao liang
Please
- 啊 (as in "please, I'm begging you") listen
- qiu2 qiu2 ni3 a (the 'a' is just the sound at the end to make it sound better ... can put lo, a, lei ... whatever you feel like kinda depending on your tone of voice)
- cheeou cheeou nee ah
- 托 (as in "pu-leeaase" or "come-ON, you gotta be kidding me" but also as in requesting someone to do something) listen
- bai4 tuo1
- bai too'oh
- 請 + verb (as in please sit down, please come in, please etc. ... invitational please) listen
- qing3
- ching
- 你 ... (can/will you please ... ) listen
- qing3 ni3
- ching nee
Thank you
- 謝 (thanks) listen
- xie4 xie4
- shee'eh shee'eh
- 謝 (lots of thanks) listen
- duo1 xie4
- doo'oh shee'eh
Excuse me
- 起 (sorry) listen
- dui4 bu4 qi3
- doo'ei boo chee
- 過 (excuse me ... as in please let me past/get through) listen
- jie4 guo4
- gee'eh goo'oh
- 問 (excuse me ... as in may I ask a question?) listen
- qing3 wen4
- ching oo'en
- 思 (sorry ... as in 'I'm embarrassed' I cannot do something, I need something etc. etc.) listen
- bu4 hao3 yi4 si1
- boo ha'oo ee suh
May I?
- (我)以 ... 嗎 listen
- ke3 yi3
- keh ee
Long time no see
- 見 listen
- hao3 jiu3 bu4 jian4
- ha'oo gee'ou boo gee'en
How are you?
- 嗎 (this means "are you ok" or "are you so-so" literally ... used more when someone looks like they might not be doing so well or you know they've been having a rough time etc.) listen
- ni3 hai2 hao3 ma
- nee hai hao ma
Let's go
- 吧/了 listen or listen
- zou3 ba or zou3 le
- dzou ba or dzou luh
I'm leaving
- 我(先)了 (if you add the 2nd character it's literal meaning is I'm leaving first ... but it's common to say it as a more polite yet casual way) listen
- wo3 (xian1) zou3 le
- woh (shee'en) dzou luh
Eat!
- 啊/吧 (more of a nudge, depending on the situation can be rude) listen or listen
- chi1 a/ba
- chr ah/bah
- 吃 (means eat slowly ... but common to say to start the meal off) listen
- man4 man4 chi1
- mah'n mah'n chr
Really?
- 嗎/啊 (ma and a can both be used ... ma makes it more of a question, while a makes it more of a statement) listen or listen
- zhen1 de ma/a
- jen duh mah/ah
How come / why?
- 麼? listen
- Wei4 shen me
- Oo'ei shemmeh
Who is it?
- 誰 listen
- shi4 shei2
- shr shei
Whose is it?
- 的 listen
- shi4 shei2 de
- shr shei duh
Well, in that case
- 那, (subj + 就 + verb + 啊) listen
- na4, (subj + jiu4 + verb + a)
- nah, (subj + gee'ou + verb + ah)
No problem
- 係 (it's ok, no problem) listen
- mei2 guan1 xi4
- mei guan shee
- 題 (no problem) listen
- mei2 wen4 ti2
- mei oo'en tee
Hello
- 好 listen
- ni3 hao3
- nee hao
Goodbye
- 見 listen
- zai4 jian4
- dzai gee'en
See you (time, e.g. tomorrow)
- (天)見 listen
- ming2 tian1) jian4
- (ming tee'en) gee'en
Shiny
- 爽 (slang for sweet ... actually means feels good amongst other things) listen
- shuang3
- shoo'ang
How to Speak Chinese
For more phrases and examples found in Firefly, Serenity and the comics listen to our series "How to Speak Chinese", found on various episodes of the Signal.
How to Speak Chinese series page