On Being Romantical

In an effort to maintain some level of connection with the very little bit of Mandarin I learned in China, I signed up at nciku.com and I like to do a daily (though usually, only a couple times a week) exercise in learning how to write a new character or phrase. Sometimes it's topical, like today I learned that 情人节 (qing ren jie) is Valentine's Day (or Feelings People Day), other times I pick random words, like 斗牛犬(dou niu quan), which is bulldog (or fight cow dog). Throw on the yingguo and you have yourself a British fight cow dog (my favorite!).

Since today is Valentine's day, their Conversation of the Day was a true lesson in being romantic.


Wife: Jīntiān qíngrénjié nǐ zěnme dōu bú sòng wǒ huār a?

今天情人节你怎么都不送我花儿啊？

It's Valentine's Day today. Why don't you give me flowers?


Husband: Nà dōngxi nàme guì, hái méi shénme yòng.

那东西那么贵，还没什么用。

They are so expensive and useless.


Wife: Kě nǐ qùnián jiù sòngwǒ le a.

可你去年就送我了啊。

But you gave me flowers last year.


Husband: Qùnián nǐ hái zhǐshì wǒ nǚpéngyǒu, xiànzài dōu shì wǒ lǎopó le, hái sònghuā tǎonǐ huānxīn a.

去年你还只是我女朋友，现在都是我老婆了，还送花讨你欢心啊！

You were my girlfriend last year. But you are already my wife now. There's no need to give you flowers to please you.



Obviously these hamsters are not yet married. That lady hamster better not get her hopes up.