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Language of Protests - Translation?

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  1. #1

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    Language of Protests - Translation?

    The protests strike me as a great opportunity to learn and improve Cantonese. Could this thread be an platform for those of you who know Cantonese to help explain what some of the key chants, posters, phrases mean (word for word)? I've found at past protests, I've been able to pick up on some words (like 保) and have never forgotten them!

    Like this video for example:
    https://www.facebook.com/www.giggs.h...9883703066978/

    What does the kid shout and what does the crowd respond?

    Other vocabulary I'd find useful to know (characters and pronunciation):
    tear gas
    mask
    add oil
    black cops
    protest
    free Hong Kong



    And this -- it's covered in this photo, but it's all over Admiralty -- what does it mean?

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  2. #2

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    Would suggest downloading Pleco app for your phone and adding the free Cantonese dictionary. The kid is shouting 香港人 ("Hong Kongers"). The crowd reply 加油 ("Add oil"). Black cops are 黑警. Some protesters call police 狗 dogs and call police stations 狗屋 dog houses, that might be part of what's in your picture. More vocab at Restoring Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times – China Heritage, most of the other items on your list you can look up in the dictionary.

    junichitsuyo likes this.

  3. #3

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    I think there are some new chants at marches which I don't recognize. Can anyone clarify?

    Thanks @dengxi that link is very interesting.

    I'm interested to learn some of the new characters HKers are making, too.


  4. #4

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    One new phrase I saw yesterday in causeway bay : some shops had hand made signs outside : ga yau jaahm ' 加油站 . Next to a supply of free bottled water and the like . Kind of like a play on petrol station and the ' go Hong Kong ' theme : guess it keeps there shops safe . Anyway I thought it was quite inventive : also they were doing brink business

    AsianXpat0 likes this.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Elegiaque:
    I'm interested to learn some of the new characters HKers are making, too.
    https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=44269 lots of info here. Also a book of these new made up characters referenced here: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=26959.
    Morrison likes this.

  6. #6

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    This link has (scroll down) one of the new characters that combines black and police in the same character...also explains some of the older sayings...

    https://qz.com/1699119/chants-and-sl...sts-explained/


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by dengxi:
    Would suggest downloading Pleco app for your phone and adding the free Cantonese dictionary. The kid is shouting 香港人 ("Hong Kongers"). The crowd reply 加油 ("Add oil"). Black cops are 黑警. Some protesters call police 狗 dogs and call police stations 狗屋 dog houses, that might be part of what's in your picture. More vocab at Restoring Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times – China Heritage, most of the other items on your list you can look up in the dictionary.
    Thanks to the poster for this article
    The Chinese bingo of stock phrases Carrie uses is funny and so true . And The article about the origin of 光復 and it's use by Taiwan trying to retake the mainland back in the day is fascinating : that little factoid is going to make me look a right little clever clogs next I throw it out in conversation :