I struggle to pronounce Chinese names. It's something I've been working to get better at, but don't dare (so far) try when talking with anyone. Would it be rude in Chinese culture to *try* to pronounce names correctly if I will make a lot of mistakes?
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Different countries have different approaches to this... so I'd like to be sensitive if I can. For example, is this something where preferences would vary a lot from person to person versus most folks having broadly the same view?
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I was surprised by the degree to which French culture handled these things differently than American culture, so now I assume most places are unique.
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I remember when it felt like "my ears opened" to french and all the sudden I could distinguish different words. Hear the sounds. And begin to make my mouth form the right shapes to make the words. Maybe I should just use @duolingo for a while before I try this out loud.
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Also, will anyone correct my mistakes? It isn't their job of course. I have no expectations, but is it culturally acceptable to correct people? I noticed in France it was kind to correct people one likes/knows. Conversely it was rude if a stranger corrected pronunciation.
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As an American, I just didn't correct anyone unless they specifically asked for help or I really couldn't understand what was said. Is that culture? Or just me?
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Anyway, if you've read this far, and you'd like to help me avoid a faux pas, I'd be incredibly grateful. 🙏🏻 And if you've learned Chinese pronunciation and have resources you liked, please share!
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Yes. Also, there are multiple systems of romanization (converting to Latin letters) for the same language.
For example, the surname 曲 in Mandarin might be romanized as Qu in mainland China but as Ch'ü in Taiwan (and then shortened to Chu with substantial loss of information).
Feb 10, 2021 · 12:41 AM UTC
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