URLLesson Introduction
You want to be polite. But after a day of sightseeing in vinyl shoes, you are slightly apprehensive of the Chinese tradition of taking off one's shoes. Plus the slippers look like they are about four inches too short. What will you do? Learn in your sweaty socked anxiety how to ask your host apprehensively... 'Do I need to take off my shoes?' in Chinese... hopefully in a tone of voice that will tip off your host to insist that you don't.
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bababardwan says
November 5, 2008
This sounded more like a visit from a tradesman than a friend as he wasn't very warm.I'm wondering how it would go in a household where they are strict on removing shoes and they are visited by a tradesman who has to keep his safety boots on.I suppose they could roll out some red carpet in anticipation of such an occasion [leaving him scratching his head as to why he's getting such special treatment];a good way of saving/giving face?
light487 says
November 5, 2008
Well I'll be the first to admit that my feet really stink when I first take my shoes off, especially after a hot day. I don't really feel embaress for myself but for the discomfort it will bring others, or in this case my gracious host.
I wonder how many awkward moments this "shoe-off" culture has caused. This is not a Chinese-only thing either. I remember growing up that it is reasonably common in Italian and Polish households, and even some Australian households as well but usually only the middle to upper class households.
yase says
November 5, 2008
Normally repairmen ( and I seem to get a lot of those to my apartment) bring with them their own polythene type bags to put on over their shoes. I also now have a few spare ones just in case !
aaron says
November 5, 2008
Would anyone ever give you the option “要拖鞋吗？”
Or would it be something more like: "要不要穿拖鞋？”
I only remember the old ladies actually making me wear slippers in their apartments. Now I wear them all the time :) Habit I guess.
edward1980 says
November 5, 2008
hi c-pod,
你们在这节课的介绍写错一个字了。 "of" 应该是“off". 谢谢你们！
jennyzhu says
November 5, 2008
I'm always hesitant about wearing slippers that have covered many many pairs of unknown feet.
jennyzhu says
November 5, 2008
edward1980,
Thank you for pointing it out. We'll correct now.
bodo says
November 5, 2008
I think it's polit to do that, for me it's a for of respect.(without looking those foot-smelled guys) There is a potion for this guys!!
peace!
bodo says
November 5, 2008
"a form of respect "
changye says
November 6, 2008
What is the most dirty thing among the three, floor, slipper and your feet? That is the question.
hanwinaung says
November 6, 2008
bye!!!!
pinkjeans says
November 6, 2008
I prefer visitors to my home to remove their shoes but I feel embarassed to ask them to do it, especially since it isn't the usual thing to do here in the UK. I cringe when they step in after I've just vacuumed, and when I do ask them to take their shoes off - those winter boots and laced-up shoes take such a long time to remove - I feel quite guilty.
sushan says
November 6, 2008
Funny,heard 拖鞋 (tuo1xie2 slippers) instead of 脱鞋 (tuo1xie2 remove shoes).
The plastic shoe covers are called 鞋套 xie2tao4 and they look ridiculous, but they are handy. Some businesses (like the dentist) have you put them on at the door.
One evening I had many guests over, who donned all my pairs of guest slippers...then some additional guests from Japan came who were completely nonplussed by the lack of slippers and asked me if I had plastic bags. They spent the evening with plastic garbage bags tied over their shoes. From that time I have always kept 鞋套 available for those who wish to use them.
missworldtraveler says
November 6, 2008
Thank goodness for socks!
QUESTION
Out of curiosity, since "slippers" is "tuoxie" can I say, "qing ni tuoxie tuoxie ba." to mean
"Please take off your slippers." ?
antony73 says
November 6, 2008
Although taking shoes off isn't always the custom in the uk it is polite to ask, especially during the winter months. As for my Chinese friends living in the uk, I guess home owners have a 'shoes off' house rule while most Take Away owners living above the shop are really not that bothered about having to take your shoes off. Chinese students living in the uk vary.
sushan says
November 6, 2008
socks = 袜子 wa4zi
Me (buying shoes) - "can I please have a discount?'
Salesgirl - "Sorry, price is fixed...but I can throw in some free 袜子!"
Me - "What are 袜子?"
Salesgirl reaches down .... and touches my sock. Ok, I get it!
In my experience Koreans are the most insistent on shoe removing - it's supposed to make you feel like you have honoured the house by entering, or something.
changye says
November 6, 2008
Hi sushan,
Please be careful not to say "拖脱鞋" (tuo1 tuo1 xie2) when you want to say "脱拖鞋" (tuo1 tuo1 xie2), although you can make yourself understood in either case, haha.
I guess that the stupid Japanese guests must be from the Imperial family! I, a native Japanese, have never cared about slippers when entering a friend's house here in China.
Do you know "袜套" (wa4 tao4)? There are two kinds of "袜套". One is "leg warmer", and another is traditional "foot cover (?)". I like to wear the latter before steam heating starts.
Modern 袜套 (leg warmer)
http://yantai.dzwww.com/nx/fszb/200703/t20070321_2067642.htm
Traditional 袜套
http://detail.cn.china.cn/provide/detail,1311250190.html
Incidentally, "boots" is 靴子(xue1zi)/长靴(chang2 xue1) in Chinese.
jackfrombelgium says
November 6, 2008
Hallo,
What means "jin kou".
进口
Thanks.
Jack
changye says
November 6, 2008
Hi Jack,
进口 (jin4 kou3) = import, arrive in port
出口 (chu1 kou3) = export, sail out
从美国进口牛肉 import beef from the US
把牛肉出口到日本 export beef to Japan
bababardwan says
November 6, 2008
yase,
Thanks for that.Interesting.Is this practice very widespread in China? Do they look anything like any of the below?
bababardwan says
November 6, 2008
Shoe cover dispenser:
wxgcathy says
November 6, 2008
bababard
是的，鞋套 has been ”very widespread in China” for many years.
Shoe cover dispenser:---鞋套机
bababardwan says
November 6, 2008
wxgcathy,
Thanks for that.Never seen them used in homes here,not even Chinese friends.They use the slippers.
changye says
November 6, 2008
Hi wxgcathy,
Really? I've never seen 鞋套 in China so far. Please let me know where they are used. 平房，公寓，医院，办公室，or 学校？ I'm very curious about that. Thanks.
wxgcathy says
November 6, 2008
鞋套和拖鞋相比：
1，鞋套很廉价，对于家庭来说，给来访的客人使用不美观也不体面。
2，鞋套是一次性的，长期来说，比使用拖鞋费用高。
所以，在中国家庭中，比较少见。常见于一些放置贵重物品，需要尽量减少灰尘的公共场所，比如学校中放置贵重仪器的教室、语音室、实验室等等。
此外，鞋套也常见于一些比较临时的且需要保持洁净的场所。
我在中国生活几十年了。
rjberki says
November 6, 2008
Changye,
I have seen the shoe covers used - for example if you go to look at flats to rent, this is a convenient way for them to protect the floors.
RJ
sushan says
November 6, 2008
Ha, I didn't know 袜套、 thanks.
In Sichuanhua shoes are 'haizi' - the same word as 'child' in Mandarin. So there is a typical joke about a 外地人 who is pedaling through town with her little one perched on the back of the bike. She's very alarmed when someone calls out '孩子 掉 咯' but when she turns around the child is fine and is wearing only one shoe.
serhatdaki says
November 6, 2008
If you make subtitled videos in lessons we can learn quickly.
bababardwan says
November 6, 2008
suchan,
Thanks for the joke;very good :)
changye says
November 6, 2008
Hi wxgcathy and rjberki,
Thanks for your info. No wonder I've never seen 鞋套 in China. I've never been to those places before, haha.
wxgcathy says
November 6, 2008
rjberki
对。比如，我最近一次使用鞋套是，去看一个新楼盘的样板房（model unit,model houses)。
maud555 says
November 7, 2008
Thank you all for all these precious details!
svetlanaom says
November 12, 2008
well, I come from another culture (Russia) where everyone is expected to remove the shoes when entering any house. we have the floors and carpets that are cleaner than street pavements or ground, especially on a rainy day. I was horrified having moved to the UK, when saw people walking inside my house in the shoes. I had to learn to ask them to remove the shoes. I know quite a few households in the UK, not just foreigners, that have 'no shoes' policy - they inform the coming guests upfront, so that they can bring their own change of shoes.
martinku says
November 13, 2008
@svetlanaom - Yes, it's not just an Asian practice. When I lived in the Czech Republic in the early 90s everyone had racks of shoes and spare slippers by the entrance of their apartments.
I don't know why the Anglo-Saxon cultures are different but there's an interesting vignette in LP Hartley's "The Go-between", set in England in 1900. A schoolboy tells his visiting friend, who is from a slightly less elevated fraction of the middle class, that he should not come down to breakfast wearing his carpet slippers: "it makes you look like a cad - the sort of thing a bank clerk would do." Perhaps trailing around the house in dirty shoes was something aspirational, imitating the aristocracy who have servants to clean up after them.
akenai says
November 18, 2008
Hi,
In the czech republic, you are culturally obligated to take of your shoes, without asking. but, the hosehold, will give you slippers. so watch out for holes in the socks. :)
it is also due to the hard rain, and a lot of snow .....
dagor says
November 21, 2008
A very interesting topic. I am from Germany and i always take of my shoes. Sometimes people then say that you don't need to do it, but i personally do it nonetheless. It just feels bad to bring dirt into other peoples houses.
I don't think its a cultural thing in Germany though, but maybe it is? Never really thought about it.
threecats33 says
November 24, 2008
hey everyone. Can anyone tell me, what is the difference between 'ni3 lai2 la' and 'Ni3 lai2 le' - le is past tense indicator but what is la? I've spotted it a couple of times and been puzzled...
threecats33 says
November 24, 2008
hey everyone. Can anyone tell me, what is the difference between 'ni3 lai2 la' and 'Ni3 lai2 le' - le is past tense indicator but what is la? I've spotted it a couple of times and been puzzled...
penben says
November 26, 2008
I make servicemen take of their shoes here in the USA as well. I've had roofers come and they would carry their shoes to the top floor and put them on again as they step out the window.
lisamann says
November 29, 2008
pearltowerpete says
November 30, 2008
Hi threecats33 and lisamann
The 啦 in 你来啦 Ni3lai2la is the combination of 了le and 啊 a. It gives a softer, more welcoming feeling than just saying matter-of-factly, 你来了.
Sorry about the late reply.