submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hello! I'm a Mandarin learner from Brazil (very much a beginner). I know how to write some ideograms, how to say some everyday things, etc.

Close to my home there is a small market with Chinese workers. I'm not sure if they're speaking Mandarin or Cantonese, but I wanted to know if it's rude to say a "hello, are you speaking Chinese?" cause I wanted to strike a conversation with them. I don't want to be mean or sound like an nuisance to them.

谢谢！Thank you! Any more details you might want just let me know

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[-] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

it is definitely not rude but from experience overseas chinese are very hit and miss in regards to friendliness. i have tried speaking to many chinese people in my town, some went great and some went terrible lol. but you should definitely try it.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

yeah, I tried it and he was not very friendly. he was nice, don't get me wrong, but he obviously was just trying to do his job and not talk much

overall it was nice though, he spoke mandarin!

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

lol could you manage to understand him? i thought i was doing well with chinese until i first went to talk to a chinese person lol

this post was submitted on 30 May 2025

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