Do Chinese people yell all the time?

Cavehill Red

Quick question - my mate lives in an apartment block and the neighbours on one side are Chinese.
Sitting in his living room the other day, it was almost impossible to converse because of the distraction coming through the wall of a Chinese man yelling almost continually.
Apparently this is a daily occurrence, and happens at anytime of the day or night.
So, what I was wondering is - is this a cultural thing? IE Do Chinese people simply yell a lot? Or should my mate be calling the cops to report a domestic abuse case?

General General

Yes, they arr yerr arr the time, arrways yerring.

SEPT 23 1989

General General wrote: »

Yes, they arr yerr arr the time, arrways yerring.

You are wong

Anyone

Great bunch of lads

lufties

Yes...Hong kongers are ok generally, mainlanders are always brutal for it.

Gotham

I notice anytime I'm ever out of the country, the Irish guys are always a few dB above the average.

lufties

General General wrote: »

Yes, they arr yerr arr the time, arrways yerring.

Leally?

General General

Gotham wrote: »

I notice anytime I'm ever out of the country, the Irish guys are always a few dB above the average.

Ah, now... that's just racist.

krudler

Wanna meet a loud nation go to Spain, the country the indoor voice forgot.

wretcheddomain

Reminds me of this:

Cavehill Red

Before this goes completely OT, I am happy to reveal that I find Americans, West Africans and young Italians to be unacceptably loud in general. But this isn't being loud. This is some dude yelling almost continuously for 20 minutes or so at a time.
What I'm trying to establish is whether that is in any way normal in Chinese culture (in which case, my mate goes and knocks on his door and asks him to pipe down) or is it likely something unusual and more serious (in which case, he bells the cops and tells them there's a screaming nutter next door.)

Motopepe

The combined simultaneous yelling of 1,353,821,000 people, (while apparently not as damaging as them all jumping at the same time) would cause a catastrophic series of seismic events all over the planet.

Crooked Jack

Gotham wrote: »

I notice anytime I'm ever out of the country, the Irish guys are always a few dB above the average.

You sure that's not just because an Irish accent would be more recognisable to you and you're able to identify it in a crowd more easily?
I tend to find certain Americans talk incredibly loudly.

**Vai**

Cant anyone be loud? I even know a loud Irish guy. Shocking, I know!

Gotham

Crooked Jack wrote: »

You sure that's not just because an Irish accent would be more recognisable to you and you're able to identify it in a crowd more easily?

I dont think it's got to do with that anyway.

A few times in mainland Europe I've be walking down the street chatting with a couple of Irish people and then realise were basically yelling in the street. Same in pubs etc.

I also notice that different areas and towns across Ireland have these general traits too.
Dundalk people talk really loudly.

--Kaiser--

Don't be so racist, that's the Spanish your talking about

Crooked Jack

Motopepe wrote: »

The combined simultaneous yelling of 1,353,821,000 people, (while apparently not as damaging as them all jumping at the same time) would cause a catastrophic series of seismic events all over the planet.

http://what-if.xkcd.com/8/

seven_eleven

In general, Chinese people talk very loudly. Some people get a culture shock when they go to China and everybody is yelling around them.

They also like to spit everywhere! Complete different culture, I think its interesting.

Crooked Jack

Gotham wrote: »

I dont think it's got to do with that anyway.

A few times in mainland Europe I've be walking down the street chatting with a couple of Irish people and then realise were basically yelling in the street. Same in pubs etc.

I also notice that different areas and towns across Ireland have these general traits too.
Dundalk people talk really loudly.

That's because they live in County LOUD!

...I'm sorry. I'll leave.

My wife is Chinese, and is relatively reserved and quiet.

However, a bunch of lads from Donegal live next door, and at least three nights a week are shouting and roaring looking at matches / drinking cans / basically just being loud.

So generalising is pretty futile.

**Vai**

Donegal bastards.

**Vai**

**Vai** wrote: »

Donegal bastards.

I knew a fellow Laois person would agree

Cavehill Red

Deleted User wrote: »

My wife is Chinese, and is relatively reserved and quiet.

However, a bunch of lads from Donegal live next door, and at least three nights a week are shouting and roaring looking at matches / drinking cans / basically just being loud.

So generalising is pretty futile.

Do you yell at your wife in Chinese for large parts of the day and evening? If so, your neighbours would like you to pipe down, and likely so would your wife.

Cavehill Red

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Do you yell at your wife in Chinese for large parts of the day and evening? If so, your neighbours would like you to pipe down, and likely so would your wife.

Is it mandarin or cantonese? Perhaps a question for the OP

Cavehill Red

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it mandarin or cantonese? Perhaps a question for the OP

I can't tell and I suspect my mate wouldn't know either. But it's not Thai or Viet, we're pretty much sure of that.

Giruilla

The Chinese language uses intonations constantly that we use yet we're untrained to notice we do. For instance, the way we say 'No!' for refusal uses a downward intonation, a sound in english we relate to a negation, dislike or argumentative sound. This intonation is necessary in Chinese to pronounce everyday words normally.. therefore they sound like they're yelling or arguing to us.

Gotham

Giruilla wrote: »

The Chinese language uses intonations constantly that we use yet we're untrained to notice we do.

I'm Ron Burgandy?

Cavehill Red

Giruilla wrote: »

The Chinese language uses intonations constantly that we use yet we're untrained to notice we do. For instance, the way we say 'No!' for refusal uses a downward intonation, a sound in english we relate to a negation, dislike or argumentative sound. This intonation is necessary in Chinese to pronounce everyday words normally.. therefore they sound like they're yelling or arguing to us.

That doesn't really explain how it can be heard through a brick wall and two rooms away.

markomuscle

I had a Chinese flatmate for a while last year, I assumed he was having arguments with his wife on skype, then I realised he wasn't as he used to laugh during the conversations as well

Karl Stein

An Italian, a Scotsman, and a Chinese fellow are hired at a construction site. The foreman points to a huge pile of sand and says to the Italian guy, "You're in charge of sweeping." To the Scotsman, he says, "You're in charge of shoveling." And to the Chinese guy, "You're in charge of supplies." The foreman then shrugs his shoulders and says, "Now, I have to leave for a little while. I expect you guys to make a good dent in that pile of sand by the time I get back."

A few hours later when the foreman returns, he sees that the pile of sand is still untouched. Pointing to the pile of sand, the foreman says to the Italian, "Why didn't you sweep any of it?" The Italian replies in a heavy accent, "I no gotta broom. You tella the Chinesea guy he inna charge of a supplies, but hea disappeara, and I coulda no finda him! "

Then the foreman turns to the Scotsman and asks, "Didn't I tell you to shovel that sand?" The Scotsman replies in his heavy brogue, "Aye, ye did, laddie, but I couldnay get meself a shovel. Ye left the Chinese in charge of supplies, but I couldnay find him!"

The foreman is really angry now and storms off toward the pile of sand, looking for the Chinese guy.

Just then, the Chinese guy springs out from behind the pile of sand and yells, "SUPPLIES!"

Catphish

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Before this goes completely OT, I am happy to reveal that I find Americans, West Africans and young Italians to be unacceptably loud in general. But this isn't being loud. This is some dude yelling almost continuously for 20 minutes or so at a time.
What I'm trying to establish is whether that is in any way normal in Chinese culture (in which case, my mate goes and knocks on his door and asks him to pipe down) or is it likely something unusual and more serious (in which case, he bells the cops and tells them there's a screaming nutter next door.)

I think most foreigners sound loud to us. If you're on a bus during the summer months the Spanish would drive you nuts. There might be a few of them talking in the same group at the same time, I'm beginning to think they all just interupting each other hence the shouting.

I've been considering learning the lingo just to find out what these loud hot topics are about. I bet you anything its an argument over whos idea it was to come here in the first place :pac:

Oranage2

Yes, Chinese people speak very loudly.

steveLFC24

**Vai** wrote: »

Cant anyone be loud? I even know a loud Irish guy. Shocking, I know!

It isn't the Irish, it's the Chinese he's after

SeanW

Cavehill Red wrote: »

That doesn't really explain how it can be heard through a brick wall and two rooms away.

Your mate lives in one of Irelands ****ty apartment buildings with walls that have all the sound blocking properties of paper. I had always known that Irish apartment buildings were made of rubbish, but a thread on Ranting and Raving a couple of years back made it clear to me just how badly they're built.

Your mate should have bought/rented a house.

Senna

Why you no speak louder?

Legs.Eleven

krudler wrote: »

Wanna meet a loud nation go to Spain, the country the indoor voice forgot.

I'd actually love to record my neighbours (in Spain) for you now. SHOUTING at the top of their lungs and trying to pass it off as conversation.

They're discussing pigeons and pigeon droppings on the washing ffs.

--LOS--

I've lived with a russian girl before and that was some headache, her and her friends just shouting all the time, and there were a few different nationalities in the house, but the russian girl definitely stood out and I've heard similar from other people.

Archeron

Motopepe wrote: »

The combined simultaneous yelling of 1,353,821,000 people, (while apparently not as damaging as them all jumping at the same time) would cause a catastrophic series of seismic events all over the planet.

The day after tomollow?

SeanW

If they're shouting really loud you should go check it out. Could be sum ting wong.

face1990

That's why it's called Chinese whispers

MadsL

You'll have to speak up, I'm an cafe in the US. Couldn't hear half this thread.

Cavehill Red

SeanW wrote: »

Your mate lives in one of Irelands ****ty apartment buildings with walls that have all the sound blocking properties of paper. I had always known that Irish apartment buildings were made of rubbish, but a thread on Ranting and Raving a couple of years back made it clear to me just how badly they're built.

Your mate should have bought/rented a house.

You clearly missed the words "brick wall", so I'll repeat them for you. Brick wall.