<blockquote>
  <p>喜欢上 一个人</p>
</blockquote>

<p><code>to get to like someone</code> or <code>to get to like being alone</code></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>喜欢 上一个 人</p>
</blockquote>

<p><code>to like the previous man/woman</code></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>喜欢 上 一个人</p>
</blockquote>

<p><code>to like to f-word someone</code></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-29T05:20:53.470Z
2016-07-29T05:20:53.470Z
ElpieKay
<p>Chinese do have mishearing issue, because of the limited pronunciation and tones. </p>

<p>The classic example may be all foreigners know when they were starting to learn Chinese tones is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>请问shui jiao 多少钱一 wan ？</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If foreigners don't pay attention to the tones, It could be: <em>请问水饺多少钱一碗？(How much for one bow of dumplings, please?)</em>, or <em>请问睡觉多少钱一晚？(How much for sleeping with you for one night, please?)</em>. 睡觉 and 水饺 have same pronunciation but different tones, 晚 and 碗 have the exactly same pronunciation and tone. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-29T04:21:16.050Z
Mandarin only has 4 sounds, in contrast, Cantonese has 9 sounds, mishearing problem is less common.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-29T05:32:29.337Z
I don't think mishearing is common issue in any language, but Chinese do have.
thinwa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-29T03:15:25.783Z
2016-07-29T03:15:25.783Z
thinwa
<p>There are wordplay in every language, Chinese is no exception.</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>"下雨天留客，天留人不留。"<br>
"Raining day make the guest stay, although heaven keeps the guest, the host does not."</p>

<p>"下雨天，留客天。留人不?" "留！"<br>
"Raining day, a day to keep the guest.  Do you keep the guest ?" 
(answer) "Keep!"</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>From Steven Chow's movies-</p>

<p>西人，狠樣 ( can't explain here because these are vulgar terms)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-29T04:22:34.550Z
*西人，狠樣 ( can't explain here because these are vulgar terms)* --( it is in Cantonese)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-29T03:24:13.860Z
2016-07-29T03:24:13.860Z
Tang Ho
<p>Another example, "小處不可隨便" is a motto which means one should be serious even on small matters.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-02T03:34:22.240Z
2016-08-02T03:34:22.240Z
velut luna
<p>In English, ambiguity (mishearing, or intentional wordplay) can be created by
boundary shifting.  Do you have anything like this in Chinese?  Thank you.  HH</p>

<p>(written space -shifting) </p>

<pre><code>notable -- no table -- not able

AMIABLE TOGETHER = AM I ABLE TO GET HER? (by Dmitri Borgmann)
              is a perfect longer example.
</code></pre>

<p>(aural (spoken?) "juncture" -shifting) -- (moving of perceptual grouping?)</p>

<pre><code>grade A    ---   gray day 
night-rate   ---  nitrate 
I scream     ---   ice cream 
a nice man   ---   an ice man 
home-acre    ---   hoe-maker 
</code></pre>

<p>Intended tags:  Wordplay, Speech-error, Humor</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-29T16:07:59.630Z
Something interesting to read: http://www.matrix67.com/blog/archives/2571
user23013
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-29T21:03:03.683Z
This is my thread (my question) so I can comment, but to comment on other threads, I apparently need 50 reputation points ! --  ( All these rules ! -- and this rule makes zero sense.) After I get to 50 points I will feel more comfortable about this site. (Currently I feel deprived, handcuffed.) ______________________________________ Thank you for the 3 answers so far.  They are all excellent.  HH
HizHa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-01T10:05:26.687Z
Excuse me while I kiss the sky
Mou某
<word-choice><syntax>
Boundary-shifting wordplay (or mishearing) in Chinese?
# Boundary-shifting wordplay (or mishearing) in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-07-29)

In English, ambiguity (mishearing, or intentional wordplay) can be created by
boundary shifting. Do you have anything like this in Chinese? Thank you. HH

(written space -shifting)

```
notable -- no table -- not able

AMIABLE TOGETHER = AM I ABLE TO GET HER? (by Dmitri Borgmann)
              is a perfect longer example.

```

(aural (spoken?) "juncture" -shifting) -- (moving of perceptual grouping?)

```
grade A    ---   gray day 
night-rate   ---  nitrate 
I scream     ---   ice cream 
a nice man   ---   an ice man 
home-acre    ---   hoe-maker 

```

Intended tags: Wordplay, Speech-error, Humor

**Tags:** word-choice, syntax

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Something interesting to read: http://www.matrix67.com/blog/archives/2571  
> **username_0**: This is my thread (my question) so I can comment, but to comment on other threads, I apparently need 50 reputation points ! --  ( All these rules ! -- and this rule makes zero sense.) After I get to 50 points I will feel more comfortable about this site. (Currently I feel deprived, handcuffed.) ______________________________________ Thank you for the 3 answers so far.  They are all excellent.  HH  
> **username_2**: Excuse me while I kiss the sky  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-07-29. Score: 7

> 喜欢上 一个人

`to get to like someone` or `to get to like being alone`

> 喜欢 上一个 人

`to like the previous man/woman`

> 喜欢 上 一个人

`to like to f-word someone`


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-07-29. Score: 5

Chinese do have mishearing issue, because of the limited pronunciation and tones.

The classic example may be all foreigners know when they were starting to learn Chinese tones is:

> 请问shui jiao 多少钱一 wan ？

If foreigners don't pay attention to the tones, It could be: *请问水饺多少钱一碗？(How much for one bow of dumplings, please?)*, or *请问睡觉多少钱一晚？(How much for sleeping with you for one night, please?)*. 睡觉 and 水饺 have same pronunciation but different tones, 晚 and 碗 have the exactly same pronunciation and tone.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Mandarin only has 4 sounds, in contrast, Cantonese has 9 sounds, mishearing problem is less common.  
> **username_4**: I don't think mishearing is common issue in any language, but Chinese do have.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-07-29. Score: 4

There are wordplay in every language, Chinese is no exception.

Example:

"下雨天留客，天留人不留。"  
"Raining day make the guest stay, although heaven keeps the guest, the host does not."

"下雨天，留客天。留人不?" "留！"  
"Raining day, a day to keep the guest. Do you keep the guest ?"
(answer) "Keep!"

Example:

From Steven Chow's movies-

西人，狠樣 ( can't explain here because these are vulgar terms)

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: *西人，狠樣 ( can't explain here because these are vulgar terms)* --( it is in Cantonese)  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2016-08-02. Score: 1

Another example, "小處不可隨便" is a motto which means one should be serious even on small matters.


---

