Reading Facebook in Chinese to get back to English
You can probably figure out how to change your Facebook profile to Chinese, but changing it back to your native language could be a challenge. I thought it would be fun to visit my profile in Chinese once in a while, so I asked my Chinese tutor to help me understand how to get back to English after that. The photos and translations below should be useful not only for navigation, but also to help practice some very current vocabulary!
Here is some vocabulary specific to this effort:
臉書 ㄌㄧㄢˇ ㄕㄨ Facebook
變更語言 ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄥ ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ to change language
首頁 ㄕㄡˇ ㄧㄝˋ home page of a website, title page
欄框 ㄌㄢˊ ㄎㄨㄤ menu bar
箭頭 ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄊㄡˊ arrow head
功能表 ㄍㄨㄥ ㄋㄥˊ ㄅㄧㄠˇ (software) menu
倒數 ㄉㄠˋ ㄕㄨˇ to count backwards, from the bottom
編輯 ㄅㄧㄢ ㄐㄧˊ to edit, editor
各種 ㄍㄜˋ ㄓㄨㄥˇ every kind of, various kinds
除了 ㄔㄨˊ ㄌㄜ˙ besides, apart from, except, in addition to
以外 ㄧˇ ㄨㄞˋ apart from, other than, except for, outside of
幫不了 ㄅㄤ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄞㄠˇ unable to help
儲存變更 ㄔㄨˊ ㄘㄨㄣˊ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄥ to store changes
So, now, here we go. You will notice that I left the Chinese characters as part of the English sentences in cases where the action recommended is specific to recognizing them. Translations of these can be found through links or in the notes.
在臉書上變更語言。
(在)(臉書)❶(上)(變更)(語言)
(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄌㄧㄢˇ ㄕㄨ)(ㄕㄤˋ)(ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄥ)(ㄩˊ ㄧㄢˇ)
(zài)(liǎn shū)(shàng)(biàn gēng)(yú yǎn)
(at)(Facebook)(on)(to change)(language)
Change language on Facebook.
在首頁的右手邊角上找到藍色欄框裡，你可按往下的箭頭。
(在)(首頁)(的)(右)(手)(邊)(角)(上)
(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄕㄡˇ ㄧㄝˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄧㄡˋ)(ㄕㄡˇ)(ㄅㄧㄢˋ)(ㄐㄧㄠˇ)(ㄕㄤˋ)
(zài)(shǒu yè)(de.)(yòu)(shǒu)(biàn)(jiǎo)(shàng)
(at)(home page)(adjective marker)(right)(hand)(side)(corner)(on)
……(找到)(藍)(色)(欄框)(裡)，
……(ㄓㄠˇ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄌㄢˊ)(ㄙㄜˋ)(ㄌㄢˊ ㄎㄨㄤ)(ㄌㄧˇ),
……(zhǎo dào)(lán)(sè)(lán kuāng)(lǐ)
……(to find)(blue)(color)(menu bar)
…………(你)(可)[(按)(往)(下)](的)(箭頭)
…………(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄎㄜˇ)[(ㄢˋ)(ㄨㄤˇ)(ㄒㄧㄚˋ)](ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄊㄡˊ)
…………(nǐ)(kě)[(àn)(wǎng)(xià)](de.)(jiàn tóu)
…………(you)(can, able)[(to press)(to go toward)(down) = click on](adjective marker)(arrow)
On the right hand side corner of the home page, find the downward arrow in the blue menu bar and click on it.
在往下拉的功能表找到倒數第二個就是「設定」。
(在)(往下拉)❷(的)(功能表)(找到)(倒數)(第二)(個)(就)(是)「(設定)」
(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄨㄤˇ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄌㄚ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄍㄨㄥ ㄋㄥˊ ㄅㄧㄠˇ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄉㄠˋ ㄕㄨˇ)(ㄉㄧˋ ㄦˋ)(ㄍㄜ˙)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄕˋ)「(ㄕㄜˋ ㄉㄧㄥˋ)」
(zài)(wǎng xià lā)(de.)(gōng néng biǎo)(zhǎo dào)(dào shǔ)(dì èr)(ge.)(jiù)(shì)「(shè dìng)」
(at)(drop down)(adejective marker)(software menu)(to find)(to count from the bottom)(second)(MW)(just)(is)「(設定)」
In the drop-down menu find 「設定」second from the bottom.
按下「設定」。
(按下)「(設定)」
(ㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄠˋ)「(ㄕㄜˋ ㄉㄧㄥˋ)」
(àn xià)「(shè dìng)」
(to press down, to click on)「(設定)」
Click on「設定」.
現在找到左邊的欄框。
(現在)(找到)(左邊)(的)(欄框)
(ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄧㄢˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄌㄢˊ ㄎㄨㄤ)
(xiàn zài)(zhǎo dào)(zuǒ biàn)(de.)(lán kuāng)
(now)(to find)(left side)(adjective marker)(menu bar)
Now, find the left side bar.
差不多在中間部份你可看到「語言」。
(差不多)(在)(中間)(部份)❸(你)(可)(看到)「(語言)」❹
(ㄔㄚˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄛ)(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄓㄨㄥ ㄐㄧㄢ)(ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄣˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄎㄜˇ)(ㄎㄢˋ ㄉㄠˋ)「(ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ)」
(chà bù duō)(zài)(zhōng jiān)(bù fèn)(nǐ)(kě)(kàn dào)「(yǔ yán)」
(almost)(at)(middle)(part, section)(you)(can)(to see)「(語言)」
Almost at the middle, you can see 「語言」.
再按下「語言」。
(再)(按下)「(語言)」
(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ)「(ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ)」
(zài)(àn xià)「(yǔ yán)」
(then, again)(press down, click)「語言」
Then, click on 「語言」.
然後你就會找到「語言設定」。
(然後)(你)(就)(會)(找到)「(語言)(設定)」
(ㄖㄢˊ ㄏㄡˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄉㄠˋ)「(ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ)(ㄕㄜˋ ㄉㄧㄥˋ)」
(rán hòu)(nǐ)(jiù)(huì)(zhǎo dào)「(yǔ yán)(shè dìng)」
(then)(you)(exactly, at once, then)(to find)「(語言)(設定)」
Then, you will find 「語言設定」.
你想要以哪種語言使用facebook？
(你)(想要)(以)❺(哪)(種)(語言)(使用)(facebook)
(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄧˇ)(ㄋㄚˇ)(ㄓㄨㄥˇ)(ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ)(ㄕˇ ㄩㄥˋ)(facebook)
(nǐ)(xiǎng yào)(yǐ)(nǎ)(zhǒng)(yǔ yán)(shǐ yòng)(facebook)
(you)(to want, to think)(by means of, according to)(which)(type, kind)(language)(to employ, to apply, to make use of)(facebook)
Which language do you want to use on Facebook?
在問題的右手邊你就可以按下「編輯」。
(在)(問題)(的)(右)(手)(邊)(你)(就)(可以)(按下)「(編輯)」
(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄨㄣˋ ㄊㄧˊ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄧㄡˋ)(ㄕㄡˇ)(ㄅㄧㄢ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄎㄜˇ ㄧˇ)(ㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ)「(ㄅㄧㄢ ㄐㄧˊ)」
(zài)(wèn tí)(de.)(yòu)(shǒu)(biān)(nǐ)(jiù)(kě yǐ)(àn xià)「(編輯)」
(at)(question)(adjective marker)(right)(hand)(side)(you)(exactly)(can)(click, to press)「編輯」
To the right hand side of the question, you can click「編輯」.
按下後，你可找到各種語言。
(按下)(後)，(你)(可)(找到)(各種)(語言)
(ㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ)(ㄏㄡˋ), (ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄎㄜˇ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄍㄜˋ ㄓㄨㄥˇ)(ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ)
(àn xià)(hòu), (nǐ)(kě)(zhǎo dào)(gè zhǒng)(yǔ yán)
(to press down, click)(behind, after), (you)(can, able to)(to find)(various kinds)(language)
After you click on it, you will be able to find various languages.
找到你要使用的語言再按下。
(找到)(你)(要)(使用)(的)(語言)(再)(按下)
(ㄓㄠˇ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄕˇ ㄩㄥˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ)(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ)
(zhǎo dào)(nǐ)(yào)(shǐ yòng)(de.)(yǔ yán)(zài)(àn xià)
(to find)(you)(to want)(to use, to apply)(adjective marker)(language)(then)(to press, click)
Find the language you want to use, the click on it.
如果你按下除了英文或中文以外的其他的語言，我就幫不了你了！
(如果)(你)(按下)(除了)❻(英文)(或)
(ㄖㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˇ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ)(ㄔㄨˊ ㄌㄜ˙)(ㄧㄥ ㄨㄣˊ)(ㄏㄨㄛˋ)
(rú guǒ)(nǐ)(àn xià)(chú le.)(yīng wén)(huò)
(if)(you)(to click)(other)(English language)(or)
…..(中文)(以外)(的)(其他的)(語言)，
……(ㄓㄨㄥ ㄨㄣˊ)(ㄧˇ ㄨㄞˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄑㄧˊ ㄊㄚ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ),
……(zhōng wén)(yǐ wài)(de.)(qí tā de.)(yǔ yán)
……(Chinese language)(apart from, except)(adjective marker)(something else, other, the rest)(language)
…………(我)(就)❼(幫不了)(你)(了)
…………(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄅㄤ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄌㄜ˙)
…………(wǒ)(jiù)(bāng bù liǎo)(nǐ)(le.)
…………(I)(then, in that case)(unable to help)(you)(emphasize)
If you click on a language other than English or Chinese, I can’t help you!
不要忘記你要儲存變更噢！
(不)(要)(忘記)(你)(要)(儲存變更)(噢)
(ㄅㄨˊ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄨㄤˋ ㄐㄧˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄔㄨˊ ㄘㄨㄣˊ)(ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄥ)(ㄡ)
(bú)(yào)(wàng jì)(nǐ)(yào)(chú cún)(biàn gēng)(ō)
(not)(to want)(to forget)(you)(to want)(to store)(to change)(Chinese conversational sound)
Don’t forget to save your changes!
Notes:
❶ Here I use the Chinese word for “Facebook,” but later I spell it out since that is how it appears on the Facebook page being referred to.
❷ The characters here literally mean, in sequence, to go in the direction, down, and to pull. Interestingly, the third character, 拉, is also the one used when speaking of playing a stringed instrument such as the violin.
❸ 部分 is useful when talking about fractions.
❹ 語言 means “language”
❺ The use of 以 and 使用 in this sentence are more formal than would be used in speaking with someone. For common conversation the sentence would be more like: 你想要用哪種語言？
❻ 除了。。。以外 is a common grammatical structure for expressing things such as I have done in this sentence.
❼ You may have noticed that 就 can have quite a few meanings. It would be confusing if I listed them all in each sentence, so I choose one or two that are most pertinent. The character always gives an emphasis in some way, though.
