Killer Fact 洋鬼子 yáng guǐzi

Killer Fact  洋鬼子 yáng guǐzi

Here is something interesting a pejorative term for foreigners 洋鬼子 yáng guǐzi  literal translation is a 'Foreign Devil'. 

Now where does this all come from?  I am glad you asked. Historically (not now of course) the Chinese viewed people beyond their borders as barbarians.

Two derogatory terms were used;

In the southern parts of China, the term Gweilo or Gwai Lo 鬼佬; Cantonese gwai2 lou2 was used.

In Northern parts of China, the term Western ocean ghost 西洋 鬼子 Xi Yang Guizi was used, Europe West of China.

Breaking it down;

The term gui 鬼 ghost in guizi devils 鬼子 is an adjective that can be used to express hate and deprecation. The character gui 鬼 alone can have negative connotations.

More information;

Westerners were called Yang Guizi 洋鬼子 during Boxer Rebellion 1898 - 1901.

Japanese military in the term devil soldiers Guizi Bing 鬼子兵 during the Second Sino-Japanese War 1937 - 1945.  The Korean military with the term Second Devil Er Guizi 二鬼子.

Guizi can be used to refer to either Japanese 日本鬼子; pinyin: rìběn guǐzi; literally "Japanese devil", or  東洋鬼子; pinyin: dōngyáng guǐzi; literally "east ocean devil".

Westerners  洋鬼子 yáng guǐzi; literally "Westernern devil, west ocean devil" or 西洋鬼子; pinyin: xiyáng guǐzi; literally "west ocean devil".

Now another word for foreigners in Mandarin Chinese is Laowai   老外 lǎowài literally "Old Outsider" (Alien is actually the best translation) is also a little bit controversial with some folk. Especially the expatriate community in China. Similarities in other lands include gringo  how some Americans view the Spanish/Brazilian Portuguese in their lands, the Japanese word gaijin,  Thailand has farang and Germans have Ausländer. By the way I have been a  gaijin, a farang and an  Ausländer and it didn't bother me.

你好。我是样鬼子。

你阅读电子书吗？我 有 九 万 多 本 电 子 书 。

1. 你阅读电子书吗？
nǐ yuèdú diànzǐshū ma ?
Do you read ebooks?
当然我阅读电子书！
Of course I read ebooks！

2. 你觉得有一天电子书会完全取代纸质书吗？
nǐ juéde yǒu yī tiān diànzǐshū huì wánquán qǔdài zhǐ zhì shūma ?
Do you think one day electronic book will completely replace paper book?
wǒ bù jué dé 。
我 不 觉  得 。
I don't think so.
yīn wèi dà bù fen rén xǐ huɑn zhǐ shū 。
因  为  大 部 分  人  喜 欢   纸  书  。
Because most people prefer paper books.
hěn duō rén xǐ huɑn pěnɡ zhe shū 。
很  多  人  喜 欢   捧   着  书  。
Many people like holding books.
Wǒ de lǎoshī tóngyì wǒ shuō de.
我的老师 同   意 我 说 的 。
My teacher agrees with (what I said).
wǒ yǒu jiǔ wàn duō běn diàn zǐ shū。
我 有  九  万  多  本  电   子 书  。
I have more than 90000 electronic books。

kě nénɡ jiānɡ lái yǒu yì tiān wǒ huì kàn yì běn 。
可 能   将    来  有  一 天   我 会  看  一 本  。
....and one day I might read one.

Cheers 乔纳森