S, Sh

Shang4di4 de5 dan4!

• Comics Mandarin translation (simplified/traditional characters): 上帝的蛋！
• Back-translation of Mandarin: God’s eggs!
• Phonetic for English speakers: SHANG-DEE duh dan!
• Context: Serenity: The Other Half, Jayne, p. 7, on realizing Alliance Man is dead

Shang4di4 de5 dan4

God’s eggs

1. Shang4di4 de5: God’s
   1. Shang4di4: (Christian) God
      1. shang4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: superior, higher
      2. di4 [used only in compound words]: God, Supreme Being
   2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
2. dan4: egg [here: probably for testicles]

shen2jing1bing4

• Simplified characters: 神经病 / Comics Mandarin translation (traditional characters): 神經病
• Back-translation of Mandarin: insanity
• Phonetic for English speakers: shen jing bing
• Context: Serenity: Better Days #3, Wash, p. 4, referring to Zoe’s plan

shen2jing1bing4

insanity, mental illness; [colloquial] a crazy person

1. shen2jing1: a nerve, neuro-, nervous (system, etc.)
   1. shen2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a nerve
   2. jing1: [traditional Chinese medicine] channels
2. bing4: an illness, a disease

Shen2me5?

• Simplified characters: 什么？ / Traditional characters: 什麼？
• Back-translation of Mandarin: What?
• 1. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Duibuqi? [sic (see note below); phonetic for English speakers: Shuh muh?]
• Translated from script English: I'm sorry?
• Context: “Serenity, Part 2” [Deleted scene on DVD], Simon, response to Book’s comment about Serenity’s name not being a joke
• 2. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Shuh muh?
• Translated from script English: What?
• Context: “Shindig,” Kaylee, response to Banning Miller’s comment at the ball
• 3. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Shuh-MUH?
• Translated from script English: I'm sorry?
• Context: Serenity (movie) [Cut], Teacher, to Young River as she pipes up [also described in Serenity (novelization), p. 65, “Teacher” named “Professor Rao”]

shen2me5

[usually pronounced “she2me5”]: what?

1. shen2 [used only in the compound word shen2me5]
2. me5: [suffix for question words]

shen2me5 gong1zuo4 dou1 mei2you3

• Comics Mandarin translation (simplified characters): 什么工作都没有 / Traditional characters: 什麼工作都沒有
• Back-translation of Mandarin: that doesn’t have any jobs
• Phonetic for English speakers: shuh-muh gong tzuo do may yo
• Context: Serenity: Those Left Behind #2, Mal, p. 14, to Inara describing remoteness of location

shen2me5 gong1zuo4 dou1 mei2you3 [de5]

that doesn’t have any jobs

1. shen2me5 (something) dou1: any (something)
   1. shen2me5 [usually pronounced “she2me5”]: something, anything
      1. shen2 [used only in the compound word shen2me5]
      2. me5: [suffix for question words]
   2. dou1: all
2. gong1zuo4: a job, work [noun]
   1. gong1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: work [noun]
   2. zuo4: to make, to do
3. mei2you3: to not have, there is not
   1. mei2: not
   2. you3: to have, there is
4. [understood: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]]

Shen2sheng4 de5 gao1wan2.

• Simplified characters: 神圣的睾丸。 / Traditional characters: 神聖的睾丸。
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Holy testicle(s).
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Shun-SHENG duh gao-WAHN.
• Translated from script English: Holy testicle Tuesday. [see note below]
• Context: “Trash,” Mal, upon seeing ritzy estate parlor

shen2sheng4 de5

to be holy, to be sacred

1. shen2: a god
2. sheng4 [used only in compound words]: holy, sacred
3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

gao1wan2

testicle

1. gao1 [used only in compound words]: a testicle
2. wan2 [used only in compound words (or as a classifier for certain nouns)]: a pill, a small ball

Shi4

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 是
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Yes
• 1. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Shi [see note below; phonetic for English speakers: Shr]
• Translated from script English: Affirmative
• Context: “Serenity, Part 1,” Kaylee, to Wash about going to black
• 2. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Shi. [phonetic for English speakers: Shr.]
• Translated from script English: Affirmative.
• Context: “Serenity, Part 1” [Cut], Wash, to Mal about informing him of Alliance probe

shi4

yes, OK (for agreement)

shuai4

• Simplified characters: 帅 / Traditional characters: 帥
• Back-translation of Mandarin: handsome
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): swai [Taiwan Mandarin pronunciation (FAQ: Variety of Chinese)]
• Translated from script English: cute
• Context: “Safe,” Kaylee, referring to Simon

shuai4

to be handsome

Suo3xi4?

• Simplified characters: 琐细？ / Traditional characters: 瑣細？
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Petty? (trivial)
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Suo-SHEE?
• Translated from script English: Petty?
• Context: “Trash,” Inara, to Mal about what she meant instead of petty after petty thief comment

suo3xi4

to be small and tedious (e.g. work), to be trivial

1. suo3 [used only in compound words]: petty, trivial
2. xi4: to be trifling, to be minute

suo3you3 de5 dou1 shi4dang4…?

• Simplified characters: 所有的都适当……？ / Traditional characters: 所有的都適當……？
• Back-translation of Mandarin: all that’s proper...?
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): suo-yo duh doh shr-dang...?
• Translated from script English: all that's proper...?
• Context: “Out of Gas,” Mal, invoked to Bester the mechanic about his Kaylee-aison

suo3you3 de5 dou1

all, every

1. suo3you3 de5: all, every
   1. suo3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: that which
   2. you3: there is, to possess
   3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause) (modified noun is understood or generic)]
2. dou1: all [commonly used redundantly with suo3you3 de5]

shi4dang4

to be proper, to be appropriate

1. shi4 [used only in compound words]: proper, appropriate [adjective]
2. dang4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: proper, appropriate [adjective]