Z (tz), Zh (j)

(Zh: see also J)

Firefly–Serenity Chinese Pinyinary
Chinese translations with standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization and Chinese characters for Firefly the TV series and Serenity the movie and comic books

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Chinese Dialog

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Zao1gao1!

Simplified/Traditional characters: 糟糕！
Back-translation of Mandarin: Damn!
1. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tzao gao.
Translated from script English: Crap.
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Wash, upon learning it was a Reaver attack
2. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tzao-gao!
Translated from script English: Damn it!
Context: “War Stories,” Mal, upon seeing laser-sight dot
3. Novelization Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tzao-gao!
Possibly translated from the English: Damn it! [from “War Stories” script]
Context: Serenity (novelization) [Thought], Mal, p. 10, as skiff plummets toward him
4. Novelization Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tzao-gao!
Possibly translated from the English: Damn it! [from “War Stories” script]
Context: Serenity (novelization) [Thought], Mal, p. 242, when he’s stabbed

zao1gao1

[colloquial] Damn!, What a mess!

zao1: to be ruined, [literally and figuratively] to be spoiled
gao1: cake, pudding

Zen3me5 le5?

Simplified characters: 怎么了？ / Traditional characters: 怎麼了？
Back-translation of Mandarin: What’s wrong?
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tzuh muh luh?
Translated from script English: What's going on?
Context: “Our Mrs. Reynolds” [Deleted scene on DVD], Simon, to Book as River escorts him to Book

zen3me5 le5

What happened?, What’s wrong?

zen3me5: why?, how?
1. zen3: why, how
2. me5: [suffix for question words]
le5: [completion marker]

zhan4dou3 de5 yi1 kuai4 rou4

Simplified characters: 战抖的一块肉 / Traditional characters: 戰抖的一塊肉
Back-translation of Mandarin: trembling piece of flesh
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): JAN-doh duh ee-KWAI-ro
Translated from script English: dangly piece of flesh
Context: “Trash” [Cut], Zoe, referring to what Mal shouldn’t think with

zhan4dou3 de5

trembling, that trembles

zhan4dou3: to tremble, to shiver (with cold or fear)
1. zhan4 [used only in compound words (or as a family name)]: to tremble, to shiver (with cold)
2. dou3: to tremble, to shiver
de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

yi1 kuai4 rou4

piece of flesh

yi1 kuai4: a piece of
1. yi1 [pronounced “yi2” before a 4th-tone syllable]: one, a
2. kuai4: [classifier for pieces/lumps]
rou4: meat, flesh

Zhe4ge5 ji4hua4 zhen1 ke3pa4!

Simplified characters: 这个计划真可怕！ / Traditional characters: 這個計劃真可怕！
Back-translation of Mandarin: This plan is truly horrible!
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Juhguh JEE HUA jun kuhPAH!
Translated from script English: There's nothing about this plan that isn't horrific!
Context: Serenity (movie) [Mostly inaudible], Wash, about Mal’s dangerous plan [also described in Serenity (novelization), p. 195]

zhe4ge5 ji4hua4

this plan

zhe4ge5: this, this one
1. zhe4: this
2. ge5: [general classifier for nouns]
ji4hua4: a plan
1. ji4: a plan, a stratagem
2. hua4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a plan

zhen1 ke3pa4

to be truly horrible

zhen1: truly, indeed
ke3pa4: horrible, fearful
1. ke3: [prefix turning verb to adjective meaning ‘capable of’, ‘-able’/‘-ible’]
2. pa4: to fear, to dread

Zhe4 shi4 shen2me5 lan4dong1xi5!?

Simplified characters: 这是什么烂东西！？ / Traditional characters: 這是什麼爛東西！？
Back-translation of Mandarin: What is this trash!?
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi!?
Translated from script English: What is this garbage!?
Context: “Jaynestown,” Wash, referring to Mudder’s Milk

zhe4 shi4 shen2me5

what is this?

zhe4: this
shi4: to be
shen2me5 [usually pronounced “she2me5”]: what?
1. shen2 [used only in the compound word shen2me5]
2. me5: [suffix for question words]

lan4dong1xi5

trash [noun], junk [noun]

lan4: to be messy, to be dissolute
dong1xi5: a thing, a creature
1. dong1: east
2. xi1: west

Note:

Similar insults:
- Ni3 shi4 shen2me5 dong1xi5? 你是什么东西？ (traditional: 你是什麼東西？): [insult] What are you anyway?, Who do you think you are?!; ni3: you (singular); shi4: to be; shen2me5 [usually pronounced “she2me5”]: what? [see main entry above]; dong1xi5: a thing, a creature [see main entry above]
- Ni3 bu4 shi4 dong1xi5 你不是东西 (traditional: 你不是東西 ): [insult] You’re nothing; ni3: you (singular); bu4 [pronounced “bu2” before a 4th-tone syllable]: not; shi4: to be; dong1xi5: a thing, a creature [see main entry above]

See also:

Shen2me5? (“Serenity, Part 2” [Cut], “Shindig,” Serenity [movie] [Cut])

Zhe4 zhen1 shi4 ge5 kuai4le4 de5 jin4zhan3…

Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean jan...
See: O1, zhe4 zhen1 shi4 ge5 kuai4le4 de5 jin4zhan3… (O)

Zhen1 dao3mei2!

Simplified/Traditional characters: 真倒霉！
Back-translation of Mandarin: What rotten luck!
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Jen dao mei!
Translated from script English: Just our luck!
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Mal, upon realizing it was a Reaver attack

zhen1 dao3mei2

What rotten luck!

zhen1: truly, indeed
dao3mei2: to be unlucky, to be out of luck
1. dao3: to fall down/over
2. mei2: mildew, mold

zhen1 de5 shi4 tian1cai2

Simplified/Traditional characters: 真的是天才
Back-translation of Mandarin: is a real genius
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): jen duh sh tyen tsai
Translated from script English: an absolute genius
Context: “The Train Job,” Kaylee, referring to Mal and his plans

zhen1 de5 shi4

to be a real (something)

zhen1 de5: [variant of: zhen1] truly, indeed
shi4: to be

tian1cai2

a genius

tian1: nature-given, heaven, God
cai2 [used only in compound words]: a person with a capability

See also:

tian1cai2 (“Bushwhacked” [Cut])

Zhen1 mei2 nai4xing4 de5 Fo2zu3

Simplified characters: 真没耐性的佛祖 / Traditional characters: 真沒耐性的佛祖
Back-translation of Mandarin: Buddha that truly has no patience
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): jen mei NAI-shing duh FWO-tzoo
Translated from script English: Extraordinarily impatient Buddha
Context: “Heart of Gold,” Nandi, response to Mal’s gentlemanly manner

zhen1

truly, indeed

mei2 nai4xing4 de5

that has no patience, without patience

mei2: [abbreviation] →
mei2you3 没有 (traditional: 沒有 ): to have no (something), -less
1. mei2: not
2. you3: to have, there is
nai4xing4: patience, endurance
1. nai4: patient
2. xing4: [suffix making abstract nouns from adjectives], -ness, -ity
de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

Fo2zu3

[Buddhism] [polite] Buddha, a Buddhist patriarch (sect founder)

Fo2: [abbreviation] →
Fo2tuo2 佛陀 : [Buddhism] Buddha [loanword; transliteration for Buddha: [Sanskrit] The Awakened One (see note below)]
1. Fo2: [phonetically used Chinese character] [now only refers to Buddha/Buddhism]
2. tuo2 [used only in compound words]: [phonetically used Chinese character]; [literally: a steep bank]
zu3 [used only in compound words (or as a family name)]: an ancestor, a founder

Notes:

Buddha: The Chinese characters were used phonetically not for Modern Standard Mandarin (Putonghua) Fo2tuo2 (“fuo-tuo”) but for an older pronunciation like “biuət-da.” For reconstructed Middle Chinese (220–960 CE) pronunciations of the syllables of Fo2tuo2, see Bernhard Karlgren, Analytic Dictionary of Chinese and Sino-Japanese (1923; reprint, New York: Dover, 1991), entry nos. 47, 1011.
Also:
- Fo2jiao4 佛教 : Buddhism; Fo2: [abbreviation] → Fo2tuo2 佛陀 : [Buddhism] Buddha [see main entry above]; jiao4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: religion
- Fo2jiao4tu2 佛教徒 : a Buddhist; Fo2jiao4: Buddhism [see above]; tu2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a follower

See also:

Ren2ci2 de5 Fo2zu3… (“Our Mrs. Reynolds”)
Ren2ci2 de5 Fo2zu3, qing3 bao3you4 wo3men5… (Serenity [movie])

Zhen1 ta1ma1 yao4ming4. Zhu4yi4.

Simplified characters: 真他妈要命。注意。 / Traditional characters: 真他媽要命。注意。
Back-translation of Mandarin: This is damn dangerous. Pay attention.
Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Zhu yi. [sic (see note below); phonetic for English speakers: Jun tah-mah yao-ming. Joo-ee.]
Translated from script English: Watch your back.
Context: “Serenity, Part 1,” Wash, to Zoe as she and the others go off to meet Badger

zhen1 ta1ma1 yao4ming4

[offensive] this is damn dangerous

zhen1 ta1ma1 [de5]: [offensive] damn/damned [intensifier], f***ing [intensifier]
1. zhen1: truly, indeed
2. ta1ma1 [de5]: [offensive] damn/damned [intensifier], f***ing [intensifier]
  1. ta1ma1: his mother
    1. ta1 [de5]: his
      1. ta1: he
      2. [understood: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]]
    2. ma1: [colloquial] a mom, a mother
  2. [optional: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]]
yao4ming4: to be dangerous, to be perilous
1. yao4: to want
2. ming4: a life

zhu4yi4

to pay attention

zhu4 [used only in compound words (or as a classifier for certain nouns)]: to concentrate
yi4 [used only in compound words]: attention

Note:

Pronunciation: Wash sounds like “Juh ta ma yao ming. Joo-yee” instead of “Jun tah-mah yao-ming. Joo-ee.” But he definitely said more than the the script’s Zhu yi.

See also:

Ni3 ta1ma1 de5. Tian1xia4 suo3you3 de5 ren2. Dou1 gai1si3. (“Serenity, Part 1”)
Ta1ma1 de5. (“Serenity, Part 1”)
Ta1ma1 de5 hun2dan4. (“War Stories”)
Ye1su1, ta1ma1 de5— (“Jaynestown”)

zheng1qi4 de5 gou3shi3dui1

Simplified/Traditional characters: 蒸汽的狗屎堆
Back-translation of Mandarin: steaming pile of crap (worthless thing)
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): jung chi duh go-se dway [Taiwan Mandarin pronunciation (FAQ: Variety of Chinese)]
Translated from script English: steaming crap pile
Context: “Our Mrs. Reynolds” [Cut], Bandit 1, addressing disguised Jayne

zheng1qi4 de5

steamy, steaming

zheng1qi4: steam [noun]
1. zheng1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: steam [noun]
2. qi4 [used only in compound words]: steam [noun]
de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]

gou3shi3dui1

[offensive] a pile of dog crap, [insult] [offensive] a bastard (nonliteral)

gou3shi3 [de5]: of dog crap
1. gou3shi3: [insult] [offensive] crap (a worthless thing); [literally: [offensive] dog dung]
  1. gou3: a dog
  2. shi3: excrement, dung
2. [understood: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]]
dui1: a stack, a pile

See also:

gen1 hou2zi5 bi3 diu1 shi3 (“Heart of Gold”)
gou3shi3 (“Shindig,” “Safe,” “Out of Gas,” “The Message” [Cut], Serenity [novelization])
niu2shi3 (“War Stories”)

Zhu3 a5, ni3 ming2ming2 zhi1dao5 wo3 shi4 bang1 ni3 zuo4shi4, you4 he2 bi4 zhao3 wo3 ma2fan5 ne5?

Comics Mandarin translation (simplified characters): 主阿，你明明知道我是帮你做事，又何必找我麻烦呢？ / Traditional characters: 主阿，你明明知道我是幫你做事，又何必找我麻煩呢？
Back-translation of Mandarin: O Lord, You are obviously aware that I assist You in doing Your work; oh why must You cause me such trouble?
Phonetic for English speakers: Joo ah, nee ming ming jee dao wuh shr bang nee tzuo shr, yo huh bee jao wuh ma fan nuh?
Context: Serenity: Those Left Behind #1, Book, p. 9, addressing God after everyone leaves church

Zhu3 a5

O Lord

zhu3: God, Lord
a5: [marker of direct address of someone (vocative)]

ni3 ming2ming2 zhi1dao5 wo3 shi4 bang1 ni3 zuo4shi4

you are obviously aware that I assist you in doing your work

ni3 ming2ming2 zhi1dao5: you obviously are aware
1. ni3: you (singular)
2. ming2ming2: clearly, obviously
  1. ming2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: [repeated] clear, obvious
3. zhi1dao5: to know, to be aware of
  1. zhi1: to know
  2. dao4: a way
wo3 shi4 bang1: it is I that assists
1. wo3: I
2. shi4: [puts focus on the sentence subject]; [literally: to be]
3. bang1: to help, to assist
ni3 zuo4shi4: you work
1. ni3: you (singular)
2. zuo4shi4: to work
  1. zuo4: to do, to make
  2. shi4: matters, business

you4 he2 bi4 zhao3 wo3 ma2fan5 ne5?

oh why must you cause me such trouble?

you4 he2 bi4: oh why must
1. you4: [used in rhetorical question to emphasize negative tone], (once) again (for past actions)
2. he2: why?
3. bi4: must
zhao3 wo3 ma2fan5: to cause me trouble, to pick on me
1. zhao3 ma2fan5: to cause someone trouble, to pick on someone
  1. zhao3: to seek
  2. ma2fan5: to bother, to trouble someone
    1. ma2: to be numbed, to be pockmarked; [literally: hemp]
    2. fan2: to trouble, to be troubled/annoyed
  3. wo3: me [indirect object]
ne5: [marker for questions (about something already mentioned or for emphasis)]

Zhu4fu2 ni3, mei4mei5.

Simplified/Traditional characters: 祝福你，妹妹。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Bless you, little sister.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): TZOO-foo nee, mei mei. [Taiwan Mandarin pronunciation (FAQ: Variety of Chinese)]
Translated from script English: Blessings on you, dear sister.
Context: “Heart of Gold,” Nandi, addressing Inara

zhu4fu2 ni3

bless you

zhu4fu2: blessings, to bless, to wish happiness
1. zhu4: to bless, to pray for blessing, to wish well
2. fu2: a blessing, happiness
ni3: you (singular)

mei4mei5

little sister, younger sister

mei4 [used only in compound words]: [repeated with neutral 5th tone] little sister, younger sister

Note:

Also:

Mandarin Words for Siblings
Relation / Gender	Female	Male
Older Sibling	jie3jie5 姐姐 older sister	ge1ge5 哥哥 older brother
Younger Sibling	mei4mei5 妹妹 younger sister	di4di5 弟弟 younger brother

See also:

mei4mei5 (“Serenity, Part 1,” “Safe,” “Our Mrs. Reynolds” [Cut], “Ariel,” “War Stories,” “Heart of Gold”)
xiao3mei4mei4 (“Serenity, Part 2,” Serenity: Better Days #1 & #2)

Zhu4yi4.

Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Zhu yi.
See: Zhen1 ta1ma1 yao4ming4. Zhu4yi4. [above]