“Bushwhacked”

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

Page Sections: Chinese Dialog | Cut Chinese Dialog | Visible Chinese | Search:

Chinese Dialog

[Image: logo]

Wo3 de5 ma1.

Simplified characters: 我的妈。 / Traditional characters: 我的媽。
Back-translation of Mandarin: My God.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Wuh de ma.
Translated from script English: Mother of god.
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Jayne, upon seeing derelict ship

wo3 de5 ma1

My God!; [literally: My mother!]

wo3 de5: my
1. wo3: I
2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
ma1: [colloquial] a mom, a mother

See also:

Wo3 de5 ma1. (“The Message”)
Wo3 de5 ma1 he2 ta1 de5 feng1kuang2 de5 wai4sheng5 dou1 (“Our Mrs. Reynolds”)
Wo3 de5 tian1, a5. (“Bushwhacked”)

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

tian1 xiao3de2

Simplified characters: 天晓得 / Traditional characters: 天曉得
Back-translation of Mandarin: Heaven knows!
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): tyen shiao duh
Translated from script English: name of all that's sacred
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Wash, invoked on overhearing shots on derelict ship

tian1 xiao3de2

[colloquial] [set phrase] [borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] [see note below] God knows!, Heaven knows!

tian1: heaven, God
xiao3de2: [borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] [see note below] to know
1. xiao3: to know
2. de2: [ending for one-syllable verbs]

Note:

Native Mandarin term: tian1 zhi1dao5 天知道 : [set phrase] God knows!, Heaven knows!; tian1: heaven, God; zhi1dao5 知道 : to know, to be aware of (zhi1: to know; dao4 a way)

See also:

Ai1ya1. Tian1 a5. (Serenity [movie])
Lao3tian1, bu4. (“Safe”)
Lao3tian1ye2. (“Ariel”)
Tian1sha1 de5 e4mo2. (“Ariel”)
tian1 xiao3de2 (“Safe,” “The Message”)
Wo3 de5 tian1, a5. (“Bushwhacked”)

Zao1gao1.

Simplified/Traditional characters: 糟糕。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Damn.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tzao gao.
Translated from script English: Crap.
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Wash, upon learning it was a Reaver attack

zao1gao1

[colloquial] Damn!, What a mess!

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

See also:

Zao1gao1! (“War Stories,” Serenity [novelization])

Wo3 de5 tian1, a5.

Simplified/Traditional characters: 我的天啊。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Oh my God.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Wuh de tyen, ah.
Translated from script English: Dear God in heaven.
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Mal, upon learning of Reaver survivor’s mutilation

wo3 de5 tian1, a5

[colloquial] Oh my God!

wo3 de5 tian1: [colloquial] Oh my God!
1. wo3 de5: my
  1. wo3: I
  2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
2. tian1: heaven, God
a5: [marker of direct address of someone (vocative) or exclamation], ah

Note:

Also:
- tian1 a5: 天啊 : [colloquial] Oh God!, Good heavens!, My lord!; tian1: heaven, God; a5: [marker of direct address of someone (vocative) or exclamation]
- tian1 na5: 天哪 : [colloquial] Oh God!, Good heavens!, My lord!; tian1: heaven, God; na5 [variant of a5 啊 after syllable ending in -N]: [marker of direct address of someone (vocative) or exclamation]

See also:

Ai1ya1. Tian1 a5. (Serenity [movie])
Lao3tian1, bu4. (“Safe”)
Lao3tian1ye2. (“Ariel”)
Tian1sha1 de5 e4mo2. (“Ariel”)
tian1 xiao3de2 (“Bushwhacked,” “Safe,” “The Message”)
Wo3 de5 ma1. (“Bushwhacked,” “The Message”)
Wo3 de5 ma1 he2 ta1 de5 feng1kuang2 de5 wai4sheng5 dou1 (“Our Mrs. Reynolds”)

Hun2dan4.

Simplified characters: 浑蛋。 / Traditional characters: 渾蛋。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Bastard.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Hwoon dahn.
Translated from script English: Jerk.
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Jayne, referring to Alliance’s Harken

hun2dan4

[insult] [offensive] a scoundrel, a bastard (nonliteral)

hun2: to be stupid, to be foolish
dan4: [word used in insults of people]; [literally: an egg]

See also:

ge5 zhen1 de5 hun2dan4! (“Jaynestown”)
hun2dan4 (“Serenity, Part 2,” “Our Mrs. Reynolds,” Serenity: Those Left Behind #1)
Ta1ma1 de5 hun2dan4. (“War Stories”)

Cut Chinese Dialog

Feng1le5.

Simplified characters: 疯了。 / Traditional characters: 瘋了。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Crazy.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Fong luh.
Translated from script English: Loopy in the head.
Context: “Bushwhacked” [Cut], Jayne, about waiting around for Reaver victims’ funeral

feng1le5

(someone is) crazy

feng1: to be crazy, to be insane
le5: [marker for exclamations]

See also:

fang4zong4 feng1kuang2 de5 jie2 (“War Stories”)
Wo3 de5 ma1 he2 ta1 de5 feng1kuang2 de5 wai4sheng5 dou1 (“Our Mrs. Reynolds”)

tian1cai2

Simplified/Traditional characters: 天才
Back-translation of Mandarin: genius [noun]
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): [(Not in script) tyen tsai (from “The Train Job” script)]
Translated from script English: genius
Context: “Bushwhacked” [Cut], Kaylee, to Harken to mock Alliance ship’s designer

tian1cai2

a genius

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

See also:

zhen1 de5 shi4 tian1cai2 (“The Train Job”)

Visible Chinese

Qing1ri4

Simplified/Traditional characters: 靑日 [ 靑 is variant of simplified/traditional 青 ]
Back-translation of Mandarin: Blue Sun
Translated from the English: Blue Sun [early Firefly version (“Blue Sun”translation comparison)]
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Visible Chinese, on Jayne’s T-shirt (Jayne T-shirt list), visible during space trash comment to Simon

Qing1ri4

Blue Sun [name of a fictional corporation]

qing1: to be green (the color), to be blue (the color)
ri4 [used only in compound words]: [traditional] or [meaning borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] the sun

Note:

Also: tai4yang2: 太阳 (traditional: 太陽 ): the sun; tai4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: great, grand; yang2 [used only in compound words]: the sun

See also:

Lan2ri4 (“The Message,” Firefly Official Site, Serenity: Firefly Class 03-K64; Leaves on the Wind)
Lan2ri4; Bing3 Qie3 Diu1; Zhong1 Wu1 Feng1 Zhu3 Wu1 Zha4 Tuo1 Wu1; Wan2 Zhi1 Jiu3; Chuan4 Pie3 Tuo1 Gai4 (Serenity Props and Merchandise)
Lan2ri4; Dan1 Zhi1 Zhong1 Zhu3 Jiu3 Zhong1 Chuan4 Tuo1 Wei2 Tuo1 Gai4; Chuan4 Pie3 Tuo1 Gai4 (Serenity Props and Merchandise)
Qing1ri4 (“Serenity, Part 1,” “Shindig,” “Ariel”)
Qing1tian2 (Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale)
Shi4 ni3 de5; Ke3zhen1 ke3zhen1; Lan2ri4 (“The Message”)
Zhe4 ben3 shu1 shi4 yi1 ge5 Qing1ri4 he2zuo4 chu1ban3 (Firefly: The Official Companion, Volume Two)

Tai4kong1

Simplified/Traditional characters: 太空
Back-translation of Mandarin: Outer Space
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Visible Chinese, on wall of derelict ship, behind Zoe

tai4kong1

outer space

tai4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: great, grand
kong1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: the sky, space

See also:

Tai4kong1 (“Serenity, Part 1,” Firefly Press Kit)

nian2; yue4; ri4; chun1 xia4; nian2

Simplified/Traditional characters: 年、月、日、春、夏、年
Back-translation of Mandarin: year; month; day; spring; summer; year
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Visible Chinese, in vertical columns from left, on paper on which Inara does Chinese calligraphy practice

nian2

a year

yue4

a month

ri4

[used only in compound words]: a day

chun1

[used only in compound words (or as a family name)]: the spring (season)

xia4

[used only in compound words (or as a place/dynasty/family name)]: the summer

nian2

a year

See also:

nian2; yue4; ri4; chun1 xia4; nian2 (Firefly: The Official Companion, Volume One)

Yi1

Simplified characters: 医 / Traditional characters: 醫
Back-translation of Mandarin: Infirmary
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Visible Chinese, on infirmary door, shown while Kaylee deals with booby trap elsewhere

yi1

[for this meaning, Chinese character doesn’t represent an independent word in Modern Standard Mandarin (Putonghua) (see note below)] →
yi1wu4shi4 医务室 (traditional: 醫務室 ): a small clinic, an infirmary

yi1wu4: medical matters
1. yi1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: the medical profession
2. wu4 [used only in compound words]: business, affairs
shi4 [used only in compound words]: a room

Note:

Another possibility: yi1liao2 医疗 (traditional: 醫療 ): medical treatment; yi1: to treat (illness); liao2 [used only in compound words]: to treat (illness)

See also:

Yi1 (“Safe,” “Out of Gas”)

Tong2meng2

Simplified/Traditional characters: 同盟
Back-translation of Mandarin: Alliance
Translated from the English: [(Not shown) Alliance (from Firefly Press Kit star map)]
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Visible Chinese, on metal chest pin of Alliance Commander Harken, somewhat visible as he meets Mal for first time

tong2meng2

an alliance

tong2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: together, in common
meng2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: an alliance

See also:

Jing3bao4; Dai4bu3zheng4; Tong2meng2 (“Objects in Space”)
Tong2meng2 (“Serenity, Part 1”; “The Train Job”; “Safe”; Firefly: The Official Companion, Volume One; Firefly Press Kit)
Tong2meng2 Gong1gong4 Cai2chan3 (Firefly Press Kit)