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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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bai2bai2nen4nen4 de5

Comics Mandarin translation (simplified/traditional characters): 白白嫩嫩的
Back-translation of Mandarin: very white and delicate
Phonetic for English speakers: bai-bai nen-nen duh
Context: Serenity: The Other Half, Mal, p. 4, to Zoe, referring to his hide (skin)

bai2bai2nen4nen4 de5

to be very white and delicate (of skin), to be very soft and delicate (of skin)

bai2nen4 de5: [parts repeated for descriptive emphasis] to be white and delicate (of skin), to be soft and delicate (of skin)
1. bai2: to be white, to be fair (of skin)
2. nen4: to be tender (e.g., meat), to be delicate (e.g., skin)
3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

Bai4tuo1, an1jing4 yi1dian3!

Simplified characters: 拜托，安静一点！ / Traditional characters: 拜托，安靜一點！
Back-translation of Mandarin: Please be quiet!
1. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): BAI-tuo, AN-jing-eedyen!
Translated from script English: We will enjoy your silence now!
Context: Serenity (movie), Teacher, to disruptive Boy #2
2. Novelization Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Bai duo, an jing yidian! [sic; Serenity (movie) script (phonetic for English speakers): BAI-tuo, AN-jing-eedyen!]
Translated from script English: We will enjoy your silence now! [from Serenity (movie) script]
Context: Serenity (novelization), Professor Rao [“Teacher” in Serenity (movie) script], p. 65, to disruptive student Marvin [“Boy #2” in Serenity (movie) script]

bai4tuo1

[polite] to request (of someone); [colloquial] please I beg you, [Taiwan Mandarin] [set phrase] Give me a break!

bai4: to bow (for respect or obedience)
tuo1: to request a favor, to entrust

an1jing4 yi1dian3

to be quiet

an1jing4: to be quiet, to be peaceful
1. an1: to be calm, to be peaceful
2. jing4: to be calm, to be still
yi1dian3: a little, a bit
1. yi1 [pronounced “yi4” before a 3rd-tone syllable]: one, a
2. dian3: [classifier for small amounts]; [literally: a spot, a dot]

bao [Borrowed Chinese]

Simplified/Traditional characters: 包
Back-translation of Mandarin: bao (steamed stuffed bun)
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): [Borrowed Chinese]
Script borrowed term: bao
Context: “Our Mrs. Reynolds,” Wash, upon seeing Saffron’s cooking

English (Borrowed Chinese)

[see note below]

bao

[abbreviation] →
bao1zi5 包子 : bao, a steamed stuffed bun

bao1: a bun, a package
zi5: [suffix to make noun two syllables]

Note:

Borrowed Chinese: The script has bao as English, and the captions have bao on the region 1 DVD, unitalicized as English.

bao3bei4

Simplified characters: 宝贝 / Traditional characters: 寶貝
Back-translation of Mandarin: darling
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): bao bay.
Translated from script English: sweetheart.
Context: “Shindig,” Atherton, addressing Inara on Cortex

bao3bei4

darling, sweetheart

bao3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: treasured, precious
bei4 [used only in compound words (or as a family name)]: a cowrie (sea-snail shell once used as money)

Notes:

The captions have the Hanyu Pinyin romanization form baobei on the region 1 DVD.
Also: bao3bei5 宝贝 (traditional: 寶貝 ): [colloquial] darling, sweetheart

Ben4 tian1sheng1 de5 yi1 dui1 rou4.

Simplified/Traditional characters: 笨天生的一堆肉。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Stupid, inbred (deep-seated) stack of meat.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): BUN tyen-shung duh ee-DWAY-RO.
Translated from script English: Stupid inbred stack of meat. [see Note 1 below]
Context: “Trash,” Saffron, addressing the departing Monty

ben4

to be stupid

tian1sheng1 de5

innate, inbred (deep-seated), a born / a natural (something) [see Note 1 below]

tian1: nature-given, heaven, God
sheng1: to be born
de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

yi1 dui1 rou4

a stack of meat

yi1 dui1: a stack of, a pile of
1. yi1 [pronounced “yi4” before a 1st-tone syllable]: one, a
2. dui1: [classifier for stacks/piles]
rou4: meat, flesh

Notes:

Inbred biologically: jin4qin1 fan2zhi2 de5 近亲繁殖的 (traditional: 近親繁殖的 ): inbred (due to sexual intercourse between close relatives); jin4qin1 fan2zhi2: inbreeding (in humans) (jin4qin1: a close relative [jin4: to be closely related; qin1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a relative]; fan2zhi2: to breed, to reproduce (offspring) [fan2 [used only in compound words]: to reproduce (offspring), to multiply (with offspring); zhi2 [used only in compound words]: to reproduce (offspring)]); de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
Thank you to Firefly Chinese translator Jenny Lynn for the wording of the English meaning before the script was published.

See also:

Liu2 kou3shui3 de5 biao3zi5 he2 hou2zi5 de5 ben4 er2zi5. (“Safe”)
yu2ben4 de5 (“Shindig”)

Bi4zui3.

Simplified characters: 闭嘴。 / Traditional characters: 閉嘴。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Shut up.
1. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Bizui. [phonetic for English speakers: BEE-tzway.]
Translated from script English: Shut up.
Context: “Serenity, Part 1,” Mal, to Zoe and Jayne as they fret about Alliance cruiser
2. Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Bizui. [phonetic for English speakers: BEE-tzway.]
Translated from script English: Shut up.
Context: “Serenity, Part 1,” Mal, to Wash as Wash banters with Jayne
3. Phonetic for English speakers: BEE-tzway!
Context: Serenity: Better Days #1, Jayne, p. 10, to Simon
4. Phonetic for English speakers: BEE-tzway!
Context: Serenity: Better Days #2, [Robber], p. 17, to restaurant patrons

bi4zui3

[slang] Shut up!

bi4: to shut, to close
zui3: [colloquial] a mouth

Note:

Mal sounds like “Bih-zway” instead of “Bee-tzway.”

See also:

Bi4zui3 nin2 hen3 bu4ti3tie1 de5 nan2sheng1! (“Objects in Space”)
Bi4zui3. Rong2 wo3men5 fa1cai2. (Serenity [movie])
Ni3men5 dou1 bi4zui3! (“Serenity, Part 2”)

Bi4zui3, nin2 hen3 bu4ti3tie1 de5 nan2sheng1!

Simplified characters: 闭嘴，您很不体贴的男生！ / Traditional characters: 閉嘴，您很不體貼的男生！
Back-translation of Mandarin: Shut up, you very inconsiderate schoolboys!
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): BEE-jway, neen hen BOO-TEE-TYEH duh NAN-shung! [see note below]
Translated from script English: Shut up, you inconsiderate schoolboys!
Context: “Objects in Space,” Inara, as Wash and Jayne bicker during River discussion

bi4zui3

[slang] Shut up!

bi4: to shut, to close
zui3: [colloquial] a mouth

nin2 hen3 bu4ti3tie1 de5

you very inconsiderate

nin2: [polite] you (singular)
hen3: very
bu4ti3tie1 de5: inconsiderate
1. bu4: not, [negative prefix], non-/un-
2. ti3tie1: to be considerate (of other people)
  1. ti3 [used only in compound words]: to empathize, to understand
  2. tie1: to near
3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

nan2sheng1

a schoolboy, a male student

nan2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: male
sheng1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a student

Note:

Pronunciation: In the second syllable of bi4zui3, the ZH (“j”: BEE-jway) for standard Z (“tz”: “bee-tzway”) is the opposite of the typical Taiwan Mandarin pronunciation of Z (“tz”) for standard ZH (“j”) (FAQ). It could be emphasis or hypercorrection. Serenity (movie) uses the expected BEE-tzway in the cut line Bi4zui3. Rong2 wo3men5 fa1cai2 (BEE-tzway. Wrong wuomun FAH-TSAI): Shut up and make us wealthy.

See also:

Bi4zui3. (“Serenity, Part 1,” Serenity: Better Days #1 & #2)
Bi4zui3. Rong2 wo3men5 fa1cai2. (Serenity [movie])
Ni3men5 dou1 bi4zui3! (“Serenity, Part 2”)

Bi4zui3. Rong2 wo3men5 fa1cai2.

Simplified characters: 闭嘴。容我们发财。 / Traditional characters: 閉嘴。容我們發財。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Shut up. Allow us to get rich.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): BEE-tzway. Wrong wuomun FAH-TSAI.
Translated from script English: Shut up and make us wealthy.
Context: Serenity (movie) [Cut], Mal, to uncooperative Trade Agent [also described in Serenity (novelization), p. 61]

bi4zui3

[slang] Shut up!

bi4: to shut, to close
zui3: [colloquial] a mouth

rong2 wo3men5 fa1cai2

allow us to get rich

rong2: to allow, to let
wo3men5: us
1. wo3: me
2. men5: [suffix for human plural words]
fa1cai2: to get rich
1. fa1: to develop, [slang] to make a fortune
2. cai2 [used only in compound words]: wealth

Note:

Also: Gong1xi3fa1cai2 (Cantonese pronunciation: Gung1hei2faat3coi4 [“Gung hay fat choy”]) 恭喜发财 (traditional: 恭喜發財 ): [set phrase] I wish you a happy and prosperous new year, Happy New Year; gong1xi3: [set phrase] congratulations (gong1 [used only in compound words]: respectful; xi3 [used only in compound words]: happiness, joy); fa1cai2: to get rich [see main entry above]

See also:

Bi4zui3. (“Serenity, Part 1,” Serenity: Better Days #1 & #2)
Bi4zui3 nin2 hen3 bu4ti3tie1 de5 nan2sheng1! (“Objects in Space”)
Ni3men5 dou1 bi4zui3! (“Serenity, Part 2”)

Bian1da3 ta1men5 de5 bei4 jiu4 gou4 le5.

Simplified characters: 鞭打她们的背就够了。 / Traditional characters: 鞭打她們的背就夠了。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Whipping their [female] backs is just good enough.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Byen dahTAHmenduhBAY joGOluh.
Translated from script English: A switch to those girls' backsides is just good enough.
Context: Serenity (movie) [Deleted scene on DVD], Inara, to Companion Sheydra about gossipy Companion trainees [also described in Serenity (novelization), p. 100]

bian1da3 ta1men5 de5 bei4

whipping their [female] backs

bian1da3: to whip, to flog
1. bian1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: to lash, to flog
2. da3: to hit, to strike
ta1men5 de5: their [female]
1. ta1men5: they [female]
  1. ta1: she
  2. men5: [suffix for human plural words]
2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
bei4: one’s back, the back side of something

jiu4 gou4 le5

to be just good enough

jiu4: just, merely
gou4: to be enough, to be adequate
le5: [marker for exclamations]

Note:

Also: gou4 le5: That’s enough!, Shut up!

bu4 hui3hen4 de5 po1fu4

Simplified characters: 不悔恨的泼妇 / Traditional characters: 不悔恨的潑婦
Back-translation of Mandarin: harridan that doesn’t feel remorse
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): BOO hway-HUN duh PUO-foo
Translated from script English: remorseless harridan
Context: “Trash,” Simon, referring to Saffron

bu4 hui3hen4 de5 po1fu4

a harridan that doesn’t feel remorse

bu4 hui3hen4 de5: that doesn’t feel remorse
1. bu4: not
2. hui3hen4: to feel remorse, to regret deeply
  1. hui3 [used only in compound words]: to regret, to show remorse
  2. hen4: to regret
3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]
po1fu4: a shrew (woman), a harridan
1. po1: to be spiteful, to be sharp-tongued
2. fu4 [used only in compound words]: a woman

bu4tai4 zheng4chang2 de5

Simplified/Traditional characters: 不太正常的
Back-translation of Mandarin: not all there (mentally)
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): boo-tai jung-tzahng-duh [see Note 1 below]
Translated from script English: not entirely sane
Context: “Safe” [Cut (see Note 2 below)], Simon, referring to River

bu4tai4 zheng4chang2 de5

not all there (mentally), to have a screw loose; [literally: not very normal]

bu4tai4: not very
1. bu4 [pronounced “bu2” before a 4th-tone syllable]: not
2. tai4: very
zheng4chang2 de5: to be normal
1. zheng4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: correct, proper
2. chang2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: regular, normal
3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

Notes:

Pronunciation: In the second syllable of zheng4chang2, the Z (“tz”: jung-tzahng) for standard CH (“jung-chahng”) is an exception to the typical Taiwan Mandarin pronunciation of C (“ts”) for standard CH (FAQ).
Cut: This line was replaced by a line referring to Mal: pian1zhi2 de5 jiu1cha2yuan2 偏执的纠察员 (traditional: 偏執的糾察員 ): stubborn martinet (above).

bu4yao4 ming4 de5 su4du4

Comics Mandarin translation (simplified/traditional characters): 不要命的速度
Back-translation of Mandarin: life-risking speed [see note below]
Phonetic for English speakers: boo yao ming duh soo doo
Context: Serenity: Those Left Behind #3, Wash, p. 14, to Mal about the ship’s speed

bu4yao4 ming4 de5

life-risking, fearless; [literally: that doesn’t want life]

bu4yao4: to not want, doesn’t want
1. bu4 [pronounced “bu2” before a 4th-tone syllable]: not
2. yao4: to want
ming4: life
de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

su4du4

speed, velocity

su4 [used only in compound words]: speed, velocity
du4: [suffix making abstract nouns], -ness, -ity

Note:

Error: Wash’s use of Mandarin 速度 su4du4 ‘speed’ followed by the English word speed is redundant.