Improve your English speaking skills - English conversation practice

[moneymong.pt]

Thực ra, lúc nói chuyện thì chỉ cần dùng "pathetic" hay "miserable" là đủ rồi.
He looks so pathetic. I guess he's just copped a good one from his wife.
(chắc bị vợ chửi)

Would you please explain the phrase "copped a good one" a bit more?

 

[VetMini]

Would you please explain the phrase "copped a good one" a bit more?

Cách nói diễu vậy thôi. Khá khó giải thích.

- China culture (not cultural, cultural is an adjective) (chưa nói đến dùng từ "văn hoá" có hợp ngữ cảnh hay không)
- "humorous meaning" (not mean, mean is a verb)

Chinese culture.
(btw, he is misleading about the term "cô nương". This term is indeed one of the many terms that have long become common in Vietnam, albeit with a different use and meaning)

mean can also be an adjective, meaning cruel, unkind.

 

[huuthang_bd]

My English just enough to understand what others write. I even sometimes have to use Google translate to understand completely a sentence.
However, I think the following paragraph has some mistakes.

i would like to introduce a method that may be useful for speaking skill, that is film watching , the conversations in a film match with the context of the story , so when we repeat the sentences that characters spoke in the film , i think it is more natural , not same machine
I discovered a film channel that has parallel subtitle English and Vietnamese in once watching on Youtube

Please let me know if I wrong.

 

[VetMini]

My English just enough to understand what others write. I even sometimes have to use Google translate to understand completely a sentence.
...
Please let me know if I wrong.

My English is just enough to understand what others write. I sometimes even have to use Google translate to completely understand a sentence.
Note: I would replace "to completely understand a sentence" with "to comprehend/grasp/get a sentence in its entirety"

Please let me know if I am wrong.
Not sure of your intention. This sentence is normally used with politeness when you think that you are right, and the chance of being wrong is indeed very small.
A better way to say it (stronger belief in yourself):
Please correct me if I am wrong.

Note: Google is only good as a guide. Do not look at it as a manual.

 

[huuthang_bd]

Not sure of your intention.

I mean please show my mistakes to me because I sure that I have some mistakes

Note: I would replace "to completely understand a sentence" with "to comprehend/grasp/get a sentence in its entirety"

I don't have many choices because my vocabulary is not much. So, the others understand what I want to say as well.

Note: Google is only good as a guide. Do not look at it as a manual.

Thank you for your advice.

 

[moneymong.pt]

Hello everyone,
I want to translate the following conversation into English. Please help me to correct my translation. Thank you for your time.

• Alo, chị à, lúc nãy chị gọi em có việc gì không? Em mới ngủ dậy và thấy cuộc gọi nhỡ từ chị nên em gọi lại nè.
• À, chắc là chị để cấn máy nên tự gọi cho em đó. Nay em có đi làm không?
• Dạ có ạ. Em nghe tiếng xe bóp còi inh ỏi, chị đang ở ngoài đường hả?
• Ừ, chị đang trên đường đi làm, qua ngã 4 Phú Nhuận là tới công ty rồi. Chị đi tiếp đây, gọi em sau nhé.
• Dạ, chúc chị ngày làm việc vui và hiệu quả nha. Em cũng chuẩn bị đi làm.
• Uhm. Cám ơn em. Đi cẩn thận.

• Hello, did you call me? I just got up and saw a missed call from you, so that I call you right away.
• “Chắc là chị để cấn máy nên tự gọi cho em đó”. Do you work today?
• Yes, I do. I hear “tiếng xe bóp còi inh ỏi”. Are you outside?
• Yup, I’m on my way to work, go through Phu Nhuan intersection……Can I call you later?
• Yes, have a fun and productive day! I’m going to go to work.
• Thanks. Be careful

 

[VetMini]

This thread is about conversational English, right?

Before going on any further, we need to acknowledge one important aspect of conversational English:
Conversation is very much a habit. And habit means things that might not make any senses.

Therefore, you guys need to be aware of the fact that, unlike written English, a conversational English sentence migth not always be able to translate directly into Vietnamese. In other words, you will often find that the sentences are quite different.

Most of short sentences in conversational English are learnt by memory. Just memorise what you see (including where and when they occur) and repeat them in the right place, at the right time.

(tên tôi là Vẹt. Tôi chuyên học vẹt như vậy)

 

[cadafi]

Anh chị ơi dịch dùm em với:
"Tao đang mắc ỉa nha, tụi bây đừng có ở đó mà chém gió nhá!"

 

[xuongrongdat]

• Alo, chị à, lúc nãy chị gọi em có việc gì không? Em mới ngủ dậy và thấy cuộc gọi nhỡ từ chị nên em gọi lại nè.
• À, chắc là chị để cấn máy nên tự gọi cho em đó. Nay em có đi làm không?
• Dạ có ạ. Em nghe tiếng xe bóp còi inh ỏi, chị đang ở ngoài đường hả?
• Ừ, chị đang trên đường đi làm, qua ngã 4 Phú Nhuận là tới công ty rồi. Chị đi tiếp đây, gọi em sau nhé.
• Dạ, chúc chị ngày làm việc vui và hiệu quả nha. Em cũng chuẩn bị đi làm.
• Uhm. Cám ơn em. Đi cẩn thận.

This conversation in a love story? I consider these speech are too cute and lovely. And I guess "em" is a boy.
Definitely, this is the love of an "old" lady and a "young" boy.
"Sister, I love you!" - he will say like that.

.... while writing, I see the post below.... I no know say what more. off mood.

Anh chị ơi dịch dùm em với:
"Tao đang mắc ỉa nha, tụi bây đừng có ở đó mà chém gió nhá!"

.... desert profit !!!

 

[VetMini]

Anh chị ơi dịch dùm em với:
"Tao đang mắc *** nha, tụi bây đừng có ở đó mà chém gió nhá!"

Trong ngữ cảnh trên, "mắc" tiếng Việt có hai nghĩa:
1. bận, đang làm
2. đang cơn muốn làm (chưa làm)
Trước khi dịch diếc, phải xác định rõ nghĩa đã.

 

[Anne1811]

This thread is about conversational English, right?

Before going on any further, we need to acknowledge one important aspect of conversational English:
Conversation is very much a habit. And habit means things that might not make any senses.

Therefore, you guys need to be aware of the fact that, unlike written English, a conversational English sentence migth not always be able to translate directly into Vietnamese. In other words, you will often find that the sentences are quite different.

Most of short sentences in conversational English are learnt by memory. Just memorise what you see (including where and when they occur) and repeat them in the right place, at the right time.

I agree with you! That makes sense! Thanks for the very clear and useful explanation .

• Alo, chị à, lúc nãy chị gọi em có việc gì không? Em mới ngủ dậy và thấy cuộc gọi nhỡ từ chị nên em gọi lại nè.
• Hello, did you call me? I just got up and saw a missed call from you, so that I call you right away

Hello, I just saw your missed call. Hey what's up, sis?

 

[VetMini]

Anh chị ơi dịch dùm em với:
"Tao đang mắc ỉa nha, tụi bây đừng có ở đó mà chém gió nhá!"

Shut your traps. Or I'll crap all over them.

 

[moneymong.pt]

This thread is about conversational English, right?

Yes, this topic is about conversation practice.

Before going on any further, we need to acknowledge one important aspect of conversational English:
Conversation is very much a habit. And habit means things that might not make any senses.

Therefore, you guys need to be aware of the fact that, unlike written English, a conversational English sentence migth not always be able to translate directly into Vietnamese. In other words, you will often find that the sentences are quite different.

Most of short sentences in conversational English are learnt by memory. Just memorise what you see (including where and when they occur) and repeat them in the right place, at the right time.

I want to say naturally via daily conversations. I know that we aren't able to translate directly into English. Two languages are so different because they are affected by culture, history of each country. Thanks for your helpful explanation.

This conversation in a love story? I consider these speech are too cute and lovely. And I guess "em" is a boy.
Definitely, this is the love of an "old" lady and a "young" boy.
"Sister, I love you!" - he will say like that.

That conversation is not a love story. It just a dialog between an elder sister and a young lady.
I often talk like that with my elder sister.

 

[Anne1811]

Anh chị ơi dịch dùm em với:
"tụi bây đừng có ở đó mà chém gió nhá!"

You guys dont just stand there and shoot the breeze.

 

[VetMini]

You guys dont just stand there and shoot the breeze.

chém = slash
gió = hơi phức tạp hơn. Từ này vốn do cụm từ xưa "đánh gió" tức là đánh giả vào khoảng không (không trúng vào đâu cả). Có lẽ dịch ra aimless là gần nhất.
chém gió = to slash aimlessly.

Nhưng nếu dịch thực nghĩa thì:
chém gió = full of hot air.

 

[xuongrongdat]

You guys dont just stand there and shoot the breeze.

Why don't you translate both 2 cadafi's sentences??!

 

[Anne1811]

Why don't you translate both 2 cadafi's sentences??!

Actually, I don't know how to translate that kind of colloquial word into English. ^_^

 

[VetMini]

Actually, I don't know how to translate that kind of colloquial word into English. ^_^

Just let it go. One of them is a rude word and I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest

 

[cadafi]

Just let it go. One of them is a rude word and I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest

This is not rude, but a daily activities you have to face with everyday. Normally, as a Vietnamese you could say "I wanna cut the flower = Tao muốn đi hái hoa = Tao đang mắc ỉa", English people they also have the same "Nature is calling me".
Some times to translate into the language you have been learning, you need to learn their culture also.

 

[VetMini]

Well, we can spend years arguing around the vulgarity of certain terms.
However, I said I don't want to open a can of worms, and I keep my words.