Hniq’, or “please love me again”.

Burmese is a tonal language, where subtle differences in pronunciation completely change the meaning of a word. But it’s also a language where the same word, spelled and pronounced the same, can have completely different meanings. For example, I give you hniq’ (နှစ်)* which means, variously, ‘immerse’, ‘year’, or ‘two’.**

This is a story about me learning Burmese, and being very far from the smartest person in the room.

For over a month now I have been on leave, with nothing more arduous to fill my days than a casual stroll through the city, a drink at a local bar, and maybe some shopping if it was really necessary. To go straight into five days a week study was perhaps somewhat ambitious. It has certainly been a shock.

As some of you may know, I had been doing a little language study before we left. I liked to think that I had done reasonably well. So I decided against the absolute beginner class, instead enrolling in course 1B – Post Beginner, and started last week.

The learning curve has been steep.

Enrolling in a concurrent Burmese script course was perhaps optimistic. But through sheer bloody-mindedness and some overly complex technical study aids, I am more or less keeping up with the class. If anyone feels like badly learning words in a not-particularly-useful language, you can check out my vocab list.

You will notice on it the two similar words cheq’ and chiq’. Cheq’ is part of the general basic vocabulary we have learnt, it means ‘to cook’. Chiq’ on the other hand, is ‘to love’, as I discovered when I accidentally asked my teachers to ‘please love me again’.

It was the source of much hilarity.

I know we are learning the absolute basics, like children. And sitting in a classroom practicing tracing letters, like children. And chanting letters when the teacher points to them on the board, like children, But this is perhaps rubbing it in a little.
I know we are learning the absolute basics, like children. And sitting in a classroom practicing tracing letters, like children. And chanting letters when the teacher points to them on the board, like children, But this is perhaps rubbing it in a little.
Yes, that is Barbie and Minnie Mouse. And yes, I am 100% sure the correct permissions have been obtained and royalty payments made.
Yes, that is Barbie and Minnie Mouse. And yes, I am 100% sure the correct permissions have been obtained and royalty payments made.
Studying Burmese in *the* colonial-era hotel in town. Seems kind of appropriate (or perhaps very inappropriate, I haven't worked out which). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strand_Hotel
Studying Burmese in the colonial-era hotel in town. Seems kind of appropriate (or perhaps very inappropriate, I haven’t worked out which).
I have used my new-found skillz to realise that several of what I thought were losing bottle caps were actually winners. I have potentially thrown out hundreds of kyat!*
I have used my new-found skillz to realise that several of what I thought were losing bottle caps were actually winners.
I have potentially thrown out hundreds of kyat!***

 

*If you’re not seeing lovely Burmese script here, it’s because you don’t have a Burmese font installed on your computer. You can fix that by downloading and installing one.

**Yes, I know English does this too, but I’m used to that, so it doesn’t count.

***Tens of cents.

One thought on “Hniq’, or “please love me again”.”

  1. Advice: I always found it useful to be very close to the smartest person in the room. Then you can copy their answers.

    Reply

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