avatarAnthony Li

Summary

A Hong Kong legislator's mispronunciation of "best" as "breast" and "try" with a strong Cantonese accent has led to a phrase that became a symbol of resilience and determination for Hongkongers protesting the extradition law.

Abstract

The article discusses the unintended impact of a Hong Kong legislator's speech, where he mispronounced "best" as "breast" and "try" due to his strong Cantonese accent. This error, which turned "try our best" into "rub our breasts," has been widely mocked but also adopted as a rallying cry by protesters. Despite the government's disregard for the mass protests against the extradition law, the people of Hong Kong are determined to continue their efforts. They aim not only to criticize the government's policies but also to offer constructive suggestions to improve living conditions. The phrase has become an emblem of the city's resilience and the people's commitment to standing up against the government's decisions, reflecting the broader struggle for identity and autonomy in Hong Kong.

Opinions

  • The author expresses frustration and helplessness about the government's response to the protests against the extradition law.
  • There is a sense of solidarity with the protesters and a call to not lose hope despite the challenges.
  • The legislator's mispronunciation is seen as unfortunate but has been turned into a positive symbol of the city's determination.
  • The author criticizes the government's policies and emphasizes the need for constructive suggestions to improve the lives of Hong Kong citizens.
  • There is a strong sentiment of resistance against the communist government and a belief that

Hong Kong English/Cantonese (XI)

We Should All Rub Our Breasts No Matter What.

Stand with Hong Kong

After seeing what happened on Sunday 9th June in my home, Hong Kong, it is easy for me who is currently staying outside to feel frustrated and helpless. Hundreds of thousands of locals and thousands of Hongkongers away from the city marched to protest and to show concerns about the extradition law all seemed in vain: The government still wants to put it through.

However, we shouldn’t lose hope. We should quote a pro-Peking legislator, Gary Chan, in what we should do now.

This was what a legislator said to the reporters when he was elected for the first time. He said,

It is a little bit surprise for us, but we will try our breast to….(stuttering with 3 consecutive “ers”)…still, er, try our breast to, er, not just, er, criticise the government’s policy, but also make some, er, good suggestions in order to improve the people’s livinghood. Ok? (Transcription was found in Wikipedia.)

What was unfortunate for him, and perhaps for us as well, was not only that he mispronounced “best” as “breast”, but he also pronounced the word “try” with a strong Cantonese accent.

In a strong Cantonese accent, we usually pronounce the /tr/ consonant clusters as a /ts/ sound because we don’t have consonant clusters in our language. This is the best (or “breast”?) replacement for this sound since we have this affricate sound in our language.

Therefore, “try our best” became “/tsaɪ/ our breast”. What was even worse is that /tsaɪ/ (or Jyutping: caai1) has a Cantonese word: 搓, meaning “to rub”.

They may want to try these. Image from here.

His English has since been criticised, all because of his bad pronunciations. Nevertheless, the phrase “to rub our breasts” has become popular not only to mock the legislator, but also to express our will to do our best.

Now, Hong Kong is in a critical moment again. All the people who went on streets and are trying to take their parts in more serious matters are still unable to make the government change their mind.

It is true that the government’s reaction is a little bit surprise for us. Just a little bit because people went there as though it had been the last protest in the city’s history. But we will rub our breasts not only to criticise the government’s bullshit policies, but to also give some fantastic suggestions in order to improve our fellow citizens’ living conditions. Okay?

Hong Kong shall never die. We shall not die in the communists’ hands, at the very least. We need to change.

Hong Kong
Hong Kong Cantonese
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