Qingdao dialect

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Qingdao dialect is the local dialect of the city of Qingdao, in China's Shandong Province.

Often characterized as requiring a "fat tongue," the Qingdao dialect often adds a "th" sound to Mandarin's "sh," "x," and "s." It also obliterates many Mandarin tones.

The basic, though not at all universal rule for converting Putonghua to the Qingdao dialect is that a Mandarin 1 tone will become a Qingdao 3, 2 becomes a 4, 3 becomes 1 and 4 remains four. Qingdao dialect's 1 tone (Mandarin's 3) also has a drawl to it.

There are other, somewhat random phonetic changes from Mandarin to the Qingdao dialect. It is probably most helpful for foreigners to know these:

"ga2 la," the excellent local spicy clam dish, known in Mandarin as "ge3 li4"

"ha1 pi3 jiu1," drink beer

"bu1 dao4 dao1," "no need to say more," a rather rude expression.

Nearly all Qingdao natives can understand Mandarin, but they will often respond in the Qingdao dialect without realizing they are doing so. The Qingdao dialect is not necessarily standardized throughout Qingdao. Different neighborhoods, from Zhanshan to Xinjiazhuang to Maidao, will have their own variations.