# point, shake one's finger



## matty884

Hi all,

I was wondering what the best way to say "point"/"shake" one's finger is in Mandarin?  If someone could help translate these sentences, that would be great 


(1) "Don't point your finger at me"

(2) "Don't shake your finger at me"

(3) "I shake my finger, shake my head, and make a "tsz tsz tsz" sound with my mouth whenever I disapprove of somebody's actions/wrongdoing." 

[_note_: the tsz tsz tsz sound that people make is made along when someone shakes their head.  You see it a lot in American movies such as when a mother is making that sound and shaking her head at her child.]

(4) "You should stop pointing your finger at her. She can see you, you know!"

(5) "I could tell she was angry at me since she kept on shaking her finger at me."

Thanks! 
I look forward to hearing back from everybody.


----------



## Ripple.Z

(1) "Don't point your finger at me" 直译literality：不要用你的手指着我  地道一点儿的：别拿手指我啊！(比较横，manner of speaking is more tough)

(2) "Don't shake your finger at me" 直译：不要对我摇手指  地道一点儿：别对我说“不”啊～/你别拒绝我啊～（sounds more like begging）

(3) "I shake my finger, shake my head, and make a "tsz tsz tsz" sound with my mouth whenever I disapprove of somebody's actions/wrongdoing." 
每当我不赞成他人的做法或人为别人做错了事，我都会摇摇手指、摇摇头，嘴里发出"呲 呲 呲“的声音。

[_note_: the tsz tsz tsz sound that people make is made along when someone shakes their head. You see it a lot in American movies such as when a mother is making that sound and shaking her head at her child.]

(4) "You should stop pointing your finger at her. She can see you, you know!"  你别拿手指她了，她都看见了，知道吗！？

(5) "I could tell she was angry at me since she kept on shaking her finger at me." 从她一直对你说“不”我就能看出她生你气呢～

Thanks! 
I look forward to hearing back from everybody.[/quote]


----------



## Ripple.Z

Maybe it's not very easy for you to understand all of this, for what I wrote above is of more or less Beijing dialect since you speak Cantonese. Frankly, Cantonese even sounds another language to me~ lol~ (actually it's true, to most northerners)

PS:Know it or not, Putonghua(mandarin) is based on Beijinghua(Beijing dialect), so compare with Putonghua what I speak every day is Beijing dialect in fact.


----------



## BODYholic

matty884 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I was wondering what the best way to say "point"/"shake" one's finger is in Mandarin?  If someone could help translate these sentences, that would be great
> (1) "Don't point your finger at me"



Over here, we say, "(请)别指着我.".


----------



## samanthalee

Ripple.Z said:


> (2) "Don't shake your finger at me" 直译：不要对我摇手指  地道一点儿：别对我说“不”啊～/你别拒绝我啊～（sounds more like begging）
> (5) "I could tell she was angry at me since she kept on shaking her finger at me." 从她一直对你说“不”我就能看出她生你气呢～



I don't have much to contribute. But I have to point out that "shaking your finger at me" doesn't mean "refusing me" (拒绝我). It means showing disapproval ("Oh no, you can't do that!", "你不可以这样子", "你不乖哦").
I believe the Chinese doesn't "shake a finger"...sorry, can't think of a way to translate.


----------



## Ripple.Z

samanthalee said:


> I don't have much to contribute. But I have to point out that "shaking your finger at me" doesn't mean "refusing me" (拒绝我). It means showing disapproval ("Oh no, you can't do that!", "你不可以这样子", "你不乖哦").
> I believe the Chinese doesn't "shake a finger"...sorry, can't think of a way to translate.


 
如果你对你女朋友说，今天跟我出去吃饭吧，她什么也不说，只是对你shake finger不是拒绝是啥？呵呵～你说的只是其中一种，还得是乐着说“哦，你不可以这样子！～”我说的是不带笑容，就是摇手指！no!~你琢磨琢磨是不是这个理儿～


----------



## samanthalee

Ripple.Z said:


> 如果你对你女朋友说，今天跟我出去吃饭吧，她什么也不说，只是对你shake finger不是拒绝是啥？呵呵～你说的只是其中一种，还得是乐着说“哦，你不可以这样子！～”我说的是不带笑容，就是摇手指！no!~你琢磨琢磨是不是这个理儿～



啊！说的是。我们是有 "shake finger" 的手势哦。可是你形容的这个"shake finger"状况好像跟英语中的"shake finger"不同含义咧。"shake finger" 在英语是"不赞同"，可以是带笑容地shake finger，也可以是皱着眉，着急地shake finger。

哦……我去一下English Only forum， 搞清楚一下在英语系社会里"shake finger" 有没有"拒绝"的意思吧。


----------



## Ripple.Z

samanthalee said:


> 啊！说的是。我们是有 "shake finger" 的手势哦。可是你形容的这个"shake finger"状况好像跟英语中的"shake finger"不同含义咧。"shake finger" 在英语是"不赞同"，可以是带笑容地shake finger，也可以是皱着眉，着急地shake finger。
> 
> 哦……我去一下english only forum， 搞清楚一下在英语系社会里"shake finger" 有没有"拒绝"的意思吧。


 
嗯，言之有理～等你消息～


----------



## samanthalee

English Only 那边说"shake finger"是"不赞同"，并且是上下摇摆的。
示意"拒绝接受"是用"wave finger"；这是左右摆动的。
而不管是"shake finger"或"wave finger"，都没有"拒绝执行/拒绝服从"(No, I won't) 的意思。

哎呀……还是没有解决翻译"Don't shake your finger at me"的难题。


----------



## Ripple.Z

samanthalee said:


> English Only 那边说"shake finger"是"不赞同"，并且是上下摇摆的。
> 示意"拒绝接受"是用"wave finger"；这是左右摆动的。
> 而不管是"shake finger"或"wave finger"，都没有"拒绝执行/拒绝服从"(No, I won't) 的意思。
> 
> 哎呀……还是没有解决翻译"Don't shake your finger at me"的难题。


 
哦！啥？shake finger是上下摇？可。。。没想明白怎么个上下摇～真有稀的。。


----------



## samanthalee

ripple.z said:


> 哦！啥？shake finger是上下摇？可。。。没想明白怎么个上下摇～真有稀的。。


哦？不明白？
首先，以拇指和食指做出向前开枪的手势。
这时的手背是向外侧，手心向内侧。
收起拇指，只留食指向前指。
然后扭动手腕，让食指上下摆动。

这样的动作，中文叫什么？


----------



## Ripple.Z

samanthalee said:


> 哦？不明白？
> 首先，以拇指和食指做出向前开枪的手势。
> 这时的手背是向外侧，手心向内侧。
> 收起拇指，只留食指向前指。
> 然后扭动手腕，让食指上下摆动。
> 
> 这样的动作，中文叫什么？


 
哦，还能这样？不过似乎中国人没这么摇的习惯，撑死了有手背向上，没有手背向外，手背向上，同样用食指摇，不过要说这个动作，更多的是“点”或“指”多于“摇”，因为是以肘关节为轴心，而不是手腕，同时嘴里说“你啊你啊！都是你干的好事儿！”之类的话吧～

成了point one's finger的动态版了～ lol....


----------



## BODYholic

samanthalee said:


> 哦？不明白？
> 首先，以拇指和食指做出向前开枪的手势。
> 这时的手背是向外侧，手心向内侧。
> 收起拇指，只留食指向前指。
> 然后扭动手腕，让食指上下摆动。
> 
> 这样的动作，中文叫什么？



是在挖鼻屎吧? (笑)


----------



## char siu bao

re:  示意"拒绝接受"是用"wave finger"；这是左右摆动的。

我没看English Only那边，可是我不同意“wave finger” 示意"拒绝接受"。实际上，我从来不”wave finger“ （左右摇动）。 在我看来，”wave finger“没有任何固定的意思。我想在看电影的时候，我看过老师们对小孩子“wave finger“为了表示“安静点”之类的话，不知道是否真的有人这样”wave finger“。

反而，我经常摇动全手（手心向外）来表示“拒绝接受”。


----------



## BODYholic

类似 "disapproval" 吧?
 
Anyway, 我们华人应该没这个动作.


----------



## samanthalee

BODYholic said:


> 是在挖鼻屎吧? (笑)


屁啦，什么挖鼻屎。这个动作在 Singlish 是“Orh...you die.” (Which translated to English means "You're going to be punished for it and I'm not going to save you.")



char siu bao said:


> 我没看English Only那边，可是我不同意“wave finger” 示意"拒绝接受"。


Oops... Does it sound more familiar if it's called "wagging a finger"? English Only Forum mentioned "wag finger", not "wave finger". I read it wrongly.



char siu bao said:


> 反而，我经常摇动全手（手心向外）来表示“拒绝接受”。


Right. I think this is universal. I wave the whole hand (palm facing forward) to indicate "refusing to accept" too.



BODYholic said:


> 类似 "disapproval" 吧?
> 
> Anyway, 我们华人应该没这个动作.


我有同感。所以这个的结果是“无解”？



Ripple.Z said:


> 因为是以肘关节为轴心，而不是手腕，同时嘴里说“你啊你啊！都是你干的好事儿！”之类的话吧～



对对对！就是这个意思。动作稍微不同，可是意思相同。所以这个动作也是叫“指”吗？"Don't shake your finger at me" 可以译成“别指我”吗？


----------



## Ripple.Z

samanthalee said:


> 屁啦，什么挖鼻屎。这个动作在 Singlish 是“Orh...you die.” (Which translated to English means "You're going to be punished for it and I'm not going to save you.")
> 
> 
> Oops... Does it sound more familiar if it's called "wagging a finger"? English Only Forum mentioned "wag finger", not "wave finger". I read it wrongly.
> 
> 
> Right. I think this is universal. I wave the whole hand (palm facing forward) to indicate "refusing to accept" too.
> 
> 
> 我有同感。所以这个的结果是“无解”？
> 
> 
> 
> 对对对！就是这个意思。动作稍微不同，可是意思相同。所以这个动作也是叫“指”吗？"Don't shake your finger at me" 可以译成“别指我”吗？


 
如果是这么个shake，可不跟指差不多了～呵呵，不过更像。。哆嗦lol...."你别冲我哆嗦手！”hahaha


----------



## char siu bao

> Oops... Does it sound more familiar if it's called "wagging a finger"? English Only Forum mentioned "wag finger", not "wave finger". I read it wrongly.


 

Hmm -- no. At least in the northeast of the US, no one will say "wagging a finger". Maybe it's a British thing .


----------



## char siu bao

> 因为是以肘关节为轴心，而不是手腕，同时嘴里说“你啊你啊！都是你干的好事儿！”之类的话吧～


 
Oh, I just noticed this one, too.  No -- when I "shake my finger," the movement comes from the wrist.


----------



## samanthalee

char siu bao said:


> Oh, I just noticed this one, too.  No -- when I "shake my finger," the movement comes from the wrist.


Yes. In English, "shake my finger" can be a gentle slow rolling of the wrist or a vigorous furious movement at the wrist (depending on tone and emotion).

If I understand correctly, the Chinese equivalence is holding the wrist rigid and gently pivoting the forearm up and down at the elbow. The other difference is the back of the hand would be facing upwards in the Chinese version, when in the English version, the thumb is facing upwards (I don't mean pointing upwards)


----------



## Ripple.Z

samanthalee said:


> Yes. In English, "shake my finger" can be a gentle slow rolling of the wrist or a vigorous furious movement at the wrist (depending on tone and emotion).
> 
> If I understand correctly, the Chinese equivalence is holding the wrist rigid and gently pivoting the forearm up and down at the elbow. The other difference is the back of the hand would be facing upwards in the Chinese version, when in the English version, the thumb is facing upwards (I don't mean pointing upwards)


 
所以shake那个与其说叫“指”不说说叫“点”～hoho~


----------



## pommette

Well in US, they do use " wagging the finger" as well. Roger Ebert, the famous movie reviewer, once had the segment called the "Wagging Finger of Shame" in his show to criticise movies. 

Maybe "don't shake your finger at me" translates as "你别指责我".


----------

