YiLiWaLa and ZanBaLaShi – Noisy and grimy
Several fun Yunnan dialect expressions for noisy and grimy:
Yi li wa la – [adv.] Cacophony of people speaking
莫在这点咿哩哇拉呢啦，某看见我在打电话改？
Mau4 zai4 zhe4 diar4 yi1 li1 wa1 la1 ne la, mou3 kan4 jian4 wo3 zai4 da3 dier4hua4 gya?
Mandarin: 不要在这里吵吵闹闹，没看到我在打电话吗？
Pinyin: Bu2 yao4 zai4 zhe4 li chao3 chao nao4 nao, mei2 kan4 dao4 wo3 zai4 da3 dian4 hua4 ma?
Will you keep it down, can’t you see I’m on the phone?
Ji li gua la [adv.] to speak incomprehensibly, for example in a foreign language
[Seeing two laowai nattering away in English]
唛，他俩个在叽里呱啦些哪？我一样都听不懂。
Me4, ta1 lia2 ge4 zai4 ji1 li1 gua1 la1 xie1 na3? Wo3 yi4 yan4 dou1 ting1 bu4 dong3.
Mandarin: 哎呀，他们两个在讲些什么呀？我一点都听不懂。
Pinyin: Aiya, ta1men liang3 ge4 zai4 jiang3 xie1 shen2me ya? Wo3 yi1 dian3 dou1 ting1 bu4 dong3.
Jeez, what are they on about? I can’t understand a word of it…
Zan ba la shi [adj.] dirty (for emphasis, there is repetition: zan ba la shi shi ne)
这个鏖糟馆咋个看得起脏巴拉施施呢。怕是吃不成。
Zhe4ge4 ou1-zou1 guan3 za3ge4 kan4 de qi zan1 ba1 la1 shi1 shi1 ne. Pa4 shi4 chi1 bu4 chen2.
Mandarin: 这个小饭馆儿怎么看起来那么脏。恐怕不能在这儿吃。
Pinyin: Zhe4 ge4 xiao3 fan4 guanr3 zen3 me kan4 qi lai na4 me zang1. kong3 pa4 bu4 neng2 zai4 zher4 chi1.
This noodle restaurant is nasty, I’m afraid I can’t eat here….
