Guangdong dialect more than mamadei

GUANGZHOU: "Maidan", a Cantonese expression meaning to pay the bill, is now widely spoken in most parts of the country.

Three decades ago, maidan, together with other typical phrases such as chaoyouyu (to fire somebody), mamadei (just so-so) and baodianhuazhou (to have a long talk over the phone), were spoken only by people in the Pearl River Delta region, where Cantonese originated.

"Over the years, a number of Cantonese phrases that are easily understood have gradually made their way into the daily vocabulary of people across the country," said Feng Shengping, a researcher with the Guangdong Provincial Situation Study and Research Center.