Question: The 「ある」　Chinese Stereotype
 

Why are Chinese fictional characters in Japanese media (anime, manga, games, etc.) frequently portrayed with a habit of attaching -ある to the end of their sentences? (when speaking Japanese) Is it due to the 'broken' Japanese spoken in the formerly-occupied Manchuria, the mish-mash of Japanese and Min Nan spoken in modern day Taiwan, possible broken Japanese spoken by Chinese immigrants or Chinese foreign students, the Chinese interjection and sentence intensifier ”阿” (which is analogous to the Japanese 「あっ」 and　「よ」), a combination of the above, or something a writer cooked up for his work?

I don't find the stereotype to be offensive, much less racist. I'm actually think that it's funny and somewhat endearing. I'm still curious though.

Ironically, when I was first learning Japanese, I had a brief habit of using 「である」 instead of 「です」 since I started off by trying to read "formal" documents. (which was admittedly a bad idea.) That said, I think it's just a coincidence.

I recall there was some sort of mini-documentary on a few years back looking into where this came from.

I seem to recall that one of the first major textbooks for learning Japanese in China used "である" on the end of every sentence, and often forgot the で, leaving あるよ as a valid and preferred casual ending.

I believe it was quickly corrected, but it stuck as a stereotype of Japanese learned from Chinese textbooks.

Thank you. That's a rather sensible explanation.

I'm now curious about something else though. If the books were meant to be used in China, then how did the errors become well-known in Japan? Seems like the books predate the Internet as well.

I would imagine people coming to Japan from China would have exposed that flaw ;)

Also, I can vouch for Taiwanese speaking Japanese pretty well. My grandmother-in-law's Japanese is pretty durn good, considering she probably hasn't spoken it since WWII. She lives in Taiwan. That's how we communicate, since I don't speak Mandarin or Taiwanese. She learned it while Japan occupied Taiwan when she was a girl.

Ah, I see. Thanks.

Found an intriguing Wiki article that I think might help　explain the phenomenon in question.　

協和語 - Wikipedia

That`s a great find.

I wonder what the actual roots of such a pidgin were... And if it still exists in use as a creole now that there isn`t such a need for interaction with Japanese in daily life.

Ah, thank you. That was a rather useful and interesting article.