{"id":6072,"date":"2015-10-06T08:11:04","date_gmt":"2015-10-06T08:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/?p=6072"},"modified":"2024-05-12T10:00:54","modified_gmt":"2024-05-12T10:00:54","slug":"5-common-mistakes-chinese-learners-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/5-common-mistakes-chinese-learners-make.html","title":{"rendered":"5 Common Mistakes Chinese Learners Make"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Having taught Chinese for a while, we\u2019ve noticed a lot of common errors that English speakers make when learning Chinese. This is understandable, as Chinese has very different grammatical rules and structures than English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve rounded up our list of top 5 mistakes that Chinese learners make, as well as some tips on how to avoid them:<\/p>\n\n\n

1. Not using \u201c\u7684\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n

We\u2019ve mentioned before that \u201c\u7684 (de)\u201d is one of the most frequently used characters in Chinese. So why do so many English-speakers forget to use it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, the main reason this mistake is so common is because there isn\u2019t an equivalent of \u201c\u7684\u201d in English. The closest equivalent is \u201c\u2019s\u201d in the phrase, \u201cthe dog\u2019s<\/span><\/strong> collar,\u201d which shows that the collar belongs<\/em> to the dog. In Chinese, we use \u201c\u7684 (de)\u201d to show that the collar belongs to the dog \u2013 directly translated, this would be \u201c\u72d7\u7684<\/span><\/strong>\u9879<\/strong>\u5708<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u7684\u201d can also attribute certain characteristics to a noun. For example, \u201ca white dog\u201d would be \u201c\u767d\u8272\u7684<\/span><\/strong>\u72d7.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three <\/em>\u201c<\/em>de<\/em>\u2019<\/em>s (<\/em>\u7684\uff0c\u5730\uff0c\u5f97<\/em>)<\/em>\u201d<\/em> in Chinese grammar<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

2. Using \u201c\u548c\u201d to connect sentences<\/h2>\n\n\n

One of the most common English words is the word \u201cand,\u201d which we use to connect nouns, verbs, phrases and sentences. \u201cAnd\u201d is often translated to \u201c\u548c(h\u00e9<\/strong>)\u201d in Chinese. However, in Chinese, you cannot use \u201c\u548c\u201d to connect sentences – the result would sound very awkward!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: \u201cI live in an apartment, and I have a dog.\u201d
Incorrect translation: \u201c\u6211\u4f4f\u5728\u516c\u5bd3\u91cc\u548c<\/span><\/strong>\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u53ea\u72d7\u3002\u201d
Correct translation: \u201c\u6211\u4f4f\u5728\u516c\u5bd3\u91cc\uff0c\u8fd8\u6709<\/span>\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u53ea\u72d7\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u8fd8\u6709(h\u00e1i y\u01d2u)\u201d translates to \u201calso.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the above example, you actually don\u2019t even need to use a connector like \u201c\u8fd8\u6709(h\u00e1i y\u01d2u)\u201d at all. The sentence would be grammatically correct without it: \u201c\u6211\u4f4f\u5728\u516c\u5bd3\u91cc\uff0c\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u53ea\u72d7\u3002\u201d
You now might be wondering when we can <\/em>use <\/span> \u201c\u548c (h\u00e9<\/strong>). \u201d   The answer is simple \u2013 we can use \u201c\u548c (h\u00e9<\/strong>) \u201d to connect nouns, verbs, and short non-sentence phrases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: \u201cI have two older brothers and a younger sister.\u201d
Correct translation: \u201c\u6211\u6709\u4e24\u4e2a\u54e5\u54e5\u548c<\/span><\/strong>\u4e00\u4e2a\u59b9\u59b9\u3002\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When can I use \u201c\u548c?\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

3. Using \u201c\u662f\u201d with adjectives<\/h2>\n\n\n

You may know that the word for \u201cis \/ are\u201d in Chinese is \u201c\u662f (sh\u00ec.)\u201d Another tricky aspect of adjectives in Chinese, though, is that we never use \u201c\u662f\u201d to describe a noun. Instead, we usually use the word \u201c\u5f88(h\u011bn),\u201d which means \u201cvery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: \u201cHe is tall.\u201d
Incorrect translation: \u201c\u4ed6\u662f\u9ad8\u3002\u201d
Correct translation: \u201c\u4ed6\u5f88\u9ad8\u3002\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using \u5f88with Adjectives in Chinese<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

4. Using \u201c\u5417\u201d for all Yes\/No questions<\/h2>\n\n\n

Asking a question in Chinese is one of the things many students stumble over. In Chinese, you typically put the character \u201c\u5417(ma)\u201d at the end of the sentence to function as a question marker. Using this word can transform almost any statement into a question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, sometimes a Yes\/No question takes on the format of \u201c\u662f\u4e0d\u662f\u201d or \u201c\u6709\u6ca1\u6709,\u201d a format which we call positive-negative inversion. It is the equivalent of saying, \u201cAre you or are you not\u2026?\u201d When using this format, you do not also use \u201c\u5417,\u201d as the positive-negative inversion already marks the sentence as a question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: \u201cAre you American?\u201d
Incorrect translation: \u201c\u4f60\u662f\u4e0d\u662f\u7f8e\u56fd\u4eba\u5417?\u201d
Correct translation: \u201c\u4f60\u662f\u4e0d\u662f\u7f8e\u56fd\u4eba\uff1f\u201d
Correction translation (using \u201c\u5417\u201d): \u201c\u4f60\u662f\u7f8e\u56fd\u4eba\u5417\uff1f\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

5. Pronunciation errors<\/h2>\n\n\n

This is probably the most common mistake among all Chinese learners, and one of the hardest to correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By now, you probably know how important tones<\/a> are in Chinese. Pronouncing something in a different tone can result in a completely different word or phrase, with an entirely different meaning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: \u201c\u8001\u677f(l\u01ceo b\u01cen)\u201d means \u201cboss.\u201d But \u201c\u8001\u4f34(l\u01ceo b\u00e0n)\u201d means \u201cspouse\u201d or \u201chusband\/wife.\u201d That could be an embarrassing mistake to make!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no specific rule or clear-cut way to achieve perfect pronunciation. The quickest way to get better is to practice with a native speaker, who can correct your tone when necessary. Other things you can do to improve pronunciation are listening to Chinese radio and watching Chinese TV, while trying to mimic the tone of the speakers you hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hope these tips will help you avoid the 5 most common mistakes students make when learning Chinese! However, don\u2019t be discouraged if you do make a mistake now and then. It\u2019s an inevitable part of learning a new language!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Having taught Chinese for a while, we\u2019ve noticed a lot of common errors that English speakers make when learning Chinese. This is understandable, as Chinese has very different grammatical rules and structures than English. 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