1. The Appearance – Written Words

The most apparent difference is, no surprise, the written appearance of the language. → Chinese uses characters, which cannot be sounded out, while English words use the alphabet, which allows the speaker to sound out the word because it is a phonetic language. Luckily, for language learners, Pinyin helps by providing a phonetic representation of Chinese characters. Pinyin uses romanized letters, but the sound associated with each is unique to Pinyin. While that may seem like a huge disadvantage, there is another aspect that must be considered. Chinese characters are, in some ways, like a picture. There are elements, called radicals, that hold meaning. So while you can’t sound the character out, you can pull meaning from the character.

If you know that 目(mù) means eye， 水(shuǐ) means water and that 氵is another form of 水 (shuǐ), then it’s easy to figure out that 泪(lèi) indicates water of the eyes or tears.

Please note that some character components do have sound attached to them. After getting really comfortable with Chinese, you may be able to guess the sound of a character based on the components – but this isn’t a fool-proof way of reading Chinese.

Related Posts: A Comprehensive Guide to Chinese Characters

2. Tones

You have probably seen Pinyin before and noticed some lines above a few of the letters. Those are the tones. There are 4 basic tones in Chinese.

Tones are a very unique concept for most of the English speakers. We need to pay attention to them when both listening and speaking!

If you pronounce the same syllable in different tones, the corresponding meanings vary vastly. In English, the intonation indicates emotion, but in Chinese, intonation indicates meaning. Here are some examples of tones and definitions.

/shui jiao/
睡觉 / shuì jiào/ sleep
水饺 / shuǐ jiǎo/ dumplings

我可以问(wèn)你吗？vs 我可以吻(wěn)你吗？
May I ask you? vs May I kiss you?

3. Sentence Length

English emphasizes the structure of sentences, while Chinese focuses on the meaning.

In English, it is very common to see one long sentence with long modifiers including pronouns like “we”, “she”, and “they” in addition to “that” and “which”, to avoid recurrences. The sentence may be long and complicated, but it is still clear enough to understand. In Chinese, the situation is very different, where a long sentence in Chinese would be very complicated and extremely difficult to understand. Therefore, in Chinese, we can only find short sentences or long sentences divided into short phrases separated by commas.

To conclude, we can say: English sentences are usually long, and Chinese sentences are usually short. When learning Chinese, you should “Get the meaning, forget the words”. Let’s look at some examples here:

The sights of Beijing are so numerous that you can spend several weeks here and leave without having seen all of the important ones.
北京的名胜很多，一个人就是在这儿呆上几个星期，离开时也没能把主要的景点看完。
(Běijīng de míngshèng hěn duō，yī gè rén jiù shì zài zhèr dāi shàng jǐ gè xīngqī，líkāi shí yě méi néng bǎ zhǔyào de jǐngdiǎn kàn wán.)

The Great Wall traverses plains and mountains, being 1,300 meters above sea level at some points. The wall averages 7.8 meters in height and 5.8 meters in width at the top.
长城跨越平原高山，在某些地方海拔1,300米，平均高7.8米，顶宽5.8米。
(Chángchéng kuà yuè píngyuán gāoshān，zài mǒuxiē dìfāng hǎibá 1,300mǐ，píngjūn gāo 7.8mǐ，dǐng kuān 5.8mǐ.)

The computer program is completely in computing mode and will only do computing tasks.
现在，程序的显示区完全处于这种工具的模态中。
(Xiànzài，chéngxù de xiǎnshìqū wánquán chùyú zhèzhǒng gōngjù de mótài zhōng.)

4. Passive & Active Voice

In English, the passive voice is very commonly used. Unlike English, Chinese usually uses an active voice.

There are ways to show the passive tense in Chinese, and there are more specific words you would use to show that. So let’s take a look at some examples of the active voice in Chinese that translates to the English passive voice:

Tea is drunk widely all over the world.
世界各地人们都喝茶。
(Shìjiè gèdì rénmen dōu hē chá.)

But sometimes the tables were laid outside in the gardens of stately homes.
但有时也把餐桌摆到豪门大宅的花园里。
(Dàn yǒushí yě bǎ cānzhuō bǎi dào háoméndàzhái de huāyuán lǐ.)

Parties are held when the weather is nice.
天公作美时可以看到寻常百姓家的野餐。
(Tiāngōngzuóměi shí kěyǐ kàndào xúncháng bǎixìng jiā de yěcān.)

Bananas are widely believed to grow on trees.
普遍认为香蕉是结在树上的果实。
(Pǔbiàn rènwéi xiāngjiāo shì jié zài shù shàng de guǒshí.)

• It must be pointed out that… 必须指出……（bì xū zhǐ chū）
• It must be admitted that… 必须承认……（bì xū chéng rèn）
• It is imagined that… 人们认为……（rén men rèn wéi）
• It can not be denied that… 不可否认……（bú kě fǒu rèn）

Related Posts: Basic Chinese Sentences Structures

5. The use of Idioms

In Chinese, idioms and short four-character expressions are very widely used to make the language more vivid, live, and concise.

English is not so rich in this kind of short idioms and expressions. In English, idioms are used scarcely because they tend to be more specific and direct. Here are some to read and compare:

Sincere Buddhists take vows of celibacy and abstinence from meat and wine, wearing no fur or woolen garments and shaving their heads.
虔诚的僧人立誓禁欲，不沾酒肉，不着皮毛，削发修行。
(Qiánchéng de sēngrén lìshì jìnyù，bú zhān jiǔròu，bú zhuó pímáo，xuēfà xiūxíng.)

China is a vast country.
中国地域辽阔。
(Zhōngguó dìyù liáokuò.)

He always looks very funny.
他的样子总是滑稽可笑。
(Tā de yàngzi zǒng shì huájīkěxiào.)

In retrospect, the past 100 years of human existence have been extremely fantastic, and extremely frightening as well.
回首过去一百年,人类世界可说精彩绝伦,但也惊心动魄。
(Huíshǒu guòqù yībǎi nián, rénlèi shìjiè kě shuō jīngcǎijuélún, dàn yě jīngxīndòngpò.)

6. Abstract vs Concrete

English widely uses abstract nouns while Chinese usually uses concrete nouns.

This comes from the Chinese philosophy which interprets the human being and his life as a microcosm within the natural macrocosm. Therefore, many abstract terms are expressed in Chinese with concrete objects from the natural world. Here are numerous examples of how this looks and what the Chinese literally means in English:

• Disintegration 土崩瓦解 （tǔ bēng wǎ jiě）
  Lit. Landslides and tiles disintegrate
• Total exhaustion 筋疲力尽 （jīn pí lì jìn）
  Lit. The muscles are weary and the strength has been used up
• Careful consideration 深思熟虑（shēn sī shú lǜ）
  Lit. Deep thinking and careful thought
• Perfect harmony 水乳交融（shuǐ rǔ jiāo róng）
  Lit. Mix well like milk and water
• Feed on fancies 画饼充饥（huà bǐng chōng jī）
  Lit. To allay one’s hunger using a picture of a cake
• With great eagerness 如饥似渴（rú jī sì kě）
  Lit. Like hunger as thirst
• Lack of perseverance 三天打鱼，两天晒网（sān tiān dǎ yú ，liǎng tiān shài wǎng）
  Lit. Spent three days fishing and two days drying nets
• Make a little contribution 添砖加瓦（tiān zhuān jiā wǎ）
  Lit. Contribute bricks and tiles for a building
• On the verge of destruction 危在旦夕（wēi zài dàn xī）
  Lit. The crisis is in the coming daybreak or in the coming dusk.

7. Emphasis

English puts more emphasis on the first part of the sentence while Chinese puts the emphasis on the last part of the sentence.

This characteristic is especially apparent in sentences that include logic with drawing conclusions or expressing results. In English, the conclusion is described first, and the facts are described at the end of the sentence. In Chinese, it is the opposite. First, the facts will be described, and then the results, conclusions, etc. For example:

I was most delighted when it proved possible to reinstate the visit so quickly as a result of the initiative of your Government.
由于贵国政府的提议，才得以这样快地重新实现访问。这使我感到特别高兴。
(Yóuyú guì guó zhèngfǔ de tíyì ，cái déyǐ zhèyàng kuài de chóngxīn shíxiàn fǎngwèn. Zhè shǐ wǒ gǎndào tèbié gāoxìng.)

His assertion that “it was difficult, if not impossible, for a people to enjoy its basic rights unless it was able to determine freely its political status and to ensure freely its economic, social and cultural development” was now scarcely contested.
如果一个民族不能自由地决定其政治地位，不能自由地保证其经济、社会和文化的发展，要享受其基本权利，即使不是不可能，也是不容易的。这一论断几乎是无可置辩的了。
(Rúguǒ yī gè mínzú bù néng zìyóu de juédìng qí zhèngzhì dìwèi ，bù néng zìyóu de bǎozhèng qí jīngjì 、shèhuì hé wénhuà de fāzhǎn ，yào xiǎngshòu qí jīběn quánlì ，jíshǐ bú shì bù kěnéng ，yě shì bù róngyì de. Zhè yī lùnduàn jīhū shì wúkězhìbiàn de le.)

Conclusion

From the above points, we can clearly see an interesting point that Chinese emphasizes short and clear expressions so that the listener (or reader) will easily get the accurate meaning of the idea expressed. For this aim, Chinese “gives up” long and complicated sentences which are based on grammar, and prefer to use simple and short sentences. English sentences tend to be longer because they need to be specific. In addition, Chinese also doesn’t omit repeated words in order to make sure that the listener or reader will not misunderstand the meaning of the sentence.

In my eyes, this is an example of how culture and philosophy may influence a language since Chinese philosophy and thinking are very pragmatic. English, on the other hand, has a variety of cultures and philosophies where it becomes necessary to elongate the way things are expressed. The other method the Chinese language uses to make expressions the most accurate is using idioms. Idioms are an integral part of Chinese culture and wisdom since almost each of them is a conclusion of a traditional Chinese legend and expresses a sort of insight. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the basics of the Chinese language, you might find this resource helpful: Chinese for Beginners.

I hope you learned a lot about the differences between the two languages and understand how to start comprehending the Chinese language.

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Why Are You Learning Chinese?

Before you decide whether to learn to handwrite characters or not, pause for a moment and ask yourself another question: “Why am I learning Chinese?” Depending on your learning goals, you might choose a different path.

If you study Chinese just to manage as a tourist on a trip to China, then handwriting characters isn’t the most efficient way to spend your time. You can enjoy your trip with basic Chinese and a phone with a translation app.

If you learn Chinese for business reasons, being able to handwrite Chinese characters will impress your business partners, but you might prefer to focus on developing your speaking and listening comprehension skills, instead of spending hours on learning stroke order.

If you are interested in Chinese culture and history and think that learning Chinese might be useful for you in the future, then you could still reach a low-intermediate Chinese level and manage by typing characters using pinyin input.

As you can see, you don’t need to learn how to handwrite characters to be able to speak Chinese, understand it, work using it (to a certain extent), and even live in China! But there is always a “but”.

Why Learn To Write Characters By Hand

Before we talk more about the “but”, let’s see why anyone would decide to learn to handwrite Chinese characters. Why spend time and effort on something that you can manage without?

Well, there are a few good reasons to learn handwriting Chinese characters:

• First of all, knowing how to handwrite Chinese characters is just cool. It feels like magic when you write a few strokes on paper, that don’t normally make sense, but they suddenly come together and create a meaning, a word. And amazingly, you can understand it.
• Second, handwriting characters is a form of meditation. Once you learn how to stay focused, you will not only notice that your concentration skills improve, but you will also find yourself feeling calm and relaxed when writing characters. Seriously!
• Third, handwriting characters train your muscle memory, making characters stay longer in your memory and improving your reading and speaking skills. And here lies the aforementioned “but”. You can manage without handwriting characters and learn Chinese to a certain level, but without knowing how to write characters by hand, you are very unlikely to reach a level above intermediate.

✓ 快 vs 块, never mess them up again

Many characters look the same and only have a different radical. For example, 快 and 块. They have the exact same pronunciation, kuài, but the meanings have nothing to do with each other. One means “fast”, and the other is “a piece”. You might originally memorize them as separate pictures, but would you still remember them in a month or two, or a year? When you handwrite a character, you learn the parts it consists of, you memorize it by those parts, and so you are more likely to remember the character much later and see the difference between similar characters.

✓ Use dictionaries faster

Another bonus of knowing how to handwrite characters is that you can easily use electronic dictionaries to look up characters you’ve never seen before. Just write it on your phone and a dictionary like pleco will recognize it and give you the meaning.

How to start handwriting characters

So you’ve decided to learn to write characters by hand, what’s next? The most important thing is to get the basics right from the very start. Here is a brief guide on how you can do it.

– Understand the structure of a character

A character consists of one or more components, called radicals. Spend some time figuring out how characters are structured because understanding that will help you in the future. Simply put, a radical on the left side of a character is (often, but not always) connected to the meaning, whereas, a radical on the right is connected to the pronunciation of the whole character (again, often, but not always).

– Get familiar with strokes

Characters are similar to legos; they can be broken down into pieces. They consist of radicals, while radicals consist of strokes. There are eight traditional fundamental strokes, but only five of them are considered modern modular strokes, called “’札字法” （zházìfǎ).

Take some time and practice writing each of the strokes separately. Keep in mind that it does make a difference if you draw a line from top to bottom or bottom to top. I recommend drawing each stroke about 30 times. It might sound strange, but it will help you in the future – you’ll see a character, recognize the strokes, and your hand will just write them correctly.

– Learn the radicals

Now that you know how to write strokes, learn the radicals. There are 214 radicals in the original Kangxi radical list, but a few of them are no longer used in simplified Chinese. It is highly recommended to learn them all, but realistically, you should memorize the most common ones and then, once you advance in your studies, learn the others.

– Get the stroke order right

Now that you can deconstruct a character into separate pieces, learn how to write it correctly. The proper stroke order for writing characters has been developed for over thousands of years, and Chinese people are very attentive to it. And to be honest, when you write a character with the correct stroke order, it just flows naturally, as if there is no other right way to write it.

There are some general rules, such as writing from top to bottom and left to right. However, the exact stroke order of each character should be learned and memorized individually, especially when you have just started learning handwriting characters. Later, you don’t need to memorize each new character’s stroke order. In most cases, you will already know the order based on previously learned characters. Just remember, it is ok not to be sure about the stroke order, you can always check in a dictionary. 

There is another more detailed article on how to write Chinese characters and get the stroke order correct. It will give you a better overview of character composition and provide some insights on stroke order. You can check it out here:

How to Write Chinese Characters (Quick Start Guide + Free Mini Course)

Tips to practice writing Chinese characters

What’s next? Well, here comes the hard part. There isn’t really a workaround to learn to handwrite characters without spending time on it. In the very beginning, handwriting characters is exciting. You start something completely new, and it’s exciting. After writing 50 lines of characters, none of which look pretty or similar to the ones in the book, you get bored and tired. my advice? Be persistent, and don’t give up. The more you practice, the easier it becomes, and the faster you memorize characters.

– Use worksheets

Find or print out some Chinese writing worksheets. If you are totally new to handwriting characters, I recommend getting worksheets with character stroke order and gridlines. You can even create a worksheet of your own, with characters that you want to practice. Many websites have worksheets, archchinese being one of them where you can customize your own practice sheets.

– Deconstructing a character

When feeling bored of writing characters in worksheets, try another exercise. Select a character from your textbook, and don’t check pronunciation or meaning. Try to analyze it. What radicals does the character consist of? Can you guess its meaning? Can you guess its pronunciation? Think of its stroke order. Write it. And finally, look up the character in a dictionary.

The online dictionary MDBG not only provides the meaning of a character but also shows the number of strokes in it, its radical, the radical’s pronunciation, and the stroke order. But there are plenty of other dictionaries, choose whichever one suits you best.

– Checking the origins of a character

Another way to learn about characters is to look up their origins. Understanding why the character for water looks like this 水 will help you memorize it. Of course, you can’t do it for every single character, but again, in the beginning, it can help you a great deal. By looking into the etymology of a character, you will better understand Chinese culture. Check out another article here to dive deeper into the etymology of characters.

Handwriting characters is difficult. And if you are like many others, you may want to give up at some point. Because it requires a lot of time, a lot of concentration, and a lot of patience. And it’s ok if you quit. But if you choose to continue, remember, it gets easier the more you practice. I remember when I just started handwriting characters, I needed to write a character at least 20-30 times before I could remember how to read and write it. Later I could memorize a character after writing it 5-7 times. But you need to practice continuously. Now, after years of only typing in Chinese, I find that writing a character 5 times is not enough. Handwriting doesn’t feel natural anymore, and sometimes I struggle to write even simple characters. So don’t repeat my mistakes, be consistent in your practice. 加油！

The post Why You Should Learn to Write Chinese Characters by Hand and How to Start appeared first on .

The strokes and simple pictogram characters are most frequently mentioned in courses, such as “人” “大” “天” “日” “月” “水” “火”, etc. Very familiar and easy to understand, right? Many people find that courses generally don’t explain characters in-depth or go beyond teaching basic characters.

The problem is trying to figure out what’s next. Besides the strokes and theoretical creation methods, how can we really learn and memorize the other Chinese characters? Only a few simple and easy-to-memorize characters are covered, how about the rest of the more complicated ones? No one prepares learners to learn and memorize the thousands of other characters.

How It Works

To help the learners who would like to learn more, the Topic-oriented Character learning method comes into play. If you have basic knowledge of characters, you can find that Chinese characters were created in categories. In ancient China, it was a systematic way to create characters. If we could memorize the characters with the same thoughts and logic, not only can we understand the WHYs behind the culture, but also master all the characters more efficiently.

The course consists of 10 main common, daily topics, including Numbers (数字), People（人）, Position（地点）， Nature（自然）， Weather（天气）， Description with Adjectives（形容词）， Location（地点）， Body（身体）， Furniture & Home appliance（家具&家电）and Food（食物）. Each of the topics contains related and commonly used characters.

Structure

Topic-Oriented Key Characters

Under each topic, several key characters are most commonly used. With the key characters, the most frequently used words and sentences are also presented. For individual characters, there is not only a simple translation but also the origins of the character and how/why it formed to its current form.

Components to Words

After the first section, there are two or three components derived from the key characters. These extended characters are made by the components. The corresponding words and sentences are also made and presented.

Practice & Review

To help the learners better understand, memorize, and use the characters, a practice & review section follows each lesson. Using content you have learned in previous and current lessons, you can practice creating new sentences and holding conversations. Even though the course is about character learning, the corresponding grammar and uses are provided.

Writing

While learning Chinese characters, writing is necessary and unavoidable. Some may say they just need to read or type, and that writing is not that important. As a matter of fact, writing can help you memorize and recognize the characters much easier. We acknowledge the importance of writing, so we decided to include that in our video lessons. The characters are clustered section by section. The instructor will show you the whole writing process by hand, stroke by stroke. With the proper speed, you can easily follow and imitate the writing.

Verdict

Learning to write characters is also a great way to learn Chinese language. From characters to words, from words to topics, and from topics to conversation, it’s all connected. If you understand the logic behind Chinese characters, the following process could not be easier. This topic-oriented Chinese character method provides you with the route to learning.

This course contains about 240 Chinese characters and corresponding words, which range from HSK level 1 to level 3. It’s an ideal course for beginner to intermediate-level learners.

Just learning by watching is not enough for sure. As a writing character course, there are also downloadable, stroke-by-stroke, writing sheets of each topic. All the key and extended characters are listed there for the learners to write and review. In addition, there is also a test in each lesson which helps the learners check if they have mastered and memorized the characters properly.

As a character learning course, it fills the gap between beginner to intermediate level, especially after the fundamental stage, with quite a systematic and logical thought. Learners can easily access the course and begin their journey to Chinese character mastery.

Additional Resources:

Rooted on the Topic-oriented Character Learning Method, other resources are available to help you learn Chinese characters efficiently.

For instance, articles like Chinese Characters About Farming and Nature and Chinese Characters for Animals offer insights into specific categories of characters. Learning characters related to body parts, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and numbers can provide a deeper cultural context and aid memorization.

The post Topic-Oriented Method: The Most Efficient Way to Learn Hundreds of Chinese Characters appeared first on .

Q1: “Jing, do I really need to learn how to write in Chinese?”

Because of technology, nowadays more and more people tend to just learn Pinyin and then type Chinese characters instead of writing them down. It indeed seems more convenient and easier. However, for a Chinese learner, writing can help you remember the characters more accurately and systematically. If you just type on a computer or a cellphone, you might go through a period when you will suddenly stop using Chinese, then it becomes so easy to forget the words because many characters are just too similar. With actual writing, your muscle memory will help you remember and master these characters much longer because they become a part of your brain. Besides, writing is also a part of understanding Chinese culture. So, my answer is YES, I recommend that you learn how to write in Chinese.

Q2: “Do you have any suggestions on how to write Chinese characters?”

Answering this question is not that simple, so I`ll use the rest of this article to give my best thoughts about this.

1. A basic introduction of Chinese characters

Chinese characters are relatively independent of the phonetic system. There are about 80,000 characters in total and about 6,500 which are used daily. Each character has its own pronunciation, though many of them share the same pinyin syllables. The large number may make many beginners feel scared and overwhelmed. Actually, after knowing the principle of making characters and the rules behind it, mastering the writing of characters should be quite easy. It`s like a “one formula fits all” method.

Traditional or Simplified characters?

We all know that there are two versions of Chinese characters nowadays: traditional Chinese characters （繁体字）and simplified Chinese characters （简体字）. The traditional version is mainly used in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and several other places. The simplified version is mainly used in mainland China. No matter which version you choose to learn, the rules of writing are the same. So, in learning how to write, the version you wish to learn doesn’t really matter.

Related Reading: A Comprehensive Guide to Chinese Characters

2. Character formation

Obviously, such a large number of characters cannot be made randomly. Following certain rules, these characters which have grown over thousands of years are still very dynamic.

The formation of characters seems just like a “LEGO” game! There are many small components, and you just need to put the small components together and give them order. Each of the components is made of smaller strokes.

Strokes

The strokes of Chinese characters refer to one uninterrupted dot or line, such as  “一”（横）、“丨”（竖）、 “丿”（撇）、“丶”（点）、“乛”（折）, etc. A stroke is the smallest component of a character. There are 8 traditional fundamental strokes, which are  “丶”（点）、“一”（横）、“丨”（竖）、 “丿”（撇）、 “乀” （捺）、 “㇀”（提）、 “乛” （折） and “亅” （钩）.It`s also called “’永’字八法” （yǒngzìbāfǎ）. The character “永” basically represents the common stroke types of the Chinese character system.

The modern modular strokes are regulated as the 5 one’s, “一”（横）、“丨”（竖）、 “丿”（撇）、“丶”（点）and“乛” （折）, and they are called “’札’字法” （zházìfǎ）. It`s a simpler version of “’永’字八法”.

Related Reading: Full Chinese Character Strokes List

Radicals

Radicals in Chinese characters are called 部首[bùshǒu]. They are used to classify the character patterns which are commonly used in Chinese dictionaries. There are mainly two types of radicals depending on their different functions and properties. One is based on the principles of the six categories of Chinese characters (which we will illustrate more in the content that follows), and the other is based on the shapes of the structures.

Once you understand the relations among strokes, radicals, and characters, writing characters becomes a piece of cake. Moreover, you can not only imitate drawing the shapes but also understand the underlying rules and reasons behind the characters. Of course, practicing with understanding would be a much better way than mechanical imitation.

Let`s take “女” as an example. “女” is not only an independent character which means female, but it is also a radical that can be combined with other Chinese components and indicates some certain meanings. As the following picture shows, “妈” “姐” “妹” are all females, thus they share the same radical while the right sides are diversified because of the phonetics.

Related Reading: Most Common Chinese Characters List by Radical

The categories of Chinese characters

There are six main categories of Chinese characters: Pictographs （象形字）, Pictophonetic characters （形声字）, Simple ideograms（指示字）, Compound ideographs （会意字）, Phonetic loan characters （假借字）, and Derivative cognates （转注字）.  Here, I will introduce the four commonly used categories:

1). Pictographs （象形字）

These are stylized drawings of the objects they represent. Many Chinese learners feel that they are “drawing” Chinese characters, and in this case, they are! Most of the single characters and radicals are from this category.

2) Pictophonetic characters （形声字）

They are also called radical-phonetic characters. Over 70% of Chinese characters were created by this method. There are mainly two components: the phonetic component and the semantic component. The “女” radical we mentioned before is a typical example of this category.

e.g.

女 à the meaning part (also the radical), “female”

“妈”“姐”“妹” à“马” “且” “未” indicate the phonetic part.

3) Simple ideograms（指示字）

These express an abstract idea through an iconic form. For example, the numbers in Chinese, “一” “二” and “三”, are represented by the appropriate number of strokes which means “one” “two” and “three”.

4) Compound ideographs （会意字）

These are the combinations of two or more pictographic characters to suggest the meaning of the character to be represented.

e.g.

木（mù） à  wood

林（lín）  à  woods  (two 木)

森（sēn） à  forest  (three 木)

3. The Basic Writing Order

Stroke order really matters if you want to learn to write characters. Using the wrong stroke order or direction would cause the ink to fall differently on the page. The Chinese stroke order system was designed to produce the most aesthetical, symmetrical, and balanced characters on a piece of paper. Furthermore, it was also designed to be efficient – creating the most strokes with the least amount of hand movement across the page. Here, I`ll quote the rules that Sara once wrote in the article Why Chinese Stroke Order is Important and How to Master it at DigMandarin to show you the proper stroke orders.

Here are some tips on mastering stroke order.

1). 从上到下Top to bottom

When a Chinese character is “stacked” vertically, like the character 立 (lì) which means to stand, the rule is to write from top to bottom.

2). 从左到右Left to right

When a Chinese character has a radical, the character is written left to right. The same rule applies to characters that are stacked horizontally.

3). 先中间后两边Symmetry counts

When you are writing a character that is centered and more or less symmetrical (but not stacked from top to bottom) the general rule is to write the center stroke first.

4). 先横后竖Horizontal first, vertical second

Horizontal strokes are always written before vertical strokes.  Here is how to write the character “十(shí)” or “ten.”

5). Enclosures before content

You want to create the frame of the character before you fill it in. Check out how to write the character 日(rì) or “sun.”

6). Close frames last

Make a frame then fill in some of the components inside. After you write the middle strokes, close the frame, such as in the character “回(huí)” or “to return.”

7). Character-spanning strokes are last

For strokes that cut across many other strokes, they are often written last. For example, the character 半 (bàn), which means “half.” The vertical line is written last.

There are always small exceptions to the rule, and Chinese stroke order can vary slightly from region to region. However, these variations are very miniscule; so by following these general tips, you’ll have an astute grasp on Chinese character`s writing order.

From strokes to characters, this is the way Chinese characters are formed. And it should also be the way you learn to write them. Writing is not the final goal, but understanding and using them correctly. Following the order of the writing will help you remember the characters better.

Related Course: Essential Courses – Pinyin, Characters, Grammar and more

So, I hope you like this guide to learning how to write Chinese characters! get your pen and let`s start writing!

The post How to Write Chinese Characters (Quick Start Guide) appeared first on .

What are the differences between Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (collectively called CJK, for short)? Are Chinese characters (hànzì) the same as Japanese kanji and Korean hanja?

You are not alone if you are confused. Let’s debunk some of the biggest language myths about CJK.

Myth 1: Japanese and Korean originated from the Chinese language.

No. There is no dispute about their origins; they did not come from the Chinese language. What is a fact is that a large part of their vocabulary consists of borrowed Chinese words, which happened during the countries’ historical interaction with each other. Furthermore, although the Korean language (Altaic) and the Japanese language (Japonic) are highly similar to each other (e.g. similar-sounding words and grammar rules), they are considered to be isolated and different languages too.

Myth 2: Asians who can speak either one of the CJK languages actually understand and/or speak all three of them.

No. A person who knows one CJK language might be able to understand most of the words written on a Chinese/Japanese/Korean newspaper, but not everything. What he/she can do is link enough of the characters together to get a picture of what is probably being written about. As for the spoken word, there may be far too many differences between CJK for one to know what the other person is saying.

What are Chinese characters (hànzì)?

While Chinese characters (hànzì) were developing in China, Japanese kanji and Korean hanja did not exist yet. Eventually,, the Japanese people adopted hànzì to write their own language, which became ‘kanji’. Korean people did the same, and adopted hànzì to write ‘hanja’.

Myth 3: Chinese characters (hànzì) = Japanese kanji = Korean hanja?

No. Chinese hànzì, Japanese kanji,and Korean hanja do not use the same set of traditional Chinese characters.

The characters used in Korean (hanja) and Japanese (kanji) are distinct from those used in China in many respects. First, they look similar (but not necessarily exactly the same) to traditional Chinese characters than simplified Chinese characters. Second, they typically have (but not necessarily) similar meanings, but often quite different pronunciations.

Myth 4:  Chinese hànzì, Japanese kanji, and Korean hanja have the same pronunciations

Chinese hànzì and Japanese kanji/Korean hanja are pronounced differently!

For example:

“剑/劍” (“sword” written in simplified and traditional version respectively) is pronounced “jiàn” in Mandarin Chinese but written as “剣” and read as “けん [ken]” or “つるぎ [tsurugi]” in Japanese. It is written as “劍” and read as “검 [geom]” in Korean.

Let’s look at ten more examples!

*simplified/traditional

**simplified and traditional characters are the same

Did you notice the high similarities between Japanese and Korean pronunciations? Japanese and Korean share a considerable number of lexical similarities than may not be applicable to Chinese.

The modern way to learn Chinese characters
Nowadays, people can easily write in all three languages by using a phone or computer. It’s possible to learn Chinese characters without writing them out by hand. You just need to learn the Pinyin/Zhuyin and select the right characters, in which most of the time the right characters are chosen automatically. Before phones and computers, one had to actually learn to write them with a pen and paper.

Conclusion:

As with other learning other languages, you need to do a lot of reading, listening, and speaking to become fluent. Learning Chinese characters is a major investment of time, but there is one thing for sure: once you get into these languages, you will see the beauty in them, as well as a reflection of the great culture that created them. These languages will enrich your life in a way that you can never imagine, and give you a deeper understanding of the people who speak them.

The post Can the Chinese Actually Understand the Japanese and Korean languages? appeared first on .

Websites

The most well-known resource to improve one’s Chinese handwriting is Skritter. The website itself, as well as its companion iOS and Android apps, is a very enjoyable and effective way of learning. Skritter is fun and engaging (if not downright addicting!). Its repetition-based system is very well scheduled. If you’ve failed to write a particular character more often than another, it will be shown again at an increased rate. Similarly, a character which has been written multiple times without mistakes will be shown at a greatly reduced frequency.

Skritter’s handwriting recognition system checks whether your stroke order is correct or not, and if you are lost, a quick tap on the screen will show you a hint as to the next step.

Another tool that allows you to boost your writing skills is Arch Chinese Handwriting Practice. It uses handwriting recognition technology to provide instant feedback about the stroke order and form of various components of Chinese characters.

Unfortunately, one must pay to get the most of both resources. If you are a cash-strapped learner, consider the free Chinese Time School’s Writing Tool:

Unlike the Skritter app, though, Chinese Time School’s tool doesn’t provide any feedback. Furthermore, Skritter’s vocabulary lists include thousands of items, while this website has only 500 basic Chinese characters. However, it is better than nothing, especially for beginners.

Apps

On the iOS App Store and Google Play, more free alternatives may be found. The HelloChinese mobile app, for example, contains a long list of characters in order to practice handwriting and learn Chinese quickly. It’s hand-picked vocabulary is vast, but unfortunately not customizable. Additionally, advanced learners may find the hints about the correct stroke order a little bit annoying. However, the app is completely free!

If you need more flexibility, try out the Pleco app. It’s primarily a dictionary, but it comes with a built-in handwriting recognition technology. Pleco lets you write characters by yourself, which is useful for learning new characters, but is tolerant of stroke order mistakes, so you won’t get any feedback about your accuracy.

TrainChinese’s Chinese Writer is styled more similar to a game. Characters fall from the top of the screen, and you have to draw them correctly to don’t let them reach the bottom. This is really fun!

All the apps and websites mentioned above are strong alternatives to writing on paper. They are particularly helpful when you need:

• to get used to the rules of writing Chinese characters.
• to understand the importance of the correct stroke order.
• to learn how to distinguish commonly confused characters.

The only limitation is that most handwriting recognition systems used in those resources are not perfect yet. Despite their general accuracy, sometimes they pick up incorrect strokes, for example, a vertical line may be recognized as a hook. On the contrary, components correctly written, but slightly in the wrong direction or location are sometimes not “accepted” as correct.

Worksheets

If you believe using an application would somehow impede your learning, you’re probably more interested in practicing your writing skills on paper. Of course, there are many workbooks and worksheets available in bookstores, but what if you prefer to practice characters from a customized list? Fortunately, there are a lot of online tools that help you to create your own grids: from the pretty simple to the rather sophisticated.

Some services, like Hanzi Grids, provide customizable fonts, background guides, grid colors, and other customizable features.

Just type in the content you need, adjust the settings, and print out your custom-generated PDF file!

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Download PDF Version

Email Expressions

Promise Expressions

Expectation Expressions

Asking for Discount Expressions

Download PDF Version

The post Top 100 Common Business Chinese Phrases & Expressions appeared first on .

Christmas In China

(Transparent)

Christmas in China has been a growing presence throughout the years. In Beijing, the Christmas spirit is alive and well with all the Christmas decoration throughout the city. This holiday is celebrated in shopping world but it isn’t understood or known the history and traditions of Christmas.

Santa Claus (shèng dàn lǎo rén  圣诞老人) is widely used in the decorations in most places in China. Children are excited to see the Christmas spirit even with hard to believe stories like Santa coming down the chimney. However people in China love a reason to celebrate and it is good for business.

Christmas has sparked the curiosity of the Chinese people of what the story is behind the holiday. Since Christmas is translated as 圣诞节(shèng dàn jié) which means “holy birth festival”, many people have become curious about the story of Jesus (耶稣 yē sū) and not just the secular traditions of Christmas. Christmas is an important holiday for Christians (圣诞节对基督教徒来说是个重要节日 – shèng dàn jié duì jī dū jiào tú lái shuō shì gè zhòng yào jié rì) and even though it isn’t a national holiday, it is here to stay in China.

5 Tips to Help You Improve Your Chinese Writing Ability

(Hacking Chinese)

This month’s challenge is about translations, which means that at least half the challenge is focused on writing Chinese. Here are some tips and suggestions for how to translate and/or write better content in Chinese and learn more from the process.

Tip #1: Never translate word for word, focus on the meaning

You should never translate to English directly to Chinese. It will result in unreadable or very awkward-sounding statement. You should split the translation into the next two steps that will follow in the next tip.

Tip #2: Translate general meaning first, don’t get stuck on details

It is difficult to write in Chinese. Therefore, you should try to break down the process into two steps. First, make sure you translate the general meaning that you want. At this stage, how it flows in Chinese should not be the biggest focus. Then you should edit the Chinese text you have. This is where you edit to have it flow well in Chinese by with correct grammar.

Tip #3: Use what you know, avoid what you don’t.

Beginners can express much more than they think. Try to use what you know to express your message or meaning. It is about having the positive attitude about getting your message across even if you don’t know the exact words.

Tip #4: Always check context when using a dictionary

In Chinese, you need to be careful when you use a dictionary because you need to pay attention to: meaning (does the mean what you think it does in this context?); usage (how is the word commonly used in sentences?); and collocations (can the word you looked up be used with other words in your sentence?). If you don’t pay attention to these key points, it will create weird sentences and make it hard to comprehend what you are trying to write about.

Tip #5: Don’t make your text more complicated than necessary.

Students think they can write better in Chinese by deliberating trying to use the difficult words, longer sentences and so on. It is best to use what you know and keep it simple. It preferable to read a simple written piece that makes senses than to read a jumble of difficult words that don’t work.

These are tips that I used for myself when I started writing in Chinese and what I tell my students. Take what you can from here and try out it in your own Chinese writing skills. Good luck and enjoy learning.

Small Changes Make a Big Difference

(Skritter)

Some strokes that make Chinese characters are very important. Drawing them just bit too long or just with the wrong angle will change the meaning of the character completely. For example, take a look at these: 己/已/巳, 未/末, and 千/干. They are similar, but have subtle differences which can make learners confused. Learning to separate characters like these will require “horizontal vocabulary learning” which means you can’t just look at the character components or look at what characters and words a character appears in. You need to look similar characters at the same level, which will require focused studying understanding the subtle differences.

A game you can play to learning Chinese characters is call Chinese whispers (with characters). The idea of the game is to show students how quickly they can learn Chinese characters as symbols with a structure that is a part of a larger writing system. The first student will write characters on the paper and send them to the next, who then copies the character on a new piece of paper and send it on.

Remember to observe the small details of every character in order to tell the differences. It will help you distinguish the similar characters and help you in your Chinese study.

Better Non-comprehension: Getting Beyond “ting bu dong”

(Sinosplice)

In a conversation with my friend about the challenges in learning Chinese, he mentioned that whenever he didn’t understand even part of something that was said, the whole conversation would shut down quickly. After some discussion, it became clear that he was using  听不懂 (tīng bù dǒng, “I don’t understand”) exclusively. This is a big problem because it doesn’t help in all situations.

For beginners it is a useful phrase to learn, however as you progress there should be a natural improvement in communicating your non-comprehension. By saying  听不懂 is essentially means, “I don’t understand anything you are saying”, which can be problematic if you are only struggling with part of what was said.

Here’s a solution to this problem, it involves better communication on the part of the listener. When you don’t understand, you can communicate what you don’t understand better. Here are some phrase options that you can learn and use beyond  听不懂.

什么？我没听清楚。 (shén me? wǒ méi tīng qīng chǔ)

What? I didn’t hear clearly.
This is good because it immediately clues the listener into the fact that you may, in fact, know more Chinese than just a handful of phrases from a phrasebook. It also implies if you had heard clearly, you may have understood.

我没明白你的意思。(wǒ méi míng bái nǐ de yì si)

I didn’t understand what you mean.
This is not the same as 听不懂. Native speakers may use it when they understood every word, but the sentence doesn’t make sense to them or the speaker’s meaning is unclear. This will help you in similar situation.

你在说谁？(nǐ zài shuō shuí)

Who are you talking about?
This one only makes sense if you’re reasonably sure the person is talking about somebody, but are unclear of who. It is can be problem if they weren’t talking about a person, but most things people talk about involves some person.

你的意思是…… (nǐ de yì si shì)

So you mean…
Sometimes guessing what the person saying is your best bet. It is a useful strategy because it is a focusing on the context. One of the advantages of guessing is that you’re kind of “showing your cards”. You are giving the person an idea of your vocabulary and listening comprehension level. It helps them modify what they said into a form you can understand.

There are a lot of other phrases you can use and probably all of them are better than  听不懂. You just have to put yourself out there a little.

Uh, Chinese…Um…Filler Words

(Yoyo Chinese)

“Yeah, uh, you know, like, well, I mean, okay” are filler words.

Filler words are definitely worth learning for several reasons. The first reason is because you need them since you need extra time to think before you speak. Secondly, you can avoid sounding silly if you’ve been tempted to slip an “um” or “well” into a Chinese sentence. It also makes your Chinese sound more natural and fluent. Lastly, they are probably words that you already know in Chinese and it’s just learning to use them in a different way.

Here are the commonly used fillers words:

nèi ge (那个)

One of the most common filler word that Chinese people use all the time is nèi ge (那个), which means “that one”. You can place just about anywhere in a sentence similar to an “um” or “uh” in English. You can even string together several nèi ge in a row, which sounds funny but is not unusual to hear.

jiù shì (就是)

Another filler word that Chinese people use all the time is jiù shì (就是). This is also used almost anywhere in a sentence. Sometimes you might hear it used together with nèi ge.

rán hòu (然后)

People use the word rán hòu (然后) all the time. You probably know it means “and then” and is generally used to describe a sequence of events. People often use it as way to buy themselves some time to think about what to say next, similar to how we might say, “and, um…” in English.

ēn (嗯)

The fillers mentioned above are easy enough to include in everyday conversations. Here is an simpler and easier filler word, ēn (嗯). It sounds like the English filler word “uh” but it hints an “n” in there.

Rather than creating an awkward silence as you think, try pulling out one these filler words to help you get some more time to find the right words. It will help you Chinese flow better and make you feel more natural in Chinese. Try it out and happy learning!

We hope you enjoyed our selection of useful blogs for the month of December. Keep up the learning and remember that DigMandarin is here to help you find all the resources you could possibly need.

The post Monthly Digest of Chinese Learning – December 2014 appeared first on .

Before You Learn to Improve Chinese Essay Writing

Before you can write a good essay in Chinese, you must first be accustomed with Chinese characters. Unlike English letters, Chinese characters are hieroglyphs, and the individual strokes are different from each other. It is important to be comfortable with writing Chinese characters in order to write essays well in Chinese. Make sure to use Chinese essay writing format properly. After that, you will be ready to improve Chinese essay writing.

Increase Your Chinese Words Vocabulary

With approximately 100,000 words in the Chinese language, you will need to learn several thousand words just to know the most common words used. It is essential to learn as many Chinese words as possible if you wish to be a good writer. How can you enlarge your vocabulary? Try to accumulate words by reading daily and monthly. Memory is also very necessary for expanding vocabulary. We should form a good habit of exercising and reciting as more as we can so that to enlarge vocabulary. Remember to use what you have learned when you write in Chinese so that you will continually be progressing in your language-learning efforts.

Acquire Grammar,Sentence Patterns and Function Words

In order to hone your Chinese writing skills, you must learn the grammar and sentence patterns. Grammar involves words, phrases, and the structure of the sentences you form. There are two different categories of Chinese words: functional and lexical. Chinese phrases can be categorized as subject-predicate phrases (SP), verb-object phrases (VO), and co-ordinate phrases (CO). Regarding sentence structure, each Chinese sentence includes predicate, object, subject, and adverbial attributes. In addition, function words play an important role in Chinese semantic understanding, so try to master the Chinese conjunction, such as conjunction、Adverbs、Preposition as much as you can. If you wish to become proficient at writing in Chinese, you must study all of the aspects of grammar mentioned in this section.

Keep a Diary Regularly to Note Down Chinese Words,Chinese Letters

Another thing that will aid you in becoming a better writer is keeping a journal in Chinese. Even if you are not interested in expanding your writing skills, you will find that it is beneficial for many day-to-day tasks, such as completing work reports or composing an email. Journaling on a regular basis will help you form the habit of writing, which will make it feel less like a chore. You may enjoy expressing yourself in various ways by writing; for instance, you might write poetry in your journal. On a more practical side of things, you might prefer to simply use your journal as a way to purposely build your vocabulary.

Persistence in Reading Everyday

In addition to expanding your view of the world and yourself, reading can help you improve your writing. Reading allows you to learn by example; if you read Chinese daily, you will find that it is easier to write in Chinese because you have a greater scope of what you can do with the vocabulary that you’ve learned. Choose one favorite Chinese reading , Read it for an hour or 2,000 words or so in length each day.

Whenever you come across words or phrases in your reading that you don’t understand, take the time to check them in your dictionary and solidify your understanding of them. In your notebook, write the new word or phrase and create an example sentence using that new addition to your vocabulary. If you are unsure how to use it in a sentence, you can simply copy the sample sentence in your dictionary.

Reviewing the new vocabulary word is a good way to improve your memory of it; do this often to become familiar with these new words. The content of reading can be very broad. It can be from novels, or newspapers, and it can be about subjects like economics or psychology. Remember you should read about things you are interested in. After a certain period of accumulation by reading, you will greatly improve your Chinese writing.

Do Essay Writing Exercise on a Variety of Subjects

As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” In order to improve your China Essay Writing, you should engage in a variety of writing exercises. For beginners, you should start with basic topics such as your favorite hobby, future plans, favorite vacation spot, or any other topic that you can write about without difficulty.

For example:《我的一天》( Wǒ de yì tiān,my whole day’s life ),《我喜欢的食物》( Wǒ xǐhuan de shíwù,my favorite food ),《一次难忘的旅行》( yí cì nánwàng de lǚxíng, an unforgettable trip ) etc.

Generally the writing topics can be classified into these categories: a recount of an incident,a description of something/someone, a letter, formulate your own opinion on an issue based on some quote or picture etc.

Takeaway to Improve Chinese Essay Writing

Keep an excel spreadsheet of 口语(Kǒuyǔ, spoken Chinese) –书面语(Shūmiànyǔ, written Chinese) pairs and quotes of sentences that you like. You should also be marking up books and articles that you read looking for new ways of expressing ideas. Using Chinese-Chinese dictionaries is really good for learning how to describe things in Chinese.

The post Improve Chinese Essay Writing- A Complete How to Guide appeared first on .

Learn the Chinese character stroke order rules

Learning the stroke order rules for Chinese characters will minimize the time and effort you will have to spend looking up individual character stroke order diagrams. Here they are:

1. From top to bottom (从上到下)

As an example, the character 二 (two), which has two strokes, is written with the top stroke first and then the lower stroke. This rule applies also to other characters with Above to Below structure, such as 李, the top component 木 is written before the lower component 子. Click the following characters to see more animated character examples: 字, 只, 全, 宝, 音, 兄, 香, etc.

2. From left to right (从左到右)

Among the first characters usually learned is the number one 一. This character has one stroke, which is written from left to right. Again, this rule applies to all the characters with Left to Right structure such as 妈 (mother), the left component 女 (female), which is a radical, is written first and then the right component 马 (horse). You can view more examples: 语, 打, 请, 呢, 汉, 你, 课, etc.

3. Horizontal before vertical (先横后竖)

When strokes cross, horizontal strokes are usually written before vertical strokes. As an example, the character 十 (ten) has two strokes. The horizontal stroke 一 is written first, followed by the vertical stroke. The following are more examples: 下,士,古,工,木,干,etc.

4. Diagonals right-to-left before diagonals left-to-right ( 先撇后捺)

As in 人(person), right-to-left diagonals (ノ) are written before left-to-right diagonals (乀). Same rule applies to: 个,木,大,又,文,八,天,etc.

5. Outside before inside (从外到内)

Outside enclosing strokes are written before inside strokes, for examples 同, 月, 闪, 向,问 etc. This rule applies to the characters with Surround from Upper Left structure (左上包围结构), such as历, 厦,友,右or Surround from Upper Right structure (右上包围结构), such as鸟,句,可,包or Surround from Above structure (上包围结构), such as同,网,用,凰.

6. Inside before outside (从内到外)

This rule applies to the characters with Surround from Below structure (下包围结构), such as山,函,凶,画or characters with Surround from Lower Left structure (左下包围结构), such as过,进,延etc.

7. Inside before bottom enclosing (先里头后封口)

If there is a bottom stroke, the bottom stroke is written last. For an example, for the character 因, the outside enclosing strokes are written first, followed by the inside component 大 and then the bottom horizontal stroke. The same pattern you can find in园,国,四,团, etc.

8. Center verticals before outside “wings”( 先中间后两边)

For the character 小, the center亅comes first before the two dots. Same rule applies to character办,永,水,乘,etc.

9. Cutting strokes last ( 相交笔画后写)

Vertical strokes that “cut” through a character are written after the horizontal strokes they cut through, as in来,申,中,半.

10. Left vertical before enclosing (先左竖后封口)

Left vertical strokes are written before enclosing strokes. In the following two examples, the leftmost vertical stroke (丨) is written first, followed by the uppermost and rightmost lines (┐) (which are written as one stroke): 田 and 日. This rule applies to most of the characters with Full Surround structure, such as口,目,国,困,田, 囚, etc.

11. Top or upper-left dots first ( 点在上边或左上先写)

For examples, in character京,六,市,门,闪,主,the dots are written before any other strokes.

12. Inside or upper-right dots last ( 点在右上或里边后写)

For examples, in character或,我,玉,犬,etc., the dots are written last.

Follow stroke order diagrams

At times, it is not easy to determine whether you have used the correct stroke order to write a Chinese character. In this case, you should check it to make sure you have the stroke order right. If you don’t check it, then you risk starting a habit of writing a particular character using the wrong stroke order, which could be difficult to remedy after some time. When in doubt, look up the stroke order diagram for the individual characters, and then follow this order. This will aid you in writing Chinese characters in nice, smooth handwriting.

Chinese handwriting books

A book like this is excellent to help you improve your Chinese handwriting. It gives you the opportunity to practice writing Chinese characters using tracing paper; in fact, Chinese schoolchildren use these kinds of books for this very purpose. In addition to learning to write characters in a more neater, more precise manner, you can also increase your Chinese vocabulary from studying the characters that you see while practicing your writing.

How can you best utilize this learning tool? First of all, it is better to use a pen than a pencil when you write the characters. It is better to choose a thin pen (less than half a millimeter) if you only have gel pens; then you can use several weights to write the strokes. Secondly, it will help you to learn the strokes first, then the radicals, and finally the complete characters. This gives you a solid foundation so that when you are at the stage of writing complete characters, they will look much better.

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