Comments on: Deconstructing Mandarin Chinese http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=deconstructing-mandarin-chinese Exploring asian culture, travel and technology Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:41:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mandarin Language Course http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39331 Mandarin Language Course Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:42:48 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39331 [...] Deconstructing Mandarin Chinese To Aid Learning One of my goals for this year is to learn spoken Mandarin Chinese. Given that I live and work in China it only makes sense that I learn the language which will ultimately help improve both hopefully.  Mail this post [...] [...] Deconstructing Mandarin Chinese To Aid Learning One of my goals for this year is to learn spoken Mandarin Chinese. Given that I live and work in China it only makes sense that I learn the language which will ultimately help improve both hopefully.  Mail this post [...]

]]> By: Liz http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39321 Liz Sun, 18 Jan 2009 02:38:24 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39321 If u have any question about how to learn Chinese,maybe we can talk about it:pp If u have any question about how to learn Chinese,maybe we can talk about it:pp

]]> By: David http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39189 David Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:44:27 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39189 Hi Shuo, thanks for the tip. You can notice what you said about the difference in negation from the sentences but I'm still not entirely sure in what circumstances to use each. Hi Shuo, thanks for the tip. You can notice what you said about the difference in negation from the sentences but I’m still not entirely sure in what circumstances to use each.

]]> By: Shuo http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39188 Shuo Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:48:35 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39188 Have you found that there are two ways to negate sentences?One is led by "bu" and the other is led by “mei”.Basically,"bu" means something doesn't happen yet,"mei" didn't happened. i.e.(1)Wo bu he jiu.--I don't drink alcohol. (2)Wo mei he jiu.--I didn't drink alcohol. Hope that it's helpful.^^ Have you found that there are two ways to negate sentences?One is led by “bu” and the other is led by “mei”.Basically,”bu” means something doesn’t happen yet,”mei” didn’t happened.

i.e.(1)Wo bu he jiu.–I don’t drink alcohol.
(2)Wo mei he jiu.–I didn’t drink alcohol.

Hope that it’s helpful.^^

]]> By: David http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39186 David Sun, 04 Jan 2009 13:01:37 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39186 Hi Jonathan, thanks for your comment. I will definitely take a look Pimsleur audio guides - I've been using ChinesePod so far which seems pretty good also. I will have to update the document with the Pinyin tone marks (I was just being lazy) and you're right, that sentence about verb conjugation was confusing/misleading so I've changed it. Like you say, practising is the key but luckily I'm in the right place to do it! Hi Jonathan, thanks for your comment. I will definitely take a look Pimsleur audio guides – I’ve been using ChinesePod so far which seems pretty good also.

I will have to update the document with the Pinyin tone marks (I was just being lazy) and you’re right, that sentence about verb conjugation was confusing/misleading so I’ve changed it.

Like you say, practising is the key but luckily I’m in the right place to do it!

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39185 Jonathan Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:19:33 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39185 Chinese is hard in many ways, but in others it's a very simple language - the lack of morphology in the grammar can be a big bonus, depending on how you learn. I learned to converse reasonably happily while I was in China, although I have a very very long way to go to get fluent. The method which I found most useful as a learning tool was certainly the Pimsleur mp3s. However, the most useful tip was to get out there and use the Chinese you have at every available opportunity. Don't be scared to make mistakes and simply try things out. People will generally be very pleased that you're giving it a go. Is there any way to add tone marks easily into scribd? Without tone marks Pinyin loses a great deal of its meaning. I'm a bit confused as to the statement that verbs are conjugated based on the speaker. I may be missing something but the verbs themselves never change, independent of the gender or the number. The verb in 'I go' is the same as in 'she goes' and 'they go' in Chinese. Anyway, the best of luck with your new pursuit and I look forward to hearing how it goes! J Chinese is hard in many ways, but in others it’s a very simple language – the lack of morphology in the grammar can be a big bonus, depending on how you learn. I learned to converse reasonably happily while I was in China, although I have a very very long way to go to get fluent. The method which I found most useful as a learning tool was certainly the Pimsleur mp3s. However, the most useful tip was to get out there and use the Chinese you have at every available opportunity. Don’t be scared to make mistakes and simply try things out. People will generally be very pleased that you’re giving it a go.

Is there any way to add tone marks easily into scribd? Without tone marks Pinyin loses a great deal of its meaning.

I’m a bit confused as to the statement that verbs are conjugated based on the speaker. I may be missing something but the verbs themselves never change, independent of the gender or the number. The verb in ‘I go’ is the same as in ‘she goes’ and ‘they go’ in Chinese.

Anyway, the best of luck with your new pursuit and I look forward to hearing how it goes!

J

]]> By: rainbow http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39184 rainbow Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:48:08 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39184 i see your determination and pain......hehe... chinese is not a pronoucing language so it is difficult for foreigners to learn and use. i used to think english is hard , but i changed my mind when i learned german. it is too complicated and many grammar rules. OK, try your best to remember some commer words and sentences.. come on.. i believe you can achieve it. i see your determination and pain……hehe… chinese is not a pronoucing language so it is difficult for foreigners to learn and use. i used to think english is hard , but i changed my mind when i learned german. it is too complicated and many grammar rules. OK, try your best to remember some commer words and sentences.. come on.. i believe you can achieve it.

]]> By: David http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39183 David Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:45:57 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39183 Yeah, it's a bit of a big challenge. I've never been very good at languages (have tried Japanese and Korean in the past with little success). Generally it seems European languages are fairly easy to pick up for Europeans and Asian languages fairly easy for Asians but not visa versa. If it were me I'd go for French - German just seems boring somehow ;) Yeah, it’s a bit of a big challenge. I’ve never been very good at languages (have tried Japanese and Korean in the past with little success).

Generally it seems European languages are fairly easy to pick up for Europeans and Asian languages fairly easy for Asians but not visa versa.

If it were me I’d go for French – German just seems boring somehow ;)

]]> By: curson http://www.randomwire.com/deconstructing-mandarin-chinese/comment-page-1#comment-39182 curson Sun, 04 Jan 2009 07:58:13 +0000 http://www.randomwire.com/?p=1351#comment-39182 Are you sure you want to do it? :PPP Jokes apart, I see your point: working and living there, learning the language is almost a forced step. I've been learning Japanese for the past year, and while it's probably a thousand times easier than Mandarin, I feel your "pain". Still, I'm focusing on speaking/understanding it, and forgetting about Kanjii for the time being. One of my proposition for 2009 is to learn a 4th (and half if we count I can almost understand Spanish) languages. French or German I still haven't decided, but I'll be self-teaching it myself too. We'll see what it comes out of it ;) Are you sure you want to do it? :P PP

Jokes apart, I see your point: working and living there, learning the language is almost a forced step. I’ve been learning Japanese for the past year, and while it’s probably a thousand times easier than Mandarin, I feel your “pain”. Still, I’m focusing on speaking/understanding it, and forgetting about Kanjii for the time being.

One of my proposition for 2009 is to learn a 4th (and half if we count I can almost understand Spanish) languages. French or German I still haven’t decided, but I’ll be self-teaching it myself too. We’ll see what it comes out of it ;)

]]>