10 Things You Must Know Before Learning Chinese

Copyright 2017 by eChineseLearning
All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced, distributed

or transmitted without the prior written permission of eChineseLearning.
Contact Us:
Toll Free Numbers (Mon.-Sun., 8am-5pm, Beijing Time):
U.S. & Canada: 1-800-791-9386 Hong Kong: 800-930-623
Australia: 1-800-779-835 Singapore: 800-101-3070
UK: 0-800-086-8969 Switzerland: 0-800-563-178
New Zealand: 0-800-002-128 Israel: 1-801-227-213
Germany: 0-800-180-0341 Italy: 800-596-375
Spain: 900-838-906 France: 0-805-080-689
United Arab Emirates: 800-035-703-840 South Africa: 0-800-981-886
Email: service@eChineseLearning.com
Skype ID: service_eChineseLearning
WeChat: AC_eChineseLearning
Address:
eChineseLearning
Kin On Comm Bldg
Jervois St, Sheung Wan
Hong Kong
Visit Our Website:

https://www.eChineseLearning.com/
1. History of the Mandarin Chinese Language
The Han people of China have
their own spoken and written
language. Chinese belongs to the
Han-Tibetan language family.
Mandarin Chinese, often referred
to as simply Chinese, is the
most commonly used language in
China, and one of the most
commonly used languages in the world.
Written Chinese emerged in its early and most primitive form with carved symbols
approximately 6,000 years ago in China. The Chinese characters used today evolved
gradually from those used in bone and tortoise shell inscriptions more than 3,000
years ago and the bronze inscriptions produced soon after.
Drawn figures were gradually reduced to patterned strokes, pictographs were reduced
to symbols, and the complicated graphs became simpler. Early pictographs and
ideographs were joined by pictophonetic characters.
Currently, there are six categories of Chinese characters: pictographs, self-explanatory
characters, associative compounds, pictophonetic characters, phonetic loan characters
and mutually explanatory characters.
Got Questions? Sign Up for a Live One-to-One FREE Trial Lesson Now!
eChineseLearning.com All Right Reserved.

1
Chinese words are monosyllabic. A large proportion of Chinese characters are
composed of an ideogrammatic element combined with a phonetic element.
There are approximately 56,000 characters, of which only about 3,000 are in common
use today. In addition to their functional value as symbols for records and
communication, Chinese characters have an aesthetic value (e.g., calligraphy).
All of Chinas 55 minority groups have their own spoken languages, except for the
Hui and Manchu, who use Mandarin Chinese; 23 of these dialects have a unique
written form. Nowadays, classes in schools in predominantly national minority areas
are taught in the local language, using local language textbooks.
Mandarin is a category of Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and
southwestern China. The term Mandarin can also refer to Standard Mandarin,
which is based on the Mandarin dialect spoken in Beijing. It is considered to be the
standard for the Peoples Republic of China.
Why do most non-Chinese speakers choose to learn standard Mandarin Chinese?
Mandarin is understood by most Chinese people. As mentioned above, it is Chinas
national language and spoken widely in areas outside of China. Whether you are
interested in basic communication, scholarly research, or pursuing a career in China,
standard Mandarin is a necessary tool for communication.

2
2. Benefits of Studying Chinese
Studying anything new and unfamiliar has many advantages, and languages are no
different. There are personal
and professional advantages to
be gained from studying
Chinese. Currently, Mandarin
Chinese is moving itself into a
position to be one of the
dominant languages and
cultural forces of the 21st
century. Therefore, learning
Chinese just makes sense at this time, due to its ability change your life. But what,
specifically, can be gained from knowing how to communicate in the Chinese
language?
Lets begin with the most commonly cited reasons for studying Chinese:
1. China is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.4 billion people.
Mandarin is spoken by almost one billion people. It is the most widely-spoken
language in the world. One out of five people in the world is Chinese;
2. Mandarin is spoken in the Peoples Republic of China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand,
Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, The Philippines, Mongolia and many areas of global
cities such as London, Sydney and New York;
3. Knowing Chinese will allow individuals to compete effectively in the business
environment of the future;

3
4. China is the largest trading partner of the United States, Japan, Germany, Australia
and many other countries;
5. Many American companies do business in China, including Coca-Cola and Ford;
6. Knowing Chinese may give you an edge when applying for and competing for a job.
The demand for business people who know Chinese is skyrocketing;
7. China is now playing a major role in world affairs and will continue to do so;
8. A Newsweek article stated that In U.S. homes, Chinese has eclipsed French,
German and Italian to become the third most commonly spoken language after
English and Spanish;
9. By studying Chinese, students will develop an appreciation for Chinese culture and
history;
10. Learning a second language develops critical and creative thinking skills.
Many interested in Chinese are familiar with these benefits and have heard them on
several occasions. Lets begin with the most obvious benefit in your life to learning
Chinese: the convenience of knowing the language to build interpersonal relationships.
Chinese opens more than one billion doors of communication. The Chinese are
educated and sophisticated and getting to know them will make anyones life fuller
and more interesting, wherever you are on the globe. Not to mention the travel
possibilities! Being able to travel around China and see and experience the country
and culture is an immeasurable benefit to a persons life. Once those doors are open
what will you communicate and learn? Cultural exchange, history, art, and of course
business, are four that readily spring to mind.

4
Still, there are other benefits. For instance, a little less easy to see but just as important
is that it creates further opportunity to learn. Access to a large part of Chinese culture
is blocked from the average non-Chinese speaker because only the books and other
cultural aspects of Chinese heritage that someone thought might make a profit is
available through translated works. The parts that have been made available in
non-Chinese languages dont even represent a fraction of a percent of what is really
there to learn. The lions share is on a bookshelf waiting to be discovered by those
with the ability to do so. This knowledge is like a precious and valuable diamond
mine waiting to be discovered by the rest of the world.
Anyone who has spent some time, even briefly, learning about China quickly realizes
how rich, vibrant and insightful the experience of cultural discovery is. The Chinese
have a culture that reaches back at least 5,000 years and have managed to record
much of the events, folklore and wisdom created over those years. Without a foothold
in the language, you are forced to rely on someone who might not be sensitive to your
personal sense of curiosity. Knowing Chinese allows a freedom of movement through
their history.
Further in the same vein, studying and knowing Chinese characters is like challenging
your mind to a deeply fascinating puzzle. Anyone with knowledge of Chinese has
access to Chinese art and design. In fact, the characters themselves are a kind of art.
Calligraphy is an ancient art form and studying it is a kind of art appreciation.
Finally, at the financial end of the spectrum, the Chinese are getting richer. It is
estimated that 600 million people will reach the middle class in the not-so-distant
future.

5
This middle class represents the worlds largest single consumer base, with a
significant amount of money to spend anywhere in the world. Those entrepreneurs
with no knowledge of the Chinese language are going to need a Chinese speaker to
communicate with these potential customers. This means learning Chinese presents a
career opportunity for anyone with the drive to invest the time and effort into learning
this beautiful language. The longer a business ignores the Chinese market, the more
financial opportunity is lost. The most ambitious and sensible solution is to take the
time to learn the language.

6
3. Simplified or Traditional Characters: Which Should I
Learn?
Traditional Chinese refers to the characters used before simplification reforms
enacted during the second half of the 20th century in mainland China. This means that
traditional characters are still being used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and in many overseas
Chinese communities. Simplified characters are then, as the name implies,
simplifications of the traditional characters.
For most people, learning simplified Chinese characters is the obvious choice,
because most Chinese-speaking people in the world use them. People living in Taiwan
or Hong Kong naturally learn the traditional character set. Therefore, it really comes
down to where you plan to use your skills.

7
The two character sets have their own pros and cons.
Traditional:
Traditional characters provide more visual cues to support reading and help facilitate
learning and character recognition. Researchers have explained how this visual impact
often helps young children recognize traditional characters more easily than
simplified characters. In addition, learning traditional characters first can present an
easier transition to learning the simplified characters later on. However, traditional
characters can take longer to learn how to write and there are fewer resources in the
US. Also, it is sometimes harder to access materials unless you buy and ship them
from Taiwan or Hong Kong.
Simplified:
Learning simplified characters strengthens visual and spatial relationship skills due to
the way simplified characters are structured and formed. Simplified characters
provide fewer visual cues, so they require the student to pay more attention to detail
when learning characters via rote memorization. When controlled for reading ability,
this method has shown that children learning simplified characters demonstrated
superior visual skills. Understanding simplified characters may be more useful as the
majority of the entire population of mainland China, therefore the vast majority of
Chinese people, utilize this form of writing.

8
4. Is Learning Chinese Difficult?
Most Mandarin Chinese learners feel that Chinese is hard to learn. We also believe
that Chinese is not a language which can be learned in a short time. Here are some
reasons why learning Chinese could be difficult:
Tones
Unlike languages like English, in Chinese how you pronounce a sound dictates what
that sound means. This would be something similar to where you place the stress on a
word in English, changing its meaning. For this reason, Chinese is considered a tonal
language. Standard Chinese recognizes four tones: high, rising, falling-rising and
falling. It is a little like singing while speaking. For most learners, mastering the tones
takes years of trial and error. Why? Well, there are just certain sounds that exist in
Chinese that dont exist in other languages.
Characters
The Chinese script is among the worlds most recognized. In fact, its one of the
reasons many are initially drawn to learning the language. However, written Chinese
is far different than languages that make use of a romanized alphabet system.

9
Written Chinese is made up of thousands of characters, each having their own
meaning and pronunciation. In order to be considered fluent, youll need to know
somewhere around 2,000 different characters. However, if you only learn the 500
most common characters, you will be able to read about 75% of Chinese that is used
today. Its often said that each character represents an idea. This actually isnt true.
Characters have a variety of functions, and when strung together to form words, their
meanings can change drastically. Characters also shouldnt be viewed as puzzles.
Characters can be broken down into individual pieces, but theres no guarantee that
those individual pieces will reveal what that character truly means.
Dialects
What many dont realize is that even though Chinese has standardized rules of
pronunciation, most people in China speak a regional dialect. In fact, most Chinese
people learn their regional dialect before learning standard Mandarin. Regional
dialects often sound wildly different from what youll be taught in a classroom.
Luckily, most educated Chinese have no problem switching to standard Mandarin.
Communicating with the average local might be a bit more challenging, but as you
learn and grow in Chinese, you will get used to hearing different accents. If youre
ambitious enough to sign up for Chinese lessons, youre probably ready for the
challenge!
Chinese learning may be difficult to a beginner. However, finding the right method
will make it a lot easier. We strongly suggest you work with a qualified native
Chinese teacher. A qualified teacher will be able to help you make the most of your
studies with an efficient method that impossible when studying on your own. And,
since going to China isnt realistic for everyone, you can simulate a Chinese learning
environment from the comfort of home when you work with a native speaker.

10
5. How to Learn Chinese Effectively
How to learn Chinese is a frequently asked question. With the intention of helping
you become successful in learning Chinese, here are some tips you can use:
Learning Chinese Tip #1: Where to start? Chinese pinyin should be the first step to
learning Chinese. Pinyin contains all of the Chinese phonetic alphabet which is used
in the pronunciation of Chinese characters. The earlier you start with pinyin, the
easier to grasp the correct pronunciation. Therefore the Chinese learning method for
children always works very efficiently.
Learning Chinese Tip #2: The only way to learn Chinese characters is to memorize
them. Writing will enable you to use your motor memory for recollection. Otherwise,
characters can be forgotten quickly. Rather than writing one word many times before
going on to the next one, write each word once or twice, then go through the whole
list again until youve done the required number of repetitions. This method will put
the new words more firmly in your memory.

11
Make vocabulary flashcards. The physical act of writing reinforces words in your
memory, while also giving you an easy way to prepare for tests. Make study cards for
word classes (verbs, nouns, etc.) and carry them with you to review during spare
minutes. Play online games to reinforce character recognition. To prepare for
vocabulary quizzes, make a three-column vocabulary sheet with characters, pinyin,
and English definitions. Fold the paper so only that one or two columns are showing
and take, for practice, written quizzes.
Learning Chinese Tip #3: Learn Chinese through systematic Chinese reading. By
doing this, you will know more about Chinese characters, Chinese culture and enlarge
your Chinese vocabulary. Select Chinese reading material according to your own level.
In addition, find a tutor to help you learn Chinese. In some cases, however, taking part
in a face-to-face class may be inconvenient due to scheduling, traffic, safety, and other
issues, especially for children who want to learn Chinese or for those who want to
learn Chinese for business, but are busy with work obligations. One option is to take
an online Mandarin Chinese course which will offer both convenience and flexibility.
Learning Chinese Tip #4: Studying a little each day is more effective than studying
for a cramming just before a test. Its impossible to learn a language by studying only
once a week, even if the study period is very long. Studying one to two hours each
day throughout the term will make it easy for you to do well on tests without
cramming at the end.

12
Learning Chinese Tip #5: If a student wants to know their Chinese level, the best
way is to take a Mandarin Chinese Proficiency test. There are several authoritative
Chinese tests such as the AP Chinese exam and the HSK test, among others. For
foreign students, online Mandarin Chinese lessons may be an effective way to prepare
for the tests because of the convenience and authenticity offered by online Mandarin
language courses (e.g. how to write Chinese, etc.). For those who dont have enough
time to learn Chinese during the school year, joining a summer Chinese program is
helpful to their progress.
Learning Chinese Tip #6: A fun way to master Mandarin Chinese: try ordering
Chinese food by speaking Mandarin Chinese with the restaurant staff. You might feel
embarrassed at first, but theyll respect you for trying out your new Mandarin skills!
This will give you some good Mandarin practice, and youll still get some great
Chinese food. Chinese restaurants are everywhere, so everyone should have the
chance to practice. This is especially suitable for children, as Chinese for children
requires a vivid and fun experience. In this way, children can easily review their
Chinese courses. Learning Mandarin can include a lot of fun!
Practice makes perfect! Developing these habits will make your Chinese study much
easier.

13
6. How Long Does It Take to Learn Chinese?
It depends on your gift for language learning, as well as the time you are able to
dedicate to learning it. If you study a few hours every day youre going to learn a lot
faster than someone who only spends one day a week.
For speaking, the key is to
LISTEN and REPEAT. Over
and over and over. Every time
you learn something new,
repeat it to yourself again and
again. Work it into a sentence
you think would be useful to
you in the future. Say that over and over. To learn how to speak theres no other way
than to just do it.
Now, as far as time necessary, if you study on your own it may take upwards of five
years to reach a certain level of fluency, while the entire language school system taken
in China can be completed in two years (full-immersion).
One big problem with self-study is that youre more prone to miss things and repeat
errors. Whether its never really knowing if youre pronouncing the tones correctly
(its VERY important that you learn these properly the first time or else youll spend
the rest of your life making up for it), or spending more time actually gathering
information to study and then studying it. Its a tricky and long process compared to
taking a class or getting a tutor.

14
There are a few things you can do to help yourself and speed up your learning
process.
1. Watch a lot of Chinese dramas and listen to a lot of music. The best way to learn to
speak is to listen to other people speaking. Thats how kids learn. Its how you learned
your native language. Dramas are more natural than example sentence audio
recordings, which means if you copy how drama characters speak, your Chinese will
be more natural sounding as well. Plus, youll learn a lot of slang that way!
2. Check out online private tutor programs. Most of them offer one-to-one tutoring
with native Chinese teachers. You just cant beat that kind of personalized learning
experience.
3. Practice using the four Mandarin tones. Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, It is
absolutely essential to master the four tones if you want to pronounce Mandarin
Chinese correctly.
4. Memorize simple vocabulary. No matter what language you are learning, the more
words you have at your disposal, the sooner you will become fluent.
5. Learn some basic conversational phrases. Once you have a basic grasp of
vocabulary and pronunciation, you can learn basic conversational phrases which are
used in everyday Chinese speech.

15
6. Advance your language skills. Learn basic Chinese grammar and practice your
Chinese listening, reading and speaking skills. One of the best ways to improve your
new language skills is to practice speaking with a native speaker. Native speakers will
easily be able to correct any grammar or pronunciation mistakes you make and can
introduce you to more informal or colloquial forms of speech that you wont find in a
textbook.
With the right attitude and right plan, you can learn Chinese efficiently and effectively.
Learning alone is a challenge, so having a teacher as well is highly recommended.
You can do this though! Many have done it before, so rest assured.

16
7. Where is the Best Place to Study Chinese?
The northeastern provinces of China are still the best places to study and practice
Chinese. Many learners choose to go to Hebei, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning. These
provinces are where native Mandarin speakers speak with the clearest accent. Here
are a few cities that are excellent choices for Mandarin study and use in everyday life:
Harbin
Dalian
Shenyang
Changchun
Beijing is also noted for its use of standard Mandarin, although Beijingers do speak
with a slight accent. Many other cities throughout China have local dialects. However,
the locals will be happy to speak in standard Mandarin with you on the street. Still,
you and the locals might have slight challenges in understanding one another
compared to, say, Harbin.

17
Regardless of your location, you can now learn Mandarin Chinese from anywhere in
the world: Shenyang, Atlanta, Mumbai, or any other city you might call home.
Today, learning Chinese online from the comfort of your home, at your own schedule
and pace with a qualified native Chinese teacher is easier than ever.
We suggest taking a look at our website: eChineseLearning.com. We offer a multitude
of personalized one-to-one classes to fit anyones needs - all through Skype, and with
qualified native speakers. You can first try a 30-minute free trial class with a teacher
to discuss our courses, prices and other details. This is the best way to find out if our
classes work for you!
We are also offering eight free e-books when you sign up for the trial class. The
e-books are specially designed and carefully selected by our professional teaching
staff. All the content is provided in both pinyin and Chinese characters, and
supplemented with pictures and English translations. Each e-book has a different
focus: popular words, nursery rhymes, and more.
If you arent interested in online classes, but instead want to find other resources, you
can check out our blog, which we update weekly with interesting posts about Chinese
language and culture. Also, examine our English-Chinese dictionary, and dont
hesitate to give our many podcasts a listen!
See, told you weve got oodles of resources. Dig into our website and take the first
step on a brand new Chinese adventure.

18
8. Where Can I Learn Chinese Online?
Chinese is growing in popularity. There are new ways to learn online popping up
every day. However, they arent all effective. We believe the best resource is, of
course, working one-to-one with qualified instructors online. Here are some other
resources might be helpful.
Chinese is considered one of the most difficult languages for native English speakers
to learn for a variety of reasons. Here are some resources you can examine and apply
in your spare time:
Podcasts:
Two good podcasts are Popup Chinese and Slow Chinese. Popup has been around a
while, but their resources are still good. Its archives are overflowing with content. The
Slow Chinese podcasts discuss daily life in China. They offer short, 10-minute lessons,
where students talk (using a slower tempo) about a variety of topics related to life in
China.

19
Apps:
Duolingo and Memrise are good apps for learning on-the-go. Mixing up your podcast
queue with some fun apps is also a good way to keep your brain on its toes. These
apps can be used wherever you are, so you dont need to be chained down to your
computer.
MIT Open Courseware:
Stand on the shoulders of giants, as they say. The Massachusetts Institute of
Technology offers a number of free online versions of the classes they teach
on-campus. One of those is a Chinese class. The class comes with a textbook that
includes exercises at the end of each chapter.
Marco Polo Project:
If youre interested in new Chinese culture, you might find this resource useful. This
website features Chinese fiction and posts from popular bloggers translated
line-by-line into English.
Talkify:
This one is pretty cool! Just enter a URL and after a few moments the website will
come to life. Youll hear the content being read back to you in a native speakers
accent. Useful for listening skills.
Pinyin Chart:
Pinyin is Chinese written in the Roman alphabet. Youll be learning a lot about pinyin
during the early stages of your Chinese language adventure, and this chart is a great
tool. Youll see a complete list of all the Chinese sounds, and if you click on one,
youll also hear the pronunciation.

20
We cant stress enough that none of the above tools should be used without a solid
curriculum planned by a qualified Chinese teacher. Working with a teacher will give
you the confidence you need to take on the exam and the tools you need to get the
score you want. As we mentioned above, actually using your Chinese knowledge with
a real human being is easily the best way to commit it to memory!

21
9. Tips for Choosing a Good Chinese Tutor
Finding a good Chinese tutor is key if you want to learn the Chinese language
correctly and in an effective way, but how do you know if your tutor is the right one
for you? Use the following checklist as a guide:
1. Customized to Your Needs
Find a proper Mandarin tutor according to your learning needs. If you are interested in
learning Chinese for daily communication, then you will need to find an outgoing and
talkative Chinese tutor. First and foremost, he or she should be a native Chinese
person. And he or she should be up-to-date on recent news, new trends, buzzwords,
songs, movies, and so on, which are popular in China. With his or her understanding
of whats new and popular, he or she can better help you learn about typical daily life
in China, along with Chinese culture.

22
If your goal is to learn Business Chinese, then you will be better off learning with an
experienced, professional Chinese tutor. He or she will be able to teach you about
industry-specific terminology as well as Chinese business etiquette, such as
exchanging business cards, handshakes, greeting others, etc.
2. No Accent
The most opportune language to learn is Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin,
so make sure your Chinese tutor does not have an accent. Usually, people from
southern China have more pronounced accents than northerners. For instance, people
from Hunan Province tend to mispronounce the n and l sounds to the ears of
northerners with the most Standard Chinese.
Whereas the word , meaning male, is pronounced nn in standard Chinese, a
Chinese speaker with an accent might mispronounce it as ln, which actually means
, or the color blue. Learning Mandarin with a tutor who doesnt have an accent
will prevent you from picking up a local accent, and it will help you to master correct
pronunciation and tones.
3. Patience
Learning a language is tough work. It can take a long time to be truly fluent. Based on
this, a good Mandarin tutor shouldnt rush you and should always encourage you to
try again, to explain yourself in other words, and to employ newly-learned language.
For students who cant master a given language point, such as the pronunciation of a
certain Chinese word, a Chinese sentence structure, and so on, the tutor should give
extra examples and more tailored exercises to practice.

23
4. Various Teaching Methods
Look for a Mandarin tutor who mixes it up with a variety of visual, audial, and
contextual activities. Every student learns in different ways. Perhaps you are the kind
of person who needs to see something to remember or make sense of it, or maybe you
learn best by writing it down a few times. No matter your learning style, your
Mandarin tutor should employ a number of ways to get the learning point across.
There are four main aspects of Chinese learning: listening, speaking, reading and
writing. While one activity may make use of flash cards, the next could focus on
listening and repeating, and the following might be a real-life-scenario role play.
To be more specific, listening to short dialogues and watching the news is helpful for
your listening. For speaking, talking about a topic or retelling a story is useful. You
can read storybooks or a novel with pinyin included to improve your Chinese reading.
For writing, start from pictographs, which are stylized drawings of the words they
represent. You can also use pictures to help. Lets take the Chinese character
(d), meaning big, as an example. Imagine that a man gestures how big an object is.
Image that the man in the picture is a fisherman who is showing us how big the fish
was that he caught yesterday. Visualizing this resemblance to the character (d)
can help you remember the meaning and how to write it in the future.
5. Fun And Enjoyable
It is said that good teachers make class interesting; however, it sometimes the reality
is that studying is not so enjoyable. Maybe you can recall a class that was so boring
you wanted to fall asleep while the teacher was talking.

24
Since the instructor is the key to an enjoyable class, its important to find a Mandarin
tutor who makes class engaging and interesting. For example, when teaching a young
Chinese learner, a good tutor should incorporate games, songs, and interactive
activities into the class. Because young Chinese learners are interested in games,
songs and activities, with these kinds of activities they wont get bored and will be
happy to participate. While having fun, they learn the Chinese language without even
realizing it. The teacher could do this by teaching a Chinese nursery song such as
(Ling Zh Loh) Two Tigers or (Xiobit Guiguai) Little
Rabbit, or a game such as Rock-Paper-Scissors. The best thing about these songs
and games is that they contain simple Chinese words which kids can easily pick up
while they are singing and playing.
For adult Chinese learners, a good tutor should draw on real life scenarios, current
events, and, yes, fun activities which keep the brain active. For example, a Chinese
tutor can bring up a topic about a popular movie such as (Gng Jing) Lost in
Hong Kong or some hit songs like (Xio Pnggu) Little Apple. Students
can share their opinions after watching the movie, while learning to express
themselves using the words they have learned. Learning via Chinese songs and
movies can help students learn not only the Chinese language, but also Chinese
culture.
6. Target Problem Areas
Can the teacher identify your problem areas and guide you through them?

25
As a language learner, you depend on your teachers skills and expertise to identify
your weaknesses and help you learn the right language in a way that makes sense to
you. For example, a Chinese learner might have problems correctly pronouncing the
tones. The right Mandarin tutor will spot this and incorporate extra pronunciation and
listening practice into the lesson to target your weak area.
A lot of Chinese learners have trouble pronouncing the consonants zh properly, so
they tend to mispronounce words like (zh), (zhe), and (zhng). A
good Chinese tutor will know that there is a way to help practice this sound: start with
the j sound, as in jeep, then end smoothly with the r sound.
7. Culture Differences
A good Mandarin tutor should know the cultural differences between the learners
home environment and China, plus be able to help the student get to know more about
dos and donts of Chinese culture.
For example, never give a clock to your Chinese friend, as the word for clock
(zhng) has the same pronunciation as death (zhng). To elaborate on their
similarities, (sngzhng) means to give a clock as a present and (sng
zhng) means to attend a funeral. 4 is an unlucky number in Chinese culture, as
(s) sounds like (s), which means death.
One final question you may have is, Where can I find a Mandarin tutor?. If you
prefer a tutor who can meet with you in-person, you could call your local university to
see if they can make any recommendations. Another option is to post a wanted ad in
the paper or to look online.

26
However, the downside of these options is that your schedule may not suit your
potential tutor, and vice versa. Also, you should make sure to talk to past students to
confirm the tutors teaching experience and standard accent.
Another option you might want to consider is online learning through a reputable
Chinese learning school. With this method, you can set the class time, you can learn
from any place that is convenient for you, and you can rest assured that the instructor
is qualified, experienced and native with a standard Chinese accent.

27
10. The Most Common Misconceptions of Chinese by
Mandarin Learners
Mandarin Chinese is definitely a
foreign language for Westerners
and even Easterners alike. But
what are some of the most
common misconceptions that
Mandarin Chinese Learners
have? We explore the top four
below:
1. All Chinese People Speak Standard Mandarin Chinese
Not true! When Jack was traveling throughout China, even though he was an HSK
Level 6 student, he couldnt understand much of the conversation in the more rural
provinces. Why? Because, in addition to Mandarin Chinese, there are many different
(fngyn) dialects spoken in China. Different Chinese dialects have different
pronunciations. So, dont be surprised if you cant understand what Chinese people
are saying on the street, even if you have passed the HSK 6!
If youre not able to understand, chances are that these people are speaking a different
dialect of Chinese. And yes, even Chinese people cannot understand each other if
each is speaking his or her own dialect. Therefore, youre not alone.
Local dialects will affect the Mandarin used in daily conversation.

28
Different Mandarin dialects have different pronunciations. Due to the influence of
dialects, people from different provinces also have different accents even though they
all speak standard Chinese. Its similar to accents in the United States and the
different vocabulary American regions have. Theres southern accents, Minnesota
accents, New York accents, and many more. Many different people in America
pronounce English differently. The same can be said about the differences spoken in
China.
2. Textbook Mandarin Is Daily Mandarin
Also not true! In many Mandarin textbooks it is written that people say the following
to greet one another:
? (N ho ma?) = How are you?
! (Hn goxng rnsh n!) = Nice to meet you!
In daily life people more often use the following phrase to greet one another:
(N ch le ma) = Have you eaten yet?
Or (Zo )! = Morning! (if its morning).
Few Chinese speakers say ? (n ho ma?) to greet friends. This is considered
to be an unpractical phrase nowadays. Therefore, you need to make sure that the
Mandarin you are learning is not coming solely from a textbook. Make sure that you
include real-time lessons and hire a one-to-one Chinese tutor so you can be kept in the
know of the daily Mandarin you will actually encounter on the street.

29
3. Just Learning Chinese Vocabulary Is Enough
Totally wrong! Chinese isnt learned just through memorization. Many students try to
simply learn Chinese words by rote memory, and then simply put the words together
to make sentences. To them, thats good enough. Yes, vocabulary is very important
and a basic foundation in Chinese learning. But it is definitely not enough to become
fluent, or to be able to converse naturally with a native Mandarin speaker.
Learners also need to know how to use the words properly in daily conversation. This
means that you also study the culture, and the correct time and place to use phrases
and words for various social situations or occasions.
4. Think Chinese Grammar Is Mechanical
No, Chinese is not the same as other languages, especially romantic languages, when
it comes to grammar. It has its own rules, and its own exceptions to its own rules. Are
there regular grammar patterns? Yes, but there are also many inconsistencies. When it
comes to putting words together correctly, it is more improvisational than you might
think. Take these examples:
(bi) cup + (zi) = (bizi) cup.
(kui) chopstick + (zi) = (kuizi) chopsticks.
(zi) used as the noun suffix here.
When some students learned the structure above, they usually want to apply the same
pattern to another phrase, such as:
(wn) bowl + (zi)

30
However, Noun + (zi) is not a universal rule in Chinese. (wnzi) is not
the correct phrase. We do not have this expression, and so you have to go back to the
drawing board and learn the correct grammar rules for that specific makeup of words.

31
For more Chinese learning materials, please visit our website:
https://www.eChineseLearning.com/
These materials might also be useful to you:
Popular Chinese Words:
https://www.echineselearning.com/blog/categories/popular-words
Chinese Culture:
https://www.echineselearning.com/blog/categories/chinese-culture
Business Chinese:
https://www.echineselearning.com/blog/categories/business-chinese
Chinese Test:
https://www.echineselearning.com/blog/categories/chinese-tests
Chinese for Kids:
https://www.echineselearning.com/blog/categories/chinese-for-kids
Chinese for Teens:
https://www.echineselearning.com/blog/categories/chinese-for-teens
Newsletter:
https://www.echineselearning.com/newsletter/
More FREE E-books:
https://www.echineselearning.com/ebook.html

32
About eChineseLearning
eChineseLearning is the world's premier online Chinese language school providing systematic,
customized, one-to-one live instruction services to students worldwide of all ages and walks
of life.
Our mission is to provide the best Chinese language education service worldwide at an
affordable price and always focus on the needs of our customers and offer them effective and
enjoyable Chinese language learning experience.
One-to-One
Live online instruction (Yes! Real time, real people)
Native, professionally trained and experienced

Chinese teachers
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Customized instruction at your own level, pace and style
Live audio and video using instant messaging tools such as

Skype

33
34

10 Things You Must Know Before Learning Chinese

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

10 Things You Must Know Before Learning Chinese

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Copyright 2017 by eChineseLearning

All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced, distributed

Visit Our Website:

The Han people of China have

their own spoken and written

language. Chinese belongs to the

Han-Tibetan language family.

Mandarin Chinese, often referred

to as simply Chinese, is the

most commonly used language in

China, and one of the most

commonly used languages in the world.

years ago and the bronze inscriptions produced soon after.

ideographs were joined by pictophonetic characters.

Currently, there are six categories of Chinese characters: pictographs, self-explanatory

characters, associative compounds, pictophonetic characters, phonetic loan characters

and mutually explanatory characters.

eChineseLearning.com All Right Reserved.

composed of an ideogrammatic element combined with a phonetic element.

communication, Chinese characters have an aesthetic value (e.g., calligraphy).

written form. Nowadays, classes in schools in predominantly national minority areas

are taught in the local language, using local language textbooks.

Mandarin is a category of Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and

which is based on the Mandarin dialect spoken in Beijing. It is considered to be the

standard for the Peoples Republic of China.

Why do most non-Chinese speakers choose to learn standard Mandarin Chinese?

Mandarin is understood by most Chinese people. As mentioned above, it is Chinas

interested in basic communication, scholarly research, or pursuing a career in China,

standard Mandarin is a necessary tool for communication.

eChineseLearning.com All Right Reserved.

different. There are personal

and professional advantages to

be gained from studying

Chinese. Currently, Mandarin

Chinese is moving itself into a

position to be one of the

dominant languages and

cultural forces of the 21st

century. Therefore, learning

specifically, can be gained from knowing how to communicate in the Chinese

Mandarin is spoken by almost one billion people. It is the most widely-spoken

2. Mandarin is spoken in the Peoples Republic of China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand,

cities such as London, Sydney and New York;

3. Knowing Chinese will allow individuals to compete effectively in the business

environment of the future;

eChineseLearning.com All Right Reserved.

and many other countries;

5. Many American companies do business in China, including Coca-Cola and Ford;

The demand for business people who know Chinese is skyrocketing;

English and Spanish;

Chinese: the convenience of knowing the language to build interpersonal relationships.

business, are four that readily spring to mind.

eChineseLearning.com All Right Reserved.

non-Chinese languages dont even represent a fraction of a percent of what is really

there to learn. The lions share is on a bookshelf waiting to be discovered by those

mine waiting to be discovered by the rest of the world.

personal sense of curiosity. Knowing Chinese allows a freedom of movement through

Calligraphy is an ancient art form and studying it is a kind of art appreciation.

eChineseLearning.com All Right Reserved.

significant amount of money to spend anywhere in the world. Those entrepreneurs

time to learn the language.

eChineseLearning.com All Right Reserved.

Traditional Chinese refers to the characters used before simplification reforms

Chinese communities. Simplified characters are then, as the name implies,