Tag: mandarin chinese characters

Interested in learning Mandarin Chinese? You’re not alone. Mandarin is one of the most popular languages for business, travel, and pleasure. Many people think that learning Mandarin Chinese is difficult. There is no doubt that learning to write Mandarin Chinese characters presents a formidable challenge that can take years to master. Learning to speak Mandarin Chinese, however, is fairly simple because there are none of the verb conjugations that are found in many Western languages. Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of a syllable can change its meaning. There are four tones in spoken Mandarin: high; rising; falling and rising; and falling. These kinds of tones are also used in English for emphasis or inflection, but Mandarin tones are entirely different. The tones are the most challenging part of spoken Mandarin, but once the concept has been absorbed, Mandarin vocabulary and grammar is surprisingly easy. LEARNING MANDARIN TONES We have several articles and exercises to help you master the four Mandarin tones. You should practice your tones every day until you can pronounce them and recognize them easily. Take advantage of the sound files that are included in these tone lessons by repeating them until you can accurately produce the four tones. Practicing the Four Tones The next step is to combine the tones with each other. These exercises will help: Starting with the First Tone Starting with the Second Tone Starting with the Third Tone Starting with the Fourth Tone Test your ability to recognize Mandarin tones by taking this quiz: Mandarin Tone Audio Quiz PINYIN Most people hold back learning Chinese characters until they have at least a basic understanding of the spoken langauge. Fortunately, there is an alternative way of reading and writing Mandarin that is based on the Western (Roman) alphabet – Romanization. Romanization transposes the sounds of spoken Chinese into the Roman alphabet so that learners can read and write the language. There are several systems of Romanization, but the most popular is Pinyin. All of the lessons on this website use Pinyin, and it is also used in the majority of textbooks and other learning materials. Being able to read and write Pinyin is essential for studying Mandarin Chinese. Here are some Pinyin resources: Pinyin Pronunciation Pinyin Romanization to Learn Mandarin Write Chinese Characters Using Pinyin Wean Yourself From Pinyin MANDARIN GRAMMAR There are a few stumbling blocks when it comes to Mandarin grammar. Sentence construction is often quite different from Western languages, so you must learn to think in Mandarin rather than trying to translate from one language to another. Take heart, though. In many ways, Mandarin grammar is very easy. There are no verb conjugations, and you never have to worry about subject / object agreements. Here are some articles and lessons on Mandarin grammar: Mandarin Sentence Structure Mandarin Pronouns Measure Words Mandarin Questions Mandarin Negative EXPANDING YOUR VOCABULARY Once you’ve got the basics of tones and pronunciation, you can begin to concentrate on expanding your vocabulary. Here are some vocabulary-building resources: Mandarin Greetings Mandarin Numbers Mandarin Colors City Names Country Names Asking the Way Where Do You Live? Using the Phone TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE We have several audio quizzes which can help you in your study of Mandarin by testing your listening comprehension. Tone Quiz Numbers from One to Ten Mandarin Dates What time is it?

Tag: mandarin chinese characters

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