Learning Mandarin is actually not a difficult thing. You will need to do several things to help learn the language. If you have the opportunity, try talking to people of Chinese descent using Mandarin. This way, you will become more fluent in Mandarin in less time.
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Method 1 of 3: Learn to Speak Chinese
Step 1. Learn some basic vocabulary
The first thing you need to do when learning a new language is to memorize some simple words that are important to remember and start practicing remembering and speaking them right away. Grammar and sentence structure are also important to learn, but the most important thing at the beginning of learning is that you know some basic vocabulary that is commonly used. Below are some basic vocabulary and phrases that you can use:
- Hello = nǐhǎo, pronounced as [nee how]
- Yes = sh, pronounced as [sher]
- No = bú shì, pronounced as [boo sher]
- See you later = zài jiàn, pronounced as [zi jee-an]
- Morning = zǎoshàng, pronounced as [zow shan]
- Afternoon = xià wǔ, pronounced as [sha woo]
- Afternoon/Night = wǎn shàng, pronounced as [wan shan]
- Head = tóu, pronounced as [toe]
- Foot = jiǎo, pronounced as [jee-yow]
- Hand = shu, pronounced as [show]
- Beef = niú ròu, pronounced as [nee-oo row]
- Chicken = jī, pronounced as [jee]
- Egg = jī dàn, pronounced as [jee and]
- Mi =miantiao, pronounced as [miàn tiáo]
Step 2. Learn some basic phrases
Once you learn some basic vocabulary, you can learn some basic phrases and expressions that you can use in everyday conversation. Below are some basic phrases and expressions you can use:
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How are you?
= nǐ hǎo ma? pronounced as [nee how mah]
- I'm fine = wǒ hěn hǎo, pronounced as [wuh hen how]
- thank you = xiè xiè, pronounced as [shee-yeh shee-yeh]
- Back love/you're welcome = bú yòng xiè, pronounced as [boo yong shee-yeh]
- Sorry = duì bu qǐ, pronounced as [dway boo chee]
- I do not understand = wǒ bù dǒng, pronounced as [wuh boo dong]
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What is your surname?
= nín guì xìng, pronounced as [neen gwa shing]
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What is your name?
= nǐ jiào shén me míng zì, pronounced as [nee-jee-yow shen-ma meeng zher]
- My name _ = wǒ jiào _, pronounced as [wuh jee-yow]
Step 3. Learn the tones (intonation) in Chinese
In Mandarin there are several tones that cause one word to have different meanings, if spoken in different tones (even if in writing, spelling and pronunciation are the same). For speakers of other languages, this may be difficult to learn. However, you need to know that tone is a very important thing to learn if you want to be able to speak Chinese well. There are four main tones in Mandarin:
- First tone is a high and flat tone. This tone is pronounced in a relatively high voice, with no increase or decrease in pitch. For example, the word ma when pronounced in the first note, can be written as mā.
- Second tone is a tone with a rising intonation. Say it in a low tone, then rise to a high pitch (in English, this is what you hear when you say “huh?”). The writing of the word ma in the second tone is má.
- Third tone is a swooping tone. Start with a medium note, then lower the note and slowly raise it back up. This tone sounds like the tone when asking. The writing of the word ma in the third tone is mǎ.
- Fourth tone is a tone with a descending intonation. Start with a medium note, then work your way down the pitch. This tone sounds like the tone when giving a command (in English, it's like the tone used when shouting "stop" to someone). The writing of the word ma in the fourth tone is mà.
Step 4. Practice your pronunciation
After you learn the proper pronunciation and use of tones by hearing how native Chinese speakers pronounce words, try practicing on your own to pronounce Chinese words, according to the correct pronunciation and pitch. You can see how native Chinese speakers pronounce words through videos uploaded on internet sites, such as Youtube.
- It is important that you practice pronunciation and tone in Chinese because the same word can have different meanings, depending on the tone used. For example, the use of different tones in the word ma can lead to different meanings. As in English, the sentences “I want cake” and “I want coke” have distinctly different meanings, although the difference is only in minor factors-the letter a and the letter o.
- When you read a Chinese dictionary, make sure that in addition to learning how to pronounce a word, you also learn the tone of the word. If you use the wrong tone of a certain word, other people may interpret it as something else so misunderstandings can occur.
- The best way to practice your pronunciation is to talk to a native Chinese speaker who can help you explain the correct pronunciation and correct your pronunciation, if you mispronounce a word.
Step 5. Learn Chinese grammar and sentence structure
It is not true that some say that Chinese has no grammar. In fact, Mandarin has a fairly complex grammar, which is very different from the grammar in English or other European languages.
- Fortunately, when learning Chinese you don't have to learn the complicated rules of verbs, conjugations, approvals, gender, plural nouns and tenses. Mandarin is a very analytical language, so from some points of view it seems quite simple.
- In addition, Chinese has a sentence structure similar to English and, indeed, Indonesian: subject – verb – object. This can make it easier for you when translating from English or Indonesian to Chinese, and vice versa. For example, the sentence “He (he) likes cats” in English can be translated as "tā (he) xǐ huan (likes) māo (cat)"
- Mandarin has its own grammatical structure which is very different from the grammatical structure of English (and also Indonesian). Therefore, English or Indonesian speakers may find it difficult to understand the grammatical structure of Chinese. Chinese has grammatical features such as classifier, topic-prominence and preference for certain aspects. However, you don't have to worry about these things until you are proficient in using basic Chinese.
Method 2 of 3: Learn to Read and Write in Chinese
Step 1. Learn Pinyin
Pinyin (or Hanyu Pinyin) is a Chinese writing system that uses letters from the Roman alphabet.
- Pinyin is useful for Chinese learners to be able to try to start writing and reading in Chinese without first learning the traditional characters. Today there are many textbooks and learning materials that use Pinyin as the Chinese writing system.
- Keep in mind that although Pinyin uses the roman alphabet, its pronunciation often doesn't match the correct pronunciation in Chinese. Therefore, it is important that you understand the pronunciation rules when learning Pinyin.
Step 2. Learn to read some Chinese characters
Although the ability to read traditional Chinese characters is not mandatory in learning Chinese, it is interesting for some people and makes them feel more comfortable and closer to traditional Chinese culture.
- Recognizing and reading Chinese characters is not easy. To be able to read a Chinese newspaper, one has to recognize about 2000 different characters, and that's just the beginning. It is estimated that there are over 50,000 Chinese characters in total, although many of them are no longer used in everyday life.
- The main advantage of learning Chinese characters is that you can read a lot of literary works, including Cantonese, Japanese, and Korean literature that uses a lot of Chinese characters (or their simplified versions) in them. Although they share the same characteristics as written languages, the spoken languages of these languages will be very different.
Step 3. Learn how to write some Chinese characters (Hanzi)
Once you learn how to read Chinese characters, you may be interested in learning how to write them. Writing Chinese characters is a complex skill that requires patience as well as a touch of art.
- The first step in learning how to write Chinese characters is to study radicals, namely the strokes that will later form a character. There are 214 radicals in total and some of them are distinct characters that have meaning. Other radicals are only used as a complement to form certain characters.
- When writing Chinese characters, the order of the strokes is very important and you should follow that order, such as from top to bottom, left to right and horizontal then vertical lines. If the stroke order is not correct, the resulting characters will not be accurate.
Step 4. Read the Chinese text
Practice reading Chinese texts for at least 15 to 20 minutes per day to improve your Chinese reading skills.
- At first, you can read books for children or workbooks (which are almost always written in Pinyin) to practice your basic reading skills. You can also find Chinese reading resources on the internet.
- You can also practice what you learn in your daily life. Try reading the Chinese labels on food products in stores or, during a visit to a restaurant, ask the waiter to give you a Chinese menu.
- Once your reading skills improve, try reading Chinese newspapers (which are usually printed in Chinese characters) and do what you can. Apart from practicing your reading skills, this is a good way to introduce you to Chinese culture and current issues that are rife there.
Step 5. Try to write in Chinese every day
To practice your writing skills, try writing short sentences in Chinese. You can use Pinyin or Hanzi.
- Keeping a diary in Chinese is something you can also do. You can write down simple things like the weather that day, how you felt or what you did that day in Chinese. If you are willing and confident, you can ask your friend who can read and speak Chinese to read your diary and check if there are any mistakes in your writing.
- Alternatively, you can write to your pen pal in Chinese. It can be useful for you and your friends because you can practice your Chinese writing and your friends can practice their English or Indonesian writing. You can also ask your pen pal to insert corrections from your letter when replying to your letter.
- The last thing you can do to practice your Chinese writing skills is to make simple Chinese lists, such as grocery lists. You can also create labels for items in your home in Chinese.
Method 3 of 3: Familiarizing yourself with Chinese
Step 1. Practice with a native Chinese speaker
Talking to native speakers is the best way to learn Chinese. This will encourage you to think faster, improve your accent and introduce you to informal or colloquial forms that you might not find in textbooks.
- If you have Chinese friends or friends who are fluent in Mandarin, take them out for coffee and chat with you in Chinese for an hour or two each week. They will be happy to help you… as long as you treat them to coffee!
- If you don't have Chinese friends or acquaintances who are fluent in Chinese, you can try advertising in your local newspaper or making announcements on forums on the internet about your desire to practice speaking Chinese. You can also search for Chinese conversation groups or Chinese conversation classes in your city.
- You can also try talking to a Chinese speaker via Skype for 30 minutes and after that, take turns using Indonesian or English so that the Chinese speaker can improve his Indonesian or English skills.
Step 2. Listen to Chinese tapes or CDs
This is a fun thing you can do to further familiarize yourself with Chinese. You can even do it anywhere.
- It doesn't matter if you can't catch every word spoken. Try to be an active listener and pick up on the words or phrases being spoken. Slowly but surely, your understanding will increase.
- This is suitable for those who frequently travel. They just play Chinese CDs in the music player in their car or listen to Chinese podcasts while on the train. You can even try listening to the CD or podcast while doing your homework, like sweeping or washing the dishes.
Step 3. Watch Chinese films and cartoons
Besides being fun, it can also introduce you to Chinese sounds and sentence structures that you may not have known.
- Try watching Chinese cartoons or short clips on sites like Youtube, or rent a Chinese movie from a movie rental center in your city. At first you may need subtitles while watching the movie, but try not to read much of the subtitles. Find out how much dialogue you can understand on your own, without looking at the subtitles.
- Try to be proactive by pausing the film when you hear certain words or phrases and following the pronunciation. This can help you pronounce the words or phrases in a more natural pronunciation.
Step 4. Don't be afraid when you make a mistake
This fear can be the biggest barrier to your learning Chinese.
- You should try to fight this fear so that you can achieve your ultimate goal of becoming fluent in Mandarin.
- Remember that everyone makes mistakes when learning a new language. You're bound to make mistakes that you might be embarrassed about, but you don't have to worry because this is part of the learning process.
- Also keep in mind that your goal of learning Chinese is not perfection, but the development of your Chinese skills. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Learn from those mistakes and continue to improve and improve your Chinese language skills.
Step 5. Consider visiting China
Visiting the homeland of the language you are learning is a good way to get to know the language better.
- China is a country that has a lot of diversity. From the busy streets of Beijing to the splendor of the Great Wall, visitors will always find something interesting. You can get to know traditional Chinese cultures, try many delicious traditional foods, or visit sites of ancient ruins and wars.
- As an alternative, you can visit other countries that have a sizeable population of Chinese descent, such as Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Make sure you're prepared for their different dialects before you leave, because not all dialects sound the same as native Mandarin dialects.
Tips
- Don't be in a hurry to learn Mandarin. Many people have difficulty learning it.
- Visit sites that have Chinese pronunciations of words so you know what they sound like and how to pronounce them correctly.
- Mandarin is a complex language. Therefore, be firm when you study it.
