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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe things you must know before learning Mandarin Chinese include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Tones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mandarin has four basic tones and a fifth (neutral) tone. Understanding their tones is one of the biggest challenges you must overcome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These tones, if used wrongly, easily change the meaning of words and sentences. For example, depending on the tone, t\u0101ng can either mean soup or sugar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When pronounced with a high tone, it means soup. However, with a rising tone, it becomes sugar. Telling which tone to give a syllable depends on the mark on the vowels and sound knowledge of pinyin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Chinese characters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Another demanding aspect of Mandarin is writing Chinese characters. This is because there is no alphabet in the language. What you have are characters, about 50,000 of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this might sound daunting, you only need about 10,000 characters to be able to communicate in Mandarin. To write in the language, just 2,500 characters are enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You also need to know the difference between Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters. Simplified characters are used primarily in Mainland China and Singapore (Malaysia). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditional characters are prevalent in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and other Chinese-speaking countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Publications such as newspapers and online news often feature simple characters, while traditional characters are featured more in poems, paintings, and calligraphy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Speaking and understanding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
With tones easily influencing the meaning of words, speaking and understanding Mandarin can be difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You must train your ears to recognize the elemental sounds of Chinese and your mouth to pronounce them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more you practice, the better you will get at positioning your muscles to make the right sound for each word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Grammar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Understanding grammar in Mandarin is one aspect that should not trouble you much. Unlike Latin-based languages, you do not have to change forms to address genders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same can be said for singular and plural words. Just like English sentences, Mandarin sentences follow a subject, predicate, and object sequence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also does not feature too many rules and complex verb conjugations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Abundance of practice partners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As the most spoken language in the world, Mandarin will likely connect you with online or physical friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learning with the help of a Chinese friend will increase your comprehension and make the process more enjoyable. You can also offer to teach your language if your buddy is interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Practical Ways to Learn Mandarin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To grasp Mandarin quickly, you must prioritize what works for you in terms of learning styles. These are some of the proven ways you can quickly learn Mandarin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Buy foundational books or use a language app<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you are the type, who values the classroom-textbook learning process, getting one or two beginner’s texts is a good way to start. You can also attend physical classes with these books if you have the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Applications like Duolingo<\/a>, Busuu, and HelloTalk are free and flexible ways to learn Mandarin. While each method is sufficient, combining them will help you achieve your goals faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The invention of Pinyin simplified Mandarin. It is the official phonetic system for translating Chinese characters into Latin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, the Pinyin system allows you to learn pronunciation and tones easily. A strong foundation in those two aspects is all you need to become a fluent speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While learning Mandarin, having one or two friends to practice with is a cheat code. If these friends are close by, you can invite them for a simple meal and engage them in chats purely in Mandarin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For friends staying far away, calling them at the end of each week and speaking mostly Mandarin is one way to improve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends can easily hold you accountable for your progress and inspire you to step up. The more you engage yourself in such conversations, the better you become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Combining your studies with watching Chinese movies in your leisure hours works too. Hearing movie characters speak the language will greatly help with your intonation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These shows will expose you to picking up vocabulary and idioms in their right context. Here is a list of Chinese movies or TV shows you can binge during time outs, including The Blue Kite and Lost in Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also amazing Chinese musicians you can learn from if music is more of your thing. Karaoke is another way to experiment with your Mandarin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spending your holiday in countries that speak the language you want to learn is a great way to complement your effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This decision will allow you to mingle with natives and force you to speak the language. While you might not be fluent, your mistakes can be easily corrected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If traveling is not an option, visit Google and confirm if your current city has a Chinatown. You can visit their restaurants regularly to witness Mandarin conversations between buyers and sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may take up to a year to reach a fairly fluent level in Mandarin<\/strong>. To be fully fluent, you must practice for about 4 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mandarin is considered the most difficult language to learn<\/strong>. It can be more complex for people with a Latino background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, learning Mandarin is worth it.<\/strong> It has over 9 million native speakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning Mandarin on your own is possible.<\/strong> However, external help will do you a lot of good at some point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are so many ways you can learn Mandarin. However, due to its complexity, it is best to start with the basics, such as understanding the characters and intonations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you understand the basic features, use simple phrases like greetings and pick-up lines for starters. More importantly, it would be best if you prioritized the learning medium that works best for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you find this article helpful? Perhaps you are yet to decide on learning Mandarin; discover other easy languages you can learn.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks for reading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mandarin belongs to China and is the most spoken language in the world. The language has over 1 billion speakers … <\/p>\n2. Become familiar with the Pinyin system<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Get a Chinese friend to practice with<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Watch Chinese movies or TV shows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Travel to China or visit Chinatown often<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How long does it take to learn Mandarin?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is Mandarin the hardest language to learn?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is it worth it to learn Mandarin?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is it possible to learn Mandarin by yourself?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n