![]() She mentioned Taipei is officially 台北市 (not 京). I appreciate the relevant cultural facts. (A dictionary or dictionary app would be recommended). I found this a little challenging since I'm not used to imagining accents on letters. Instead, the 4 tones are indicated by numbers. There are no accents on the English text. However if written in simplified form 电, the story wouldn't make sense.)Īnother thing to keep in mind is the pinyin format. It contains 雨 which i associate with water, hence I understand why it represents electricity. Certain "choice words" make more sense written traditionally (such as 電. However, I think including both ways of spelling is beneficial. So novices may be confused (I recommend reviewing or taking notes as you go along. I noticed the writer (who is 台湾人) includes both traditional and simplified writings, but she will put a little more emphasis on traditional (for example, 長 and 长). This book expanded my vocabulary and laid a solid foundation for reading Chinese (学文化)。 A simple example is to spot 木 (wood) in 林 because "two trees make a forest" (林). This book doesn't cover every character in Chinese, but it'll take a closer look at common symbols anyone may see everyday (每天). A really important and useful skill (功力) is looking at a character and figuring out what it represents. As a beginner, the funny stories, logic behind the characters and cute (可爱) illustrations provided me the skills and tricks to understanding written Chinese. It's well presented and easy to flip through, and although there may be some subtle mature content (such as telling the difference between 嬲和嫐) it's great for all audiences! I really enjoyed going through this book today to the point where I finished it in one sitting. From the language’s constraint arises its beauty.Īs a beginner learning mandarin 中文, this book works well as an additional resource. “Distraction” is made by combining the character for “divide” with the character for “heart.” To be distracted is, in Mandarin, to divide one’s heart. This creates space for meditating on sound and meaning. In Mandarin, there is no alphabet to drag the word in as is. The English comes from the Latin distrahere, “to pull in different directions.” A literal and sensible root. Compare the etymology of “distraction” as an example. But it is the very imperviousness of Mandarin that makes room for its own poetry. And its simple grammar, while useful to the learner, can feel blunt-there is only the verb “to be,” no conjugation of it. It is not as accommodating of new and borrowed words as English. It is not beautiful to the ear like Italian or Portuguese. There is in this an elegance to Mandarin I am only beginning to appreciate. For example, double the character for “people” and you get “follow ” triple it, you get “crowd.” With a line through “people,” you get “big.” Put “people” and “big” next to each other and you get “adult.” Combine “big” with “crowd” instead and you get “public.” From a single root, you can start building a constellation of meaning. Many of the characters build on each other or are meant to look like what they represent. This book makes the easy parts more obvious. ![]() The hard parts of learning Mandarin are obvious to outsiders: characters and tones. ![]() Anticipating years of such messages, I decided to learn some Mandarin. My favorite baby’s first language is Mandarin, and the family group chat switches between English and Mandarin. Whether you are a student learning Mandarin, an executive pursuing business ties to Chinese companies, or a curious tourist traveling to China, this single-volume encyclopedia will stimulate the mind, enchant the culturally minded and inspire everyone who seeks new experiences and a wider understanding of our world. She begins all twelve sections with an overview of key Chineasy characters, then presents the specific symbols relevant to each-providing insight into how Chinese thinking has shaped its language and civilization in a way that anyone can understand and appreciate. In this standalone guide, she expands her scope to include all facets of Chinese life and culture, including Numbers, Time & Dates, The Solar System & the Five Elements, People, Nature, Animals, How to Describe Things, Health & Well-being, Travel, City & Country, Shopping, Food & Drink, and Internet & Technology. She introduced her revolutionary teaching methodology and graphic language in her bestseller, Chineasy. To educate the world about the richness and character of China’s people, customs, and heritage, entrepreneur ShaoLan Hsueh created Chineasy, a special building-block learning method that uses highly recognizable and appealing illustrations. A unique and highly entertaining introduction to the richness of Chinese language, culture, and civilization, built on the groundbreaking and hugely popular Chineasy visual learning method.
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