Read This If You Want To Learn Chinese

By: Kelly Chen

A Break Diver in Texas, USA

就由大家所知，现在越来越多的人想学习中文，中文已经算是一种国际化的语言了。因为中文的汉字复杂的结构，发音的音调与其他语言截然不同，中文也算是一门很难学的语言。刚开始学习中文你会觉得中文的每一个字似乎都不样，虽然都长的方方正正，可它的意思往往会在你的意料之外；不同的音调是中文的特色，带有个性的卷舌音，儿化音需要一个人不断的练习。刚开始学习中文的路一定不会是平坦的，这一路上一定会有些许的坎坷与磨难，你必须要有坚定的决心去克服这些困难。只要你帮自己开辟一条路，你会慢慢地发现这条路会走得越来越顺，你也会越走越远。 我从小就在中国长大，学习中文，所以我有一个牢固的基础。我会花更多的时间阅读书籍，增添我的词汇量，语法和理解能力。比较难参透的中文字就要数多音字了，你需要根据一句话里的意思分辨这个字什么时候该读什么音。告诉你们一个可以帮助你对中文增添兴趣的方法，如果你不想读一些枯燥的课本，你可以选择读一些关于中国的文化历史，传说，节日来历等等一些有趣的话题。我个人就很喜欢看一些成语故事，这样不仅能练习了阅读理解能力，还学会成语。

As everyone knows, more and more people want to learn Chinese these days, and Chinese is considered an international language.

But because of the complex structure of Chinese characters, the pronunciation that is very different from other languages, and since Chinese is also a difficult language to learn, it’s quite a challenge to get started.

When you first start learning Chinese, you will feel that every word in Chinese seems to be different: they are all shaped like squares, and their meaning is often beyond your expectation. Further, the different tones are unique characteristics of Chinese, with peculiar pronunciation phenomenons like retroflex and *Er Hua Yin that require constant practice to master.

Therefore, the first steps on the road to master Chinese will not be smooth and easy. There will be some obstacles and hardships along the way. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start!

You must simply have a determined mind to overcome these difficulties.

As long as you help yourself to clearing a path, you will slowly find that the path will go more and more smoothly, and you will go further and further.

I grew up in China since I was young and studied Chinese since birth, so I have a solid foundation. But even now, I constantly spend time reading books to increase my vocabulary, grammar, and understanding.

If you don’t like reading some boring textbooks, you can try reading some interesting articles about China’s culture, history, festivals, etc. I like to read some idiom stories so that I can practice reading comprehension and learn idioms.

With practice, you can learn Chinese. Do not give up. And… join Break Diving. We can all help you improve your Chinese there!

*Er Hua Yin (儿话音) – For example, when pronouncing “小孩儿” （little children）, you say, [xiao h-er], instead of [xiao hai er]. The character “儿” is usually placed at the end of the phrase, and the stress of the phrase is usually placed on the syllable in front of “er”.

About the Author: My name is Kelly Chen. I’m currently a high school senior and one of the staff members at Break Diving. While I love solving puzzles and innovating, I also love colors and creativity. I was born in Texas but raised in China and lived there for 11 years, and Chinese was my first language, then I moved to Texas in 6th Grade.

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Photo by Cherry Lin on Unsplash

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