Mandarin Chinese, or Standard Chinese, is the official language of China. However, it’s not the only language Chinese locals are speaking. There are other regional languages and dialects spoken throughout China. In Shanghai, the locals use both Mandarin Chinese and its provincial dialect, Shanghainese. Though Shanghainese shares many similarities to Mandarin Chinese, it still has …
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, 27 letters in Spanish, and 74 letters in Khmer used in Cambodia— the world’s largest alphabet. Unlike these languages, Chinese does not have an alphabet! However, it does have a unique writing system that consists of roughly 50,000 characters (Hanzi). Each character represents one syllable of spoken …
How to Learn Hanzi: Quick-Start Guide for Beginners Read More »
Listening is one of the most important elements in one’s Chinese learning journey. Good listening skills allow you to communicate effectively with Chinese people and have solid interactions. However, Chinese listening is also one of the most challenging skills to master. No worries—we’re here to help!
Typing in Chinese: How to Type in Pinyin with Tone Marks One of the most fundamental and crucial aspects of studying Chinese is mastering Pinyin. Pinyin is the official romanization system for most Mandarin Chinese-speaking countries worldwide. What is Pinyin? The Romanization of Chinese characters based on their pronunciation is called Hanyu Pinyin, or Pinyin …
Type in Chinese: How to Type in Pinyin with Tone Marks Read More »
People all over the world commonly refer to Chinese as a language. But the truth is Chinese is not a language! It is, in fact, an umbrella term referring to a group of languages, which has several different varieties like Mandarin, Min, Wu, Gan, etc. So if you’re planning to study Chinese for your future …
