Starting to learn Chinese, shouldimmediately accept the fact that it is necessary to form a completely new linguistic picture of the world, which is significantly different from the usual system of thinking. However, due to sufficient motivation, the right materials for training, as well as diligence and hard work, it is quite possible to master the Chinese language from scratch.
Hieroglyphs
In Chinese, there are about 80 thousandhieroglyphs. For a free understanding of the press, 4,000 is enough to master, and to read fiction in the original you need at least 6-8,000.
There is a clear order of writing features and keys.The key is a kind of simplest hieroglyph with a definite meaning. Some of them are used in their pure form, but in most cases the keys are part of the whole hieroglyph. Starting to learn Chinese from scratch yourself, you need to remember them. A good base will allow you to continue successfully mastering this system.
According to certain writing ruleshieroglyphs, each line is written from left to right and top to bottom. In order to learn Chinese from scratch (on your own) successfully, it is important to learn the correct pattern from the very beginning. This will help to navigate the dictionary, since in Asian languages there is no familiar alphabet, the words are arranged in a certain order of appearance of hieroglyphic elements.
Of course, to memorize Chinese words,You need to spend a lot of time prescribing hieroglyphs. But there are original ways to memorize. Chinese words are not just a code, they are an image. Many hieroglyphs depict that object or phenomenon, the meaning of which they hide in themselves.
The translation is as follows: the first line is fire, tree, sun, moon; second line - a person, mouth, door, mountain.
Sound system
Learn Chinese from scratch (by yourself)It will require much more effort than when working with a Roman-German group. One of the features that distinguishes Chinese from the rest: intonation is not an emotional function, but a sense-discernment. There are four tones plus one neutral:
- 1 tone is pronounced with high even and drawn intonation;
- 2 tone reminds interrogative intonation, pronounced upwards;
- The 3rd tone is also called low: the intonation first goes down, then goes up;
- 4 tone falls, starting from a high note;
- neutral is also called light and usually falls on unstressed vowels.
In some cases, tones may vary. For example, if two third tones are located side by side, then the first syllable acquires the intonation of the second tone. For example, in the word níhǎo (hello).
The same combination of sounds pronounced withEach of the above tones has a different meaning. To get used to such a system, it is important to listen as much as possible to the speech of native speakers and try to repeat it out loud. For this reason, learning Chinese from scratch on your own is quite difficult. The best option would be immersion in the language environment, combined with intensive training (many hours of daily classes with representatives of the PRC). Such a study would bring tangible results within two years.
Grammar
Anyone who starts learning Chinese withscratch yourself, you have to face a completely new system. In this language, there are no familiar conjugations or declensions. And the line between the times is not always perceptible. However, syntax plays a very important role. The same word can play the role of different parts of speech depending on its location in the sentence.
Dialects
In Chinese, as in many others,There are many dialects. Each of them has its own characteristics. And the differences are sometimes so significant that representatives from different areas of China can hardly understand each other's speech. If you do not set a goal to move to a particular city, then the best option would be to study a common literary adverb called Putonghua (普通话).
Pinyin
Anyone who wants to learn Chinese from scratchon their own, will encounter a system called pinyin (拼音). This is a Latin transcription, which was created to facilitate the reading of hieroglyphs. In addition, a tone is written over each syllable. Over time, you will learn to read original texts without a pinyin, but at the beginning of the study, transcription is essential.
Learn Chinese from scratch by yourself
Further, some tips are given to help you get closer to your desired goal.
- One of the important principles of successful learningare willpower, diligence and regularity of classes. There are no secrets of how to learn Chinese independently from scratch without too much difficulty. This goal can be achieved only thanks to a sincere interest in the studied subject and hard work.
- Another tip: knowledge is better recorded in memory with intensive training. A couple of lessons per week will not give good results. This also applies to other languages.
- To get used to the speech, except working with textbooksYou also need to watch TV shows and listen to audiobooks and songs in the original. Do not worry that some phrases remain misunderstood. It is very important to get used to the sound.
- Do not be afraid to ask for help from the Chinese. Many of them are happy to help foreigners learn the language.
- For self-test it is recommended to passinternational exam for foreigners, called HSK (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì). The exam is divided into six levels. For the successful completion of the first level requires knowledge of 150 words, and the sixth level implies possession of 5 thousand words.
Anyone who has decided to master Chinese from scratch on their own will have to put a lot of effort into it. However, this is a great opportunity to plunge into an amazing world that is different from what we are used to.
