Learning Chinese: friends

How to Use This Site

For Chinese-learning newbies, this site shows Chinese characters (Hanzi) and their alphabet-based pronunciation (Pinyin). Use the Blog Archive (on the left sidebar) to navigate to the different lessons. Note: Your first lesson in speaking Chinese should be Tones (click here). Also remember: the letter "q" is pronounced as "ch" and the letter "x" is pronounced as "sh" while the letter "c" sounds like "ts." The pronunciation for the letter "e" sounds like "uh" while the letter "o" sounds more like "wuh" --- Crazy, eh? :-)

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Casual Talk (Part 1)

Just between friends...

你怎么样？ Nǐ zěn me yàng? How are you? (informal)	你好吗? Nǐ haǒ ma? How are you?
我想念你. Wǒ xiǎng niàn nǐ. I miss you.	好久不见。你好吗？ Hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn. Nǐ hǎo ma? Long time no see. How are you?
你身体好吗？ Nǐ shēn tǐ hǎo ma? How's your health?	要注意身体啊。 Yào zhù yì shēn tǐ ā. Take care of yourself.
你家人好吗？ Nǐ jiā rén hǎo ma? How's your family?	我只想问好. Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng wèn hǎo. I just want to say hello.
如果你忙,我不会麻烦你了. Rú guǒ nǐ máng, wǒ bù huì má fan nǐ le. If you're busy, I will not bother you.	再见，有空联系。 Zài jiàn. Yǒu kòng lián xì. Bye. Contact me when you are free.

Why Learn Chinese?

To learn Chinese language is an excellent choice for people interested in learning this increasingly important language, here are some amazing facts:

Over 1.2 billion people speak the Chinese Language. It is spoken by one out of every five people on earth, more than any other language in the world.

The Chinese civilization is over 6,000 years old. Learning the language is the key to exploring and appreciating the cumulative knowledge and experience of one the world's oldest and most exquisite cultures.

China is fast becoming a dominant player in the international economic and financial system of this century. When China joined the WTO, it created huge demands for a greater understanding and trading with the world's fastest growing nation

The United States government designated America's relations with China as one of the most important foreign policy issues. Ever-broadening U.S./ China relations in various business fields increased the importance of Chinese presence in American communities.

Chinese is one of the four "critical languages" for Americans. Understanding and proficiency in the Chinese language are of critical importance to the United States in economic advantages and opportunities.

Chinese communities in all countries around the world, play many important and vital roles. These include: Science, Business, Education, Arts, and many more. Learning the Chinese language benefits you greatly in being able to communicate with and better understand the members of any Chinese community wherever you are in the world.

Learning Chinese not only satisfies people's desire to grasp a foreign language, it also becomes the greatest asset to career advancement. The opportunities for government and business careers, as well as for scientific, scholarly and cultural exchanges are virtually mushrooming and we are standing on the threshold of a booming and expanding Chinese economy.

Learning Chinese

How to Use This Site

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Casual Talk (Part 1)

The Chinese Learning Dilemma

Blog Archive

Why Learn Chinese?

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Chinese-English Dictionary

China-8 Online Mandarin