Learn Chinese Pronunciation: the 80/20 Guide, Part 2

"I want to learn Chinese but just give me the basics!"

That's what this Chinese pronunciation guide is all about. It's all that you need to know about the pinyin system of Chinese pronunciation to get by.

The 80% that's important. (Spend 20% of time to learn the 80% that's important.)

Continued from Part 1, learn Chinese pronunciation, the 4 tones...

1. Consonants

There are 24 consonants in pinyin which are pronounced a lot like in English.

b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, g, k, ng, h, j, q, x, zh, ch, sh, r, z, c, s, y, w

Learn Chinese pronunciation of Consonants

b as in boy

p as in pine

m as in mother

f as in food

d as in dig

t as in talk

n as in none

l as in loud

g as in good

k as in kid

ng as in song

h as in hot

j as in jeep

q like "ch" in cheat

x like a sound between the "s" in see and the "sh" in she

zh like "dg" in sludge

ch as in children

sh as in shake

r as in raw

z like "ds" in words

c like "ts" in eats

s as in son

y as in Yao Ming

w as in we

2. Vowels

There are 6 simple vowels.

a, o, e, i, u, ü

Learn Chinese pronunciation of Vowels

- a as in mama

- o as in drop

- e as in

- I as in sit

- U as in look

- ü like the u in the French rue

3. Vowel Combinations

In Chinese pronunciation, basic vowels can form vowel combinations with each other or with a nasal consonant.

Learn Chinese pronunciation of Vowel Combinations

- ai like eye

- an sounds like "ah" with an emphatic "n" at the end (NOT like "an" in can)

- ang sounds like "ah" with a soft "ng" (NOT like "ang" in hang)

- ao is like "ao" in Tao

- ei is like "ay" in bay

- en is like "u" in sun

- eng is like "ung" in sung

- er like "ur" in purse

- ia is like ya

- iang is like young

- ie is like yeah

- iu is like the "ou" in you

- ian like yen

- iao is like "eow" in meow

- in as in "in" in gin

- ing as in "ing" in sing

- iong is like pinyin "yong"

- ong is like "ong" in kong

- ou is like "ow" in low

- ua is like "ua" in guava

- uan like one

- uang like "oo" + ang

- ui is like way

- un is like "wou" in would and ending in "n" sound (woon)

- uo sounds like "wo" as in wall

- uai is like why

- ua is like "wa"

- üan like yuan and written without two dots

- üe is like "yue" ("we" in "wet")

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Mistakes Nine Out of Ten People Make When They Learn to Speak Chinese

Learning to speak Chinese is a tough task for many people. I have seen people taking Chinese classes for years, but their Chinese skills are still hardly improved. Why is it so difficult to improve the Chinese skills? In this article, you will find the mistakes that a lot of people make when they learn to speak Chinese or any other languages.

The first mistake is not willing to speak. I noticed this problem when I was teaching English, that some students always like to learn silently. When they read books, listened to tapes, they hardly spoke one word. A lot of them were because they didn't want to be embarrassed if they make mistakes. So they tend to not to speak when there was people around. Later on when I started to teach Chinese I also noticed this problem among my students. When there were people around them they hardly spoke one word in Chinese. No matter how hard you study, if you don't speak out it is not going to improve your Chinese very much. If you don't speak you can't communicate with people, and that is the purpose of learning a new language.

So don't worry about making mistakes. This is your second or third language. Everyone makes mistakes and even native Chinese speakers also make mistakes when they speak. It's just probably they make fewer mistakes then you. I remember when I was teaching in the total immersion English school, students made a saying about speaking out. It was "Don't be shy, just try; if you don't try, you will die."

Another mistake is people don't use Chinese in their life. Some students have been taking weekend class for quite a long time but still struggling with their Chinese skills. They go to class every weekend, but after the class they don't use it. The minute they walk out the classroom they immediately switch back to their native tongue. Learning Chinese is just like learn to ride bike or using other tools, they more you practice the more familiar you get with them. If you are not making progress about your Chinese skills, you can count how much time you actually spend on practicing it.

You need to use Chinese after your class as well. Apply this language into your life, try to watch TV or movie in Chinese, write notes for yourself in Chinese...etc. The most efficient way is to do things you like in Chinese language. My friend likes to play guitar, and when he was learning English he also started to learn guitar in English. He was never bored with English, because he was doing things he likes. This is called kill two birds with one stone.

These are the two major mistakes that slow people down. Try to avoid those mistakes will make it more efficient and joyful to learn to speak Chinese

Sarah Fan is an Chinese Teacher, she shares the knowledge of Learn Chinese at Speak Chinese Easy.com its' a free resource for people who want to learn to speak Chinese. She also shares her opinions about some Best Online Chinese Lessons.

You Can Learn Chinese in Asia - Opportunities Are Waiting

Thousands of people dream of traveling to Asia to learn Chinese. However, most of these people are not aware that it is very easy to obtain a scholarship at a university in China or Taiwan to learn the Chinese language. In fact, you can learn Chinese in Asia for a fraction of the cost of language lessons at home.

Of course, the first step is to arrive in Asia and that means buying a plane ticket and taking a plane. This is a significant expense. However, the cost of living in both Taiwan and China is very low. It is possible to live for quite a long time on very little money, even in major cities such as Hong Kong or Taipei. Also, the tuition for language courses at prominent universities is cheap to begin with, and is often made cheaper by scholarships. If you have a little money saved, you probably already have enough to achieve your dream of learning Chinese in Asia.

If you don't have much money, the opportunities for English teachers in both China and Taiwan are tremendous. If you speak English, and are generally friendly and patient person you'd probably have what it takes to be an English teacher. You don't need a TEFL certificate in order to get a teaching job in China or Taiwan, but you do need a university degree. An English teachers average monthly salary is about $2000, and probably enough for a comfortable standard of living and to cover the cost of tuition for a Chinese language learning program at a well-known university.

It is a frightening experience, to leave your home and travel to a foreign land to learn a foreign language, and the people who do will certainly tell you that it is not all wine and roses. However, I can almost guarantee that Westerners who learn Chinese in Asia do not regret their experiences. They are developing skills that will put them at the forefront of an expanding job market. And, most of them are having the time of their lives. It can be intimidating, but don't let your fear hold you back. It is possible to achieve your dream of learning Chinese in Asia.

Justin White lives in Jhubei Taiwan, and frantically works at learning Chinese.

Want to Learn Chinese Fast? Don't make the common mistakes that keep people struggling. Learn to avoid the pitfalls, and go to http://www.learn-chinese-fast.net for tips, tricks and strategies to improve the speed with which you learn Chinese, and decrease the amount of time it takes you to reach fluency.

Learn Chinese!

Why Learn Chinese?

Schools across the country and around the globe are now eagerly embracing Chinese programs, and not without reason! Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world. An understanding of the Chinese language and culture is an invaluable asset, especially for students preparing to enter a rapidly changing global marketplace. China currently supports the second largest economy in the world, and learning to speak Chinese is a great way to give you and your children an advantage in the increasingly competitive business world.

In addition to increased business opportunities, an understanding of the Chinese language and culture opens up many more opportunities for traveling. With nearly five-thousand years of history, China is home to several awe-inspiring landmarks: the legendary Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, the Three Gorges Dam and, more recently, the Beijing Olympic Marvels, to name a few. Beijing and Shanghai have recently undergone several renovations that are increasing the tourism industry every day. In the summer of 2010, Shanghai will be hosting Expo 2010 exhibitions.

Finally, it is always great to learn another language. Chinese is not a Germanic language, so it is fun and exciting to wrap your mind around a completely different system of reading and writing.

How do I get started?

The easiest way to get started is to begin taking classes at a local Chinese school. In fact, most Chinese schools offer bilingual or adult programs. While there are plenty of classes for native Chinese speakers who wish to improve their current speaking, reading, and writing ability, there are also excellent courses offered to non-native speakers. While you are at it, why not also enroll in a Chinese dance or martial arts class? In addition to language courses, a wide variety of extracurricular classes are available, ranging from Chinese yo-yo to painting.

Find out more!

If you're interested in signing up for classes, or to find out more information, please visit the Westwood Chinese School website at http://www.westwoodcs.org. Classes begin in September 2010. Sign up today!

How to Learn Chinese Tones!

For speakers studying Mandarin, learning the tones can be quite the challenge. Mandarin has 4 tones, and one neutral tone; This means that one word can have a variety of meanings based on the way you say it. The Mandarin word "ma" for example can mean mom, hemp, horse, scold or indicate a question depending on what tone is used! Being such a foreign concept, how can you learn tones without hours of meaningless repetition?

The first answer is simple, you need to understand that even in English we use tones all the time! We may not realize it, but by putting a different intonation on the exact same word we can have a variety of meanings!

Take the word "yeah" for example. Our tones on it are very similar to the Chinese tones!

1. A Mandarin first tone is a high level and neutral pitch. Try saying "yeah" just a little higher than your normal voice, and also keep it the same pitch. What did that sound like? If you were to say that in a conversation what would you be expressing? In English a high level neutral pitched "yeah" indicates doubt. Its like saying "I see what you are saying, but I'm not sure." And we get all of that out of just saying "yeah!"

2. A Mandarin second tone is rising tone - you start your voice low and it comes higher. Say "yeah" with a voice lower than your normal voice level, then immediately rise it just a bit above your normal voice level. When you do this with "yeah" you usually are saying either "really? That's interesting."

3. A Mandarin third tone is a falling first, then rising tone. Say "yeah" starting high, then bring it down, then bring it back up. What does this mean in English? In a conversation most of the time it would mean "you are right, but what's your point?"

4. The Mandarin fourth tone is a falling tone. Imagine you are upset at someone and they just asked you a question you thought was a dumb question so you answer "yeah." Start a bit high then drop fast. In this case Yeah simply means yes, but with it you are also indicating that the person should have known better then to ask that question.

The reality is that Chinese is not that much different from our own language. Tones are a little foreign, but understanding we use them in some cases as well can further your understanding. The major difference is that their tones are assigned to EVERY word, whereas we use them selectively.

One more thing to point out, you can't simply not worry about tones and assume people with understand you. As your language ability increases so do the importance of tones. One of the best things you can do to hear and understand tones is get practice with a native speaker or advanced level student of Chinese.

I would recommend checking out my website http://www.cafespeak.com where you can use Skype to meet with a native speaker of a language. In the meantime, keep working on those tones!

So You Want To Learn Chinese?

Now that you have decided to learn a second language, you are on your way to being bilingual...and who knows, in the future, a polyglot. If you want to learn Chinese, you have to brace yourself with the many options that are available. As there are many ways to approach learning Chinese, ask yourself what aspect do you want to study first. Do you want to start with writing Chinese scripts? Would you like to learn simple words and practical conversational phrases? If you have a previous background in Mandarin, then you probably would like to take your learning to another level. Advanced classes may entail mastery of Chinese grammar, song or poem writing, and even business Mandarin.

In any case, if you are really serious about it, you have to invest a part of your time in this endeavor. It will be ideal if you enroll in a nearby language school that offers Mandarin classes, from beginner to advanced level. Being in a group of people may motivate you to learn as you may practice the day's lessons with fellow classmates. This is especially useful if you are interested in spoken Chinese.

Writing on the other hand will need more effort on your part as Chinese script has varied stylized strokes, combination, and spacing. The Roman alphabet is very far from Chinese characters. In reality, the Chinese language doesn't have any alphabet but instead uses symbols as characters. Pinyin is systematically used instead to translate Chinese characters to Roman alphabet.

While the mastery of Chinese writing may take some time, you may opt to fast-track your Chinese lessons with common, practical Chinese phrases and sentences. In a day, you can already say the following: "Shi de." (Yes.); "Nihao ma?" (How are you?); "Ni jiao shen meh mingzi?" (What's your name?); "Wo hen hao. Xiexie." (I'm very good. Thank you.). But before you get ahead of yourself, remember that getting your tones right is just as important as familiarizing yourself with the word. The meaning of a word or a phrase may depend a great deal on how you pronounce it. The best thing to do is listen carefully how each word is enunciated.

Your apparent goal-whether you want to start learning the Chinese script first, speaking the language right away, or both-will determine how much time and effort you'll have to spend in studying them. If you have the luxury of time and money, getting a personalized Chinese tutor is an option. However, if you are just interested in learning Chinese as a leisure pursuit, then the world-wide web has a lot of free lessons to offer. In just a few minutes, you may already learn at least 10 basic words a day. After two weeks of daily study, you may have memorized at least 140 Chinese words. After that, you may start with simple phrases and sentences. It is not that difficult. Consistency coupled with determination can make an intermediate Chinese speaker of you. Now isn't that encouraging?

By the way, do you want to learn more about the Chinese language?

If so, download my free report on "8 Common Myths of Learning Chinese" here: http://thechineselearner.com

Why Chinese is an Easy Language to Learn

People talk a lot about the difficulties of learning Chinese, but they rarely examine why Chinese can be a very easy language to learn.

However, Chinese is a much simpler language than English, French, or Spanish in a number of ways. It is hard to explain until you dive in and experience it for yourself, but Chinese is very straightforward. Unlike English, it rarely breaks its own rules.

Do you remember learning your spelling in grade school? "I before E except after C?" English is full of different little rules that sometimes have thousands of exceptions. As an English teacher, I really discovered how difficult it is to explain English to Chinese people. They're baffled by the nonsense of it.

Think of this: What is the difference between "overlook" and "oversee"? Oversee means to monitor and direct something, while overlook means to miss or neglect something. They mean the opposite, while "look" and "see" mean almost the same thing. Chinese rarely does this.

If you've learned French, Spanish, or other European languages than you're familiar with the frustration of verb conjugation. If the only language you speak is English, you may have no idea how complicated your language is. Consider this - I am writing, I wrote, I have written, I will write, are all forms of the same verb, and it's necessary to memorize this in order to learn it. In Chinese, this is much simpler. Past, present, and future tense are easy to express with rules that have very few exceptions.

Chinese cuts out all of the articles that are in English. As English speakers, we're constantly injecting words into sentences, like "the" "a", "an" etc. Chinese doesn't have these, and you'll find that they're really unnecessary. Chinese even cuts "is" out of most sentences. Instead of saying "I am hungry", you can say "I hungry" and get the same meaning.

The result is - Chinese trims the fat off language. There are fewer rules, and fewer exceptions to those rules. Chinese grammar is uncomplicated, and so the major challenges that face students of Chinese language are vocabulary and pronunciation, both of which come easily with steady practice.

It is easy to focus on the differences between Chinese and English, but few people stop to notice the similarities that make things easy. English and Chinese are both subject verb object (SVO) languages. Sentences like "I kick the ball" run in the same order, while other languages switch it around (ball kick I, Kick ball I, I ball kick, etc).

So there's no reason to be intimidated by Chinese. It is classified as one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn, but that's an imaginary barrier. Some parts are harder, but many parts are MUCH easier. So take advantage of this, and dive in.

Justin White lives in Jhubei Taiwan, and frantically works at learning Chinese. Want to learn Chinese (or another language) quickly? Don't make the common mistakes that keep people struggling. Learn to avoid the pitfalls, and go to Learn Chinese Fast for tips, tricks and strategies to improve the speed with which you learn Chinese, and decrease the amount of time it takes you to reach fluency.