Showing posts with label Chinese Mandarin Examples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese Mandarin Examples. Show all posts

13 July 2012

Classical Chinese Story in which each syllable is pronounced "shi"

A story in which each syllable is pronounced "shi"

施氏食狮史


石室诗士施氏,嗜狮,誓食十狮。
氏时时适市视狮。
十时,适十狮适市。
是时,适施氏适市。
氏视是十狮,恃矢势,使是十狮逝世。
氏拾是十狮尸,适石室。
石室湿,氏使侍拭石室。
石室拭,氏始试食是十狮。
食时,始识是十狮,实十石狮尸。
试释是事。

« Shī Shì shí shī shǐ »

Shíshì shīshì Shī Shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī.
Shì shíshí shì shì shì shī.
Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì.
Shì shí, shì Shī Shì shì shì.
Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shìshì.
Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shíshì.
Shíshì shī, Shì shǐ shì shì shíshì.
Shíshì shì, Shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī.
Shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī, shí shí shí shī shī.
Shì shì shì shì.


« Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den »

In a stone den was a poet Shi, who was a lion addict, and had resolved to eat ten.
He often went to the market to look for lions.
At ten o'clock, ten lions had just arrived at the market.
At that time, Shi had just arrived at the market.
He saw those ten lions, and using his trusty arrows, caused the ten lions to die.
He brought the corpses of the ten lions to the stone den.
The stone den was damp. He asked his servants to wipe it.
After the stone den was wiped, he tried to eat those ten lions.
When he ate, he realized that these ten lions were in fact ten stone lion corpses.
Try to explain this matter.

Listen to the story

02 July 2012

How to talk about "movies" in Chinese 电影 diànyǐng

How to talk about "movies" in Chinese - photo and dicussion of 电影 diànyǐng

Found this great post about how to talk about films in Chinese. Why is great?  Because it is about my level of Chinese.  I think it is the first time I have read something outside of my study / course materials and have understood the meaning of everything and can answer all the questions. I was able to do this with easy and quickly. So I must be making some progress in my studies.

电影院 diàn yǐng yuàn

Study more Chinese is a great site for;

  • Learning Chinese at all levels
  • Connecting with other learners
  • Chinese Resources
  • Seeking help and information about Chinese 
  • Chinese Grammar
  • Links to resources
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Study More Chinese

26 June 2012

Using 有and 没有 in comparisons


Using有and 没有 in comparisons


有and 没有 can be used to in comparison of one noun against another.
The basic pattern is  noun 1 + (没(méi) )有(yǒu) + noun2  (那(nà)么(me)) + adjective + (吗(ma))

你(nǐ)哥(gē)哥(ge)有(yǒu)你(nǐ)那(nà)么(me)高(gāo)吗(ma)?
Is his brother as tall as him?

我(wǒ)哥(gē)哥(ge)没(méi)有(yǒu)他(tā)这(zhè)么(me)高(gāo)。
My brother is not as tall as him.

这(zhè)个(ge)包(bāo)裹(guǒ)有(yǒu)那(nà)个(gè)那(nà)么(me)重(zhòng)吗(ma)?
Is this package as heavy as that package?

这(zhè)个(ge)包(bāo)裹(guǒ)真(zhēn)的(de)有(yǒu)那(nà)个(gè)那(nà)么(me)重(zhòng)。
This package really is a heavy as that package.



那(nà)条(tiáo)狗(gǒu)有(yǒu)一(yī)只(zhī)大(dà)鼠(shǔ)那(nà)样(yàng)小(xiǎo)。
That dog is as small as a big rat.
(

他有他姐姐那么聪明吗(tāyǒutājiějiěnàmecōngmíngma)?
Is he as intelligent as his sister?

我(wǒ)的(de)围(wéi)巾(jīn)没(méi)有(yǒu)你(nǐ)的(de)这(zhè)么(me)好(hǎo)看(kàn)。
My scarf does not look as good as yours.

这(zhè)个(ge)有(yǒu)那(nà)个(gè)便(pián)宜(yi)吗(ma)?
Is this as cheap as that?

说(shuō)日(rì)语(yǔ)有(yǒu)说(shuō)汉(hàn)语(yǔ)那(nà)么(me)容(róng)易(yì)吗(ma)?
Is speaking Chinese as easy as speaking Japanese?

他(tā)有(yǒu)她(tā)那(nà)么(me)高(gāo)。
He is as tall as her.

茶(chá)没(méi)有(yǒu)咖(kā)啡(fēi)贵(guì)。
Tea is not as expensive as coffee.

咖(kā)啡(fēi)没(méi)有(yǒu)可(kě)乐(lè)那(nà)么(me)贵(guì)。
Coffee is not as expensive as cola.

说(shuō)话(huà)没(méi)有(yǒu)写(xiě)字(zì)难(nán)。
Speaking is not as difficult as writing.

我(wǒ)没(méi)有(yǒu)你(nǐ)那(nà)么(me)聪(cōng)明(míng)。
You are smarter than me.

她(tā)写(xiě)汉(hàn)字(zì)没(méi)有(yǒu)他(tā)写(xiě)得(de)好(hǎo)。
She does not write characters as well as him.

中(zhōng)文(wén)语(yǔ)法(fǎ)有(yǒu)英(yīng)文(wén)语(yǔ)法(fǎ)难(nán)吗(ma)?
Is Chinese grammar as difficult as English grammar?


25 June 2012

Multimedia Chinese Teaching System

Found another Chinese language learning resource. The Rutgers Multimedia Chinese Teaching System has four levels of lessons for first year to fourth year students. It has plenty of content in simplified hanzi, pinyin, audio and English. There is also content in traditional characters.The scripts for learning are quite detailed. Accompanying these pages of scripts are grammar explanations.  There is plenty of content in this site.


However, despite the content navigation for the site is very poor. It is difficult to navigate around the site as menus are not consistent. Sometimes links at the bottom and sometimes the left side navigation changes from English to Chinese Hanzi.   I do not know if this is intentional (perhaps it is an attempt at partial immersion in Chinese). Definitely makes moving around the site challenging. Some of the pages are not set out well. It is difficult to find related content quickly. 


 If the site were redesigned with a consistent navigation it would be better. This site may be useful to supplement your main study. It is a pity that it is difficult to find specific information as the materials and grammar are detailed.


"The Rutgers Multimedia Chinese Teaching System (RMCTS). This is a computer based multimedia curriculum to supplement First year, Second year, and Advanced Chinese (Third and Fourth year) language instruction at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey."



17 June 2012

Chinese language and culture learning more controversial than you thought!

Chinese language and culture learning more controversial than you thought!

It seems that the Confucius Institutes are a subject of controversy in Britain. Have no fear though the British press is alerting the public of the danger.  One might just as well attack the Alliance Française , Goethe-Institut or Dante Alighieri all three institutes have been around for a long time imposing their beliefs and culture on the unwary. All institutes forcing this through the innocent medium of language and culture.  Are these  also clear examples of 'ideological infiltration'?  Which is the accusation agains the Confuscious Institute.

How dare the Chinese invest money, resources and teachers and who knows what else to help foreigners learn Chinese language and culture. Be careful Ozzies we have a few Confucius Institutes of our own in Oz. They also go under the name of Hanban.  We also have Confucius classrooms. So Aussie bogans you need to be aware of the dangers of learning another language and culture. Mothers lock up your children they might learn something.

Read more of the details of the British controversy. Chinese ambassador attacks 'cold war' fears over Confucius Institutes

"Some people are not comfortable to see the rapid growth of Confucius Institutes. They cling to the outdated 'cold war' mentality," Liu Xiaoming Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

"They criticise Confucius Institutes for being a tool of China's 'national propaganda'. They label teaching Mandarin as 'ideological infiltration.' So they have from time to time made irresponsible remarks in western media." Liu Xiaoming

America too has some issues with Confucius Institutes;

What are the Confucius Institutes and why are there so many of them?

US clampdown on visas for teachers upsets China

25 May 2012

Free Chinese Lessons, Learn to Speak Chinese

Found this excellent resource for learning. Topic based practical lessons. Definitely worth a look.

Chinese Learner 

Learn Mandarin Chinese 

Online Free



Basic Chinese Expressions 36 lessons with audio

LEARN CHINESE: SPEAKING CHINESE 20 Lessons with audio files

Everyday Chinese 144 Lessons

LEARN CHINESE: CHINESE GRAMMAR

22 May 2012

汉语语法入门 An Introduction to Chinese Grammar

Grammar 中文笔记 - 语法:

汉语语法入门 An Introduction to Chinese Grammar

Found this grammar guide in Chinese Notes. It is an excellent resource.

目录 Contents

  1. 导言 Introduction
  2. 词类 Parts of Speech
    1. 名词 Nouns
    2. 形容词 Adjectives
    3. 动词 Verbs
    4. 助动词 Auxiliary Verbs
    5. 代词 Pronouns
    6. 数词 Numerals
    7. 量词 Measure Words
    8. 副词 Adverbs
    9. 介词 Prepositions
    10. 连词 Conjunctions
    11. 助词 Particles
    12. 叹词 Interjections
    13. 象声词 Onomatopes
  3. 词组 Phrases
    1. 主谓词组 Subject-Predicate Phrases
    2. 动宾词组 Verb-Object Phrases
    3. 联合词组 Coordinative Phrases
    4. 偏正词组 Endocentric Phrases
    5. 数量词组 Numeral-Measure Word Phrases
    6. 补充词组 Complementary Phrases
    7. 方位词组 Phrases of Locality
    8. 同位词组 Appositive Phrases
    9. 固定词组 Set Phrases
    10. 介词结构 Prepositional Phrases
    11. “的”字结构 的 Phrases
  4. 句子成分 Sentence Elements
    1. 主语 The Subject
    2. 谓语 The Predicate
    3. 宾语 The Object
    4. 状语 Adverbial Adjuncts
    5. 补语 Complements
    6. 定语 The Attributive
  5. 单句 Simple Sentences
    1. 动词谓语句 Sentences with a Verbal Predicate
    2. 形容词谓语句 Sentences with an Adjectival Predicate
    3. 名词谓语句 Sentences with a Nominal Predicate
    4. 主谓谓语句 Sentences with a Subject-Predicate Phrase as the Predicate
    5. 无主句 Subjectless Sentences
    6. 独语句 One Word Sentences
    7. 简略句 Elliptical Sentences
  6. 句子用途 Sentence Use
    1. 陈述句 Declarative Sentences
    2. 疑问句 Interrogative Sentences
    3. 祈使句 Imperative Sentences
    4. 感叹句 Exclamatory Sentences
  7. 动作的状态 Aspects of an Action
    1. 动作的进行 The Progressive Aspect of an Action
    2. 动作的持续 The Continuous Aspect of an Action
    3. 动作的完成 The Perfect Aspect of an Action
    4. 将来的动作 Future Actions
    5. 过去的动作 Past Actions
  8. 用特殊动词谓语的句子 Sentences using Special Verbal Predicates
    1. “是”字句 是 Sentences
    2. “有”字句 有 Sentences
    3. “被”字句 被 Sentences
    4. “把”字句 把 Sentences
    5. 存现句 Existential Sentences
    6. 兼语句 Pivotal Sentences
    7. 连动句 Sentences with Verb Constructions in Series
  9. 复句 Complex Sentences
    1. 并列复句 Coordinate Complex Sentences
    2. 偏正复句 Subordinate Complex Sentences
  10. 表示比较 Expressing Comparison
    1. 用“比”表示比较 Using 比 to Express Comparison
    2. 用“跟”表示比较 Using 跟 to Express Comparison
    3. 用“象”表示比较 Using 象 to Express Comparison
  11. 词汇 Vocabulary
  12. 参考文献 References

20 May 2012

新实用汉语课本 New Practical Chinese Reader 3

I have just started a new text book 新实用汉语课本 New Practical Chinese Reader 3. This is a sort of milestone in my learning. I think this is the last in the series that my University uses. Having started learning the first lesson there doesn't seem to be the sudden rise in difficulty that I found between the first and second text. Perhaps I have just become used to the methodology in the texts.

新实用汉语课本 New Practical Chinese Reader 3

New Practical Chinese Reader: Textbook Vol.3

I really have only one crtiticism of these series of text books. I think that sometimes the books are not very practical. Vocabulary and conversations in the set text about Beijing opera, Shaoxing opera and classical novels I personally do not find very practical. I suppose that last sentence makes me sound like a Philistine, however I do not think I will have many opportunities to use 红楼梦 Dream of the Red Chamber (first completed edition 1791) by Cao Xueqin, one of the four great novels. Despite this the text is mostly practical and challenging enough to make learning Chinese interesting.

School pupils could be taught a second language from primary one in Scotland

Meanwhile in Scotland

The Scottish Government will now explore opportunities for all young people to start learning a second language from primary one.

Flag of Scotland

BBC News - Call to teach second language in Scots schools

Four-year-olds to start learning two foreign languages


School pupils could be taught a second language from primary


06 May 2012

Chinese Songs for Learning Mandarin

Chinese Songs for Learning Mandarin

For learning Chinese vocabulary singing songs is an excellent method. It is not really my prefered method for learning language. However, some of my fellow students really enjoy doing this. These sites will have a variety of popular and traditional songs.




Sing Chinese Songs - Listen to Chinese music and learn Chinese with famous Chinese songs

Chinese Songs - Chinese Tools.com

28 April 2012

Feed your brain with Chinese Vocabulary


I have written about some of the features of MDBG in a previous post. MDBG also has a Web 2.0 feature of delivering Chinese vocabulary to you. This feed feature can be found here. MDBG Vocabulary Web Feeds. You can subscribe for all six levels or just one or two levels of HSK vocabulary feeds. I find this useful to learn and revise vocabulary. Try it and let me know via comments what you think.
MDBG Feeds
MDBG Feeds

21 December 2011

澳大利亚 àodàlìyà


Inspired by Dear Dim Sum's post about “Old Gold Mountain” I started thinking about hanzi for countries and cites. So I had a look at the hanzi for Australia.


澳
大
利
亚 

àodàlìyà


Pulling it apart

澳 ào means deep bay / cove / harbor. For a mnemonic I am thinking Botany Bay in Sydney, one of many deep harbours in Australia.
大 means dà big, great, vast, large, high. Second mnemonic the vast Simpson Desert.
利 lì means gains, advantage, profit, merit. Third mnemonic is that coal (and other raw materials) Australia sells to China for profit.
亚 yà means Asia; second. Final mnemonic is that geographically Australia is part of Asia. 
澳大利亚 àodàlìyà






17 December 2011

人山人海


I just learned this idiomatic expression. It is one that I can and will remember instantly.

Breaking it down;

rén means people

人山 rén shān means mountain of people

人海 rén hǎi means sea of people

人山人海 rén shān rén hǎi means crowds.

Instant mnemonic. 

 

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