How To-10: How to Learn Mandarin Chinese

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So, you love China? Chances are, you also like the Chinese language, and wish you could speak it. This can be a difficult task, unless you know how.

Steps

1. Start small. Don't push yourself to do too much. Purchase some books from a bookstore (look in the Guides and/or Languages sections) to teach yourself the basics. If you can, contact a friend who lives in China, and they can get really good books from there.
   
2. Test yourself and have others test you. But remember, this isn't an exam; it's helping you become fluent in Chinese.
   
3. Find opportunities to practice what you learn. Maybe there's a Chinese restaurant down the road. If there are Chinese people there, order, and greet them in Chinese! If you can't find any, go to Chinatown. Maybe one of your neighbors speaks Chinese. Make sure they speak Mandarin, though, or it could mean a very embarrassing visit!
   
4. Don't be too harsh on yourself. Learning a language is a gradual process - you have to keep at it. Chinese in one of the hardest languages to learn, so take your time.
   
5. If all self-teaching attempts fail, try taking a class in Chinese. With the growth of Asian neighborhoods around the country, many classes taught by volunteers have popped up. They range in cost from $300 to $500 or more per year, plus other costs.
   
6. Know your best way to learn. Do you learn best by rewriting phrases? Rereading? Saying them out aloud? Hearing them said aloud? If you are not sure, practice differently with new unique ways to help you remember.
   
7. Rewrite every phase or word on the page. This will help - as you can always refer to it if you have trouble.
   
8. Learn the tones. There are four tones. One type of tone is usually over each Chinese word. Each tone type is drawn over the word 'ma' to show the different ways of pronouncing it.
   
• The first tone is a high, flat tone. Your voice stays flat, with no rise or dip in the way it sounds. e.g.
  
• The second tone is a rising tone. Your voice rises when you say this, sort of as if you were asking someone to repeat something by saying "huh?" or "what?"
  
• The third tone is a dipping tone. The way you say the word goes down then up. Such as when you say the letter "B".
  
• The fourth tone is a lowering tone. Just say the whole word as if your voice is becoming more manly, or as if you're reading a book and have come across something new and interesting and are saying "huh". Easy enough? If not, don't fret. It's definitely recommended to hear the tones demonstrated from a native speaker, since it's hard to get an idea of what they sound like purely through text.
  
9. Say hello. The Chinese say 'Hello' as "Ni Hao". This is pronounced: Nee How. To pronounce this word correctly, you should use tone 3 (dip and rise) for Ni and for Hao as well. Ni-(nee) means you, literally, in Chinese, and Hao (how) means good. So they are basically saying "You are good", but in Mandarin it is interpreted as "Hello!" (There is a technicality in that when one has two third-tone sounds such as "Ni hao", the first is changed to a second tone (rising). Thus, Ni hao, has a rising, falling/rising tones. This is one of several tone sandhi's or rules for alteration of tones in Mandarin.)

Tips

• Tones/pronunciation is very important in Chinese. When first starting and learning new vocabulary, take some extra time to practice the tones. For example: what, to a native English speaker might seem to be "moo", "moo?" and "moo!" is actually three different, completely unrelated, words in Mandarin.
  
• Remember, little and often.
  
• Don't skip a day or a few weeks just because you don't have time. You'll forget everything and have to start from scratch.
  
• Another thing to remember, find opportunities to speak it.
  
• Get some friends that come from China or other Chinese speaking countries to teach you some Chinese. Make sure they know Chinese, as many schools in China now teach English.
  
• If you need to learn in a hurry, try some software or use flash cards to learn before bed.
  
• Get a 'How to learn Mandarin' Book to learn more.
  
• Try to get a hold of a CD that you can play in your car or while doing homework or while just relaxing. It really will help if you just practice.
  
• If you can, taking at least an introductory course on Mandarin at your school or local college can be an excellent way to be confident and accurate in your pronunciation and tones. Getting the basics down can help you have a good springboard for further studies on your own.
  
• While there is much disagreement about romanization of Chinese and the use of such systems, learning the Pinyin system can prove invaluable if you intend to type in Chinese on a Western keyboard.
  
• Flashcards are very useful for learning new vocabulary, but it is equally important to practice using new words in sentences.
  
• If you intend to learn how to read Chinese characters, seek out a good reference book or character workbook at your local bookstore or library.
  
• Persistance is key! If you think you know a lot, then just stop studying or repeating it, you will forget what you have learned. How frustrating will it be to have to relearn things over and over because you don't study at least 4 times a week.
  
• One good skill to learn is how to downplay compliments that native speakers give you.
  
• There are free podcasts available online.
  
• By and large, Chinese people are very proud of their culture, and enjoy helping people learn their language. Don't be afraid to ask for help or practice with a native speaker.

Warnings

• If you must use the internet, remember that it's not always accurate.
  
• Some people might be picky and correct you, but that's alright. That's what you want, so you can correct your mistakes.
  
• If you learn something offensive, please don't say it to someone who really is Chinese. It's just rude.
  
• Make sure that the resources you use are reputable- the last thing you want is to be saying bad things that you don't mean!
  
• When in doubt about how to use vocabulary, if you can, ask a native speaker.

Related wikiHows

• How to Count to Ten in Mandarin
  
• How to Haggle in China (Vocab)
  
• How to Improve Your Mandarin Chinese Pronunciation
  
• How to Speak 1 to 10 in Chinese

Sources and Citations

• Story & advice on learning Chinese
  
• Wikipedia article on Mandarin Chinese

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