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As a fundamental piece of Chinese human progress, conventional garments assumes an essential part in the nation's history and culture. Their essential highlights are cross-neckline, folding the correct lapel around the left, tying with a scarf and a type of shirt in addition to skirt or long outfit. These highlights have been safeguarded for a great many years till the season of the Republic of China (1912 – 1949AD) when Chinese Tunic Suit (Mao Suit) and cheongsam won. These days, be that as it may, most Chinese wear present day garments in their day by day lives, very little contrast from their western partners. Conventional clothing types are just worn amid specific celebrations, functions or religious events. Be that as it may, they are frequently found in Chinese TV serials and motion pictures. A significant number of the nation's ethnic minorities additionally wear their conventional outfits in their everyday lives and they assumed a critical part in the customary Chinese attire.

History

In view of chronicled revelations, Chinese garments go back to the later period of the Paleolithic Times (1.7 million years prior - the 21st century BC). Materials utilized were of creature skins and improvements were of little stones and creature teeth. The "genuine" garments were not created until around 5,000 years prior by the Yellow Emperor. By the Shang Dynasty (seventeenth century BC - 1046 BC), the fundamental highlights of customary Chinese Dress were made, and additionally the general example of the shirt in addition to the skirt. Afterward, the long outfit showed up amid the Zhou Dynasty (1046 - 256 BC) and it coincided with the pullover skirt blends for a great many years, enhancing further as time passed. At that point, an extraordinary change happened with the development of the Republic of China when Mao Suit wound up prevalent among the guys and cheongsam among the females. In the early time of the People's Republic of China, Mao Suit remained famous among guys, as well as females. Later in the 1970's, the point at which the nation executed change and opening approach, the majority bit by bit swung to western-style clothing.

Highlights

Notwithstanding the essential highlights and examples, customary Chinese Dress types have numerous different highlights like appearance, cutting, improvement, shading and outline, and so on, all of which changed over the different administrations. For instance, dark is the most stately shading in the Xia Dynasty (21st - seventeenth century BC), white in the Shang Dynasty and red in the Zhou Dynasty. They likewise differ in view of one's political position, economic wellbeing, occupation and sexual orientation, and so forth. For example, winged serpent weavings and brilliant yellow must be utilized by sovereigns more often than not; in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), purple authority outfits are for the fifth or higher rank authorities; in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD), the higher a man's social status or the more extravagant one was, the more weavings and fringes there were on his clothing types.

Surely understood Fashion

Cheongsam Although the form incline changes after some time, there are a few sorts that are mainstream till today both at home and abroad.

Conventional Han Chinese Dress (Han Fu): It alludes to the clothing worn by the Han individuals from the enthronement of the Yellow Emperor (around 2698 BC) till the late Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD). It wound up known as the Han ("fu" signifies "garments" in Chinese) in light of the fact that the mold was enhanced and promoted amid the Han Dynasty. It is generally as long outfit, cross neckline, folding the correct lapel around the left, free wide sleeves and no catches yet a scarf. Albeit basic in outline, it gives distinctive sentiments to various wearers.

Chinese Suit (Tang Zhuang): It is a blend of the Manchu male coat of the Qing Dynasty and the western style suit. It is normally straight nabbed, with looped catches down the front. Its shading and configuration are in customary Chinese style however fitting is western.

Cheongsam (Qi Pao): Originated from the Manchu female garments, it developed by converging with western examples that hotshot the excellence of a female body. Its highlights are straight neckline, the strain on the midsection, wound catches and openings on the two sides of the dress. Materials utilized are normally silk, cotton, and cloth. Cheongsam is the most well known Chinese Dress on the planet today.

Chinese Tunic Suit (Zhongshan Zhuang): Also called the Yat-sen Suit, it is composed by Dr. Sun Yat-sen by joining the Western-style suit and Chinese Dress. It has a turn-down neckline and four pockets with folds. As Chairman Mao Zedong worn it much of the time, it is likewise called the Mao Suit by westerners. It is the primary clothing from the establishing of the People's Republic of China in 1949 until the 1980's. The nation's pioneers still wear it today when going to critical events, for example, military motorcades.

Different Types

Conventional Manchu Clothing: It is the customary dress of the Manchu ethnic nationality, for the most part as long outfit and in some cases with a coat or petticoat outside. Since Manchu is the main class of the Qing Dynasty and their dresses were emphatically advanced, this sort of garments was exceptionally prominent in that period. The attributes are round or straight neckline, secure with catches from the correct neckline and a scarf on the midsection, two or four openings, and tight sleeves with sleeves formed like steed feet.

Customary Clothing of the Other Ethnic Minorities: notwithstanding Manchu, the nation has 54 ethnic minorities and every one of them has their own particular one of kind ensembles. Dissimilar to the customary Han Chinese outfits, these ensembles are still generally worn today. Essentially, they can be isolated into two kinds: in length outfit and short coat with jeans or a skirt. They more often than not wear long outfits with caps and boots; others favor short coat and for the most part, wrap their head with material and wear shoes. Individuals wearing a similar kind of garments can be additionally recognized by the outfit points of interest like the structure, specialty and style, and so on. Take the long outfit for example. The Mongolian and Tu nationalities incline toward high caught outfit with catches down the front; the Tibet and Monba bunches wear the collarless outfit with catches on one side and the Uygur love those with catches on the right.

Winged serpent Robe: It is so named in view of the weaved mythical beasts on it. It must be worn by the sovereign, who was viewed as a mythical serpent from paradise in the antiquated circumstances. Different attributes of a mythical serpent robe are round neckline, catches on the privilege and more often than not in brilliant yellow.

Authorities' Uniform: Unlike present-day China, a wide range of authorities in antiquated circumstances had regalia. They are entirely recognized by hues, weaved examples and caps, and so on. For example, in the Ming Dynasty, the weaved design on a first rank common officer's uniform was a crane, second rank a brilliant bird, third rank a peacock, fourth rank a wild goose, fifth rank a silver fowl, 6th rank an egret, seventh rank a "purple mandarin duck", eighth rank an Oriole and ninth rank a quail.

1/8 Chinese Food:

1       Tofu

2       Best green tea the Longjing tea

3       9 famous Chinese dishes translation and cooking

4       199 Chinese dishes of Standard Chinese Translation

5       Jiangxi Cuisine

6       Harbin Cuisine

7       Chengdu snacks

8       Luzhou snack

9       Foods and Health

10     Food carving

11     Puffer Fish Poisonous but Delicious Food

12     Huizhou cuisine Stinky Mandarin Fish

13     Shangdong Cuisine

14     Huaiyang Cuisine

15     Sichuan cuisine

16     Westlake Vinegar Fish Hangzhou Cuisine

17     Fujian Cuisine Buddha Jumps Over the Wall  

18     Cantonese Cuisine Morning Tea and DIM SUM

19     Chinese Liquor Baijiu

20     Hunan Cuisine Stinky Tofu and Chili Peppers

21     Jiangsu Cuisine Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish

22     Vinegar diet for health

23     Chinese Wheaten Food

 2/8  Chinese Language:

24     How to learn Chinese

25     Chinese Characters

26     Chinese Characters and the Chinese language

27     The origin of Chinese characters

28     The Evolution of Chinese Characters

29  The Formation of Chinese Characters

30     Modern Chinese Characters

31     Phrase order in the Mandarin

32     Plant Related Chinese Words

33     Animal Related Chinese Words

34     Figurative Use of Chinese Words

35     40 Chinese Idiom Stories

36     How do say family members in Chinese

37     Agency Number for Chinese Government Scholarship

38     Teach and Learn Chinese for Beginners  

 3/8 Chinese culture:

39     China 24 Solar Terms

40     Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches

41     5 colours and Chinese culture

42     14 numbers and Chinese culture

43     33 Chinese characters learn Chinese culture

44     Chinese Names

45     Confucius and Confucianism

46     Chinese cuisine and culture

47     Chinese Customs

48     Chinese Kungfu

49     Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Kung Fu

50     7 Chinese Myths and Legends

51     8 major Chinese dynasties

52     Introduce of China's geography

53     Education in China

54     Chinese Women

55     Traditional Chinese Clothing

56     Chinese Dress and culture

57     Ancient Chinese Architecture

58     Ethnic Minorities

59     Chinese Cuisine Chinese Tea and Wine Culture

60     Traditional Chinese Culture and Han Nationality

 4/8 Chinese Festival:

61     7 Traditional Chinese Festivals

62     The Spring Festival Folk

63     The Lantern Festival

64     7 facts about the Chinese New Year

 5/8 Chinese Art:

65     Calligraphic Art and Seal Art of Chinese Character

66     Art of Chinese tea

67     Traditional Handicrafts and Folk Arts

68     Animal related Folk Arts

69     Beijing Opera

 6/8  Traditional Chinese Medicine:

70     Hua Tuo Ancestor of Surgery

71     Traditional Chinese Medicine  

72     Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion  

73     Li Shizhen Sage of Medicine and Herbal

74     Sun Simiao King of Chinese Medicine

75     Zhang Zhongjing Sage of TCM

76     Ge Hong Ancestor of First Aid

77     Bian Que Ancestor of TCM

 7/8  Religion in China

78     Chinese Religion

79     Buddhism in China

80     Taoism in China

 8/8  Travel in China:

81     China Palace

82     Five Mountains

83     Forbidden City

84     Pavilion of Prince Teng

85     Yueyang Tower

86     Yellow Crane Tower

With the fast improvement of the worldwide economy, sustenance culture is fundamental for the human. The need for fragile sustenance is requesting. Chinese eating regimen is significant. Chinese nourishment fronts a few issues, one of which is English interpretation. In this paper, the creator means to discover the guidelines of Chinese dishes translation which impact the interpretation of Chinese courses and finish up the interpretation techniques. In modernized China, interpreters ought to enhance the nature of Chinese nourishment deciphering in light of Chinese and western sustenance distinction.

1. Presentation

With numerous incredible Chinese accomplishments, many outsiders start to focus on Chinese culture, completely including nourishment dish. Nourishment dish is the aggregate of material riches and otherworldly riches made by the Chinese individuals in the long haul dietary practice exercises yet in addition a critical window for remote visitors understanding China. The interpreter must take after the standards of "precisely comprehend and pass on food includes, the spread of Chinese culture with western culture (Carole 2007)" in light of the fact that there are diverse interpretation strategies in various events and setting. Chinese dish names are not only an image of dialect. One might say that most dishes are exemplified with rich social data. The dish can be made an interpretation of precisely into English with little learning of Chinese eating regimen. Dish name interpretation is only one of the numerous interpretation points and needs to mishandle incessantly by and by. The interpretation of the Chinese dish name is extremely sporadic, which may have misconception and boundary towards the world. The principles of interpretation and the strategies for tackling the interpretation issues will be examined.

2. Fundamental Chinese Food Culture

Since China is a tremendous nation, there are critical contrasts between the atmosphere, traditions and eating routine and after that frame an extraordinary flavor. The main, China has had tastes that the southern sweet, north salty, east acids and west hot—"Bashu, Qili, Huaiyang, Guangdong, Fujian and the four flavors." Chinese nourishment culture is significant. In any event there ought to be a huge number of years of history, the investigation of the arrangement and the attributes. The second, four seasons are diverse consistently. Eating season is another element of Chinese cooking. China has been regular changes since antiquated time, for example, in winter dish require stew, and in summer it can be chilly and dressed with sauce. The third, in cooking the magnificence is focused on, including sustenance shading, notice, taste, shape. Magnificence gives a high level of solidarity of soul and matter, exceptional happiness. The forward, cooking concentrated on taste before. Taste isn't just the shade of the sustenance and smell. It incorporates a great deal of detail things. A considerable lot of the qualities of the Chinese sustenance culture reflect in the above nourishment culture: an immediate effect on the advancement of China's sustenance culture. On account of the nearness of populace weight, and in addition an assortment of different reasons,

Chinese eating regimen from the pre-Qin, meat and not so much grain but rather more grain-based, supplemented by vegetables is a run of the mill supper structure. Rice is the staple nourishment and the vegetable is all together with rice, which is to help the rice to swallow. For what reason does rice help swallow? That is on account of the staple sustenance isn't heavenly; there must be a substance to help it to enable individuals to eat. Obviously, the capacity of the dish is in like manner.

3. Standards of Chinese dishes translation

Newmark clarifies interpretation in such a path: frequently, though not by implies dependably, it is rendering the importance of a content into another dialect in the way that the creator proposed the content. In contrasting Newmark's idea and Nida's, need of Functional Equivalence lies in picking up the ubiquity among individuals, which is like Nida's viewpoint in the receptor dialect what might as well be called the source dialect message. Like Nida's hypothesis concentrating on comprehensibility to perusers, gathering hypothesis is a branch of current scholarly investigations with the way which artistic works are gotten by perusers. This hypothesis has here and there been utilized to allude to peruse reaction. As per renowned researcher's hypotheses, our progenitors finished up the bunches of standards of interpretation of Chinese sustenance. In China, there are primary three standards in the interpretation of Chinese sustenance. What's more, these principles are the crucial in interpretation. They are strict interpretation, which means interpretation and transliteration.

3.1. Strict Translation

The strict interpretation technique is most normally utilized, particularly for the reasonable kind of dish. Furthermore, the technique is the best one. Chinese dishes are frequently for the most part predictable of four sections: the crude material, flavors, cooking strategies and shape. This technique takes after the standards of word development. So the outsiders would have no trouble incomprehension. For example, cooked duck with sweet glue, the crude material is duck, the dressing is sweet glue, and the cooking strategy is broiling. Exacting interpretation is the most advantageous one. An exact comprehension of the wellspring of dialect interpretation is the first factor.

Accordingly, taking in the Chinese dish, the strategy and naming ability ought to be known. Numerous dish names mirror the food of crude materials, the shape, and the first cooking. A few dishes contain the expressions of Chinese social ramifications names; it has a place with the "impressionistic compose". Interpretations ought to be loyal and exact, succinct terms, demonstrating a dish of crude materials, cooking strategies, toppings, and so forth., letting the outside visitors out of the blue to comprehend the English interpretation, and Chinese. In this way, the interpretation must be dependable to the first content, which is vital to deciphering the name of the dish, no matter what. To put it plainly, interpretation of dish name is associated with crude materials, way, put names, et cetera, owing to various Chinese and Western ideas of eating routine.

All in all, when the exacting deciphering strategy is utilized, and afterward its material, cooking technique and neighborhood qualities ought to be broken down.

3.2. Meaning Translation

Meaning ramifications are utilized to express the significance of unique content. It stresses less on the type of words and its exacting significance. At the point when some culture-loaded words are not accessible in interpretation, it can be explained under the guideline of free interpretation. At the point when the strict interpretation approach isn't appropriate, the interpreter can endeavor to fall back on the liberal interpretation approach. Liberal interpretation is frequently used to handle sentimental dish names and a portion of the dark and equivocal names. Because of the distinctions in histories, geographic areas, neighborhood traditions, religious conviction et cetera, there are some interpretation snags in correspondence which impede individuals from seeing each other legitimately.

Likewise, it is imperative to conquer the impediment of social contrasts in culturally diverse correspondence. In this sense, interpretation implies are more than only deciphering the Chinese dish. It implies additionally to exchange between societies. The interpretation of one dialect into another is much more mind-boggling than a great many people accept. A great many people accept that content in one dialect can be precisely converted into another dialect, inasmuch as the interpreter utilizes a decent bilingual word reference. Lamentably, a dialect isn't so straightforward and coordinate interpretation as a rule which is troublesome, for example, Fried rice Yangzhou style, crisp mushroom and cut porket cetera.

3.3. Transliteration

Transliteration has a place with exceptional principles of interpretation. China grew quick nearly in each perspective. Also, Chinese streamed into the west, particularly in dishes. Some are even consolidated in the English word reference. Transliteration advances the nourishment culture with Chinese attributes. For example, Mantou, Jiaozi, Tofu et cetera, they are altogether acknowledged by outsiders. Since some extraordinary nourishment does not have words in the English lexicon and its name in Chinese is anything but difficult to recall.

So when outsiders hear it, they can recall, in the long run, it shows up in the English word reference. With the profound correspondence of world, numerous transliteration Chinese dishes transmit to the west. Particularly, the reflection words in English of some Chinese customary sustenance can't be discovered, for example, wonton, shaomai, and Chaofan. Obviously, in other Asian nations, a few dishes are communicated with its unique name, for example, sushi "すし, 寿司", purpose "さけ, 日本清酒". At the point when converted into English, the names of Chinese dishes might be ordered into three gatherings in light of the uniqueness of their arrangement. Diverse name gatherings of Chinese dishes ought to embrace distinctive interpretation strategies, for example, strict interpretation, which means Translation and transliteration, as per the mental desire of English perusers and the attributes of cross-culture correspondence.

4. Strategies for Translation about Chinese Food

From the three essential tenets of interpretation, it inferred a few techniques for interpretation of Chinese nourishment name. The techniques are likewise identified with the contrasts between the Chinese and western nourishment.

4.1. As indicated by Cooking Method

This has a place with strict interpretation as a rule circumstance. Furthermore, it can be partitioned into a few sorts. Here three kinds are presented. One is the cooking technique; another is the implication and the third is a nearby character (Xiong, 2002).

4.1.1. Cooking Techniques

There are very nearly ten sorts of cooking strategy in Chinese nourishment. There are Stir-sear (炒), sauté (煎), brisk sear (爆), profound sear (炸), braise (烧), bubble (煮), steam (蒸), stew/stew (煲炖), smoke (熏), and cook (铁烧). Whenever interpreted, it ought to be assembled to the cooking technique. A few cases are appeared as takes after "芥末鸭掌" duck networks with mustard sauce, "葱油鸡" chicken in Scallion oil, "米酒鱼卷" angle moves with rice wine. "红烧牛肉" braised meat with darker sauce, "鱼香肉丝" fricasseed destroyed pork with Sweet and harsh sauce, "清炖猪蹄" stewed pig foot in clean soup. The western nourishment did not share these cooling systems. These are largely remarkable in Chinese nourishment. This can be finished up as the crude material with cooking procedures of interpretation strategy (Xu, 2005).

4.1.2. The Dressing and Shape of Raw Material

The aptitude of cutting vegetables and meat is likewise imperative. It is identified with the cooking technique. The materials could be sliced into various kinds with various cutting aptitudes. Like cut, piece, solid shape and knot. Interpreting dishes are likewise identified with those. For example, 例: "茄汁鱼片" cut fish with tomato sauce, "椒麻鸡块" cutlets chicken with hot pepper, "黄酒脆皮虾仁" fresh shrimps with rice wine sauce. What's more, this can be finished up as the crude material with dressing and state of interpretation strategy.

A few dishes are identified with the cooking apparatuses, for instance, "干锅牛肉" dry pot meat. This can be finished up as cooking devices with crude material interpretation strategy. Another method for dish names interpreted with exacting strategy is these names with dressing. Cases are as per the following: "酒烤香肠" hotdog simmered in wine, "红烧肉" pork braised in dark colored sauce, "蚝油生菜" lettuce in shellfish sauce. Finally, dish names including the taste and flavor can be interpreted with strict strategy as well. Adding the support or taste to the crude material can be effortlessly named. For cases, "红烧肉" pork braised in dark colored sauce, "辣子鸡" chicken shapes blend broiled with. This has a place with exacting interpretation administer, as well.

4.2. As per Allusion

Chinese dishes as per the dish name can't be essentially interpreted. For example, "Mapo tofu" is converted into scarred lady's bean curd and "eight immortals crossing the ocean. This non-standard interpretation will make remote visitors disoriented, astounded and misjudging, and after that their hunger would thoroughly vanish. So the significance interpretation strategy is picked. Numerous Chinese names of dish frequently contain a considerable measure of recorded, social data. The rich, inconspicuous one worrying about expression and affiliation capacity ought to be focused on. A little measure of dishes names after crude materials. For example, "actors" - "佛跳墙", which accords to an old story: the kind of this dish pulled in priests in the sanctuary and he bounced out of the divider to eat it. Sweetened red bean cream with lotus seeds and dried lily.

The unswerving interpretation of the Chinese title says an upbeat marriage that keeps going 100 years - "百年好合". Hobo's chicken "叫花鸡" can be clarified as a story. There's an unbelievable story associated with it. Long back a poor person stole a chicken and was sought after by the proprietor. He secured the chicken done with mud which he discovered adjacent and tossed it into the fire to cook it. After an extended period of time, he expelled the mud-covered chicken from the fire. When he broke the dirt he found, to his amazement, that the chicken had been heated into a delectable dish with great flavor. That night he had an extremely pleasant dinner. Also, this is the root of the dish name. When we confront a few dishes which can't direct deciphered, we ought to conceptualize it. What's more, that is identified with significance interpretation rules. The technique for interpretation needs rich information of Chinese culture, so we ought to gather little by close to nothing. It is never past the point where it is possible to learn. One climbing the step must start the base.

4.3. As per Local Characteristic

Chinese cooking styles are the assortment, like Sichuan food, Shandong food and Guangdong cooking and so on. So a lot of dishes develop vigorously neighborhood attributes. For example, Hunan hamburger "湖南牛肉", while deciphering these dishes, we pick the transliteration rules. Here the interpretation technique as per neighborhood attributes is presented. A few dishes are someplace around, and especially exceptional well known English interpretation of the first names. Regardless of whether it has no name, the name is additionally included.

For example, "叉烧", a Cantonese dish of pork, is a meal meat marinated in flavors, one of a kind to Guangdong. In the event that it is converted into the general grill, interpretation isn't the formula. In this manner, pork can be interpreted as Roast frosted filet of pork, Guangdong Style. It surveys delta seared wild geese, deciphered as Chaozhou broil goose or dish goose "潮州烧鹅".

The interpretation of dish name should focus on safeguard neighborhood culture, reflect nearby qualities and flavor cooking abilities. There are three strategies for interpretation. The first is the strict interpretation strategy names of crude materials. For example, Guangdong wiener "广东香肠". The second is the name mirroring the neighborhood season. For example, Beef Cooked with Soy Sauce meat in darker sauce, Beijing Style "京酱牛肉". The third is the name of crude materials for the nearby claim to fame, their interpretations for cooking strategy + name + materials. For example, Steamed

Nanjing Duck "南京板鸭". Nonetheless, there are a few components keeping the interpretation of dish names (Pair, 2005). For example, the elements of dishes are extremely broad; the craft of food is exceptionally entangled and focuses on Chinese individuals' quest for a class in naming the cooking. Those may lead the interpretation to confuse. So as a rule, it isn't suitable to just utilize one of making an interpretation of techniques to decipher dish names, so the better strategy is to consolidate different strategies. For instance, if dish names are identified with legends with allegorical implications or with propitious ramifications, it is appropriate to utilize meaning interpretation in addition to transliteration.

5. Conclusion

From the distinctions on western and Chinese nourishment: the crude material, cooking technique, decent behavior and idea on sustenance, more about the elements which result in the misconception of dish interpretation can be scholarly. At that point from the standards of interpretation of Chinese nourishment, the strategies for interpretation are finished up.

There are just about three sorts of interpretation decides that are exacting interpretation, which means interpretation and transliteration. Here the strategies for interpretation of Chinese nourishment, as per cooking technique, reference and nearby trademark, are simply a little piece of interpretation ones. These can be utilized as a part of a wide range of interpretation, particularly in nourishment dish interpretation. The techniques for interpretation can be finished up.

Regardless it has space to culminate the strategies. It is regular that the interpretation strategies and abilities would change, as well. We as a whole realize that interpretation can't live without the comprehension of culture, so does the sustenance dish interpretation. The interpretation of Chinese dishes is ventured into a normal and standard way. The strategies from the distinctions of sustenance can be finished up. The reason for existing is the more exact interpretation of dish names toward the west. Another point is the change. With time changing, the way of life is changing, so our interpretation strategies should be variable. So the interpretation street is long.

Leaning to speak Chinese isn’t rocket science. There are some things you can do to make it painless or nearly so. You should speak to Chinese people when you get a chance, and in their native tongue. Doing so can improve your Chinese fluency quickly.

1/3 Learning to Speak Mandarin Chinese

1) Learn some basic vocabulary

The first thing to do when learning a new language is to memorize some simple yet important words and start practicing with them as soon as possible. Although things like grammar and sentence structure are important, they mean nothing until you develop a basic vocabulary. Here’s a short list to get you started:

Hello = nǐhǎo, pronounced [nee hauw] With 2 third tones. Not “ho” or “how” somewhere in the middle. Listen to a native speaker as a reference.

Yes = shì, pronounced [sher]“ But not as in "sure”. ALWAYS listen to a native speaker, as described with English pronunciations in the learners minds will be difficult.

No = bú shì, pronounced [boo sher] look above.

Goodbye = zài jiàn, pronounced [zai jee-ian]

Morning = zǎoshàng, pronounced “[zauw-shaung-hauw]”

Afternoon = xià wǔ, pronounced There is almost no clear way to describe the “x” in pinyin with English pronunciations. Look it up and listen to a native speaker say it. Contrary to popular misinformation, the “x” DOESN’T AT ALL sound like “sh”!

Evening = wǎn shàng, pronounced [wang shaung]

Head = tóu, pronounced [toe] with a 2nd tone, that goes up.

Feet = jiǎo, pronounced [jee-yau]

Hands = shǒu, pronounced [show] With a 3rd tone, this goes from neutral to lower to neutral.

Beef = niú ròu, pronounced [nee-o row] but not with the soft “r”, more defined “r”.

Chicken = jī, pronounced [jee]

Egg = jī dàn, pronounced [jee dan] “dan” has a 4th tone, that goes down. Slightly forceful sounding. (not too forceful sounding!) Literally “chicken egg”. When speaking of eggs in general, use this. Specify the egg type by using the animal’s name and then dàn.

Noodles =miantiao pronounced [miàn tiáo]

Always look up pronunciations of every word spoken by a native speaker. Most Mandarin pinyin just simply cannot be described perfectly with English sounds!

2) Learn some basic phrases.

Once you’ve built up a little vocabulary, you can start working on some basic phrases and expressions that will help you to navigate everyday conversations. Here’s a few to get you started:

How are you? = nǐ hǎo ma? pronounced [nee hau mah] (see above for pronunciations)

I’m fine = wǒ hěn hǎo, pronounced [wuh hen hau]

Thank you = xiè xiè, pronounced There is almost no clear way to describe the “x” in pinyin with English pronunciations. Look it up and listen to a native speaker say it. Contrary to popular misinformation, the “x” DOESN’T AT ALL sound like “sh”! The “ie” part sounds close to “yieh”

You’re welcome = bú yòng xiè, pronounced [boo yong xi-yeh]

Sorry = duì bu qǐ, pronounced [dway boo qi] Like with the Mandarin “x” a proper pronunciation described with English letters is almost impossible. As always, I can’t stress enough the importance of looking up native speakers pronouncing the pinyin.

I don’t understand = wǒ bù dǒng, pronounced [wuh boo dong]

What is your surname (family name)? = nín guì xìng, pronounced [neen gway xing](I’m sure you know by now why I just put “x” instead of the phonetics.)

What’s your name? = nǐ jiào shén me míng zì, pronounced [nee-jee-yow shen-ma ming zi]“

My name is _____ = wǒ jiào _____, pronounced [wuh jee-yau]

3) Learn the tones.

Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the same word can mean different things depending on the tone used to express them (even if the spelling and pronunciation are the same). This can be difficult for English speakers to grasp, but learning the tones is essential if you want to speak Chinese properly. There are four major tones in Mandarin Chinese, as well as a neutral tone:

The first tone is a high, flat tone. It is expressed in a relatively high voice, with no rising or dipping. Using the word "ma” as an example, the first tone is expressed in writing as “mā”.

The second tone is a rising tone. It starts at a lower level and gets progressively higher, like when you say “huh?” in English. The second tone is expressed in writing as “má”.

The third tone is a dipping tone. It starts at a medium level, then dips lower before rising again, like when you say the letter “B” or the word “horse” in English. The third tone is expressed in writing as “mǎ”.

The fourth tone is a falling tone. It starts at a medium level and gets progressively lower, like when you are giving a command (such as telling someone to “stop”) in English. The fourth tone is expressed in writing as “mà”.

The fifth tone is a neutral tone. It does not rise or fall, like the first tone, but this tone is expressed in a flat voice. The fifth tone is expressed in writing as “ma”.

4) Work on your pronunciation.

Once you have learned the correct pronunciation of the tones by listening to native speakers (YouTube is good for this) and practicing them yourself, you need to work on applying them to words.

This is essential, as the same word can have a completely different meaning depending on which tone is used. For example, using the tone “mā” instead of “má” could be the difference between saying “I want cake” and “I want a coke” – two completely different meanings.

Therefore, when you’re learning vocabulary, it is not enough to learn the pronunciation, you must also learn the correct tone. Otherwise, you could use the word in the wrong context and be completely misunderstood.

The best way to work on your pronunciation is to speak with a native Chinese speaker who can encourage you when you get it right and correct you when you’re wrong.

5) Work on grammar and sentence structure.

It’s a common misconception that Chinese is a “grammar-less” language. Chinese has quite a complex grammar system; it’s just very different to that of English and other European languages.

Luckily, when learning Chinese you will not have to learn any complicated rules involving verb conjugations, agreement, gender, plural nouns or tense. Chinese is a very analytic language, which makes it quite simple and straightforward in some respects.

Another bonus is that Chinese uses a similar sentence structure to English – subject-verb-object – which makes translating back and forth between the two languages somewhat easier. For instance, the sentence “he likes cats” in English is translated as “tā (he) xǐ huan (likes) māo (cats)” in Chinese even when the pronouns change!

On the other hand, Chinese has its own grammar structures which are very different to those used in English and can, therefore, be very difficult for the English speaker to grasp. These grammatical features include things like classifiers, topic-prominence, and preference for aspect. However, there’s no point in worrying about these things until you’ve mastered basic Chinese

 2/3 Learning to Read and Write in Chinese

1) Learn pinyin

Pinyin is a Chinese writing system which uses letters from the Roman alphabet instead of Chinese characters.

It is useful for Chinese language learners as it allows you to get started with reading and writing Chinese without the time involved in learning traditional characters. There are many Chinese textbooks and learning materials available in Pinyin.

However, it is important to be aware that even though Pinyin uses letters from the Roman alphabet, its pronunciation is not always intuitive to the English speaker. Therefore, it is important to use a proper pronunciation guide when learning Pinyin.

2) Learn to read some Chinese characters.

Although the ability to read traditional Chinese characters is not necessary for learning Chinese, the idea appeals to many people and makes them feel more in touch with traditional Chinese culture.

Learning to recognize and read Chinese characters is no easy task. In order to read a newspaper, the average Chinese reader will need to be familiar with about 2000 different characters – and that’s just the beginning. It is believed that there are over 50,000 Chinese characters in total (though many of them are no longer in use).

The major benefit of learning to read Chinese characters is that you will have access to a broad array of other literature, including Cantonese, Japanese and Korean – all of which use Chinese characters (or a simplified version of them) in their writings, despite the fact that the spoken languages are very different.

3) Learn to write some Chinese characters.

Once you have learned to read Chinese characters, you may be interested in learning how to form them yourself. Writing Chinese characters is a complex skill, which requires patience and a touch of artistry.

The first step in learning how to write Chinese characters is to learn the “radicals” – these are the individual brush strokes that form the building blocks of each character. There are 214 radicals in total – some can stand on their own as individual characters, while others are only used as part of a more complex character.

When writing Chinese characters, the order of the brush strokes is very important and you must follow a specific set of rules – such as top to bottom, left to right and horizontal before vertical. If the stroke order is incorrect, the completed character will not be accurate.

4) Read Chinese texts.

If you want to improve your Chinese reading skills, you’ll need to practice a little reading for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day.

To begin with, you could try using some children’s readers or workbooks (which are nearly always written in Pinyin) to practice your basic reading skills. You should also be able to find some good resources for reading Chinese online.

You can also try to incorporate your Chinese learning into your everyday life. You can do this by reading the Chinese labels on food products at the Asian supermarket, or asking your server for the Chinese language menu at a restaurant.

Once your reading becomes more advanced, you could try to get your hands on a Chinese newspaper (which are printed using traditional Chinese characters) and do your best to read the articles. This is also a good way of familiarizing yourself with Chinese culture and current affairs.

5) Write a little Chinese every day.

In order to practice your Chinese writing skills, you should try to write a little every day, whether in Pinyin or in Chinese characters.

One option is to keep a small personal diary in Chinese, where you write down simple things like a description of the weather, how you are feeling that day, or what you did. If you’re not to say about it, you could ask a Chinese-speaking friend or acquaintance to look it over and check for any mistakes.

Alternatively, you could try to find a Chinese pen-pal to write letters to. This could be mutually beneficial, as you could get some practice writing in Chinese, while your pen-pal could practice their English. You could also ask your pen-pal to include the corrected version of your original letter when replying.

The last way of practicing your writing is to make simple lists in Chinese, like your shopping list, or to make Chinese labels for items around the house.

 3/3 Immersing Yourself in the Chinese Language    

1) Practice with a native Chinese speaker.

The absolute best way to learn  Chinese is just to speak it with a native speaker – this will force you to think on your feet, help with your accent and expose you to more informal or colloquial forms of speech that you won’t find in a textbook.

If you have a Chinese-speaking friend, ask them if they’d be willing to sit down with you for an hour or two each week. They’d probably be happy to help – as long as the coffee’s on you!

If you don’t know any Chinese speakers personally, you could try placing an ad in your local paper or online forum. Alternatively, you could look into finding a Chinese conversation group or oral Chinese class in your local area.

If all else fails, you could try to connect with a Chinese speaker on Skype, one who’d be willing to learn Chinese online in 30 minutes.

2) Listen to  Chinese tapes/CDs.

Listening to Chinese podcasts or CDs is a great way to immerse yourself in the language – even when you’re on the go!

It doesn’t matter if you can’t follow everything that’s being said – just try to be an active listener and attempt to pick out keywords and phrases. Slowly but surely your overall comprehension will improve.

This is a great option for people who have long commutes as they can simply stick a Chinese CD on in the car or listen to a Chinese podcast on the train. You could also try listening while exercising or doing housework.

3) Watch  Chinese films and cartoons.

Watching Chinese films and cartoons is a more fun, relaxed way of immersing yourself in the language,  however, it will still help to expose you to the sounds and structure of  Chinese.

Try watching short cartoons or clips on YouTube, or rent a full-length Chinese film from your local movie store. You may need to use subtitles at first, but try not to rely on them too much – see how much of the dialogue you can understand on your own.

If you’re feeling particularly proactive, you could pause the film after particular words or phrases and try to repeat them – this will help your accent to sound more authentic.

4) Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

The biggest obstacle that will stand in your way of learning Chinese is your fear of making mistakes.

You need to try to overcome this fear – and even embrace it  – if you are to reach your goal of fluency.

Remember that everyone makes mistakes when they are learning a  new language, and you are bound to have your fair share of embarrassing mistakes and awkward moments, but this is all part of the process.

Remember that you are not aiming for perfection when you are learning Chinese, you are aiming for progress. So go ahead and make as many mistakes as you like – as long as you learn from them and continue to improve.

5) Consider taking a trip to China.

Can you think of a better way to immerse yourself in the  Chinese language than a trip to its native land?

China is an amazingly diverse country – from the busy, bustling streets of Beijing to the ancient majesty of the Great Wall. There is something for every traveler – whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in traditional ethnic cultures, to sample the many delicious Chinese delicacies or to travel to the sites of ancient ruins and epic battles.