#mandarin study

I have recently begun the long, laborious, difficult, and satisfying journey of language learning. I have a list of languages I wish to learn. The two at the top of the list are Chinese (Mandarin) and Hindi.

I started learning Mandarin Chinese toward the end of August (你好。你怎么样？), and while progress has ultimately been slow I am at least making it. I’ve found myself somewhat surprised very early on in that it isn’t meaning or writing the characters I’ve struggled the most with, but tones and making sure I use the right tone when speaking. Right now I’m primarily going through Duolingo lessons and copying their sentences and translations for use in SRS repetition. Sometime down the line I’ll be going through Grammar lessons and trying to find ways to interact with native speakers for feedback - maybe starting with a tutor before anything?

I have not yet started learning Hindi, but I plan to soon. I will start along a similar path as with my Mandarin: Duolingo, then focusing on learning Grammar and eventual practice with other speakers - native, ideally.

Aside from reblogs, right now I think most of my posts on here will be questions. Maybe I’ll have comments on aspects of the language (does Mandarin really not have a general word for “brother” or “sister?”) or other things along those lines.

So, I would like to end this short introduction with some questions. Right now I plan to use two websites to get feedback from native speakers: LangCorrect and italki. The first is a place to post journal-style updates in your target language, then native speakers will offer corrections and advice, with the idea being that you offer corrections and advice to people learning your native tongue. The second is for direct interaction, and while I’m mainly looking at italki for tutors, I’m just happy to get good advice and corrections from any fluent speaker.

凯 kǎi - triumphant, victorious / 10

旭 xù - dawn, rising sun / 10

昊 hào - vast and limitless, the vast sky / 10

然 rán - correct, right, so, thus, like this / 10

宁 níng - peaceful, to pacify / 9

伟 wěi - big, large, great / 8

成 chéng - to succeed, to finish, to complete, to accomplish, to become, to turn into / 8

梓 zǐ - Catalpa kaempferi (type of tree), printing blocks / 8

正 zhèng - straight, upright, proper, main, principal, to correct, to rectify, exactly / 8

艺 yì - skill, art / 8

辉 huī - splendor, to shine upon / 8

辰 chén - 5th earthly branch, 3rd solar month, year of the Dragon, ancient Chinese compass point / 8

雨 yǔ - rain / 8

霖 lín - continued rain / 8

健 jiàn - healthy, to invigorate, to strengthen, to be good at, to be strong in / 7

哲 zhé - wise, a sage / 7

思 sī - to think, to consider / 7

星 xīng - star, heavenly body / 7

柏 bó/bǎi - cedar, cypress / 7

翔 xiáng - to soar, to glide / 7

钧 jūn - great / 7

阳 yáng - sun / 7

飞 fēi - to fly / 7

鹏 péng - large fabulous bird / 7

凡 fán - ordinary, commonplace, mundane, temporal, of the material world, every, all, whatever, altogether, gist, outline, note of Chinese musical scale / 6

卓 zhuó - outstanding / 6

彦 yàn - accomplished, elegant / 6

彬 bīn - ornamental, refined / 6

志 zhì - aspiration, ambition, the will / 6

恩 ēn - favor, grace, kindness / 6

振 zhèn - to shake, to flap, to vibrate, to resonate, to rise up with spirit, to rouse oneself / 6

昱 yù - bright light / 6

楚 chǔ - distinct, clear, orderly / 6

毅 yì - firm and resolute, staunch / 6

波 bō - wave, ripple, storm, surge / 6

海 hǎi - ocean, sea / 6

源 yuán - root, source, origin / 6

羽 yǔ - feather, 5th note in pentatonic scale / 6

航 háng - boat, ship, craft, to navigate, to sail, to fly / 6

远 yuǎn - far, distant, remote, by far / 6

逸 yì - to escape, leisurely, outstanding / 6

亚 yà - second, next to, Asia / 5

亮 liàng - bright, clear, resonant, to shine, to show, to reveal / 5

伦 lún - human relationship, order, coherence / 5

剑 jiàn - double-edged sword / 5

华 huá - magnificent, splendid, flowery / 5

国 guó - country, nation, state, national / 5

峰 fēng - high and tapered peak or summit, mountain-like in appearance, highest level / 5

帆 fān - sail / 5

希 xī - to hope, to admire / 5

庆 qìng - to celebrate / 5

承 chéng - to bear, to carry, to hold, to continue, to undertake, to take charge, owing to, due to, to receive / 5

斌 bīn - ornamental, refined / 5

新 xīn - new / 5

晓 xiǎo - dawn, daybreak, to know, to let sb know, to make explicit / 5

林 lín - woods, forest / 5

涛 tāo - big wave / 5

睿 ruì - astute, perspicacious, farsighted / 5

磊 lěi - lumpy, rock pile, uneven, fig. sincere, open and honest / 5

禹 yǔ - Yu the Great (c. 21st century BC), mythical leader who tamed the floods / 5

耀 yào - brilliant, glorious / 5

聪 cōng - wise, clever, sharp-witted, intelligent, acute, quick at hearing / 5

For practice, here are some example names of male celebrities/idols that only use characters from above:

周杰伦 Zhōu Jiélún

王一博 Wáng Yībó

华晨宇 Huá Chényǔ

胡彦斌 Hú Yànbīn

王俊凯 Wáng Jùnkǎi

朱一龙 Zhū Yīlóng

马天宇 Mǎ Tiānyǔ

王源 Wáng Yuán

刘耀文 Liú Yàowén

黄明昊 Huáng Mínghào

徐明浩 Xú Mínghào

任豪 Rèn Háo

宋亚轩 Sòng Yàxuān

李振宁 Lǐ Zhènníng