 Last Modified: 2007-05-25 02:26:47.0
Manager Review
Author:Tai Te (Last Modified: 2007-05-25 02:26:47.0)
To put it simply, Mandarin is China’s only official language. It is the language that should be spoken on TV, in school, in professional situations and in the government. However, since this is indeed China we’re talking about, things are never truly that simple. In reality, spoken Chinese is a mish-mash of distinct accents, local slang, dialects and even dialects within dialects. Dialects can literally change from one city to the next. Some dialects are quite similar to Mandarin, while others are so different they can be completely incomprehensible to a fluent Mandarin speaker.
Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language. For example, the word or sound "ma", while sounding the same to some foreigners, can have several different meanings depending on the tone used when it is pronounced. Simply depending on the tone, the sound "ma" could mean "mom", "hemp", "horse", "scold", or signify that a question is being asked. It might seem crazy, but it is far from impossible to learn. Plenty of foreigners are able to learn to write, read, speak, and understand Chinese extremely well.
Written Chinese within the mainland is much more standard. There are two forms of written Chinese characters. "Simplified" characters (Jiantizi, 简体字) are used widely on mainland China. "Traditional" characters (Fantizi, 繁体字) are used in Hong-Kong, Taiwan, some parts of southern China, and by millions of Chinese immigrants across the world.
Chinese can also be written with English letters and marks to denote the tone of each syllable. This Romanized system (a system which uses the Roman alphabet) is called "pinyin" (拼音). Pinyin is the standardized method for teaching foreigners how to pronounce Chinese words. The pronunciation of some letters can be challenging, as is becoming accustomed to using tones. Besides using it as a learning tool, pinyin is also used on many street signs, albeit without the tones.
Tips for a first-time traveller
Travelers aiming to learn some simple phrases should try to learn how to read and pronounce pinyin well enough to make oneself understood. This task almost certainly requires the help of somebody that can speak Chinese. It is quite important to hear and then attempt to imitate the sounds. Simply picking up a phrase book and practicing on your own will probably earn some laughs, but it might not actually accomplish anything. After learning to read and pronounce pinyin properly, one should be able to begin picking up new spoken words. As for those that want to learn to read and write characters or speak Chinese fluently, plan on going to school for a few years.
Use your guts! Be brave! Make speaking and learning a bit of Chinese part of the goal, part of the experience in China. Don't be flustered by Chinese people that don't understand you or giggle a bit when you try to speak Chinese. Generally speaking, most Chinese will become excited by a foreigner that can speak even a little Chinese. Still, don’t be afraid to try and figure things out on your own. Plenty of travelers have been able to navigate their way through China with little to no Chinese speaking ability. China may seem intimidating, but English is not totally uncommon. Ask around and more often than not, someone who speaks even a bit of English will be able to assist you. In areas without many foreigners (most of China) it’s likely that some people on the street would be happy to help. They may have studied English for years and have rarely (or never) had the chance to actually speak with a foreign English speaker.
Get translations wherever you can. Collect business cards of hotels or restaurants and ask for help writing the Chinese text of a location you want to visit. Finally, even before you head to China, try building and printing an itinerary with a list of some of the thousands of locations listed on Synotrip.
Links
- An explanation of tones
- Another introduction to Chinese language (a bit wordy but more in-depth)
- Synotrip’s Introduction to Nanjing-talk (南京话) - An example of a dialect similar to Mandarin.
If you're struggling with language in China you could try a telephone interpreter service . They come in really handy when you're stuck and just need someone to speak for you. I used one called chinaONEcall but I believe there are others offering similar services. One of the great things about China One Call was that they never close - this was a great help when my flight was delayed and I landed in Chengdu at 2am!
Check them out at www.chinaonecall.com
(author: sallyquentin at 2008-01-17 18:58:28.0)
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