Table of Contents
How do you say basic Chinese phrases?
Basic Mandarin Chinese Words and Phrases
- Hello: Nǐhǎo (Nee how)
- Thank you: Xièxiè (Shieh-shieh)
- You’re welcome: Bù kèqì (Boo kuh-chi)
- Good morning: Zǎo (Zhow)
- Goodnight: Wǎn’ān (One-un)
- My name is…: Wǒ jiào… (
- My friend’s name is…: Wǒ de péngyǒu jiào…
Which Chinese language is simplified?
The table below solves the riddle: In mainland China and Singapore, Mandarin is the spoken language and people resort to Simplified Chinese when they write. In Hong Kong, Cantonese is the predominant dialect while people write in Traditional Chinese.
What is bu dong?
The phrase ting bu dong translates as “I don’t understand,” so of course when I didn’t understand what someone was saying to me in Mandarin I would let them know in their language that I, the English speaking girl, did not understand.
How do you know if a Chinese is traditional or Simplified?
The most obvious difference between traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese is the way that the characters look. Traditional characters are typically more complicated and have more strokes, while simplified characters are, as the name suggests, simpler and have fewer strokes.
Is Mandarin Chinese the same as Simplified?
Mandarin Chinese is simplified. Mandarin is the spoken side language and Traditional or simplify are written side. So technically it can be both. Simplified and Traditional Chinese are two writing standards of Han Chinese characters (Hanzi).
How do you say I don’t understand in Cantonese?
In Cantonese, I don’t understand is 我唔明(ngo5 m4 ming4), 我唔明(ngo5 m4 ming4). Let’s break it down by syllable 我 唔 明(ngo5 m4 ming4). Now let’s hear it one more time 我唔明(ngo5 m4 ming4).
Why do people ask me if I know Mandarin or Cantonese?
In my experience, many people don’t ask because they actually care, but because they want to subtly signal how they are well-educated and cultured because they know that both Mandarin and Cantonese exist. To someone who speaks Chinese, however, the question doesn’t really make sense. Chinese is not simply divided into Mandarin and Cantonese.
Is there a way to sort Chinese characters without pronunciation?
Clearly, another way is needed. This is where the term radical comes in (部首 in Chinese). By sorting characters according to their component parts, it’s possible to compile a dictionary that is not based on pronunciation and let’s you look up any character you want.
Do people say they speak Chinese or Mandarin?
If people say they speak “Chinese”, they probably speak Mandarin. While this may be one of the more controversial points that I make here, I would say that much more often than not, if someone says they speak “Chinese”, then they speak Mandarin.
Are there any online dictionaries for Chinese learners?
There are many online resources for looking up Chinese characters and words, so many that it might be very hard for new learners to find what they need. This article introduces 21 dictionaries and corpora for Chinese learners, including what they should be used for in addition to some pros and cons.