Chinese Language Learning Guide

• What kind of country is "China"?
• What is "Chinese"?
• The importance of learning Chinese
• "Pronunciation and Simplified Characters: Tones and Pinyin"
• Chinese dictionary
• Major qualification examinations and study abroad programs
• Short-term/long-term study abroad

What kind of country is "China"?

What is "Chinese"?

Needless to say, the most widely used language in the world is English. However, one in five people in the world is actually "Chinese." Chinese is undoubtedly the language with the largest number of speakers among all the world's languages.

 

The "Chinese" we learn is usually called "Hànyŭ" (Han language) in China. This originally meant the language of the Han people, even in the multi-ethnic country of China. However, this "Chinese" itself has a large difference and a variety of dialects, so that it is generally divided into seven major dialect areas. There are other names for it in technical terms, but it is commonly called Shanghainese, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, etc. For this reason, a common language equivalent to the standard language of Japan is absolutely necessary. So, the common language called "Putonghua" (pŭtōnghuà) that you will learn from now on was created based on the Beijing dialect, and it is widely understood throughout the country (Putonghua is said to have been created based on the language called Beijing Mandarin, which was originally spoken by Beijing bureaucrats during the Qing Dynasty. In Taiwan, it is usually called Beijing dialect (national language) and is also widely studied in school education).

 

Chinese is known linguistically as an isolated language, and as a rule, each Chinese character (i.e., one syllable) has a specific meaning, and sentences are made up of these characters combined in a set word order. This is very different from Japanese and from Western languages. For example, there are no conjugations or case changes like those in English, German, or French, nor do they have things like Japanese particles and auxiliary verbs. In addition, as will be explained in more detail later, Chinese is known for its complex pronunciation, with different meanings depending on the rise and fall of a sound, something called "tones."

The importance of learning Chinese

"Pronunciation and Simplified Characters: Tones and Pinyin"

The first thing to learn about Chinese pronunciation is the "four tones." Tones are the rising and falling tones of a sound. In Chinese, one character (syllable) is generally pronounced with a certain tone. In Mandarin, there are four tones, which are called the four tones. Depending on the difference between the four tones, the meaning of the same pronunciation can be different, so you need to pay close attention.

You will also need to learn how to read the Chinese romanization "pinyin" (拼音字母), which shows how to read each kanji character. This is equivalent to English phonetic symbols, but since it is Chinese romanization, it should not be read as if it were Japanese romanization. There are some difficult pronunciations that do not exist in Japanese, but you should practice patiently, thinking of it as studying music. Once you can pronounce pinyin correctly, when you are learning Chinese words, try to memorize this pinyin together with the kanji (simplified characters), just as you would memorize the English spelling.

Now, in Japanese there are only five vowels: aiueo.

 

As you know, the 50 sounds of the Japanese alphabet are made up of a combination of these and consonants. In comparison, Chinese pronunciation is far more complicated. First of all, there are seven basic "simple vowels", but the pronunciation is quite different from Japanese, including the way you open your mouth. Furthermore, there are several "polyvowels" that combine these. The pronunciation of consonants is also very different from Japanese. As the table shows, there are many things that must be mastered, such as the difference between aspirated and unaspirated sounds, and what are called retroflex consonants.

 

In this way, Chinese is, in a sense, a very musical language. Some Western scholars have pointed this out. Many people have trouble with pronunciation at first, but as they listen, they become fascinated by the unique sound. Of course, understanding the structure of grammar is important, but the key is to learn the language using not only your head but your whole body - this is the basis of learning any foreign language, not just Chinese.

Chinese dictionary

For beginners and intermediate learners, there are Chinese dictionaries and Chinese-Japanese dictionaries such as the following.

• "First Chinese Language Learning Dictionary" (Asahi Publishing)
• "Progressive Chinese Dictionary" (Shogakukan)
• "Daily Concise Chinese-Japanese Dictionary" (Sanseido)
• "Crown Chinese-Japanese Dictionary" (Sanseido)
• "Standard Chinese Dictionary" (Hakuteisha)
• "Iwanami Chinese Dictionary" (Iwanami Shoten)

If you wish to study more advancedly, it may be useful to have the following dictionaries on hand:

• "Chinese-Japanese Dictionary" (Kodansha)
• "Chinese-Japanese Dictionary" (Shogakukan)
• "Hakusuisha Chinese Dictionary" (Hakusuisha)
• "Modern Chinese Dictionary" (Koseikan)
• "Oriental Chinese Dictionary" (Touhou Shoten)
• "Chinese-Japanese Dictionary" (Taishukan Shoten)

Major qualification examinations and study abroad programs

• Practical Chinese Proficiency Test
  • Asia International Exchange Scholarship Foundation, approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Levels 1-5)
• HSK/Chinese horizontal exam
  • It was created by the Beijing Language and Culture University with the purpose of measuring the Chinese language proficiency of foreign students who are not native Chinese speakers, but it has also been approved by the National Council of Education, which is equivalent to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan, and can be taken in Japan. It is required for studying abroad at a four-year university (undergraduate course) in China, and can be considered the equivalent of TOEFL® in English-speaking countries.
• Chinese Language Proficiency Test
  • This is a Chinese language proficiency test conducted by the Taiwan Chinese Literature Proficiency Testing Promotion Committee, and is available in levels 1 to 4. It can be taken in Taiwan and Japan. English name is TOCFL. It is recommended for students who have undergone language training at a university in Taiwan or who are considering studying abroad in Taiwan.

Short-term/long-term study abroad