The place to ask China-related questions!
Beijing Shanghai Guangzhou Shenzhen Chengdu Xi'an Hangzhou Qingdao Dalian Suzhou Nanjing More Cities>>

Categories

Close
Welcome to eChinacities Answers! Please or register if you wish to join conversations or ask questions relating to life in China. For help, click here.
X

Verify email

Your verification code has been sent to:

Didn`t receive your code? Resend code

By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .

Sign up with Google Sign up with Facebook
Sign up with Email Already have an account? .
Posts: 186

Governor

6
2
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
8

Q: How many foreigners have actually tried to learn Chinese language?

The Actual Question is :

How many foreigners have actually tried to learn Chinese language with a purpose other than finding a girlfriend?

 

Some of my friends are trying to learn Chinese language with the sole purpose of finding girls.

Honestly, I am also guilty of the same crime !!  

I also started with the same goal but once I picked up some basic sentences, I realized that my purpose of learning the language was hollow.

Off and on I get my "Master Card moment" when Chinese people talk about me in Chinese language in front of me and think that being a foreigner I wouldn't understand; and I tell them in my broken Chinese that I could actually understand what they were saying ! The looks on their faces - priceless.

Now I just try to chat up with anybody and everybody just to learn a few new words every day.

My goal - one new word every day.

How about you ? 

9 years 44 weeks ago in  Culture - Guangzhou

 
Highest Voted
Posts: 1718

Emperor

8
9
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
1

Learning Chinese is a double edged sword. On the one hand you can communicate with the locals better, on the other, you can understand all the crap they say.

laowaigentleman:

And if you're a teacher, they'll make you go to their staff meetings.

9 years 16 weeks ago
Report Abuse

bojackhorseman:

yeah learning the language is what ruined chinese people for me.  they are so fucking boring, it's unbelievable.  I sat listening to a young couple in a noodle shop, their conversation went as follows:

 

Girl: I ordered a large, this bowl is small.

Guy: Yes, that's not a very big bowl.

Girl: If this the large, how small is the small?

Guy: Maybe very small.

Girl: Yes. 

Guy: They should give you a bigger bowl.

Girl: I'm actually not very hungry, so a small bowl is ok.

Guy: I still think that bowl is too small for a large.

Girl: But I'm already full.

Guy: ok.

Girl: Next time I'll order a small bowl

Guy: But maybe that will be too small.

Girl: I can't eat very much.

Guy: You should eat more.

Girl: No, I am trying to lose weight.

Guy: Ok.

Girl: En.

Guy: En.

Girl: Even though it's a small bowl, i am already full.

Guy: I will finish it for you.

Girl: You should order a bowl too.

Guy: but I already ate.

Girl: I like these noodles.

Guy: I think they're just ok.

Girl: But the bowl is too small.

Guy: yes, they should give you a bigger bowl.

 

AND THIS WENT ON FOR A FULL HALF HOUR

8 years 17 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Answers (1 - 25 of 41)
Comments (23)
Posts: 2488

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Never taken a class or opened a book.  I learn by the idiot osmosis method. Stick around long enough hearing everyone call you white or tall , youll pick up on it eventually. Also, I feel no shame in life asking questions, no matter how dumb and no matter how many times. It stays in there eventually. 

 

I have a pretty great visual memory. So if I see a word, i can ask what it is and store it. So the reading and writing came quick and naturally. I can read better than I can speak. But since I never actually studied, if you gave me a pencil, I couldnt write a single word. But if I have a computer or phone. I could write a book. 

 

An extremely poorly written book mind you, but a book none the less.

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 4935

Emperor

3
4
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
1

I read/speak it near fluently now. My biggest hurdle is lack of vocabulary. Now why did I learn Chinese? Because I fucking love China.

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2855

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Well, I started studying Chinese while I was studying how effective the propaganda of the CCP was during the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution.   

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3256

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I started my current stay (now 3 years on) with one month of one-on-one daily classes in Kunming. All happy to know some stuffs, arrived in Suzhou, I started to *try* to talk with the locals. Most of the time, they ran away from me when I was just asking my way. Or they would giggle, or stop, stare at me like spooked zombies. I'm small, rather thin and unimpressive, but okay, I'm not Asian.

At work, my few attempts at communicating with my colleagues were meet by a stonewall, after the 2 first days of mild enthusiasm. Promise to hang-out together in the week-end never materialized. The only person that talked regularly with me was a (very handsome and well-mannered) guy looking for a date. After 2 months of this, and with an heavy work load, I just gave up trying to talk with people in Chinese. Since then, I got married with a Chinese. My understanding is up to basic conversation, I slowly acquire more vocabulary. Mostly from the ever changing "tough love" nicknames my wife gives me. I can't talk much, lack of practice. Can't read or write, obviously.

hunny797:

you're not Asian and you're not English..so who are you?

9 years 43 weeks ago
Report Abuse

DrMonkey:

A Foreignistanese from Foreignistan ^^

9 years 43 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 63

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I am ashamed to say I was very lazy for the first three years. One day after a dinner with friends, which I did not understand anything, I decided I was no longer going to live as a deaf-mute unable to talk to 99% of people. I have been taking classes (private teacher) now for a few months. Im conversational now but still got a ways to go before Im fluent. However, I am determined, no excuses this time.

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 618

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I am studying now. No intention in becoming fully fluent as I see no purpose, but the goal is to be able to have day-to-day conversations with people such as taxi drivers. Also it would be useful to know exactly what the "xue sheng" are talking about, though I've got the basics like "this is interesting" or "this is too difficult".

I've got the basic structure down and probably 3-400 words (and maybe 1-200 HanZi) in my head. Also get the same experience DrMonkey has. Yesterday I needed directions to a street called Chong Bin Road. Asked five different people, "Duibuchi, qingwen ChongBin Lu zai nar?" or "Duibuchi, wo zaizhao ChongBin Lu". 2 flat out ignored, 1 smiled, and 2 nodded their heads as if saying "yes". Very confusing, I think they just assumed I was talking in a foreign language because I said the same phrase to a Ch. friend and they said it was easily understandable to them.

Hotwater:

Don't forget that about 30% of Chinese people can't speak Mandarin fluently! You may have asked people who only speak local dialect. There are also those who immediately think a foreigner is speaking a foreign language even if they are speaking mandarin :-)

9 years 44 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 111

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I learned three years at university, but then I went and joined the Peace Corps and had to learn Russian for my volunteer work, which was 27 months. Having to use Russian everyday, I slowly started to forget a lot of my Chinese. I have a weird situation. I grew up in a family where both of my parents spoke Mandarin ( mom is Chinese, Dad is American), however at home we spoke English all the time. This is because my older brother doesn't know any Chinese. Parents would speak Chinese to keep secrets from us. Only way I knew they were talking about me is if I heard my Chinese name.

Now I am learning Chinese to be able to speak to my parents not only in English and to know what they are talking about when they speak Chinese. Also I figure you can lean more about a culture if you can speak some of the local language. I am now a conversational level, but I feel you can never be fluent at a second language. There will always be something to learn.

Sinobear:

Great anecdote!

9 years 44 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2531

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Self-study and just through interaction and absorption. 

 

I can discuss things with Chinese for hours but it usually helps if we all had a little to drink (easier to speak Chinese when you slur). My reading and writing is not bad. 

 

I always tell myself I will study harder but jus too many things to do... and Chinese don't really have much to talk about. 

 

 

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1439

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I learned Chinese and eventually became a translator. I insisted on this path because I thought the market would be broad if I worked in this industry. But it is truly a lot of work. Took me seven years at a lazy and hedonist yet steady pace.

 

And it was, but the beginnings (as a translator) were difficult, because translation from Chinese to any l anguage is filled with armies of bottom feeders working for nothing (like your average student who thinks it's okay to work with Google Trad) and literaly no one on the high end. Hard to build relationship with companies when they couldn't conceive you even existed (by the way, I'm not native in English, but I think it must be much much harder to make a living in this pair).

 

But now, doing okay in the business, and I guess speaking Chinese makes my everyday life much much easier but hard to say in what extent.

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I learned Mandarin, I am pretty good and hold conversations with locals, then I moved to Guangzhou, a big part of the locals, especially those above 35 years old, only speak Cantonese T_T

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 18

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I have been studying with a pretty good course that i bought online.  It only teaches conversational Mandarin.  No reading or writing.  But i think the conversational aspect is so very good that when you speak the few words and sentences that you know the Chinese hear your perfect tone and assume that you are fluent.  then they start speaking to you as if you are fluent and you have to say wo bu ming bai!

dokken:

What's the program?

9 years 16 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2878

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

That's a Gumby of a question, Noel! Keep up the good work! Expose those girlfriend seekers as the homeless men they are! If they had homes they could speak any language they want, but to speak Chinese is for GIRLFRIEND ONLY. So they come here!

expatlife26:

It's so good to see an old sailor asking questions again.

 

I'm glad you saw your cause was in fact hollow, and that many good men and women were just using the language to get girlfriends. 

 

I cannot spit these words with campers!

9 years 44 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 9192

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I took 6 months of lessons from a student from BJ, in Guilin they couldn't understand me. The people I know in Guilin would never answer me about phrases I recognized or rarely teach me. I can talk money, beyond that, do I really need anything?

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 916

Shifu

2
2
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I took Mandarin as a second language during my first 10 years in school and the promptly forgot most of it. Anyway, it was in the old traditional style. For the next 3.5 decades I hardly ever used it until 3 years ago when I was sent to Guangzhou. Boy, did I regret not putting in more effort then. So, the next two years was spent digging into my deepest memories. It was really tough since it's now in Simplified format. After 2 years I dare say I can speak, read and write well enough for people of other provinces to think that I was from Guangzhou. Here in Chongqing, everyone knows I'm a foreigner because of my accent. It helps a lot since I am able to explain in Mandarin in class.

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1142

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Tried? the vast majority

failed? the vast majority

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 364

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I'm still learning I'm somewhere between intermediate and advanced but I feel like I've hit a plateau 

Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3269

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I just got handed a copy of Rosetta Stone that *might* install on my laptop without issues. Who knows, I might have another try at it.

royceH:

A mate in Qingdao gave me 3 Rosetta Stone disks a couple of years ago and I've never even had a listen to them.  What a loser!

 

9 years 44 weeks ago
Report Abuse

royceH:

I did try to install those disks after replying to this post.  They didn't work.

8 years 23 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1718

Emperor

8
9
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
1

Learning Chinese is a double edged sword. On the one hand you can communicate with the locals better, on the other, you can understand all the crap they say.

laowaigentleman:

And if you're a teacher, they'll make you go to their staff meetings.

9 years 16 weeks ago
Report Abuse

bojackhorseman:

yeah learning the language is what ruined chinese people for me.  they are so fucking boring, it's unbelievable.  I sat listening to a young couple in a noodle shop, their conversation went as follows:

 

Girl: I ordered a large, this bowl is small.

Guy: Yes, that's not a very big bowl.

Girl: If this the large, how small is the small?

Guy: Maybe very small.

Girl: Yes. 

Guy: They should give you a bigger bowl.

Girl: I'm actually not very hungry, so a small bowl is ok.

Guy: I still think that bowl is too small for a large.

Girl: But I'm already full.

Guy: ok.

Girl: Next time I'll order a small bowl

Guy: But maybe that will be too small.

Girl: I can't eat very much.

Guy: You should eat more.

Girl: No, I am trying to lose weight.

Guy: Ok.

Girl: En.

Guy: En.

Girl: Even though it's a small bowl, i am already full.

Guy: I will finish it for you.

Girl: You should order a bowl too.

Guy: but I already ate.

Girl: I like these noodles.

Guy: I think they're just ok.

Girl: But the bowl is too small.

Guy: yes, they should give you a bigger bowl.

 

AND THIS WENT ON FOR A FULL HALF HOUR

8 years 17 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 44 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3

General

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I have to agree with Xunliang,  maybe the reason I like the Chinese so much is because I can't understand what they are saying.  I tried to learn a little when I first got here but became discouraged since few will understand unless you speak the words perfectly.   I know probably about 50 or 60 words,  a handful of phases and I can get by just fine.  

I do tip my hat to those of your who take the time to learn Chinese, more power toya!

Report Abuse
9 years 43 weeks ago
 
Posts: 8

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I am also guilty of being in China and not learning the language. I have been here now for 2 years and picked up language a little bit. I have never opened a book but have good memory so remember words that people say or just use common sence to understand the sentence. Now I have a Chinese girlfriend and her English is very poor. Also I want more money and I see that Chinese companies hire foreigners that speak Chinese and pay them unbelievable amount of money for doing nothing. I am sick and tired of idiots at the top managerial positions so now I am pushing myself hard to learn this language. I see that my Russian, Latvian, German and English is not enough to have a good salary and job in China...

laowaigentleman:

Most foreigners who are adept at Chinese had to spend all of their time studying it and as a result they don't know anything else, haha.

 

Last night I spent two hours studying Chinese and I can now write the word 'bus'

9 years 16 weeks ago
Report Abuse

dom87:

i guess you just think those people do nothing...

 

i guess i am in that manager boat and i don't even know myself what i am doing the whole day, because of all the stress i lose my head.

my chinese is not the best, but i got the job because i have other qualities

 

btw. after reading countless job offers, mostly those management positions dont require you to speak chinese - often written: advantage

that to say, often your age and experience matters a lot on getting the high paid jobs. Being a teacher doesn't help but smallers the chance actually

9 years 16 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 41 weeks ago

Best Regards,rnPavels

 
Posts: 2855

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

14. 

Report Abuse
9 years 16 weeks ago
 
Posts: 55

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Just get by with the small words I pick up from shops and to be honest, I don't care at all, that's enough for me! I already speak 4 languages!

Report Abuse
9 years 12 weeks ago
 
Posts: 372

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I had no prior lessons in Chinese before coming here. As soon as I arrived I quickly started to pick up the language. After 11 months here, I'd say I'm upper lower advanced level. I learned Chinese mainly because I find it necessary and I like to know what is being said around me, and be able to have conversations with people. Languages fascinate me. I didn't use books or software, I just listened and asked questions. Also when I teach my students English words, they tell me the Chinese meaning, and I will remember it, so it wasn't that difficult. Also in America we go up in arms and get angry when people come to our country and do not speak English, so I didn't want to be one of those people. I didn't learn Chinese to find Chinese girls. I'm gay, and I don't waste my time with Chinese boys who don't already speak a good amount of English already, so my motivation was purely for intellectual purposes. So now I can say I speak English, Spanish, and French fluently, and Chinese almost fluently. I am having are hard time writing Chinese though. I was never good at drawing or art haha.

Report Abuse
9 years 12 weeks ago
 
Posts: 4935

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

delete this post

Report Abuse
9 years 12 weeks ago
 
Posts: 203

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Why do people feel guilty about not learning or mastering Mandarin? All you need is enough to get what you need - directions, numbers, basic conversation etc. Those who come here to become fluent in Mandarin seem to think it will help them make more money or get girlfriends or even a wife (lol - why would you want to marry into a Chinese family with their greed and interference?). These starry eyed newcomers don't understand that knowing the language is not enough for those things. It's more important to know the culture and way the natives think and behave than to know the language, since the people you'll want to do business with - or go out with - will probably be able to speak English anyway.

Noel05:

Of course,  the people you'll want to do business with - or go out with - will probably be able to speak English anyway.

 

But, the choice of people we may want to go out with, may differ.

 

Also, getting air filled in the e bike tyres, dry-cleaning clothes, trying to bargain at street side shops, ordering food at KFC without pointing finger at photos in the menu  ..........    all this add to enriching the experience of staying here.

 

You may or may not agree, but speaking a local language will help you open many new doors.  

Talking about culture, trying to learn the language of the hosts will only reflect your appreciation of their rich culture.

I encourage all my expat colleagues to at least try .... Better to try and fail, than not to try at all.

 

8 years 25 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 12 weeks ago
 
Know the answer ?
Please or register to post answer.

Report Abuse

Security Code: * Enter the text diplayed in the box below
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <br> <p> <u>
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Textual smileys will be replaced with graphical ones.

More information about formatting options

Forward Question

Answer of the DayMORE >>
A:  "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "S
A: "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "Shenzhen agent can connect you with an employer, who's authorized to hire waigouren ... and can sponsor Z visa." It's not like every 10th person you meet in Shenzhen's hood can sponsor work visa ...  The only way to change student visa to labourer one is just a regular way by: 1. Finding an employer, who'll apply for an Invitation letter; 2. Exit China and apply for Z visa in your home country's Chinese embassy; 3. Enter China in 30-days after Z visa was stamped into your travelling instrument ...As I am aware, you won't be able to switch to Working permit by remaining in China....,so make ready for a return to your home .... -- icnif77