For all that China is thought to be irreligious, the people have religious figures aplenty to pray to. Not just the Buddha or the practice of Taoism - or, for that matter, praying at a Confucian temple, either! The Chinese God in Heaven is an enduring folk tale. Nuwa, the goddess who created the human […]
28 February 2021 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
The Chinese language, specifically Mandarin, is known to be the hardest language for English native speakers to master. Not only does it have multiple tones but the writing system, with its thousands of characters, is something speakers of English may not have come across before. Despite the tricky pronunciation and character writing, however, if you […]
27 February 2021 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
There are probably few things in the world to learn that have such an intimidating reputation as the Chinese languages. From the immediately completely unintelligible Chinese characters to the tonal elements of the spoken language, there are few other languages which are so notoriously different from our own in the western world. And that’s the […]
30 September 2019 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
“To Travel is to Live” - Hans Christian Andersen China’s much bigger than the UK and it attracts millions of tourists every year. Even though 60% of the country is mountains, there are huge modern cities, the Yangtze River (which is nearly 4,000 miles long), and something for everyone to enjoy. So how do you […]
29 July 2019 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
Our Chinese tutors reveal their tips for learning Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese). The variety of Chinese lessons will allow you to discover Chinese culture, calligraphy, vernacular language and also visit China.
Whether you are a beginner, a refresher or preparing for an exam, you will find the help you need here. Superprof is the place to be for a Chinese tutor, with nearly 7000 Sinophones across our websites. Check out their profiles if you want to learn Chinese. You can choose to have your lessons online, at home or at an outside location.
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” - Gustave Flaubert Are you heading to the South China Sea, between the Philippines and Japan? Yes, we’re talking about Taiwan, its countryside, cuisine, and historical and cultural heritage. Taiwan, for many people, conjures the idea of manufacturing. After all, most […]
29 July 2019 ∙ 6 minutes reading time
Whether you’re travelling the world or just to China, Shanghai is an essential destination. The city of skyscrapers is home to 26 million people and is representative of China today: a mix of temples and traditional streets with modern buildings and business districts. Shanghai, much like Beijing, Nanjing, or Suzhou, is definitely worth a visit. […]
29 July 2019 ∙ 6 minutes reading time
“Adventure may hurt you but monotony will kill you.” - Anonymous Whether you want to visit the Great Wall of China, Buddhist Temples, the Forbidden City in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China is a great place to start. In 2013, the capital was visited by 4.5 million tourists but this was […]
29 July 2019 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
When you decide to learn Chinese, you are normally thinking about the Mandarin language. Although we will refer to Mandarin and Chinese interchangeably within this article. There are actually 299 living Chinese languages in China, which is why Mandarin is called mandarin and not just Chinese. Chinese Mandarin is the most widespread language in China, […]
28 November 2018 ∙ 9 minutes reading time
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela There are over 800 million native speakers of Chinese. Learning to speak Chinese is, therefore, an excellent way to learn more about the […]
19 November 2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela If there’s a language that makes you want to travel, makes you want to dream, and is pretty complicated, it’s Chinese. With Mandarin […]
11 October 2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
“A different language is a different vision of life.” - Federico Fellini Children need to enjoy learning a new language. It’s unlikely that a child will see the worth in learning Chinese for their future career. That said, an increasing number of teens are opting to do Chinese at GCSE, A Level, and degree. After […]
2 October 2018 ∙ 6 minutes reading time
“To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous.” - Confucius Chinese isn't one language but rather a spectrum of languages, dialects, and varieties. There are 1.2 billion people who speak a variety of Chinese and the largest member of the group, Mandarin Chinese, is spoken by 960 million […]
26 September 2018 ∙ 6 minutes reading time
Learning Chinese is an ambitious process. While some people might be shocked by your decision, you should definitely go for it! Stay motivated and do everything in your power to ensure that your language learning is as effective as possible. Mandarin Chinese, after all, isn’t a simple language to learn. Although every language has its […]
5 March 2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
To demonstrate their open-mindedness and discover a mysterious language, more and more British students are taking to learn Chinese, one of the most practiced languages in schools! A craze which is understandable given Chinese culture, but also because of it's very particular linguistic system. By hiring a private Chinese tutor, it is possible to master […]
5 March 2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
More than 30,000 people in the UK are learning Chinese. Mandarin Chinese was the first native language spoken in the world, no wonder it arouses so much interest! Are you the next one to start Chinese lessons? Superprof gives advice to all beginners in Chinese to succeed in their learning! To Learn Chinese, it is […]
5 March 2018 ∙ 11 minutes reading time
For those who use the Latin Alphabet on a daily basis, learning to write Chinese characters can be really complicated. While China has made efforts to make the language more accessible to those in the West, it still remains a challenge for anyone wanting to travel to China, participate in foreign exchange programs, or work in […]
20 February 2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
The digital age has completely changed the way we learn foreign languages and learning to speak Chinese is no exception. There are now plenty of people who are now using their computer, smartphone, tablet or television to learn more about the Middle Kingdom’s most popular language and Chinese culture. Mobile e-learning apps are also innovative and […]
17 November 2017 ∙ 9 minutes reading time
1.3 billion inhabitants and one sixth of the world’s population. 8 urban areas with over 10 million inhabitants and around 30 with over 2 million. 10 million kilometres squared... China is the third largest country in the world, one of the world’s biggest economic powers, and one of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members. It’s […]
17 November 2017 ∙ 8 minutes reading time
Mandarin Chinese is said to be one of the most difficult languages to learn.
First of all, you will need to go through an initial learning phase: memorise the Chinese Pinyin alphabet, in other words, the phonetic alphabet. This will allow you to begin to familiarise yourself with the sounds of the Chinese language (including the four tones).
You can then start by saying short phrases to introduce yourself in Chinese from the very first lesson.
You will also need to learn Chinese calligraphy to write your first Chinese characters. With well made cards, it will be easier. You can then see the Chinese character, its pronunciation and the translation.
Good news for the learner: there is no conjugation, gender or plurals in Chinese. Only the subject changes in a Chinese sentence.
On the other hand, as mentioned above, Chinese is a tonal language. The pronunciation and the tone used influences the meaning of the words.
So this is where you will need help!
Taking private lessons in Chinese with a native teacher will help perfect your Chinese speaking skills. A native tutor will teach you all the subtleties of the language and share with you their knowledge of the Chinese culture including traditions, lifestyle, and art.
Language and culture are inseparable and will help you in your language learning.
Do you want to learn Chinese quickly?
Are you thinking of visiting China, working in China, or doing a language study trip?
You will need patience and perseverance. Group lessons, evening classes, intensive courses, language school, conversation classes… The introduction to Chinese can take different forms, but Chinese lessons will not be enough if you do not use your new knowledge and practise daily.
With beginner level lessons, your teacher can tailor the lessons to suit you and your needs.
Personalised courses allow you to concentrate on your specific difficulties personal progression, saving valuable time.
To accompany your Chinese lessons on a daily basis, diversify your tools!
Chinese online courses, Chinese dictionaries, audio files and mobile apps will help you to develop your language skills in their entirety (expression and listening as well as writing).
When visiting China, you will need to immerse yourself in the heart of the country, rub shoulders with natives, make friends, and even take cultural trips like walking the Great Wall of China.
You can quickly enrich your Chinese vocabulary, but also discover other dialects on your travels. China has many languages including Cantonese, Mandarin and the lesser known, Wu and Min, for example. Travelling is also an opportunity to take calligraphy courses and learn all about Chinese ancestral art.
