Chinese language

Chinese LanguageChinese Characters

(Calligraphy)

BCFL/VDLC Delegate OrientationJune 3, 2014

Calligraphy is not just communication, but art

Each Chinese character is a syllable

• You need to know 3,000-4,000 characters to be considered literate

• Students start learning them in kindergarten and it takes 6 years to memorize them

• Literacy rate in China in 2013 was 95%

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

• Water radical

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

日

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

• Sun radical 日

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

人

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

Person radical 人

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

• Water radical

• Sun radical 日

• Person radical 人

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

女

Chinese characters are made up of parts called radicals

• Female radical 女• Son radical 子• Combined becomes “nice, fine, good”• 好• “how” as in “Nee how”, means hello • Literally “you are fine”

Chinese is a tonal language

• First tone, high and steady• Second tone, rising• Third tone, lower, down and up• Fourth tone, downward (sounds harsh, but

isn’t)• Neutral tone (light)• Same word can have five different tones with

at least five different meanings

E.g. “ma”

• 妈 ma 1 Mum• 蔴 ma 2 hemp• 马 ma 3 horse• 骂 ma 4 scold• 吗 ma 0 question indicator

Chinese Language, some hints• Most pronunciation is like English but for the following

approximations:• ZH and J are pronounced like “j” in jungle• CH and Q are pronounced like “ch” in chew• X is pronounced like “sh” in show• G is hard, like grow• C is like ‘ts’ in cats• Z is like ‘ds’ in kids• Ai is like Shanghai• U is like moon • Ou and o are like Joe • I is like seek• Ei is like wait• Thus Beijing is pronounced Bay Jing

Saying hello

• “Ni hao” is Nee how. It is singular.• Plural is “Nimen hao” which is Neemen how