How to learn the Chinese alphabet

Chinese is not a single language, but rather a set of dialects spoken throughout the Asian country of China. According to the text of the Ethnologue report, Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken of these dialects, with the mother tongue being about 70 percent of all Chinese speakers. The Chinese language does not have an alphabet in the same way that English has it, but it is a logographic language, which means that the words are represented by individual symbols instead of a combination of different letters that appear in an alphabet. Mastering these symbols can be a challenge, but it is essential for anyone who wants to understand Chinese.

one

Familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of Chinese writing . Words spoken in Chinese usually consist of several syllables, each of which is written with an independent character. All characters have a unique meaning and must be extracted in the same size, with no spaces between them. Words can have up to 64 signs, and each one must be written in a certain direction and order.

two

Identify the words you need to learn. Large Chinese dictionaries can contain up to 56, 000 characters, but not all of these will be common in everyday life. Estimates suggest that it is necessary to learn and recognize approximately 3, 000 characters to be able to understand magazines and newspapers. If your ultimate goal is to be able to read Chinese novels or technical documents, you will have to learn up to 6, 000 characters.

3

Learn to recognize the basic characters. Study the characters of simple concepts, such as numbers, days of the week and personal pronouns. Practice drawing the characters by hand until your efforts resemble the symbols you are copying. Learn the sound of each word as you draw, as this can help you memorize its shape and meaning. Make word cards to learn, along with English translations, and distribute them around your house. This increases your exposure to the characters and can improve your ability to remember them.

4

Find a course to follow. Learning Chinese characters is a difficult task, and a structured approach can help you progress faster. Visit your bookstore and library to find books that focus on the teaching of Chinese calligraphy.

5

Practice Chinese writing. It is important to practice the Chinese that you have learned on a regular basis. Set aside a certain amount of time each day to keep learning and master Chinese, if possible at a time when your brain is fresh and alert. Begin each session by reviewing the characters you learned the day before. If you have forgotten any of the characters, concentrate your efforts on memorizing them before learning more characters.