Learn Chinese language

[Twinkslover]

I am not Chinese.  but like Chinese  boys.  How hard is to learn Chinese if any Chinese here.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Most native english speakers are never going to speak Chinese properly.

The varying dialects/languages are complex and difficult to master. 

Cantonese and Mandarin are what you'd need to know. 

Without full immersion, it's unlikely you'll ever be conversational.

[ShortCutie7]

13 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

Most native english speakers are never going to speak Chinese properly.

The varying dialects/languages are complex and difficult to master. 

Cantonese and Mandarin are what you'd need to know. 

Without full immersion, it's unlikely you'll ever be conversational.

Exactly, there’s a reason that (at least in my experience/knowledge of others’ experiences) Chinese is never offered as an option for foreign language coursework in public high schools… I vaguely remember my options being Spanish, French, Italian, and Japanese (the latter of which was surprising at the time).

[jsn102]

Chinese is a challenge for sure, but it really depends on what you want to learn.

Speaking: Certainly a challenge because of the tones (ways of pronouncing the same sound - Mandarin has 4, Cantonese has, I think, 7 or maybe more); but the grammar and syntax are exceptionally straightforward (no conjugations, tenses, etc.)
Reading: Fine if you have a good visual memory to recognize characters (there isn't an alphabet except for pinyin - the intermediary language between Chinese and English)
Writing: Evil. Just... really tough

So, yes, I used to be conversationally fluent in spoken Mandarin, but that was several summer courses then ten years living in Beijing. And I was still only somewhat functional (everyone gives foreigners a lot of leeway in terms of pronunciation and vocabulary). Two years after leaving, I'd lost most of  it.

If you want to learn some phrases to better get on with someone, that is eminently doable. But keep in mind that, without a huge amount of effort, it's hard to get beyond "Oh, he's speaking some Chinese! How cute!" Not that that's a bad thing!

I'll shut up now...

[Asterisk]

4 hours ago, Twinkslover said:

I am not Chinese.  but like Chinese  boys.  How hard is to learn Chinese if any Chinese here.

Are you attempting to connect with a provider who only speaks Chinese?  If so, please attach link to the profile.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

2 hours ago, jsn102 said:

Chinese is a challenge for sure, but it really depends on what you want to learn.

Speaking: Certainly a challenge because of the tones (ways of pronouncing the same sound - Mandarin has 4, Cantonese has, I think, 7 or maybe more); but the grammar and syntax are exceptionally straightforward (no conjugations, tenses, etc.)
Reading: Fine if you have a good visual memory to recognize characters (there isn't an alphabet except for pinyin - the intermediary language between Chinese and English)
Writing: Evil. Just... really tough

So, yes, I used to be conversationally fluent in spoken Mandarin, but that was several summer courses then ten years living in Beijing. And I was still only somewhat functional (everyone gives foreigners a lot of leeway in terms of pronunciation and vocabulary). Two years after leaving, I'd lost most of  it.

If you want to learn some phrases to better get on with someone, that is eminently doable. But keep in mind that, without a huge amount of effort, it's hard to get beyond "Oh, he's speaking some Chinese! How cute!" Not that that's a bad thing!

I'll shut up now...

This is a GREAT reply. 

Lots of good info for those who don't know or want to know more.

[liubit]

I have been living in Hong Kong for the past 4 years and I confess that I have never really tried to learn Cantonese, the extremely difficult language spoken here. I have never needed to, anyway: boys here generally speak English, so no problem.

I have also met several very hot guys visiting from Mainland China. They speak Mandarin and, even if their English is sometimes far worse than the one spoken by local HK boys, body-and-cock language has taken me as far as I wanted to go. BTW, they have confirmed to me that HK people do not like it when they are addressed in Mandarin. 🤷🏻

[+ Pensant]

8 hours ago, liubit said:

have also met several very hot guys visiting from Mainland China

Some are incredibly handsome and hot! I’m jealous.

[+ Gar1eth]

 

[Asterisk]

4 hours ago, Gar1eth said:

 

Haha!  Totally charming and delightful.  Thank you!

[Nightowl]

Chinese is extremely difficult.  It’s nothing like the Germanic or Romance languages that most of us learn in school.  I admire your desire to attempt it though.

[pubic_assistance]

On 6/7/2025 at 11:45 AM, Twinkslover said:

How hard is to learn Chinese

There are two components to this answer:

#1 If you only know ONE language as an adult, you're screwed trying to learn a Chinese tongue.

#2 If you know a few other European languages then you already understand the concept of changing from one to another...BUT the problem with learning Chinese for a European language speaker, is that you need to learn a COMPLETELY different way of thinking about language. Both Mandarin and Cantonese are very different in how they work. 

I can read 7 European languages so learning a little Mandarin was easier for me than someone who only speaks English...but still a challenge to learn more than the most basic conversational skills. READING is crazy as you have no familar "alphabet" ..you would need to learn hundreds of symbols. 

Edited June 13 by pubic_assistance
spelling

[liubit]

5 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

READING is crazy as you have no familar "alpahbet' ..you would need to learn dozens of symbols.

Dozens? Hundreds would be more accurate if you want some proficiency. 😁

[NJF]

52 minutes ago, liubit said:

Dozens? Hundreds would be more accurate if you want some proficiency. 😁

3 thousands are the number that you need to master to be considered as literate. 

[pubic_assistance]

8 hours ago, liubit said:

Dozens? Hundreds would be more accurate if you want some proficiency. 😁

True. I probably said dozens because thats what I know.  Far from proficient. It helps me recognize some of the most basic and common signage. There are about a hundred symbols (dozens) that are used over and over in different combinations. 

To be proficient you need to know at least 2000 symbols. I understand there are tens of thousands of symbols that highly educated people may learn. 

State of being /existence /possession/ people/ soft/ hard ..etc etc are used to create various descriptions of things. 

For example the symbol for water is an essence that can be used to describe water related objects but also to describe a flow or liquid states.

Similar to European language roots that form words along with prefixes and suffixes that have specific meaning, but can be used to create new concepts when combined in different ways. I think the most obvious in Europe is German with its long descriptive words. "Auspufftopfdämpfer" always comes to mind.  

Edited June 13 by pubic_assistance
spelling

[+ newatthis]

On 6/7/2025 at 11:11 AM, ShortCutie7 said:

Chinese is never offered as an option for foreign language coursework in public high schools

There *are* high schools that offer Chinese as a language option...I've met a few college students over the years who entered with 4 or more years of hs Chinese.