In the past few decades, China has transformed itself from an underdeveloped country to a significant part of the world’s economy, giving rise to endless opportunities for budding professionals. Considering China’s impact on global markets, young aspirants are taking advantage of the scenario by learning Mandarin as a second language. With more than 1.3 billion speakers of the Chinese language, Mandarin has become a widely spoken language in the world. The reasons to join the Mandarin class may differ for individuals. While some might join it to pursue higher education in China, others might do it to add it as a credible point in their resume. nín hǎo or Hello to all who have made up their mind to learn Mandarin. This blog is going to highlight the key features of Mandarin classes for beginners. Ràng wǒmen kāishǐ (Let’s begin)!
Mandarin Class: Overview
Choose Wisely
The first day of learning Mandarin might be full of hardships for anyone not coming from a native background. As Mandarin is widely spoken by the people of Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, etc, there are chances that your teacher might have a different accent leading to a lot of confusion. Thus while picking an institute to take up Mandarin classes, you should go through the institute’s profile to know about the mentors.
The Basics
Just like any other first class, your introductory session of the Mandarin class will also be full of doubts and difficulties. Be focused on the long-term goal and sail through it by putting emphasis on all that is being taught in the Mandarin classes. The key to learning any new language is to focus on the basics. If you got them right, then nothing can stop you from reaching the top.
There are two sets of characters used in Mandarin. While the set of traditional ones can be complicated for new learners, the simplified versions are easier to read, write and even memorize. As a learner, you will be taught only the simplified versions of characters.
Also Read: Learn how to say thank you in Mandarin.
Pinyin: Learn Pronunciation
After getting familiar with the characters, the next step is to learn the correct pronunciation of each letter. The process of speaking Mandarin letters is popularly known as Pin Yin or PhinYin. Under this process, you will be taught the sounds for all the essential characters in three sections; initials, finals, and tones. As the terms suggest, the initials include the first sound of the character, finals include the end sound of a character, whereas tone represents the flow of character.
Basic Mandarin Vocabulary
The next step that comes in line at the Mandarin classes is knowing how to enunciate words, common sentences, and phrases. For better understanding, it is essential for learners to create a list of common vocabulary words that are discussed in classrooms. Even though there is no end to the list of terms that can be penned in Mandarin, but there are definitely some without which you just cannot do. Here is a list of the most common words which are taught in the Mandarin classes:
[optin-monster-shortcode id=”xf2mlnjiouddzrshykdb”]Word/Phrase | Pinyin |
Hello | nǐ hǎo |
Four | sì |
Thanks | xiè xie |
Hurry | Cōngmáng |
You are Welcome | bù yòng xiè |
Day | rì |
Year | nián |
Two | èr |
One | yī |
Learn Sentence Formation
The final step of any beginner’s Mandarin Class is to learn sentence formation. This part comes much later in the duration of pursuing a Chinese language Course. It is quintessential for candidates to have a good understanding of Pinyin and vocabulary, to conquer sentence formation. Just like English, a simple sentence in Chinses includes two parts; Subject and Predicate. We can roughly structure a sentence in Mandarin as:
Subject + Predicate + Object
However, in Mandarin, predicates do not have a similar meaning as in English. A predicate in Mandarin represents a verb or sometimes an adjective.
Also Read: A Complete Guide to Study MBBS in China, Checkout Now!
As Mandarin is one of the toughest languages in the world, it is obligatory to choose the right Mandarin classes. MandarinX, our exclusive partner for studying survival Chinese in a short duration, is one of the leading options to learn the language. Some key features of the online program are – guidance from experienced teachers, high-quality video content to learn basics, and one on one live session with mentors. Enroll yourself for a 30-day survival Mandarin course for Rs 9,000 only and get a free counseling session to study in China by Leverage Edu. Cōngmáng/ Hurry, and sign up for Mandarin Classes with MandarinX! Give us a call at +91-9999190104.