USEFUL TOOLS

A useful Online Resource for a rare combination of both Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, with a Source that is also fluent in English is LearnChineseEZ.com

This site has both fairly useful Mandarin Lessons and Cantonese Lessons for Free.

It also boasts of a well thought out but simple Chinese Character Tutorial, as well as lessons  on Chinese Proverbs and Cantonese Slang, with a 4000 Word Chinese Character database, in both Simple and Traditional sets.

RADICALS AS ALTERED ACCORDING TO POSITION

Some radicals have a different shape if they stand alone as a word, and as a radical:

• 刀 “knife” is written as a “standing knife” (lidao 立刀) to the left 到 and standard if on the bottom 券
• 心 “heart” is written as a “standing heart” (shuxin 豎心) to the left 情 or with four dots if on the bottom 恭, but sometimes written standard 愛寧
• 人 “man” is written as a “standing man” (danliren 單立人) to the left 仁 or relatively wide if on the bottom 兒
• 手 “hand” is written with three strokes (tishoupang 提手旁) to the left 抱 or standard if on the bottom 擎
• 攴 “whip” is normally written like (fanwen 反文) 故, and only seldom written standard 敲
• 水 “water” is normally written with three dots (sandianshui 三點水) 江 and standard if on the bottom 汞
• 火 “fire” is written standard if to the left or on the bottom 烤炃 and with four dots (sidian 四點) if on the bottom, but sometimes written standard 焚
• 犬 “dog” is written with a special shape 狄 called quanyou 犬猶
• 玉 “jade” is written like a king 王 if to the left, but standard if on the bottom 璧
• 爪 “claw” is written in small dots 爭 if on the top
• 网 “net” is written like a horizonal eye 置 (sizitou 四字頭)
• 艸 “grass” is written with three (or four) strokes on the top (caozitou 草字頭) 華
• 肉 “meat, flesh, organ” is written like 月 a moon 肺
• 示 sacral matters are written with four (or five) strokes to the left 福 and standard on the bottom 祟
• 衣 “clothing” is written with five strokes to the left 衫, and sometimes separated in bottom and top 袞
• 辵 “walking” is written with four (or three) strokes (zouzhi 走之) 近
• 阜 “dam” and 邑 “town” are written with three (two) strokes in the shape of an ear (erdao 耳刀) 邯阻
• 食 “eating” is written with one stroke less 飯

ANOTHER PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF USING THE TOOLS MENTIONED ON THIS SITE

As emphasized at the beginning, this site is to help those with some basic knowledge of Hakka, Cantonese and Mandarin without formal Writing and Mandarin skills, to upgrade their knowledge to be proficient in an increasingly important Chinese Official Language, that is used by almost 1 in 5 inhabitants of Earth.

This is NOT a Didactic Collection of Lectures, but more a Do-It-Yourself Manual/Resource.

It is a Collection of Data and Resources to help Accelerate and Formalize a Teaching and Learning method peculiar to your specific needs and goals.

Here is a REPEAT TUTORIAL on its actual IMPLEMENTATION.

First of ALL, THERE IS NO WAY TO BYPASS THE MEMORIZATION OF SPECIFIC BASICS – ESPECIALLY TONE, BUT IF WE SET OFF WITH THE PREMISE THAT THERE IS ALREADY SOME SPOKEN BACKGROUND IN HAKKA OR CANTONESE, THIS ASPECT HAS ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED AND ITS MORE A PROCESS OF UTILIZATION TO GET THE PERFECT TONES – 7 -9 in Hakka, at least 7 in Cantonese and only 4 in Mandarin.

Memorizing the Chinese Characters can be accomplished by Referring to the 214 Generally accepted Radicals, deciding whether to learn SIMPLIFIED (Mainland Chinese) or TRADITIONAL (Non-Mainland Chinese – including Taiwan) Chinese characters. This can be simplified down to the ESSENTIAL 54 RADICALS – the ones statistically found to be used the most often and by various memorization techniques e.g. FLASHCARDS, MNEMONICS OR STORY-LINES – as popularized by the HEISIG METHOD.

Then, it boils down to putting things into practice, hence this tutorial.

Let us take the English word for clothing. These r just illustrations of programs mentioned in this blog and can be interchanged for any program that works best for your circumstances.

CLOTHING:

First look up the Chinese Character. I find the programs based on the Cantodict Databases or CC-CEDIT Databases the most useful personally, especially the ones accepting English, Handwritten, Voice, and even OCR. My favorite in NCIKU:

LET US CHOOSE ZHUANG (by clicking on “more” below the word after the character):

NOW CLICK ON “STROKE ORDER”:

Unfortunately the Adobe Flash portion is not captured. BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, CLICK ON THE “PRACTICE WRITING ON SKRITTER” LINK.

Again, apologies for the non screen-capture of the Adobe Flash components. NOW CLICK ON THE MAGNIFYING GLASS ICON ON THE EXTREME RIGHT:

THEN – LOOK UP THE INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERS, OR EXPLORE WORDS THAT CONTAIN THE SAME CHARACTERS, ETC. NOTICE THE NEXT BUTTONS AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THE NEW FRAMES THAT POP UP THAT GIVES U MORE RESULTS. ONE WORD OPENS UP A MYRIAD OF NEW WORDS. FADSCINATING AT THE LEAST – ESPECIALLY AS FAR AS ETYMOLOGY IS CONCERNED.

NOTICE, ON THE MAIN PANEL/FRAME – THERE IS A “DICTIONARY LOOK-UP” BUTTON, WHICH IS PREPOPULATED WITH NCIKU, AS THIS WAS THE SITE REFERRING U TO SKRITTER. IF U CLICK ON THIS – IT TAKES U BACK TO THE NCIKU SITE. BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY – IF U HAVE A REGISTERED NCIKU ACCOUNT – IT SAVES THE CHARACTERS INTO YOUR WORD-LIST”.  There is NO CHARGE for an NCIKU Account (but a donation is encouraged) or to use SKRITTER thru NCIKU – Skritter is an Excellent resource and is otherwise about $20/month to use. A NCIKU Account allows u to also print out free FLASH CARDS and is almost a complete ANKI Alternative.

FINALLY, if u want to see the other Dialects, especially Cantonese, or even Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, character and do a search on Yellowbridge, which opens up more explanations and links:

Click on the VARIOUS FOLDERS AT THE TOP LEFT:

WALLA, Cantonese – Jtutping and Yale, (together with Japanese and Korean).

LEARN CHINESE OK!!!

The Latest List of FREE Internet Resources to learn the Chinese Language.

AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE.

http://www.learnchineseok.com/2012/03/dictionaries-chinese-character-database.html

HSK CHARACTER LISTS.

A Computerized Artificial Intelligence based program on the frequency distribution was recently published. It weights words at percentage of usage.

This work confirms the rational behind Chinese Language Proficiency Tests – e.g. the –  HSK Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (汉语水平考试) – Tests.

For a list of updated Characters tested in the latest iterations of the HSK – click here:

http://blog.nciku.com/blog/en/2011/03/09/hsk-character-list-and-stroke-order-animations/

THIS OPENS UP A LINK TO NCIKU, WHICH GIVES THE CHARACTERS, TRANSLATIONS, STROKE ORDER, ETYMOLOGY (VIA SKRITTER) AND ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS/WORDS)

SKRITTER.

TONES

As stated earlier, Tones are a big part of the Chinese language because Chinese is basically a monosyllabic language and tones give those syllables a wider range.

For most South African Chinese, these tones have been experienced in the home environment but for the benefit of those without that experience and to emphasize certain differences in the Mandarin dialect, these videos would be useful. An audio example is the best, as reading does not quite fully communicate the ideas.

CONSONANTS:

http://youtu.be/EQAzioCGWdo

CONSONANTS2:

http://youtu.be/NMUoZjVweVY

VOWELS(1)

http://youtu.be/0Yav6Gs_lFA

COMPOUND VOWELS(2)

http://youtu.be/peqJQQl6_fU

AS XIAO QIAN SAYS – DON’T SWEAT A LOT OF IT – IT’S MOSTLY CONTEXTUAL ANYWAY!!!  IN CONVERSATION, IT BECOMES RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AS REGARDS TO 3 RD TONES. AND NEUTRAL TONES (QING SHENG) AS IN:

TONES:

http://youtu.be/HICMfXS-WnA

LINKING TONES:

http://youtu.be/lOBBjKTntnA

http://www.seemile.com/renewal/package_list.jsp?pkg_no=27

MANDARIN MULTIMEDIA CRASH COURSE

This is an EXCELLENT Website that gives a CRASH-COURSE of Mandarin in multimedia format.

Highly recommended for a rapid refresher or business/tourist traveler needing a fast introduction to practical Mandarin with the essentials of Theory.

(Eye Candy too!!)

http://www.seemile.com/renewal/package_list.jsp?pkg_no=27

CHINESE SYLLABLES

Whereas a MORPHEME is the smallest meaningful unit in the grammar of a language, a SYLLABLE is a unit of organization for a sequence of  sounds, and without necessarily a specific meaning.

 Each Chinese character is spoken as one syllable. Chinese words are made up of one, two or more characters and hence one, two or more syllables.* Each syllable is either a ‘final’ or an ‘initial’ followed by a ‘final’.

There are only 413 syllables in common use, which represent thousands of Chinese characters. See below for an instant reference between the pinyin (left) and intuitive English pronunciation (right) for each syllable. The pronunciation for pinyin doesn’t usually vary with tone, so tone markers are unnecessary. There are 4 exceptions however. When pinyin de, ge, ne and zi have tones 1 to 4 they are pronounced “der”, “ger”, “ner” and “dzrr” respectively, but when they have a light tone (tone 5) they are pronounced “duh” “guh”, “nuh” and “”dzuh” respectively.

a	ah
ai	eye
an	an
ang	ung
ao	aoww
ba	bah
bai	buy
ban	ban
bang	bung
bao	baoww
bei	bay
ben	bnn
beng	bnng
bi	bee
bian	byen
biao	byaoww
bie	byeah
bin	bin
bing	bing
bo	bor
bu	boo
ca	tsah
cai	tseye
can	tsan
cang	tsung
cao	tsaoww
ce	tser
cei	tsay
cen	tsnn
ceng	tsnng
cha	chah
chai	cheye
chan	chan
chang	chung
chao	chaoww
che	cher
chen	chnn
cheng	chnng
chi	chrr
chong	chong
chou	choh
chu	choo
chua	chwah
chuai	chwhy
chuan	chwan
chuang	chwung
chui	chway
chun	chwnn
chuo	chwor
ci	tsrr
cong	tsong
cou	tsoh
cu	tsoo
cuan	tswan
cui	tsway
cun	tswnn
cuo	tswor
da	dah
dai	deye
dan	dan
dang	dung
dao	daoww
de1-4	der
de5	duh
dei	day
den	dnn
deng	dnng
di	dee
dian	dyen
diao	dyaoww
die	dyeah
ding	ding
diu	dyoh
dong	dong
dou	doh
du	doo
duan	dwan
dui	dway
dun	dwnn
duo	dwor
e	er
ei	ay
en	nn
er	urr
fa	fah
fan	fan
fang	fung
fei	fay
fen	fnn
feng	fnng
fo	for
fou	foh
fu	foo
ga	gah
gai	geye
gan	gan
gang	gung
gao	gaoww
ge1-4	ger
ge5	guh
gei	gay
gen	gnn
geng	gnng
gong	gong
gou	go
gu	goo
gua	gwah
guai	gwhy
guan	gwan
guang	gwung
gui	gway
gun	gwnn
guo	gwor
ha	hah
hai	hi
han	han
hang	hung
hao	haoww
he	her
hei	hay
hen	hnn
heng	hnng
hm	hmm
hng	hng
hong	hong
hou	hoh
hu	hoo
hua	hwah
huai	hwhy
huan	hwan
huang	hwung
hui	hway
hun	hwnn
huo	hwor
ji	jee
jia	jyah
jian	jyen
jiang	jyang
jiao	jyaoww
jie	jyeah
jin	jin
jing	jing
jiong	jyong
jiu	jyoh
ju	jyoo
juan	jwen
jue	jwhere
jun	jwnn
ka	kah
kai	keye
kan	kan
kang	kung
kao	kaoww
ke	ker
kei	kay
ken	knn
keng	knng
kong	kong
kou	koh
ku	koo
kua	kwah
kuai	kwhy
kuan	kwan
kuang	kwung
kui	kway
kun	kwnn
kuo	kwor
lv	lyoo
la	lah
lai	leye
lan	lan
lang	lung
lao	laoww
le	ler
lve	lyouair
lei	lay
leng	lnng
li	lee
lia	lyah
lian	lyen
liang	lyang
liao	lyaoww
lie	lyeah
lin	lin
ling	ling
liu	lyoh
long	long
lou	loh
lu	loo
luan	lwan
lun	lwnn
luo	lwor
m	mm
ma	mah
mai	meye
man	man
mang	mung
mao	maoww
me	muh
mei	may
men	mnn
meng	mnng
mi	mee
mian	myen
miao	myaoww
mie	myeah
min	min
ming	ming
miu	myoo
mo	mor
mou	moh
mu	moo
n	nn
nv	nyoo
na	nah
nai	neye
nan	nan
nang	nanng
nao	naoww
ne1-4	ner
ne5	nuh
nve	nyouair
nei	nay
nen	nnn
neng	nung
ng	nng
ni	nee
nian	nyen
niang	nyang
niao	nyaoww
nie	nyeah
nin	neen
ning	ning
niu	nyoh
nong	nong
nou	noh
nu	noo
nuan	nwan
nuo	nwor
o	or
ou	oh
pa	pah
pai	peye
pan	pan
pang	pung
pao	paoww
pei	pay
pen	pnn
peng	pnng
pi	pee
pian	pyen
piao	pyaoww
pie	pyeah
pin	pin
ping	ping
po	por
pou	poh
pu	poo
qi	chee
qia	chyah
qian	chyan
qiang	chyang
qiao	chyaoww
qie	chyeah
qin	chin
qing	ching
qiong	chyong
qiu	chyoh
qu	chyoo
quan	chwen
que	chwhere
qun	chwnn
ran	ran
rang	rung
rao	raoww
re	rer
ren	rnn
reng	rnng
ri	rrr
rong	rong
rou	roh
ru	roo
rua	rwah
ruan	rwan
rui	rway
run	rwnn
ruo	rwor
sa	sah
sai	seye
san	san
sang	sung
sao	saoww
se	ser
sei	say
sen	snn
seng	snng
sha	shah
shai	sheye
shan	shan
shang	shung
shao	shaoww
she	sher
shei	shay
shen	shnn
sheng	shnng
shi	shrr
shou	shoh
shu	shoo
shua	shwah
shuai	shwhy
shuan	shwan
shuang	shwung
shui	shway
shun	shwnn
shuo	shwor
si	srr
song	song
sou	soh
su	soo
suan	swann
sui	sway
sun	swnn
suo	swor
ta	tah
tai	teye
tan	tan
tang	tung
tao	taoww
te	ter
teng	tnng
ti	tee
tian	tyen
tiao	tyaoww
tie	tyeah
ting	ting
tong	tong
tou	toh
tu	too
tuan	twan
tui	tway
tun	twnn
tuo	twor
wa	wah
wai	why
wan	wan
wang	wung
wei	way
wen	wnn
weng	wnng
wo	wor
wu	woo
xi	sshee
xia	sshyah
xian	sshyen
xiang	sshyang
xiao	sshyaoww
xie	sshyeah
xin	sshin
xing	sshing
xiong	sshyong
xiu	sshyoh
xu	sshyoo
xuan	sshywen
xue	sshyouair
xun	sshwnn
ya	yah
yan	yen
yang	yang
yao	yaoww
ye	yeah
yi	ee
yin	yin
ying	ying
yong	yong
you	yoh
yu	yoo
yuan	ywhen
yue	yhwere
yun	ywnn
za	dzah
zai	dzeye
zan	dzan
zang	dzung
zao	dzaoww
ze	dzer
zei	dzay
zen	dznn
zeng	dznng
zha	jar
zhai	jeye
zhan	jan
zhang	jung
zhao	jaoww
zhe	jer
zhei	jay
zhen	jnn
zheng	jnng
zhi	jrr
zhong	jong
zhou	joh
zhu	joo
zhua	jwah
zhuai	jwhy
zhuan	jwan
zhuang	jwung
zhui	jway
zhun	jwnn
zhuo	jwor
zi1–4	dzrr
zi5	dzuh
zong	dzong
zou	dzoh
zuan	dzwan
zui	dzway
zun	dzwnn
zuo	dzwor
zu	dzoo

HAKKA PHRASES – 2

HAKKA PHRASES – 1

A list of Hakka phrases.