learning fundamentals

All posts tagged learning fundamentals

Writing Chinese characters: The purpose

Ninchanese February 28, 2020

I think at one point everyone who starts learning Chinese asks themselves the same questions about writing Chinese:

Do I need to learn to write Chinese characters?
When is the best time to begin with them?
Where do you start?
How do you write Chinese characters? Are there any rules?

With this article, I want to share a bit of my experience in writing characters and maybe a helpful additional way of learning Chinese. To be clear, I’m not talking about the art of Chinese Calligraphy but just casual hand-writing. Handwritten Chinese with a pen a piece of paper.

Advanced, Beginner, Chinese learning tips, Ninchanese, Vocabulary chinese, Chinese characters, Chinese learning, chinese words, learning fundamentals, vocabulary, writing chinese

World HSK 5: An Epic world for Epic Chinese learning

Ninchanese September 13, 2018

The HSK 5 world is now complete! The Nincha Team has been working tremendously to create and offer you a complete and interactive course to learn Chinese at an advanced level.

Advanced, Chinese learning tips, Ninchanese, Popular advanced chinese, beta, grammar, learn Chinese, learning fundamentals, listening skills, speak Chinese, speaking skills, vocabulary

Phonetic Components: The Secret Trick to Guessing the Pronunciation of Chinese Characters

Ninchanese June 29, 2016

How do the Chinese read aloud unknown characters? That’s something we’ve all wondered once. What if we told you there was a trick that could help you guess the pronunciation of any character you run into? Read on to unlock the secret to pronouncing 80% of all Chinese characters: phonetic components and you’ll be able to pronounce any Chinese character you meet, whether it’s on a street sign or on a restaurant menu!

Advanced, Beginner, Chinese learning tips, Intermediate Chinese character components, Chinese characters, Chinese learning, learn Chinese, learning fundamentals

The Best Free Chinese Dictionaries For Learners

Ninchanese May 26, 2016

Are you looking for good modern Chinese dictionaries to complete your Chinese learning? Then, you’ve come to the right place! From online dictionaries to dictionary applications, we’ve reviewed 8 Chinese dictionaries to help you choose the one that will suit you the best. So, without further ado, here’s our selection of the best free online Chinese dictionaries available!

Advanced, Beginner, Chinese learning tips, Intermediate chinese, Chinese dictionaries, Chinese expressions, Chinese learning, learn Chinese, learning, learning fundamentals, vocabulary

How Many Chinese Characters Do I Need To Learn?

Ninchanese May 24, 2016

How many Chinese characters do I need to learn? You may have wondered that when starting Mandarin, as many many learners do when embarking on the wonderful journey that is learning Chinese. Read on to know the answers to these essential questions and all about Chinese characters. Besides learning how many characters there are in Chinese, you’ll see how many the average Chinese knows and how much you need to learn to reach conversational fluency in Chinese!

Beginner, Chinese learning tips, Ninchanese chinese, Chinese characters, Chinese learning, chinese words, learn Chinese, learning, learning fundamentals, speak Chinese

How to Use Practical Words Like 和 and 还有 to Order All You Want in Chinese

Ninchanese May 3, 2016

Do you like your coffee better with milk or sugar? That’s definitely something you want the waiter to be aware of when having a drink in a Chinese coffeeshop! Let’s learn about the best Chinese expressions to say “I’ll have a… with that”.

Beginner, Expressions, Intermediate, Vocabulary Chinese expressions, Chinese learning, learn Chinese, learning, learning fundamentals, vocabulary

How to say thank you in Chinese: 4 Ways to Show Your Gratitude

Ninchanese March 31, 2016

Saying thank you in Chinese is as essential as saying hello in everyday life and is a must-know in your Survival Chinese toolkit. Whether you’re traveling to China or living in China, thank you in Chinese is a basic word you’ll find yourself using all the time.

As you know, being polite and thankful towards people will always bring you good things, especially if you make the effort to say them in their native language. Try these expressions to see!

Beginner, Chinese learning tips, Expressions, Intermediate, Vocabulary chinese culture, Chinese learning, easy chinese, learn Chinese, learning fundamentals, tips, vocabulary

How to Say OK Like a Real Chinese

Ninchanese March 22, 2016

OK is the most used word all over the world. In addition to the ubiquitous OK, each country has their own specific ways of showing agreement. China is no different. It has in fact many ways to show agreement and consent. As a beginner learning Chinese, not only should you know how to say “yes” but you also need to know various ways of saying “OK, I agree…” to show your enthusiasm when you understand or accept something, don’t you think? So, let’s learn how to say OK in Mandarin so you can impress the Chinese with your speaking skills!

Beginner, Chinese learning tips Chinese expressions, Chinese learning, learn Chinese, learning fundamentals, modern chinese, slang, speak Chinese, vocabulary

20 fundamental Chinese phrases you need to know

Ninchanese March 4, 2016

First time going to China? Lucky you! You’re going to have such an amazing time there! What? You’re excited but a little worried because you don’t know many useful Chinese phrases? You know how to say 你好 nǐhǎo hello, 谢谢 xièxie thank you, 不客气 búkèqi you're welcome, and 请 qǐng please in Mandarin Chinese, but these don’t seem enough? If you have some time before you go, we suggest you learn Chinese a little more (we know a great place). No time, you’re leaving next week? Worry not; we’ve got your back. We’ve prepared 20 survival sentences that you’ll find yourself using all the time in China! This Mandarin survival kit has everything you need to face anything. Learn these 20 phrases and know that, whatever happens, you’ll be ready to deal with it! Ready?

Beginner, Chinese learning tips, Expressions, Intermediate, Vocabulary Chinese learning, chinese phrases, learn Chinese, learning fundamentals, speak Chinese, tips

Spaced repetition: Use it and learn Chinese for good

Ninchanese November 2, 2012

Turning information into lasting knowledge is a science. Really remembering something is a science. And like any science, it requires great tools. One of the most effective memorization methods and tools? Spaced repetition. So much in fact that spaced repetition will absolutely be part of the Ninchanese learning experience. Here’s why we love it.

“People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.”

Samuel Johnson, an 18th century English essayist, pinpointed this important fact early on: a key to long term memory retention is being reminded.

Advanced, Beginner, Chinese learning tips, Intermediate, Vocabulary active learning, active recall, learn Chinese, learning fundamentals, long-term retention, memory, spaced repetition