Have you just started learning Chinese? Wondering if you’re making common beginner mistakes?
Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll list the 10 most common mistakes Chinese beginners make and provide tips to avoid them.
Breaking bad habits is tough, so getting it right from the start is important. This way, you’ll learn more efficiently and be on your way to fluency soon.
Neglecting Chinese Tones
Chinese is a tonal language, meaning the pitch or intonation used when pronouncing a word can change its meaning entirely.
Beginners often overlook the importance of tones, leading to misunderstandings. For example, the syllable “ma” can have different meanings depending on its tone:
- 妈 (mā) – First tone, meaning “mother.”
- 麻 (má) – Second tone, meaning “hemp.”
- 马 (mǎ) – Third tone, meaning “horse.”
- 骂 (mà) – Fourth tone, meaning “to scold.”
As you can see, using the wrong tone can result in saying something completely different from what you intend.
Tips:
To get comfortable with tones, you can exaggerate Chinese words when saying them aloud. Practice tone pairs, which involve pronouncing two-syllable words with various tone combinations. This helps you become more comfortable switching between tones.
Being Too Ambitious with Learning New Words
We all know vocabulary is the foundation of a language.
However, learning too many new words at once is not an efficient way to acquire vocabulary.
On average, most people aim to learn 15-20 words when learning a foreign language. However, for Chinese, 7-10 words per session is more reasonable for most beginners, especially if you’re studying on your own.
Setting overly ambitious goals, like learning 30 or 40 new words every day, is not sustainable. You’ll likely forget them eventually, as cramming too many words overwhelms your memory.
Tips:
Use active learning techniques to retain and use new words effectively. Create vocabulary flashcards and use spaced repetition to review them regularly. Mnemonics can help you recall words better. Form sentences with new words to understand how they are used in context.
Spending Too Little Time on Listening Practice
Listening is a crucial skill in language learning, yet many beginners spend too little time on it. Without adequate listening practice, it’s challenging to understand native speakers, pick up on nuances, and develop good listening comprehension.
To improve your listening skills, it’s important to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Listen to Chinese podcasts or songs, and try to converse with native speakers. Even just 10 to 15 minutes a day does wonders!
Tips:
Start with simple, slow-paced audio materials and gradually move to more complex and faster ones. Resources like audio storybooks, especially those designed for children, can be a good starting point. Practice active listening by repeating phrases and mimicking the speaker’s intonation and rhythm.
Not Building a Basic Understanding of Character Composition
For beginners, it’s understandable not to focus on recognizing Chinese characters at the very early stages of learning.
However, you can spare 10 to 15 minutes daily to start understanding character composition, which is fundamental for reading and writing.
Many beginners skip this step, making it harder to remember and recognize characters later on.
The characters you choose to learn can come from the vocabulary you’ve already studied. Alternatively, you can start with the easiest characters, such as 一 (one), 二 (two), and 三 (three), which have very few strokes.
Chinese characters are composed of radicals, which often give clues about the character’s meaning. By learning the common radicals and other components, you can significantly improve your ability to guess the meanings of unfamiliar characters and remember them more easily.
Tips:
Study the most common radicals and practice recognizing them within different characters. Use flashcards and writing practice to reinforce your memory. Additionally, you can break down complex characters into their component parts to make them more manageable for you to memorize.
Neglecting Chinese Measure Words
Chinese measure words, also known as classifiers, are essential to the language many beginners overlook.
Unlike English, where we simply say “a person” or “three books,” Chinese often requires a measure word to be used between the number and the noun, such as 一個人/一个人 (yī ge rén) for “a person” or 三本書/三本书 (sān běn shū) for “three books.”
Neglecting measure words can lead to confusion, as the correct use of these words is crucial for proper sentence structure and meaning. Each noun typically has one or more associated measure words, and using the wrong one can sound awkward or incorrect.
For instance, 個/个 (ge) is a common measure word used for many nouns, but there are many others that are more specific, like 本 (běn) for books, 張/张 (zhāng) for flat objects like paper or tickets, etc.
Tips:
Start by learning the most common measure words and their associated nouns. Practice using them in sentences to get used to the correct structure. Flashcards can be helpful for memorizing measure words and their corresponding nouns. Additionally, pay attention to how native speakers use measure words in conversation and try to mimic their usage.
Using 和 for “And” All the Time
Many beginners make the mistake of using 和 (hé) for “and” in all contexts. While 和 does mean “and,” its usage is more specific and limited than the English word “and.”
In Chinese, 和 is primarily used to link nouns. For example:
- 我和你 (wǒ hé nǐ) – Me and you
- 汽水和果汁 (qìshuǐ hé guǒzhī) – soda and juice
Therefore, 和 should not be used to link verbs, clauses, or adjectives. Using 和 incorrectly can make your sentences sound awkward and unnatural.
Tips:
Pay attention to how native speakers use different conjunctions in various contexts. Practice creating sentences that use 和 correctly for linking nouns and explore other conjunctions for different types of connections. Reading and listening to Chinese content will also help you understand the proper usage of 和 and other conjunctions.
Using 是 to Link Nouns and Adjectives
Another common grammatical mistake beginners make is using 是 (shì; am/are/is) to link nouns and adjectives in Chinese, mimicking the structure of English sentences.
For example, instead of saying:
- 他是高 (tā shì; gāo) – He is tall (incorrect)
Literally, he is tall.
You should say:
- 他很高 (tā hěn gāo) – He is tall (correct)
Literally, he very tall.
So, when it comes to linking a noun (e.g., he) to an adjective (e.g., tall), what you need is 很 (hěn) in between, not 是. In this context, 很 (very) has no meaning as it’s mainly a function word.
Tips:
Practice forming sentences with adjectives without using 是. Listen to native speakers and read Chinese texts to get a feel for natural sentence structures. Create flashcards with example sentences to reinforce the correct usage.
Placing Time Words Incorrectly
In Chinese, time words usually come at the beginning of the sentence or before the verb, which is different from English. Beginners often place time words incorrectly, leading to confusion.
For example, instead of saying:
- 我上班每天 (wǒ shàngbān měitiān) – I go to work every day (incorrect)
Literally, I go to work every day
You should say:
- 每天我上班 (měitiān wǒ shàngbān) – Every day I go to work (correct)
Literally, every day I go to work.
Or
- 我每天上班 (wǒ měitiān shàngbān) – I go to work every day (correct)
Literally, I every day go to work.
Tips:
Practice constructing sentences with time words and place them at the beginning or before the verb. Pay attention to the sentence structure in Chinese texts when time words are involved. Flashcards with time expressions and example sentences can be helpful.
Translating Multiple Time Words in the Wrong Order
Another common mistake beginners make is translating multiple-time words directly from their native language into Chinese, resulting in incorrect word order.
In Chinese, the correct order should be the larger time unit preceding the smaller one, such as year before month, month before day, etc.
For example, instead of saying:
- 星期一，十五日七月，二零二四年 (Xīngqīyī, qīyuè shíwǔ rì, èrlíngèrsì nián) – Monday, 15th July 2024
Literally, Monday, 15th July, 2024
You should say:
- 二零二四年，七月十五日，星期一 (èrlíngèrsì nián, qīyuè shíwǔ rì, xīngqīyī) – Monday, 15th July 2024
Literally, 2024, July 15th, Monday
Tips:
Search online for authentic Chinese materials that involve time expressions, such as Chinese calendars, journals, or event leaflets. Pay attention to the order of dates in these materials and practice forming your own examples using the correct order.
Not Practicing Regularly
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, is the need for consistent practice. It is key to language learning, yet many beginners fail to practice regularly, leading to slower progress and forgetting what they’ve learned.
Regular, short practice sessions are more effective than occasional long ones. Additionally, interacting with native speakers, either offline or online, can increase your familiarity with speaking and listening in real-life situations.
Tips:
Set a daily study routine, even if it’s just 10-15 minutes. You can use language learning apps to stay engaged and track your progress. Incorporate different activities like listening, speaking, reading, and writing to keep your practice varied and interesting.
Learning Chinese can be a rewarding yet challenging journey. By being aware of these common mistakes and actively working to avoid them, you can set yourself up for success. Remember, consistency and practice are key. Embrace the process, stay patient, and enjoy the progress you make each day. With time and effort, you’ll find yourself becoming more fluent and confident in your Chinese language skills.
