#hsk 2

[zhuzhudushu]

2 Year Langblr Anniversary!

That's right, folks. I have been here terrorizing the Chinese langblr community for TWO YEARS!!!

So I thought I would do a little recap of all the things I've accomplished in that time <3 Lately, I have felt like my Chinese study has been dwindling, and just in the past 2 weeks I've revamped my study habits! I'm diving in with HSK 5 level vocab study, and hope to be more active here as well.

Without further ado, here's some quick stats from these past two lovely years on tumblr~

Tumblr Stats

Established: August 8, 2021

Followers: 1395

Total original posts: 160

Total notes: 6.6k

Most popular post: Mandarin LGBT Vocabulary

Most popular recurring topic: 聊天的词

Discord Stats

Established: Sept 2021

Members: 41

Click here to join! Open for all levels of learning and all backgrounds <3

My Studies

Tracked using hsklevel.com

Started studying June 2020

September 2021: 1090 words, HSK 3, TOCFL Novice 2

Today, August 2023: 7500, HSK 5, TOCFL Band B.1

Yoyo Chinese: Completed Beginner and Intermediate Courses; currently on Upper Intermediate Level 4

Most Used App: Tandem

Other Apps: HelloChinese, TOFU, Drops, Du Chinese, Duolingo

[meiyuchinese01]

HSK Level 1 & 2 Test

Are you considering learning Mandarin Chinese? Whether you’re planning a trip to China, interested in the culture, or aiming to boost your career prospects, mastering the basics of Chinese can be incredibly beneficial. The HSK Level 1 & 2 test is an excellent starting point for beginners. In this blog post, we’ll explore the significance of the HSK Level 1 & 2 test, its components, and valuable tips for excelling in these entry-level language assessments.

What is HSK? The HSK is a standardized test that evaluates the Chinese language proficiency of non-native speakers. Developed by the Hanban (Confucius Institute Headquarters), the test is widely recognized worldwide and serves as a benchmark for language learners. The HSK is divided into six levels, with Level 1 and Level 2 being the beginner stages.

HSK Level 1 The HSK Level 1 test targets learners who have mastered the most fundamental elements of the Chinese language. It assesses their ability to comprehend and use simple phrases and expressions in everyday situations. At this HSK Level 1, learners are expected to grasp about 150 commonly used words.

HSK Level 2 The HSK Level 2 test is the next step for learners who wish to expand their Chinese language skills. This HSK Level 2 evaluates learners’ capacity to communicate in uncomplicated, routine tasks requiring a basic and direct exchange of information. It covers an extended vocabulary of approximately 300 words.

Components of HSK Level 1 & 2 Test Listening Comprehension: The listening section evaluates your ability to understand and respond to basic spoken Chinese. You will listen to simple conversations and answer questions based on the information provided.

Reading Comprehension: In this section, you will read short texts and answer questions related to the content. The texts are designed to assess your understanding of basic vocabulary and sentence structures.

Writing (HSK Level 2 Only): Level 2 includes a writing component where you will be required to write simple sentences or short passages. This assesses your ability to express ideas in written form.

Tips for Acing HSK Level 1 & 2 Master Basic Vocabulary: Focus on learning and memorizing the vocabulary specific to each level. Flashcards and spaced repetition techniques can be helpful in retaining new words.

Practice Listening Regularly: Immerse yourself in Chinese audio materials like podcasts, videos, and language learning apps. Regular listening practice will improve your understanding of spoken Chinese.

Read Simple Texts: Read beginner-level Chinese texts to familiarize yourself with sentence structures and common phrases. Step by step challenge yourself with more complex materials as you progress.

Engage in Conversations: Practice speaking with native speakers or language partners. Engaging in conversations will boost your confidence and help you apply what you’ve learned in real-life scenarios.

Mock Tests: Take mock HSK Level 1 & 2 tests to simulate the actual exam experience. Mock tests will highlight areas that require improvement and boost your test-taking confidence.

Conclusion Embarking on your journey to learn Mandarin Chinese through the HSK Level 1 & 2 test is an exciting and rewarding endeavor. These entry-level tests provide a solid foundation for your language learning journey, allowing you to communicate effectively in basic everyday situations. Remember to stay consistent in your practice and be patient with yourself as you progress.

With dedication and determination, you will soon find yourself confidently navigating the Chinese language. Best of luck on your HSK Level 1 & 2 test, and may your language-learning adventure be both enjoyable and successful!

[gonfrees]

sometimes I miss who I used to be. I used to be a cool, wild person who would do anything you dared them to do. I would eat maybe once a day with no consequence for my energy levels. I'd smoke cigarettes every day and stay up late and wake up early and I would create. I would take risks, I'd do things for fun instead of taking care of myself. I was carefree and I mourn for all those cooler, more fun parts of me.

now I eat consistently. I try to take vitamins. I drink plenty of water in a day. If I don't get enough sleep or drink too much I'm starting to feel it. I haven't smoked in a year and a half (cigs, I still do weed). I'm not as spontaneous and I like to be at home a lot. Let myself be known and have a wonderful partner for the last 3 years. While I love and miss who I used to be and all the things I can do, I'm proud that I've started some healthier habits. I still have issues and need better habits but looking back I can say I've grown. I've gained weight which sometimes bothers me but I can look in the mirror and say that is a healthy body. She eats bad foods sometimes but she also tries to get her nutrients. Maybe one day I'll feel grown up. Loving yourself is hard and I think it's easy to romanticise who I used to be. Cool and didn't need anyone, but had a lot of friends I wasn't tryely open with. Growing up is weird, 25 is a weird age.

[incineraryperiphery]

living the dream (unfettered access to all the xianxia novels i could ever want and more)

[mwydyn]

god we've been meaning to start studying hsk 2 since january and we were finally going to start tonight over discord to make it easier to organise but one of us has the flu so can't be up for long enough

It's fine it's fine but like I do actually want to learn this before the next set of courses start in october so we can move on to hsk 3 then

[the-falconer]

So because language learning is an eternal struggle, here's some of my progress from this month and the things I've learned during the past 8 months

1. 70% listening, 30% vocab/grammar/writing

Studying a language is 70% listening practice and the other 30% is memorization. I picked up my Japanese studies this year after having watched anime for years, and I noticed that it's so much easier to make progress. I've internalized around 500-1 000 words and some basic grammar, so getting through N5/N4 was a breeze - in 2 weeks I achieved the same level that took me 3 months in Chinese. I can watch anime without subtitles and easily understand what they're saying (when did this happen? No idea!) because I understand the expressions and slang, all which would not be possible if I hadn't spent so much time with media.

I often have a hard time focusing on watching shows etc. because of how much of a critic I am, but it's the most important thing. Immerse yourself.

2. Reset your learning schedule if it gets too overwhelming

This is something I only learned this week, as I'd been stubbornly holding onto those 900+ word reviews waiting for me back in Ninchanese.

I've been at a standstill for the past 2-3 months after studying the radicals because of some personal responsibilities, and I never got around to learning any new vocab, I was just too busy trying to keep up with what I had learned previously.

But now I've reset my schedule, and I FINALLY feel like I'm making progress again. Sure, my memory might be hazy for the latter parts of HSK 4, but you know what to do about that? You immerse yourself with listening practice so that they will stick with you when you hear them be used IRL :)

[indigostudies]

a very incomplete list of cdramas (plus a few chinese films) i've watched and my rating for hsk proficiencies for them below the cut!

i've watched some shows that aren't included on this list, but i didn't watch enough of them to get a good sense for the level of challenge they pose, so they're omitted from the list. i've also included links to the mydramalist pages, if you want to get a sense of the plot.

i had to remove the list format, since tumblr decided i had too many characters per block of text, so i apologise for that. a number of these can be watched on youtube with english fansubs, but if you can't find something, you can always dm me and i'll get you a link!

沙海/tomb of the sea: this fits into the extended daomu biji/grave robbers' chronicles/lost tomb franchise, but you don't have to have seen the other shows or read the books to watch it, and the pov character is an outsider who also doesn't understand what's going on 90% of the time. this show is contemporary, and you could probably start watching it at a fairly low hsk level because it doesn't have a ton of complicated technical or genre-specific terms. the subbing in english decent, since it came out a while ago, but there are some errors that crop up with names and nicknames. if you wanted to watch it without subtitles, i'd say you could probably get the gist of what's being said at around an hsk 4 or hsk 5 level. it has 52 episodes, each around 45 minutes long. (mdl link)

双镜/couple of mirrors: set in the republican era, so some of the terms used are a bit outdated in terms of colloquialism, and it also has a mystery/detective element to it, so that could pose a bit of a struggle. that said, the show isn't actually too challenging in terms of vocab—i would say you could watch it without english subtitles at an hsk 3 level with some struggle, and with a fair amount of ease at hsk 4. 12 episodes, at 46 minutes each. (mdl link)

云泽传/legend of yunze: wuxia/xianxia, which makes the amount of unfamiliar terms higher if you aren't used to the genre, but the episodes are all very short, and the plot itself isn't overly complicated, which makes it easy to sit down and watch in one go. on a level of difficulty, as long as you're familiar with wuxia/xianxia terms, you could probably watch this at an hsk 2 level without too much issue, and the subbing in english is very thorough. has multiple seasons, but the first season is 12 episodes, between 3-7 minutes each. (mdl link)

神探/detective l: this is a procedural detective show, and it's set in the 1930s republican shanghai, so there's a combination of more formal/outdated language and specialised detective/case-related phrases. the english subs are decent, though, and the actors all enunciate clearly, which helps if you need to look up words. i would say this would probably be a bit of a struggle below the hsk 5 level, but you'll pick up a lot of new, crime-related phrases. 24 episodes, 40 minutes each. (mdl link)

不良执念清除师/oh no! here comes trouble!: i'll be honest, this one was a struggle for me because of the taiwanese accent. i can understand what they're saying, it just sounds like the auditory equivalent of someone coming into my house and moving everything a few centimetres to the left. this is also a procedural show, but contemporary, so not quite as challenging in terms of vocab to detective l, in my opinion..........but it's also got a heavy supernatural element, which does come with specific vocab. the subbing is good, but if you're going to watch it, this one probably requires a higher hsk level to keep up—hsk 5, at a minimum, in my opinion. 12 episodes, 52 minutes each. (mdl link)

s.c.i谜案集/sci mystery/sci: another contemporary procedural mystery show, but from the mainland, so there's no elements of supernatural. surprisingly simple vocabulary; you could watch this at an hsk 2 level and get the gist, and an hsk 3 or hsk 4 level would let you watch it just fine. has fairly good english subs, and i believe they set the show in hk, which accounts for the higher than usual amount of english usage, up to and including in dialogue. the only bit that might make it challenging is the heavy lean into the psychology, but it's all largely explained directly, since most of the characters aren't familiar with the terms either. 24 episodes, 45 minutes each. (mdl link)

成化十四年/sleuth of the ming dynasty: ming dynasty (mid 1400s, under the chenghua emperor) setting, but a fairly colloquial vocabulary. there are some specialised titles used, but those are fairly self-evident by the way the show is shot, and easy enough to look up. the english subs are good, and i would put this at an hsk 4 level—but even at an hsk 3 level you probably won't struggle too badly. my hangup here was, again, one of the leads being played by an actor with a taiwanese accent, though it's not too heavy. 48 episodes, 45 minutes each. (mdl link)

老九门/the mystic nine: dmbj prequel, set in the tail end of the republican era (1939, if i remember correctly?). has a lot of tomb- and tomb-robbing specific vocabulary, alongside the more dated modes of speech, so i would put this up at an hsk 5 or hsk 6 level, but there's decent subs, so you could watch it at lower levels, it would just be a bit of a challenge. 48 episodes, 42 minutes each. (mdl link)

猎罪图鉴/under the skin: contemporary procedural show; there's a lot of emotion- and motive-specific words used, and the fact that it's a procedural makes it a bit more challenging, in my opinion. i would recommend that don't start with this show, just because of the fact that it's pretty easy to get lost if you don't grasp some of the vocabulary. i'd put it at an hsk 6 level, but that said, the subs are good and you can watch it at an hsk 5 level with some effort, i think. 20 episodes, 45 minutes each. (mdl link)

春风沉醉的夜晚/spring fever: honestly not as challenging in terms of vocabulary as a lot of things on this list, and fairly contemporary (set in the 2000s). i would say if you're at an hsk 4 level, you will probably do alright with it. 116 minutes in total. (mdl link)

关于我和鬼变成家人的那件事/marry my dead body: another case of struggling to acclimate to the taiwanese accent; otherwise, not too complicated in terms of vocab, though there are some spirit/marriage-specific terms used. overall, though, i'd put this at an hsk 4 level as well. 130 minutes in total. (mdl link)

陈情令/the untamed: heavy on the wuxia/xianxia elements, so unless you're familiar with that, you might struggle a lot to get through it. this is a lot of peoples' entry into cdramas, though, so it's not utterly inaccessible, and has decent english subs. i would put this around an hsk 5, if you want to watch it without subs, though you'll probably still have to pause and look up some words here and there even then. 50 episodes, 45 minutes each, making it the longest on this list. (mdl link)

山河令/word of honour: arguably the hardest on this list, i would say, because it's so plot-heavy. i, as a native speaker, struggle to follow along with this for extended amounts of time because there's a combination of 1. a lot happening, 2. a lot of wuxia terms, and 3. a lot of references to literature/art/etc. i would put this up at an hsk 7 level, honestly. that said, the subs for this are very good. 36 official episodes with a 37th mini-episode, 45 minutes each for the regular ones. (mdl link)

天官赐福/heaven official's blessing: one of the easier shows on this list; i would put this at an hsk 3 or hsk 4 level; there's some words you probably won't know, but while it does fall under xianxia, it doesn't go into that as much in terms of vocabulary as cql/the untamed does. i believe both seasons have both official subbing and official dubbing into english available, but that's not how i watched it, and i've only seen the first season, which is 11 episodes and about 20 minutes per episode. (mal link)

致命游戏/the spirealm: not particularly challenging in terms of actual vocab, but as of yet, only the first few episodes are subbed, since it came out literally this month, and the other subs are all auto-generated and.............very lacking. that said, it's a contemporary setting, and i would put this at an hsk 5 level, give or take; there are some references to folklore, but the characters research and explain or deduce the explanations of what is happening as it occurs, and you aren't left to struggle to figure it out yourself. 78 episodes, but each one is a bit under 20 minutes long, so it actually isn't that much content in total. (mdl link)

[duskofastraeus]

Language Goals 2024

{Chinese (Mandarin)}

Go through the Peking University lectures from HSK1 to HSK4

Go through the HSK official textbooks from HSK2 to HSK4

Watch more Chinese dubs in order to better my listening comprehension

{French}

Go to France for a 2 week long French culture and language intensive course

Revise my B2 notes and start delving into C1 material

Read at least 5 books in French

{Spanish}

Revise my B1 and B2 material + exercises

Improve on my daily exposure to European Spanish

Read at least 5 books in Spanish

{Russian}

Recover my Russian by picking up B1 and B2 textbooks

Better my weekly exposure to Russian (audio and translations)

Read at least 2 books in Russian

{Italian}

Do my university exam and pass with a decent grade

Revision + exercises from B1-B2 level textbooks

Translate/read Italian everyday for 20 minutes

Improve my Italian exposure by listening to podcasts daily

{Latin}

Pick up Latin again (study on a weekly basis)

Finish the ‘Reading Latin: Grammar and exercises’ series

{Catalan}

Read ‘Complete Catalan’

Delve more into the history of the language

{Galician}

Read a Galician Grammar and Vocabulary textbook

Read ‘A companion to Galician Culture’

{Others…}

Read ‘Origen y Gramática del Romance Andalusí’ and delve more into the history of Mozarabic and dialects spoken during the Andalusian Period throughout different Iberian regions

Maybe start studying Greek or Ancient Greek… Highly depends on how my summer studying will be structured.

These are quite ambitious goals but I do hope to be able to at lest cover 70% of what is present within this list (depending upon my university’s workload…of course…).

[bunathebunny]

but i think that the whole "learning chinese is easier than japanese" thing that people say does have some merits...

when i prepped for kanji classes, i had to look up on the origins of the word too and often, it took me back to thivien :))

but we'll see when i get hsk 3

just thinking that if i had fixated in hongmao lantu in junior high and not a whole half a decade earlier i would have gone on to study chinese in university but i got involved with touken ranbu so now i graduated from japanese studies :)) and then i picked up chinese again just to read the source text and it's just one roundabout way to what my family wanted in the end huh

[anagatajavanese]

My japanese friend Shomi san has passed the HSK level 2 (Chinese Proficiency Test)

[zhuzhudushu]

歌词 & 生词 - Lyrics Vocabulary

One of my favorite artists has a new single, and like most of his music the lyrics are quite simple so I thought I would do a vocab list.

持修 [chí xiū] Chih Siou is a singer from Taiwan who is known for his feminine appearance, pop ballads, and loving chicken nuggets. Click here for his instagram!

生词 Vocab：( HSK 4 / HSK 5 / HSK 6 )

到底 / dào dǐ / in the end, finally

为了（為-） / wèi le / for the purpose of, in order to

宇宙 / yǔ zhòu / universe, cosmos, world

欲望（慾-） / yù wàng / desire, longing

驱使（趨勢） / qū shǐ / to urge, to order someone, to spur on

时空（時-） / shí kōng / time and space

伤口（傷-） / shāng kǒu / injury, cut

烂（爛） / làn / to rot, decompose

值得 / zhí de / to be worth, to deserve

留下 / liú xià / to remain, to leave behind

撑（撐） / chēng / to push, to stay, to support

真心 / zhēn xīn / wholeheartedness, sincerity "true heart"

逃避 / táo bì / to escape, to avoid

Here is his newest single with the lyrics below, translated by me! (warning: the video and lyrics are very sad)

没有我的那个宇宙 / A World Without Me

[in brackets are color-coded direct translations]

Please point out any errors!

VERSE 1 到底是为了什么活着 / dào dǐ shì wèi le shén me huó zhe [in the end is for what purpose living] In the end, what are you living for? 为什么我一定要赢呢 / wèi shén me wǒ yī dìng yào yíng ne [why i must going to win (filler particle)] Why must I win? 笑人们被欲望驱使着 / xiào rén men bèi yù wàng qū shǐ zhe [laugh people by desire controlling/urging] Laughing at people who're urged on/controlled by desire 虽然其实我也一样呢 / suī rán qí shí wǒ yě yī yàng ne [even though actually i (emphasis) the same (filler particle)] Even though, actually, I'm the same

VERSE 2 时间又过去了多久 / shí jiān yòu guò qù le duō jiǔ [time again pass (change in state particle) how much] How much time has passed? 伤口都烂掉了 / shāng kǒu dōu làn diào le [wounds all rot (change in state particle)] The wounds are rotting away 还要骗自己会更好吗 / hái yào piàn zì jǐ huì gèng hǎo ma [would lie oneself will be better (question particle)] Would lying to yourself be better? 还有什么是值得留下 / hái yǒu shén me shì zhí dé liú xià [still (have/there is) what is worth/deserve leaving behind] What do you still have that's worth leaving behind? (or) What else is worth leaving behind?

CHORUS 在没有我的那个宇宙 / zai méi yǒu wǒ de nà gè yǔ zhòu [in without me (particle) that (measure word) world] In a world that doesn't have me (or) in a world without me 会不会，会不会 比较好 / huì bù huì, huì bù huì bǐ jiào hǎo [would it, would it, in comparison/comparatively good ] Would it be, would it be better? 在没有我的那个时空 / zài méi yǒu wǒ de nà gè shí kōng [in without me (particle) that (measure word) time and space] In a time and space that doesn't have me (or) without me 会不会你得到 真正的快乐 / huì bù huì nǐ dé dào zhēn zhèng de kuài lè [would it, you to obtain genuine (particle) happiness] Would it be that you're able to reach true happiness?

VERSE 3 到底是为了什么撑着 / dào dǐ shì wèi le shén me chēng zhe [in the end is for what purpose push/stay/support] In the end, what are you holding on for? 为什么我不能逃避呢 / wèi shén me wǒ bù néng táo bì ne [why i can't escape (filler particle)] Why can't I escape? 笑人们找不到真心 / xiào rén men zhǎo bù dào zhēn xīn le [laugh people can't find sincerity] Laughing at people who can't find sincerity 虽然其实我也一样呢 / suī rán qí shí wǒ yě yī yàng ne [even though actually i (emphasis) the same (filler particle)] Even though, actually, I'm the same

Taglist: @blue-grama @burlgoat51-blog @hope-and-sleep @mycatmybaby @nighttime-study @potentiallypolyglot @zeesqueere

[meiyuchinese01]

Best Online HSK Course in India

In a world dominated by digital communication, mastering a second language is not just a skill; it’s a strategic advantage. Mandarin Chinese stands out as one of the most influential languages, and the HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) proficiency test is a key gateway for those seeking to navigate its intricacies. In this article, we delve into the online HSK landscape, exploring its nuances and providing valuable insights for aspirants.

Demystifying Online HSK: A Brief Overview The HSK, a standardized test for non-native Chinese speakers, assesses language proficiency across listening, reading, and writing. With the advent of online testing, aspirants can now take the HSK from the comfort of their homes, making it more accessible and convenient than ever before. The Advantages of Online HSK Flexibility: Online HSK allows test-takers to choose a time that suits their schedule, eliminating the constraints of traditional testing centers. Convenience: Say goodbye to commuting hassles. Online testing means you can undertake the HSK from anywhere with a reliable internet connection. Instant Results: Traditional tests often entail a waiting period for results. Online HSK provides instant feedback, enabling quicker progression in your language journey.

Navigating the Online HSK Portal Registration Process Getting started with online HSK is a straightforward process. Visit the official website, create an account, and choose your preferred test level. Ensure your internet connection and system meet the specified requirements to avoid technical glitches during the exam. Test Format Online HSK retains the structure of its offline counterpart, comprising listening, reading, and writing sections. Familiarize yourself with the format through practice tests available on the official website.

Preparation Strategies Online Resources: Leverage online platforms offering HSK preparation courses and practice materials. Mock Tests: Regularly take mock tests to simulate the actual exam environment and identify areas that need improvement. Language Exchange: Engage in language exchange programs to enhance your practical communication skills. Overcoming Challenges in Online HSK

Technical Considerations System Check: Run a thorough system check before the exam day to ensure your device meets the technical requirements. Internet Stability: Opt for a reliable and high-speed internet connection to avoid disruptions during the test.

Time Management Practice Time-bound Tasks: Hone your ability to complete tasks within the allocated time. This is crucial for all sections, especially the writing component. Simulate Exam Conditions: Create a study environment mirroring the actual test conditions to familiarize yourself with time constraints.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future of Language Proficiency Testing As we navigate the digital age, the online HSK emerges as a beacon for language enthusiasts. Its flexibility, accessibility, and instant feedback make it a valuable tool for anyone aspiring to master Mandarin Chinese. By understanding the intricacies of the online HSK and employing effective preparation strategies, you can confidently embark on your language journey.

[rigelmejo]

Why learning mandarin is not that hard, if you were considering studying it but scared (this post is partly joking, in that any language could be easier for you to learn than another, and it depends on the individual, so you may not find these aspects as easy or vice versa you might think another language's aspects i found hard were easier for you. Also, if you've studied or tried to study japanese then in particular these aspects compared are going to be more familiar)

1. You're scared to learn hanzi. There's 4000 you say. They look hard! Well some happy news: hanzi are made up of 214 radicals put together (like letters) to make 1 sound-meaning piece (so like how c a r are put together to mean CAR). The sound meaning piece is hanzi. Each hanzi usually has 1 pronunciation (compared to english which often pronounces syllables multiple ways). Each hanzi is like 1 syllable or word-part. Many hanzi are 1 radical that's related to it's pronunciation, and 1 radical roughly related to it's meaning. (With some exceptions, like with any language). Examples: 人 认 任 仁 仞 all have the person radical 人 "ren" (which looks like a diagonal line with a straight line down, when it's put on the side of hanzi), all of these hanzi are "ren" like the radical, with different meanings (which the other radical hints at). So 人 means person, since it's just the person radical. 认 means to know someone, and the meaning radical on the left is the smushed radical 言 that means speech. As you get used to seeing hanzi, you'll notice that you can often guess the rough pronunciation (at least enough to see 吧 ba and then later see 把 疤 靶 and guess that if you type "ba" you can look them up, since they all share 巴). You'll often be able to start guessing new words based on the meaning radical, and hanzi you already know. There's some hanzi which are just one radical, like 人 person, 女 woman. Many of these are like the 214 radicals, and the radicals are the main thing you'll need to memorize. I know 216 feels like a lot. But once you practice identifying those 214 radicals, new hanzi become much easier to remember because you can recognize how to make them and what information they might contain about meaning and pronunctiation. If you learn 手 shou is hand and it looks like 扌when it is a radical, then you can start figuring out 把 and 拉 may have something to do with hands or using them. Many verbs that people do, have the hand or foot radical. Here's a list of the radicals:

Most words are 2 hanzi put together (similar to english driveway, airport, steering wheel, cross walk, coffee cup, inter-nation-al, extra-terrest-rial) with the sound-meaning hanzi contributing to build a new word. There's some 1 hanzi words, like person 人. There's some 4 hanzi words and phrases. You'll learn hanzi and over time, that will result in learning or being able to guess MANY MORE WORDS beyond just the number of hanzi you've learned. If you learn 清 qing means clear, you'll see new words like 清晰(qingxi distinct, clear) 清楚 (qingchu be clear about/understand), 清除 (to clear away, eliminate), 清新 (pure and fresh, original), 清洁 (qingjie clean). If you guess "something to do literally or metaphorically with "clear" then you may figure out the words with 清 in a show or novel, if you know the other hanzi then you'll then learn to guess even more words.

Once you learn a few hanzi, it opens up the understanding of many words. Then as you learn more, the words you can guess expands a lot. You can rely on radicals in hanzi to help you guess what pinyin to type to look a hanzi up, and what general area a hanzi might relate to in its meaning (like the water radical 氵in 海 冰 池 indicating these hanzi may be related to water).

2. The grammar! Is it hard? Now this will depend on what you prefer. Mandarin has no conjugation. I hate conjugation. This means when you learn a word? You can recognize the word in all contexts. You don't need to learn several versions of "to run" in mandarin, it will always be pao 跑. There might be similar words, like in english dash/sprint/run etc. But you're not memorizing run/ran/running. You learn 跑, and you'll recognize it in the past, present, future, and with whoever is saying it. In contrast to say japanese where 分かります (わかります) 分かりました 分かった 分かるない 分かるなかった 分かりませんでした are all "understand" in different verb conjugations and levels of politeness. 明白 (understand mingbai) is the same whether its I understand 我明白, i understood 我明白了, 我会明白 (i will understand that... although id use liaojie or zhidao probably). In chinese you may use another word for tense, like english says "i will go/i have gone" and 会，要，了， 过 show up in those sentences. And there is 的 得 地 which have grammar functions. But there's no conjugation. The sentence order is also generally subject verb object, if you're an english speaker then the overall word order will be familiar and make it less of a hurdle to get used to other grammar differences. For me, the biggest hurdle (with japanese) was and still is the word order in sentences, and it's taken me years of practice to get familiar enough to interpret sentences i hear as i hear them. For me, french's biggest hurdle was conjugation (and still is if i have to write). So in those regards, mandarin can be quite approachable.

3. Tones! What can I say. There's a lot of good youtube videos that explain the 4 tones and neutral tone, tone sandhi (tone changes), and how tone pairs may be easier to study with. It is definitely new if you don't already know a tonal language. But it is also something you can practice listening to, and get better at hearing. It is something you can get used to recognizing in months, it may not take you years. There are hurdles with speaking, but people who learn english have to learn where to put the emphasis in pronuncing multi syllable words (along with learners of french and german and spanish). Practice, shadowing, and working on where you struggle, are part of it just like any language. I've found these pages very helpful: dong-chinese has a Pronunciation guide under Learn Pinyin, and if you go through it and do the practice tests it can help a lot with listening skills:

And this site Accent Lab has tone pair drills. I really like this exercise, as tone pair recognition helps a lot with recognizing words:

[mejomonster]

How did you learn Chinese, like did you use a specific program like Duolingo or did you take classes? How hard was it to read Priest's novels with where you were at in your language learning journey? I want to get back into learning (been wanting to since I watched The Untamed,) but I gave up about 8 months ago 😭

Hey ovo)/ so uh. That's a big question. I have a studyblr @rigelmejo so if you really want the full on journey lol its on there, steps i took and what I studied and progress and study tools I found and used and stuff I've linked for people.

For the shortest tip I can give you? Would be to check out the Heavenly Path site if you're interested in learning to read novels. You'll need to figure out your own way to study about 1000 common hanzi, basic grammar, and basic pronunciation (I link resources on rigelmejo), but after that point the Heavenly Path site has reading resources for graded reading, easier kids novels, easier manhua, webnovels by difficulty level, all the way up! So you can at that point just follow their recommendations and use reading tools they link (like Pleco and Readibu apps which I suggest you download asap - they include tools where you can click a chinese word when reading for translation and audio pronunciation and pinyin). So yeah at 1000 hanzi, just start reading from their suggestions! (Also consider downloading Bilibili Comics app as it has English and Chinese free manhua, so you can start reading manhua earlier, and youtube/viki.com learn mode and Any platforms with dual english/chinese subs and start trying to look up 1 word every 5 minutes or more as curious and practicing reading the chinese words in subs you've learned). I suggest you check out all pages on the Heavenly site, they link a ton of resources.

The short-ish version of what I did the first year I studied chinese? I fumbled a lot, read through an entire grammar guide summary in a few weeks here http://chinese-grammar.com/, watched some YouTube tone videos and went through a pronunciation guide here https://www.dong-chinese.com/learn/sounds/pinyin which took a week or two and I'd do it every few months, read through the book Learning Chinese Characters: (HSK Levels 1-3) A Revolutionary New Way to Learn the 800 Most Basic Chinese Characters by Tuttle publishing in about 2 months (I really liked their mnemonics to help me remember hanzi), started Ben Whatley memrise decks 1000 Chinese common words and 2000 common words (took about 2 weeks to finish one then I took a few months break then studied the other 1000, mainly focusing on studying new words and not reviewing until the last week if I had time - in retrospect I think learners would do better with the Chinese Spoonfed Anki deck but the memrise courses I used worked fine for me). I was watching cdramas as usual most weeks, English subs with the Chinese hardsubs on the video file like most youtube cdramas, with Google Translate app on my phone to look up a word every several minutes as curious. Once I was 3ish months in and learning the memrise Ben Whatley 2000 common chinese words, I read some Mandarin Companion graded readers in Pleco app then some more 300-600 word graded readers in Pleco. That gets me to like month 6ish. Then I started reading manhua and looking up words in pleco or Google translate when I needed to in order to grasp main idea overall (or was curious about a particular word). Kept reading graded readers in pleco.

Around month 8 I tried 天涯客 and 镇魂, both brutally hard. I was reading in Pleco in the Clipboard Reader (from websites) or the Reader tool (i bought it for like $20 dollars along with handwriting recognition, OCR, and expanded dictionaries). Mandarinspot.com has a good reading tool too that can add pinyin if you need it, and Readibu in some ways i prefer to Pleco depending on your particular reading needs on a given day. Tried a few easier webnovels, tried a pingxie fanfic 寒舍 which was hard but easier than priest novels (love that fanfic). I kept bouncing between webnovels then around month 10 天涯客 novels took about 1.5 hours to read through a chapter. At that point I brute force tried to read it or 寒舍 daily with 1 chapter a day, got 28 chapters in before i burned out with 天涯客 and 60ish chapters into 寒舍. It was about a year in. I cram studied 500 hanzi in some common hanzi deck with mnemonics I found on anki over a month, hoping if I improved vocab I'd read easier. I also was gradually trying to watch more cdrama with only chinese subs, around month 6 I finally watched Granting You a Dreamlike life full episodes with no eng subs (about 5-10 word lookups an episode), watched 15ish eps, then after that shows got less daunting to try watching.

A little over a year in Word of Honor came out and I watched it in chinese first because I was too impatient for eng subs. After that went decently I got braver about reading, tried Listening Reading Method (see @rigelmejo for those experiments), more stuff etc like extensive reading with no word lookups.

In retrospect I WISH I'd started with easier novels Heavenly Path recommended. However on the other hand? I've seen people who read their first cnovel with Pleco as early as 3-6 months in which blows my mind. So me picking hard novels to start isn't the Hardest thing in comparison lol. This past year (so at start of year 3 studying lol) I actually read like 10 things on Heavenly Paths easier recommendations and it helped immensely in filling in gaps in vocab and reading fluidity I had. So if you do pick a priest novel as your first novel and manage to chug through it without giving up, be aware "easier" novels may still have stuff you can learn later so don't rule them out as reading materials later on.

I've also seen people do literally no study except maybe some curious Google searches on hanzi or grammar or pronunciation, then brute force read novels in Readibu until they improved. A brutal way to do it but possible. (I really recommend at minimum learning hanzi are made of radicals though as it makes recognizing and remembering them so much easier).

I think the best thing I did for learning to read was just being Brave and Trying to read regularly. And it gradually got less hard.

[slavic-roots-western-mind]

The online HSK(K) 4 exam

Today I wrote my HSK4 and HSKK 4 exams, which as it turns out are 2 separate exams with 2 separate certificates and doing badly on one of them doesn't affect the other ones score as I'm told.

Since I was left feeling absolutely out of my depth in the beginning, I decided to write about my experience with doing the HSK(K) 4 exams online!

There were a few options for the exam formats. Do note that these formats may not be available everywhere depending on the region and the availability of the exam centres.

Paper-based: Your usual end-of-year or midterm exam format. Pen and paper, nothing particulary out of the ordinary. This type has its own pros and cons, as you have to know your characters really well, especially for the more advanced levels.

Online onsite. You go to a specific exam location, which is usually at a university or a language learning centre, where you sit at a computer and do the timed exam using special software.

Online at home. As far as I know its the same as option 2, expect you do it at home.

Nothing too surprising? Wait until you get to the online HSKK part.

The HSKK

I did the online onsite format, but I naively assumed that the exam would be with an actual in-person examiner.

Little did I know that it would also be online, and that I would have to speak my answers into the computers microphone. It wasn't too bad at the beginning, but then when we had to prepare for the individual answers it was chaos.

And not the good kind.

Trying to say my answer into the microphone in a room full of other people also trying to do the same thing, with my microphone also picking up other people's answers and me being totally thrown off and struggling to gather my thoughts led me to this conclusion within the first 5 minutes of this exam: I am so not passing this.

It is what it is, and once I get my results back (in 60-90 days apparently???) I can try to figure out what to do next. In the mean time I'll be focusing on my chinese studies and see about picking up another skill while I'm here.

If anyone also did their HSK(K) exams recently, what was it like for you?

[sinni-ok-sessi]

accountability-posting, week 2!

this week, I kept on with the grammar book and read the chapters on adjectives and adverbs. Who would have thought there were so many things to say about adverbs? Nice to learn that there's more to go on than 'just vibes idk' when using 就 and 才, so that's hopefully my main learning point for the week.

Read another two chapters of 'romance of the three kingdoms for people who only know 600 characters', which, it's amazing how much better at reading you get if you actually do it regularly, who'd have thought. I feel like the du chinese adaptors want me to poor little meowmeow cao cao (he's so sad about his dad's death, but maybe doing some murder will make him feel better), but I refuse

During the week, I've been plodding along with my skritter cards, trying to learn a few from the hsk 5 deck or one of the chengyu decks each day. Down to <200 cards for the NiF manhua now!! Admittedly that's the course that's only half the vocab from vol.1 but...little steps. Maybe I will get round to reading vol.2 one of these days.