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panlives Inner circle 2087 Posts |
"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes. |
gdw Inner circle 4884 Posts |
Kinda makes me interested in learning it. Sounds similar to mem deck work. The first part is the hardest.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
I won't forget you Robert. |
critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
Groovy. Now try and learn all of the characters.
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
EsnRedshirt Special user Newark, CA 895 Posts |
Hmm. Read the footnotes. He admits he's lying. Plus it's an ad.
Mandrin is tough to the untrained ear because it's tonal. One word has five different meanings depending on tone. If you haven't grew up around it, it's really tough to hear the differences- be careful or you'll call your Chinese mother-in-law a horse.
Self-proclaimed Jack-of-all-trades and google expert*.
* = Take any advice from this person with a grain of salt. |
balducci Loyal user Canada 227 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-03-24 16:37, EsnRedshirt wrote: I don't know that he is lying. As he says, he is oversimplifying and exaggerating a bit for comic effect and in order to make a point. I think his overall point remains, that Mandarin is relatively easy to learn. Of course, that's just HIS opinion. But, you are correct, he does have something to sell. I have to tell you, though, my nephew and his wife have both learned Mandarin. Both picked it up fairly quickly. Mind you, I am not claiming that either one sounds like a native speaker. But they have traveled and been able to make use of it.
Make America Great Again! - Trump in 2020 ... "We're a capitalistic society. I go into business, I don't make it, I go bankrupt. They're not going to bail me out. I've been on welfare and food stamps. Did anyone help me? No." - Craig T. Nelson, actor.
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critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
I took a course in Standardized Chinese, which is a form of Mandarin, a few years ago at the community college. I did not do so well.
Learning to speak with the tones wasn't too bad, but hearing the tones in a native conversation is hard as ****. And then there's the alphabet. There are hundreds of characters just in common usage alone, and thousands more that aren't so common. And then there's different ways to write each one. My teacher said that's why the illiteracy rate is so high in China. I actually think I know more Thai right now than I do Mandarin, and I don't know much Thai.
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
EsnRedshirt Special user Newark, CA 895 Posts |
My wife speaks Cantonese "like a child" (her phrase in Cantonese.) She understands Mandrin, because her mother speaks it, but can't speak it herself.
Self-proclaimed Jack-of-all-trades and google expert*.
* = Take any advice from this person with a grain of salt. |
Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
The Mandarin Language
What a disappointment I thought that this thread was all about how incredibly easy Mandarin cooking is to learn. Man I was ready to get out my wok, and Ginsu knives.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
Dan Bernier Inner circle Canada 2298 Posts |
Al, here is a interresting fact about Ginsu knives.
The knives were first manufactured in the 1950s in Fremont, Ohio, by the Douglas Quikut Division of Scott Fetzer. In 1978, they were marketed on television as Ginsu knives by Ed Valenti and Barry Becher. The name was made up and had nothing to do with Japan or Ginsu swords. The manufacturing company is now owned by Wall Street mogul Warren Buffet.
"If you're going to walk in the rain, don't complain about getting wet!"
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Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
Dan
It's hockey season, and I'll be talking to you during the playoff's FYI Dan I now pay 99 cents to itunes for all of my music.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
abc Inner circle South African in Taiwan 1081 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-03-24 16:37, EsnRedshirt wrote: Not entirely true. Wha we perceive as one sound "ma" for example has five different tones and they represent a lot more than just five different words. The context is important. Ma (which could be horse, mother, question particle and more) has at least 20 characters with that pronunciation if you don't count the tones but at least 3 each if you do count the tones. How do you know the difference? Through context. If you ask a question and put the question particle "ma" at the end and mispronounce it, no-one would even notice. If you stop worrying about the pronunciation then Mandarin is actually very easy to learn. Now Cantonese, that is something else. |
Dan Bernier Inner circle Canada 2298 Posts |
I look forward to conversing with you during the playoffs as well Al!
I have Frostwire. I learned how to not share my downloads which makes it entirely legal for me here in Canada.
"If you're going to walk in the rain, don't complain about getting wet!"
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Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
The pundits say to learn Mandarin to succeed in tomorrows business world. Also I have a collection of Chinese films. However, since I completely reject tomorrow and embrace the past with which I'm obsessed, I'm learning Italian instead. ciao.
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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MickeyPainless Inner circle California 6065 Posts |
I love their oranges!
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critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
I think Cantonese food is better
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
MickeyPainless Inner circle California 6065 Posts |
I'm a fan of Panda Express!
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critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
They do have the awesome orange chicken...
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
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