Website to learn the basics of Chinese?

Hi, so I’m heading off solo through China and I’d like to stay for a good while (about a year—do you think that’d be enough to pick up a bit of the language???). I’d love to know if there’s a website, or if someone can help me live, that teaches the basics: to understand the alphabet and characters. to understand how a sentence is formed. just the super simple basics, really. Thanks for your help! ^o^

PS: My goal is to speak a tiny bit—not to write or anything—but still be able to read a little too...

Hey APINEL, there are tons of sites out there! I’ve been learning Chinese for a few months now, and I’d still recommend taking at least a few private lessons to really grasp the different tones—Chinese is a tonal language, after all. http://parlezchinois.free.fr http://apprendrechinois.free.fr/index.php http://www.chine-nouvelle.com/...ls/dictionnaire.html http://www.t3fb.com/...pagecadrechinois.htm http://www.chinoisabc.com/

great work!!!!

Thanks, I’m thinking of taking a few Chinese classes once I arrive in the country to pick up the nuances and get a solid foundation. But I’d still like to leave with at least a *minimum*—just the very basics—of knowledge. THANKS, then. Ciao

You can also check out the Tongo Asia video podcast. The videos are available on YouTube and Dailymotion. It’s not as professional as ChinesePod (which they seem to be inspired by—it’s in English, really good but paid). But it’s honestly pretty decent. The online comments from users are positive, at any rate.

If you understand English, the first 10 lessons of ChinesePod are free.

I read that you’re planning to stay in China for a year. As a tourist?

Tongo Asia is really great, it's true!

The Tongo Asia site (phone-based language assistance service) has disappeared. The videos, however, are still online.

my tip is to really master the tones, especially when combining them, as well as the different sounds because learning vocabulary is useless if people can't understand what you're saying.

if you have an iPhone or Android, there are some really interesting apps

Okay, so I’m planning to stay for about a year as a tourist and also to work a bit (I’m in environmental science, ecology, and agronomy) and to learn the language a little. But I don’t know what’s required to stay that long (probably leaving the country after 4 or 6 months, like everywhere else...?).

Thanks, I’ll check out the videos and try to understand the nuances of the "accents"

Hi,

Practice your tones on Chinese words (like pinyin, for example)—the syllables are pronounced in a specific way too. You’ve got this site: http://www.chine-informations.com/chinois/dictionnaire/ that works as a dictionary and gives you word pronunciations among other things :)

Oh yeah, thanks, that's cool when there's pronunciation for the words because it's a real pain otherwise =P I'm heading there right now ^o^ Thanks

You can also try:

http://fr.cntv.cn/program/lechinois/20100531/100384.shtml

then

http://cctv.cntv.cn/...envoyage/index.shtml

The shows are also broadcast on the channel, which is free.

Great info, thanks so much!! Really well done, super rich content and discovery of tourist spots!!

Thanks! =D Cool!

Regarding books, I think the one in the Bescherelle collection (Hatier), *Le chinois pour tous* by Joël Bellansen, is really nice, inexpensive, and not heavy! 🙂🙂

Hey everyone, thanks to you I came across this little video—it’s pretty dry and basic, but quite thorough just for the pure fundamentals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbl7e8WR85c&feature=related I wanted to get the opinion of those in the know: can I also rely on this?? Thanks A+

Yes, that's correct, except for "yes" and "no" because those two words don't exist in Chinese. "Bu" and "shi" correspond to incorrect answers, although "bu" might still be understood.

To simplify, if you ask, "Do you have a girlfriend?" ("你有女朋友吗?" / "Nǐ yǒu nǚpéngyou ma?"), you'll get answers like "I have" or "I don't have" ("有" / "yǒu" or "没有" / "méi yǒu").

"Méi" is the exclusive negation of "yǒu" (to have). For other verbs, negation is formed with "bu" (um... except in the past tense, where negation is always with "méi"). Okay, I'll stop there! ;) But don’t forget the tones!! ;)

Later!

Hmm, if I'm not mistaken, you always have to put the subject, right? -> ni you nu pengyou ma?

I think when it comes to "yes" and "no," it really depends on the context.

Ni3 shi4 faguoren ma? Are you French?

Shi de – yes

Bu shi – no

"shi de"?

uh, no, we can skip the subject IF there’s no ambiguity...

Of course, it depends on the context when the question contains the verb SHI—the answer is indeed *shi de* or *bu shi*. But anyway, all of this is certainly subject to other rules I don’t know yet...

I think it's best to avoid spreading yourself too thin. Learning with multiple methods might confuse you. Find one method that suits you best and go for it.

Regarding the link you shared earlier, I’m not convinced 😊. The words and short phrases are too disconnected from each other. Memorizing them is fine, but if you're starting from scratch, will you be able to use them in sentences? Chinese is a tonal language—it’s not easy for us to grasp. Getting familiar with the melody of Chinese tones is essential. You’ll pick it up faster by listening to dialogues, for example. That’s just my take, though.

If you like movies, watch Chinese films. There are some great ones from the PRC, but also from Taiwan (the Taiwanese accent is delightful). It’s an excellent way to train your ear to the language.

apinel, definitely take this helpful tip into account.............

Hey! 😊 What an awesome plan to spend a year in China—it’s going to be amazing for immersing yourself in the language and culture! And yes, a year is *totally* enough time to get the hang of basic conversation and even understand a lot of everyday stuff. For those "super basic" things you’re looking for (pinyin alphabet, characters, sentence structure), I’ve got a little tip: I created a free course 100% designed for absolute beginners (just like you!). It’s made specifically for people who want to speak and read first, without spending hours on complicated writing. And the best part? It’s practical learning, not boring theoretical lessons. You can go at your own pace, even if you’ve never studied Chinese before. The link to the course is directly on my profile picture—just click it, and you’ll get instant access. It’ll be a great starting point before your trip! You’ll see, with this + immersion on the ground, you’ll be chatting with locals in just a few months 😄. Good luck with your prep for your adventure in China!