Four Ways to Learn Chinese without Being a Bookworm

When learning Chinese, especially when you are not in China, you need a method to help you make the Chinese stick. One way to do that is to make Chinese feel like it is essential to your every day life, as it would be in China.

Movies/Novels 电影(diànyǐng)/小说(xiǎoshuō)

One way to ease your Chinese learning is to do things you enjoy, but in Chinese. Try reading Chinese novels or short stories and watching Chinese movies. This way you can improve all realms of learning! It is a fail-proof way of making learning more fun. And with a wide selection on the internet, you can find materials to suit any taste in genre or Chinese level. There is a very popular TV show similar to Growing Pains called Home with Children《家有儿女》or ...Read more.

Mǎ Kè: Wáng Lín, nǐ zhōumò xǐhuan gàn shénme?
马 克： 王 琳，你 周末 喜欢 干 什么？
Mark: Wang Lin, what do you like to do on the weekend?

Wáng Lín: Wǒ xǐhuan kàn xiǎoshuō, nǐ ne?
王 琳： 我 喜欢 看 小说， 你 呢？
Wang Lin: I like to read novels, you?

Mǎ Kè: Wǒ xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng.
马 克： 我 喜欢 看 电影。
Mark: I like to watch movies.

Chinese Friend/Tutor 中国朋友(Zhōngguó péngyou)/中文辅导老师(Zhōngwén fǔdǎo lǎoshī)

The purpose of language is communication. Which means you need someone to communicate your Chinese to. Try finding a friend to have one-on-one chats in Chinese with or an actual tutor to practice with. This way you can be sure ...Read more.

Tā shì wǒde zhōngwén fǔdǎo lǎoshī.
他 是 我的 中文 辅导 老师。
He is my Chinese tutor.

Chinese Recipes 中文食谱(Zhōngwén shípǔ)

This one may be a little difficult for beginners but it is an excellent way to improve your Chinese! Try cooking using a “食谱(shípǔ) recipe” that is written in Chinese. Not only will you get to try a delicious Chinese dish, but you will also learn many words associated with food and cooking.

Mǎ Kè: Wáng Lín, nǐ huì zuòfàn ma?
马 克： 王 琳，你 会 做饭 吗？
Mark: Wang Lin, can you cook?

Wáng Lín: Búhuì, búguò wǒ mǎile yìběn shípǔ, zhèngzài xué.
王 琳： 不会， 不过 我 买了 一本 食谱， 正在 学。
Wang Lin: No, but I bought a cookbook and am studying now.

Xiàtiān, yǒu yìzhī mǎyǐ bèi fēng guādàole chítáng lǐ.
夏天， 有 一只 蚂蚁 被 风 刮到了 池塘 里。
In summer, an ant fell into a pond.

Shùshang de gēzi kàndào le, gǎnmáng jiāng yèzi diū jìn chítáng.
树上 的 鸽子 看到 了，赶忙 将 叶子 丢 进 池塘。
A dove on a tree saw the ant. She quickly threw a leaf into the pond.

Mǎyǐ páshàng yèzi, piāodào le chíbiān, déjiù le.
蚂蚁 爬上 叶子，漂到 了 池边， 得救 了。
The ant climbed up onto the leaf, floated to the side of the pond, and was saved.

Mǎyǐ jìzhù le gēzi de jiùmìng zhī ēn.
蚂蚁 记住 了 鸽子的 救命 之 恩。
The ant always remembered the dove for saving his life.

Guòle hěnjiǔ, lièren yòng qiāng miáozhǔn le shùshàng de gēzi, dànshì gēzi bù zhīdào.
过了 很久，猎人 用 枪 瞄准 了 树上 的 鸽子，但是 鸽子 不 知道。
After a long time, a hunter with a gun aimed at the dove on the tree, but the dove didn’t notice.

Read the whole story

Example:

Dìshang yǒu liǎngzhī xiǎo mǎyǐ.
地上 有 两只 小 蚂蚁。
There are two little ants on the ground.

Dìdi yǎole yìkǒu píngguǒ.
弟弟 咬了 一口 苹果。
My little brother took a bite of his apple.