Chinese language also called as Mandarin is considered to be most difficult language in the world. It is also most widely spoken language in the world. About 1.3 billion people speak this language. It is an arduous task to learn Chinese language because of number of reasons. We should have a look at certain aspects of Chinese language.
How many Alphabets are there in Chinese language?
There are no alphabets in Chinese language. Yes, you heard it right. Then how do they speak or write Chinese language.? The answer is simple. Chinese language only contains “Characters”. There are approximately 50,000 to 70,000 characters in Chinese language. That is a massive number for an average language learner. Out of 70,000 characters only 4,000 to 5000 are necessary to master the Chinese language. Learning only 5,000 characters would be enough to read a newspaper. So, there is no concept of Alphabet in Chinese language.
Where did Chinese language come from?
Chinese language originated in Northern China. It has accent basically very similar to Beijing city’s dialect which is very different from the southern part of China. Chinese language is the oldest language in the world. It has history of approximately more than 3,000 years. It originated in the late years of Shang dynasty.
It’s differences with Japanese language
Although Chinese language has some sort of similarity with Japanese language as far as “Characters” are concerned but both these languages are quite different.
Chinese language is the national language of people’s republic of China whereas Japanese language is officially the national language of Japan. The way strokes of Chinese language are arranged is also quite different from that of Japanese language.
Japanese language uses “Kanji” system whereas Mandarin does not contain such system.
Tones in Chinese language
Tone is one of the main aspects which make it most difficult language in the world. There are 4 tones. Each tone when used with a word has specific meaning. One word has at least 4 tones and changing the tone changes the meaning of a word. There are no tones used either in Japanese or Korean language.
What countries speak Chinese language?
Mandarin is an official language in China’s mainland, Hong Kong as well as Singapore. Surprisingly, Mandarin is also spoken in United states and Canada as well.
How long does it take to learn Chinese language?
For an average person, it takes approximately 3 years to learn this language. This time period varies from person to person. For someone it may take longer. Learning system of Chinese language is basically divided into “HSK” levels which enables learners to have a comprehensive guide. HSK has total 6 levels which are divided into basic, intermediate and advanced levels.
