30 basic expressions in Chinese

Learning Chinese is a slow process. It is a mistake to think that in the first few months you are studying you will start speaking without any problems. It is normal to take a while to get the hang of the language and to get the hang of it.

Chinese tutor, Serinna Lin, explains there's been a huge demand in learning Chinese since the pandemic. Watch our interview below to find out more:

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That is why many people choose to know some basic Chinese expressions for three reasons:

• Surviving without going to China: these expressions can save us from any trouble at any time if we travel to China, especially if we don't have Chinese classes.
• Politeness: it is polite if you go to a country or talk to a native speaker to show that you are interested in learning their language.
• Purely for learning: it is much easier to learn the theory of a language if we know a few things in practice first. 

Find a Chinese tutor

There are Chinese classes that can give you some introductory lessons before you go on any trip. But we have also prepared the following table to help you master the most basic expressions in Chinese.

How to speak Chinese well?

This is the main concern of those who want to master Chinese for practical purposes. That's why many people turn to books to learn Chinese, which teach you basic concepts to defend themselves on specific occasions. Without a doubt, the material supports your Chinese private tuition, as reading alone is one of the 4 aspects of learning a language: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

This aspect is a bit easier because many people find it a bit difficult to read and write Chinese. Some people prefer to do the online tuition with a tutor to help them... So if you only have to speak it, it will probably be much quicker and more fun.

• Listen as much as you can: this is something you have to do even if it's hard at first, you have to make your ear to Chinese. It's a very different language and you have to master the phonetics perfectly.
• Read aloud: even if it is not with the Chinese characters and you do it as phonetic reading, but it is the only way to get your pronunciation used to Chinese.
• Try to do language exchanges: there are Chinese people trying to learn Spanish all over the world, especially on the internet. Try to talk to some of them and practise as much as you can what you learn.
•  Conversation classes: if you just want to learn to speak Chinese and you are not interested in the rest, hire a tutor who will teach you how to communicate.

Although this is a faster way to learn Chinese because it is not as complete, remember that Chinese is a very different language from English and it will take you a long time to master and understand it. So be patient and don't give up.