Learning Mandarin

[Xue Sheng]

...it amazes me how fast they speak.

That's nothing; wait till you hear how family speaks to family. If we put a Miles Per Hour mark on it and say the average Mandarin Speaker in Beijing speaks at say 60mph, my wife and her sister speak at 130mph. Although my Brother-in-law speaks a bit slower, say 90 to 100mph.

It is just a blur of Mandarin that I pick up little or none of... They slow it down for the meiguoren

It is my understanding, and from the conversations I have heard, Cantonese is faster.


Oh another good one to know "shenme" = what (shen-ma)

and

"Wo Shou de bu hao" = I don't understand what you are saying. (whoa sho-wa de boo how)

These have ALWAYS helped me and I am VERY good at these type things in Mandarin :uhyeah:

 

[Xue Sheng]

"Wo Shou de bu hao" = I don't understand what you are saying. (whoa sho-wa de boo how)

:duh: OOPS Sorry that is wrong, it's a good one to know though but I translated it wrong

Wo Shou de bu hao = I do not speak very well

Wo bu ming bai nie shou shenme = I do not understand what you are saying

I am VERY good at these type things in Mandarin

Obviously not as good as I thought. :duh:

Sorry about that :asian:

 

[Xue Sheng]

You may be interested in these to help with your Mandarin Studies

Mandarin Book

Sun Houzi - Sun Wukong - Monkey King Cartoon in Mandarin