Problems
I am finding learning Chinese very hard with Duolingo. No clues are given as to how to remember the written signs.
The sounds are also hard to recognize. Zh sounds like J-sh or Gsh. You hear GSh, then have to remember to write ZH.
The beta version translates into English with the Surnames second. This is nonsense. You say Lee Kuan Yew (former, now deceased, grand-daddy founder and minister of modern Singapore). His family name is Lee. You might call him Mister Lee. But using all the names you would keep the surname first, Chinese style.
Answers
Hover over the letters with the mouse and you see the answers to type in. They don't tell you or remind you.
It's easy to spot that ni haou, how are you, is longer with four signs, in the multiple choice. But later, reading in a page of signs, you would not recognize it.
Which words are I and you? I am and you are. I am Ming and you are Ming.
At first glance and listen I thought Mi or Ni must be me or I. No. Ni is you.
Now I have a memory aid.
'Ni how?' means 'how are you?' So Ni is you.
Wo is I. Although o is in the word you.
I asked my husband how to remember that wo is me or I. He quoted Shakespeare, "Woe is me!"
Author
Angela Lansbury, teacher of English and other languages. Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
I am finding learning Chinese very hard with Duolingo. No clues are given as to how to remember the written signs.
The sounds are also hard to recognize. Zh sounds like J-sh or Gsh. You hear GSh, then have to remember to write ZH.
The beta version translates into English with the Surnames second. This is nonsense. You say Lee Kuan Yew (former, now deceased, grand-daddy founder and minister of modern Singapore). His family name is Lee. You might call him Mister Lee. But using all the names you would keep the surname first, Chinese style.
Answers
Hover over the letters with the mouse and you see the answers to type in. They don't tell you or remind you.
It's easy to spot that ni haou, how are you, is longer with four signs, in the multiple choice. But later, reading in a page of signs, you would not recognize it.
Which words are I and you? I am and you are. I am Ming and you are Ming.
At first glance and listen I thought Mi or Ni must be me or I. No. Ni is you.
Now I have a memory aid.
'Ni how?' means 'how are you?' So Ni is you.
Wo is I. Although o is in the word you.
I asked my husband how to remember that wo is me or I. He quoted Shakespeare, "Woe is me!"
Author
Angela Lansbury, teacher of English and other languages. Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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