Chinese A level urgent help

• Okazaki

  6 Oct 11, 15:36

  Hi I need some enlightenment.My Chinese A level is coming soon and all my test have always been a U.My problem with Chinese is I have a very bad foundation.I do not know how to read of words.How does people able to read those characters which is so hard to memorise?I once asked my china friend, she said when don't know how to read, then we will guess.But how do we guess the words if we don't even know how to read in the first place?Is there a link with all the "ren zhi pang" and such that can ease the memorization of Chinese character?
• [imdestinyz]

  6 Oct 11, 15:44

  you mention u have problems reading the words? u mean å�¤æ–‡ or  ç™½è¯�文？or your difficulty lies b/w 简体 or ç¹�体？

• FireIce

  6 Oct 11, 16:01

  write the characters a few times write one time read it out loud one time
• Okazaki

  6 Oct 11, 16:11

  Originally posted by [imdestinyz]:

  you mention u have problems reading the words? u mean å�¤æ–‡ or  ç™½è¯�文？or your difficulty lies b/w 简体 or ç¹�体？

  
  Simplified Chinese.Those normal Chinese character I have problem.what is the last two character you wrote?btw my o level Chinese got C6 so my standard is around there still.
• [imdestinyz]

  6 Oct 11, 16:35

  how long more is there is to ur exams?

• yhjow

  6 Oct 11, 16:46

  Originally posted by Okazaki:

  Hi I need some enlightenment.My Chinese A level is coming soon and all my test have always been a U.My problem with Chinese is I have a very bad foundation.I do not know how to read of words.How does people able to read those characters which is so hard to memorise?I once asked my china friend, she said when don’t know how to read, then we will guess.But how do we guess the words if we don’t even know how to read in the first place?Is there a link with all the “ren zhi pang” and such that can ease the memorization of Chinese character?

  Simplified Chinese Character is culturally deficient as it destroys a lot of Chinese cultural meaning. So learning it can only rely on memory work. Unlike Traditional Chinese Character, you can still make out the pronunciation of it through some radicals 部首 using the technique of 形声 (loan of sound , i.e. taking the pronunciation of some radicals) and even writing the traditional Chinese character can be done using a construction of the radicals 部首 by meanings (which does not rely on memory work). But in simplified Chinese character, it simply isn't possible or in fact quite difficult. Ironically, Simplified Chinese character just makes Chinese more difficult to learn. Learning traditional Chinese character is on the contrary easier (athough there are more strokes).

  For your case, to read those simplified Chinese words you don't understand, there is no other way except check dictionary more often for its pronunciation (pinyin) and its meaning.

  �文 - Gu3 wen2 (Classical Chinese)

  白�文 - Bai2 Hua4 Wen2 (Modern Vernacular/Spoken Chinese)

  简体 - Jian2 Ti3 (Simplified Chinese Character)

  �体/正体 - Fan2 Ti3/Zheng4 Ti3 (Traditional Chinese Character)

   

• Okazaki

  6 Oct 11, 17:12

  31st Oct is my Chinese A level.Although in JC the required grade is just a subpass, I want to score at least a decent C because of the fact that in working life, it is more often we have to go oversea especially to china for certain profession.I don't want my Chinese to have a detrimental effect to my future when the employer look at my certificates.
• [imdestinyz]

  6 Oct 11, 17:42

  in that case u need to super chiong ur chinese then... can be done but it is jus difficult... u in J1 iguess? have u got the determination for it?

• FireIce

  8 Oct 11, 01:57

  lang is never a last min pia and get A subj

  even if u are extremely hardworking (as in full time learn tt subject), u can oni up 1 grade

  何况 so little time left and u have other subj to take care of too

   

   

  languages are complex and dynamic, esp chinese.
  there is no 1 + 1 = 2 rule
  i cant say all �手� is related to hand/arm actions
  i cant say all 三点水 is related to water
  i cant say all 言字æ—� is related to talking/speech 
  as characters went thru a lot of revolutions, they may not be relevant
  but most can still be inferred by æ—�，边，上，下，里，外
  may not be 100% accurate but shd be about there bcos u need to have knowledge of tt term first before u can infer.

  sometimes a word/term can be a noun, an adjective, a verb, depends on wat context, wat sentence structure.

  this character match with other characters will form diff meanings
  (one char is 字, 2 or more char together form a �)

  even at my level, im still always learning new words and taking initiative to check dictionaries and the net

   

   

  nowadays the news got chi subs. 
  u can listen to how they pronounce and match with the words.
  every nite 15 mins will do (those not so important news no need to listen is ok)
  
  they go a bit fast sometimes but u just need to get used to it.

  generally, a local sec 3 student can oredi understand most of the terms used in local chinese media 
  
  but i found tt recently they kinda use quite a few big words and words not acquired into our standardised usage yet. due to trying to follow China........
  any realised Australia is no longer 澳洲 but 澳大利亚? New Zealand changed from 纽西兰 to 新西兰......
  but it's ok, tts oni like maybe 3.543134% of the whole news.

  if u can manage to understand half, it's good enough

   

  and dun torture urself reading newspapers or novels bcos u are oni going to get a major migraine and up ur stress level.

  stick to ur textbooks (if any) and readings and 笔记 (hope u at least copied some during lesson)
  burn and put in water and drink it all up. of cos not literally.
  
  (and refer to my suggestion previously)

   

  for compo, write in short simple sentences.
  try not to think in english first then translate to chinese as the syntax is different

  i dont want to go into the theory. here's some examples.
  How are you? --> 你好å�— (subject goes in front). 
  There is a school near my house. --> 我家附近有一所学校。
  The school is near my house --> 学校在我家附近。
   
  and not every english term has an equivalent in chinese (as well as other languages)
  and sometimes one term can have many equivalents due to locale or context. like bicycle can be 脚车，脚�车，自行车
  internet used to be 网际网络， taiwan call 网路，we now call it 互�网
  blog is 部�格 or �客， some places use 网志
  rice -- before cook is 米, cook liao become 饭
  and since chinese not good oredi, u most prob wun wat the term is in chinese
  
  
  it's ok if u dont use big words or cheem phrases. as long as u can express properly, u at least get a good pass.
  memo a few "standard phrases" to use. mainly for intro and conclusion.

  to expand your vocab and make sure u remember, try writing the terms on a piece of paper (preferably post-it) and stick it around the house
  write Fan 风扇 feng1 shan4 and paste on your fan
  write Laptop/Notebook 笔记型电脑 bi3 ji4 xing2 dian4 nao3 and paste on your notebook
  so u know wat tt thing is called. 
  other items/nouns not tangible in your house, just write and randomly paste on the walls
  everyday u walk past, look and read and remember.
  and everytime u learn a new word, write a new piece and paste.

  quite glad tt u recognise the importance of the chinese language for future career use
  but business chinese is another matter altogether
  and if u are toking abt going to work in China or work with the China Chinese, it's again another story
  so, u need a good foundation in the lang itself plus the initiative to keep on learning and remembering
  bcos if u dont use it regularly, it will be eroded
  even i will oso forget some words sometimes 

   

   

  thanks for reading my 金玉良言
  
  �娘 is going to 就� liao

   

  fighting!

• hiphop2009

  8 Oct 11, 14:54

  A very good answer from fireice =D
  
  I guess i no need explain anymore...TS, if you are interested, read about the reference guide that i have written sometime ago:
  
  http://sgforums.com/forums/2297/topics/332998
  
  PM me if you need more help.

• Okazaki

  8 Oct 11, 23:14

  Hi thanks for all the reply.Anyway, how many Chinese character should I know by my age?I want to memorize as much character as I can. Anyway what type of "ti shou pang" are there and what are they USUALLY related to? Thanks!
• Ah Gong

  8 Oct 11, 23:44

  1 word

   

  forget abt it and get As for the rest

• FireIce

  8 Oct 11, 23:45

  by JC, u shd know about 2,000 chinese characters (å­— not è¯�) based on our chinese syllabus

   

  do u seriously want to go thru pri 1 to sec 4 chinese textbooks?
  

  ti shou pang

  examples-- 打，�，拾，扶，扔，�，�，�

  hand/arm actions

• Okazaki

  9 Oct 11, 00:16

  I do not mean "ti shou pang" actually.I mean those erm...those side characters.like "ren zhi pang, etc" how many are there such side character and what are they usually associate with?
• FireIce

  9 Oct 11, 00:50

  got a lot a lot

  u go open a dictionary and check the list
  usually the first few pages, under 部首

   

  u are supposed to link the characters with that common element

  洗，河，江，清  <-- related to water
  
  说，�，语，课，诗 <-- related to speech/talking/words
  
  跑，踢，跳，路，跌 <-- related to feet/leg

  这，远，è¿�，速，途  <-- related to places, journey

  怒，�，想，愿，怨 <-- related to feelings, thinking

  被，裤，衬衫，裙 <-- related to cloth
  
  树，椅，楼，林，橱 <-- related to wood
  
  

  i know u are trying to learn it the technical way
  but this method can oni get u to a certain level (which is like, pri 4 standard oni)
  and it's only one part of the whole lang system
  

  there are many exceptions as 1 character can have a few meanings (多�字)
  and some characters are "borrowed" to use as something else
  like "被" is blanket
  but we use as "been, being" as syntax
  the apple is being eaten by her. --> è‹¹æžœè¢«å¥¹å�ƒäº†

   

  one word can have a few sounds too (多音字), and of cos, diff meanings

  
  é‡� zhong4 - heavy  æˆ‘的书包很é‡�
  � chong2 - again 我�新�这份报告
  
  � zhong3 - types, varieties 人有很多� / seed ��
  � zhong4 - [verb] plant 爷爷喜欢�花

  � yue4 - music 音�
  � le4 - happy 快�

   

  it is not just the character alone bcos it will not make sense
  u need to know the term (�) and how it fits in the sentence (context)

   

  however, if u are comfortable with this way of learning and is confident tt it will help u for your papers, then go ahead. 

   

• alize

  9 Oct 11, 00:50

  I think Fireice means 10,000. 4K in pri and 6k in sec. Chinese isn't a major sub in JC, they don't expect much improvement from sec sch standards, just maintain. I personally didn't give a shit, I don't do what I'm made to do except on pain of imprisonment.

  What grade do you need to enter uni nowadays?

• FireIce

  9 Oct 11, 01:03

  average usage for everyday life for reading, verbal comm and writing is oni 1,500-1,800 char
  
  

  unless for special professions tt requires wider range or industry-specific char/terms

• alize

  9 Oct 11, 01:07

  Not anymore

  *pukes.

• [imdestinyz]

  12 Oct 11, 12:35

  actually if u put the effort to it right now... i think i can help u improve 2 grades =D

• Okazaki

  13 Oct 11, 20:31

  Can help me please? :)
• [imdestinyz]

  18 Oct 11, 11:58

  pm me lo... then i'll try to contact u.