Nǐ hǎo! I am currently taking Chinese lessons, which is proving both very challenging and very rewarding. After visiting Beijing last year I realised the value of knowing at least some basic conversation - especially when bartering in the markets! My two main practical goals are to be able to bargain and order yum cha. Here's a fun fact, did you know that "māma qí mǎ, mǎ màn, māma mà mǎ" means "mother is riding a horse, the horse is slow, mother scolds the horse"? So tricky! The aspect I am finding most confusing are the Chinese characters - each picture has a different meaning however no clues as to how to pronounce the word it indicates. One thing that I've found useful is the book Chinese Written Characters: Their Wit and Wisdom by Rose Quong, which personifies the characters into stories in quite an endearing manner. Below are some pages from the book:
Until next time, xiè xie, zàijiàn (thank you and good bye)!
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