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 Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:19 am
Although I don't like Simplified, I don't think it was a completely wasted effort. Close though. I doubt it really raised literacy that much though, and do people actually regard Chinese as an easier language to learn as a result of simplification?
I guess there's always context for homophone problems. How likely do you think further simplifications like this will be? Personally, I doubt any more reforms could be as successful as the simplification waves that have already been - I'm sure the population of China will be against it, and the new China will probably not be up for mowing down protestors with tanks anymore.
Is it only 500? Does that mean you can read a Japanese newspaper? I guess it counts as a lot more since you need to know different readings for the Kanji right?. I know what you mean about forgetting characters and everything. To me, it takes a lot to have a character fixed in my head. I always think I know it after 5 minutes of looking at it, but it's out of my head as soon as I start doing something different.
I think stroke order will matter more if you write faster, because then your pencil/pen will leave some wiggles on. I don't do that though, and I probably never will, so it's no problem.
I hope someone will come and explain the singing soon.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 11:59 am
I can't really read a newspaper, or understand news on the tv completely, besides the weather. I can catch a decent amount, but they use a lot of big words and things that I don't know. I speak Japanese about as well as like, a 12 year old. They can speak the language fine for normal situations and have all the grammar and whatnot, but they don't neccesarily know all those big words like adults do yet.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:54 pm
Nothing personal or anything, but wouldn't a 12 year old be able to understand the news and read a newspaper? I'm sure I was able to..
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:15 pm
Well, that was a vage guess. I don't remember what it was like being 12, and I'm not around 12 year olds much, but I don't think I would have been able to. Maybe 8 is a better guess? I don't remember anything from when I was that age, so I can't really say.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:38 pm
Off-topic, but how old are you again? sweatdrop
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:06 am
Didn't notice you there. About 18. In a week anyway, so close enough.
But about the news thing, I think I underestimated myself some. After looking at some stuff, I can understand more than I thought. I still am only equivalent to a kind of smal child though.
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:14 pm
Vajra B. Hairava I can't really read a newspaper, or understand news on the tv completely, besides the weather. I can catch a decent amount, but they use a lot of big words and things that I don't know. I speak Japanese about as well as like, a 12 year old. They can speak the language fine for normal situations and have all the grammar and whatnot, but they don't neccesarily know all those big words like adults do yet.
EDIT: I'd consider you fluent then. (:
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:48 am
@ Vajra
I see, I imagined you at the sort of age. You probably mentioned it before xd I think it's really an achievement when you can read a newspaper in a foreign language - I guess there will always be terms that you won't be able to understand in your own language anyway.
Reading a newspaper at 6?! Well... if you said you can't understand everything, what do you mean? When I was 6, fascinating was the hardest word I knew, and I couldn't read 'cough' or 'though'. It was really great when I realised.
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 9:49 am
I think someone mentioned singing above, so I remembered something I've been thinking about for quite some time now:
How do you sing in Chinese languages?
Might sound like a stupid question, but with all the tones and all, how does it work? Is it possible to produce(?) either of the four Mandarin tones while singing a musical note? Or are the linguistical tones the reson why Chinese music is very characteristic in its choice of notes? I have no idea...
I'd be happy for answers, thank you! smile
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:31 am
Lawrencew @ Vajra I see, I imagined you at the sort of age. You probably mentioned it before xd I think it's really an achievement when you can read a newspaper in a foreign language - I guess there will always be terms that you won't be able to understand in your own language anyway. Reading a newspaper at 6?! Well... if you said you can't understand everything, what do you mean? When I was 6, fascinating was the hardest word I knew, and I couldn't read 'cough' or 'though'. It was really great when I realised.
@Siocled-I've heard singing in Chinese before, and I couldn't really make out any tones. Maybe you just have to guess what their saying?
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:23 pm
Kumiko-Misaki Lawrencew @ Vajra I see, I imagined you at the sort of age. You probably mentioned it before xd I think it's really an achievement when you can read a newspaper in a foreign language - I guess there will always be terms that you won't be able to understand in your own language anyway. Reading a newspaper at 6?! Well... if you said you can't understand everything, what do you mean? When I was 6, fascinating was the hardest word I knew, and I couldn't read 'cough' or 'though'. It was really great when I realised.
@Siocled-I've heard singing in Chinese before, and I couldn't really make out any tones. Maybe you just have to guess what their saying?Then 8 is a good guess. Behold, I am equivalent to a Japanese 8 year old. I know that they really don't use the tones when singing in Chinese. The question is, how anybody knows whats being said.
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:45 pm
Vajra B. Hairava Kumiko-Misaki Lawrencew @ Vajra I see, I imagined you at the sort of age. You probably mentioned it before xd I think it's really an achievement when you can read a newspaper in a foreign language - I guess there will always be terms that you won't be able to understand in your own language anyway. Reading a newspaper at 6?! Well... if you said you can't understand everything, what do you mean? When I was 6, fascinating was the hardest word I knew, and I couldn't read 'cough' or 'though'. It was really great when I realised.
@Siocled-I've heard singing in Chinese before, and I couldn't really make out any tones. Maybe you just have to guess what their saying?Then 8 is a good guess. Behold, I am equivalent to a Japanese 8 year old. I know that they really don't use the tones when singing in Chinese. The question is, how anybody knows whats being said.
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:15 am
Kumiko-Misaki Vajra B. Hairava Kumiko-Misaki Lawrencew @ Vajra I see, I imagined you at the sort of age. You probably mentioned it before xd I think it's really an achievement when you can read a newspaper in a foreign language - I guess there will always be terms that you won't be able to understand in your own language anyway. Reading a newspaper at 6?! Well... if you said you can't understand everything, what do you mean? When I was 6, fascinating was the hardest word I knew, and I couldn't read 'cough' or 'though'. It was really great when I realised.
@Siocled-I've heard singing in Chinese before, and I couldn't really make out any tones. Maybe you just have to guess what their saying?Then 8 is a good guess. Behold, I am equivalent to a Japanese 8 year old. I know that they really don't use the tones when singing in Chinese. The question is, how anybody knows whats being said. Yes, when speking it's quite important to get the tones right or they won't understand. But if they don't care about tones when singing, why would they care about them when speaking?
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:19 pm
Actually, I just recently heard from someone that Chinese people apparently don't really understand song lyrics.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:15 am
Vajra B. Hairava Actually, I just recently heard from someone that Chinese people apparently don't really understand song lyrics. Really? What a weird language! And I thought the Chinese were smart... razz
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