Chinese Studies?
- BleedingSoul
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Wed 01.11.2006 10:36 pm
- Contact:
Chinese Studies?
Okay, so my school is offering Chinese studies next year. I'm debating whether or not if Chinese can help me learn Japanese. I've heard a lot of the characters are the same but different sounds. This could confuse me or not.
How many think it would be a good idea to take Chinese?
How many think it would be a good idea to take Chinese?
Melissa
- hiraikotsu
- Posts: 133
- Joined: Tue 01.17.2006 3:10 am
RE: Chinese Studies?
I think you should take Chinese if you're interested in the language itself. Taking Chinese for the sake of improving your Japanese may leave you with even more to memorise/learn (which can be confusing), since Chinese grammar and pronunciation differs from Japanese. Both lanuages share many kanji, I think it would be easier if you already mastered one before tackling the other 

- keatonatron
- Posts: 4838
- Joined: Sat 02.04.2006 3:31 am
- Native language: English
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tokyo (Via Seattle)
- Contact:
RE: Chinese Studies?
Plus many characters essential to Chinese aren't used in Japanese (like the character for "I").
I think it would confuse the crap out of you
I think it would confuse the crap out of you

- flammable hippo
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Sun 03.19.2006 4:29 pm
- Native language: English
- Gender: Male
RE: Chinese Studies?
Well actually, I think the Chinese character for I in Chinese is 我, which shows up in Japanese in words like 我々 which is "we".Plus many characters essential to Chinese aren't used in Japanese (like the character for "I").
Two muffins were baking in an oven. One turns to the other and says "sure is hot in here." The other replies "AH TALKING MUFFIN!"
二つのマフィンがオーブンで焼かれていた。片方のマフィンがもう一方のマフィンに向かって、"暑いね”と言った。すると、話しかけられたほうのマフィンは"アッ!喋るマフィンだ!”と驚いた。 :)
二つのマフィンがオーブンで焼かれていた。片方のマフィンがもう一方のマフィンに向かって、"暑いね”と言った。すると、話しかけられたほうのマフィンは"アッ!喋るマフィンだ!”と驚いた。 :)
RE: Chinese Studies?
yes that's correct...flammable hippo wrote:Well actually, I think the Chinese character for I in Chinese is 我, which shows up in Japanese in words like 我々 which is "we".Plus many characters essential to Chinese aren't used in Japanese (like the character for "I").
and depends whether if you are aiming for traditional / simplified, and Japanese takes from both, and adds own kanji too...
-
- Posts: 527
- Joined: Fri 03.30.2007 11:26 am
- Native language: English
- Gender: Male
- Location: New England
RE: Chinese Studies?
私 means "private", as a Chinese coworker has pointed out before.
RE: Chinese Studies?
I think you could pull it off as others have before you. But learning two languages with easily distinguishable scripts would probably be the best in the beginning.
Served best arctic
RE: Chinese Studies?
They are easily distinguishable. If you see kana, it isn't Chinese.
Richard VanHouten
ゆきの物語
ゆきの物語
RE: Chinese Studies?
I have 2 people in my Japanese class at Uni studying both Japanese and Chinese, and apart from the fact that they occasionally use the wrong word, they seem better off. That said, if a person decides to study 2 languages at the same time at Uni, they are probably the kind of person motivated enough to study 2 languages at the same time properly.
RE: Chinese Studies?
I'm talking about mixing up hanzi/kanji/hanja/hán tu, not as much while reading them as writing or memorizing them, which can be a challenge if one is learning more than one language using chinese characters at the same time.richvh wrote:
They are easily distinguishable. If you see kana, it isn't Chinese.
I see the possibility of mixing the meanings of this one when writing about one's family or friends:
娘 (むすめ) daughter
娘 (niáng) mother; young lady
Last edited by lemonaid on Wed 04.11.2007 8:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
Served best arctic
- keatonatron
- Posts: 4838
- Joined: Sat 02.04.2006 3:31 am
- Native language: English
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tokyo (Via Seattle)
- Contact:
RE: Chinese Studies?
Hmmm... I have a friend who lives in Japan and speaks very good Chinese. I asked him if he can write e-mails in chinese on his cell phone even though it can only display Japan's standard kanji set. He said he could almost do it, but a very important kanji was missing (ah! I think it was the kanji for "is" or the equivalent of です... I don't know, I can't speak Chinese).faqcorner wrote:yes that's correct...flammable hippo wrote:Well actually, I think the Chinese character for I in Chinese is 我, which shows up in Japanese in words like 我々 which is "we".Plus many characters essential to Chinese aren't used in Japanese (like the character for "I").
RE: Chinese Studies?
The word "copula" always makes me think of cabooses. I'm assuming there are at least a few people here old enough to remember what those were.keatonatron wrote:
...the equivalent of です...
Never underestimate my capacity for pettiness.
- two_heads_talking
- Posts: 4137
- Joined: Thu 04.06.2006 11:03 am
- Native language: English
RE: Chinese Studies?
well, in slang it means backside.. posterior.. kinda like junk in the trunk doesn't really mean odd items in a box.. 

-
- Posts: 1067
- Joined: Wed 04.12.2006 5:06 am
- Native language: English
- Location: Germany
RE: Chinese Studies?
The Chinese for is would most likely be 是 (which is used in Japanese, eg 是非) so it's probably yet another word you were thinking of. Or maybe mobiles just have a much smaller set of kanji ?keatonatron wrote:
(ah! I think it was the kanji for "is" or the equivalent of です... I don't know, I can't speak Chinese).
Last edited by hungryhotei on Wed 04.11.2007 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
天気がいいから、散歩しましょう。
-
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Mon 02.19.2007 1:23 am
RE: Chinese Studies?
well, i'm chinese, and chinese helps me a lot in japanese (aka not having to memorize as many kanji and being able to guess meanings of stuff), but i don't think you should take it for the sole purpose of getting better at japanese -_- but then again, why not? xD