Translate Chinese to English

Best Resources, Translation 1 Response »
Sep 142010

I’ve been using Babelfish to translate Chinese text to English, and I’m pretty happy with it. Babelfish has been my favorite translation tool for years, for all languages.

Admittedly, the results around perfect — especially for Chinese — but they’re good enough for me to get a general understanding of the text or website I’m translating. As an added bonus, occasionally the results are unintentionally hilarious!

Another translation tool you might want to try is Google Translate.

Know of a better translation tool? Post a comment below and tell me about it.

Posted by Kai at 7:07 pm Tagged with: ,

Here's Your First Chinese Lesson

Best Resources, Lessons, Videos 1 Response »
Sep 052010

So you decided to learn Chinese. Fantastic. Are you ready for your very first Chinese lesson? Sure you are. Let’s go for it…

Your first Chinese lesson needs to be fun and easy and practical. You want to learn the most basic things like how to say “hello” or “thank you”.

I think the best and easiest first Chinese lesson I’ve seen is a video called Learn Chinese (Mandarin) with YangYang 001. You can watch it below.

Posted by Kai at 7:14 pm Tagged with: ,

Learn Basic Shanghainese Phrases with Shanghainese Soundboard

Audio, Best Resources, Learning Tools, Pronunciation, Shanghai No Responses »
Sep 052010

As you may already know, the dialect spoken in Shanghai is somewhat different from standard Mandarin. If you are planning a trip to Shanghai it would be useful (and fun) to learn a few Shanghainese words and phrases.

One of the best and easiest online tools for learning basic Shanghainese is the Shanghainese Soundboard.

This simple little tool lets you hear both Mandarin and Shanghainese for simple, common phrases like “thanks” or “I love you.”

The Shanghainese Soundboard is provided by the wonderful Sinosplice website.

Posted by Kai at 4:06 pm Tagged with: ,

Chinese-English Dictionary with Audio

Audio, Best Resources, Learning Tools, Pronunciation No Responses »
Sep 032010

If you’re studying Chinese, of course you need a Chinese-English, English-Chinese dictionary. The one I use is at Chinese-Tools.com.

I like the fact it is quick and comprehensive. Plus I can click on the speaker icon to play the audio and hear the correct pronunciation.

Do you know of a better free, two-way Chinese-English dictionary online? If so, let me know.

Posted by Kai at 5:08 pm Tagged with: ,

Can You Recognize these Tones?

Audio, Best Resources, Learning Tools, Lessons, Pronunciation, Tests 1 Response »
Aug 292010

Mastering tones is one of the biggest challenges in learning Chinese. Here’s a fun tool you can use to test your recognition of tones.

Simply play the word, then answer whether the word is first, second, third or fourth tone. It’s fun!

This test currently has 73 different words that play in random order each time you restart the test.

If this is too easy for you, try this 2-character tone drill. In this test, you have to correctly answer the tones of two Chinese words.

I love it! Thank you, Keith Welch.

Posted by Kai at 7:19 pm Tagged with: , ,

Confucius Says, "Learn Chinese"

Best Resources, Culture, Learning Tools, Lessons, Videos No Responses »
Aug 242010

The Confucius Institute is an organization funded by the Chinese government to promote the Chinese language and culture throughout the world. They offer courses in dozens of countries and even have an online institute where you can find free video lessons.

Some of the online video lessons seem a bit peculiar to me. Even the website’s “about us” information is a bit off:

“The Confucius Institute is devoting to satisfy the need of people who are interested in Chinese learning all around the world, promoting the understanding of Chinese language culture, enhancing the educational and cultural cooperation between China and the world, developing the friendship between China and other countries, to help developing a multicultural environment and building up a harmonious world.”

Nevertheless, the website does have some useful lessons and resources like flashcards.

I have not yet met anyone who has studied in-person at a Confucius Institute and I am extremely curious about the quality of their courses, what textbooks they use, and whether the courses are good value for money. If you have studied at a Confucius Institute, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

Posted by Kai at 9:42 pm Tagged with:

Get a Chinese Name

Best Resources, Culture 1 Response »
Aug 242010

English names are difficult for Chinese to pronounce. I think one of the first things you should do as you begin your quest to learn to speak Chinese is get a Chinese name. Don’t you think it will make it more fun, taking on a new name and perhaps even a new persona?

When I took my Chinese name, I asked my Taiwanese tutor for suggestions, based on my English name and my personality. The result? Cheng Kai.

Some business people try to get their Chinese name to sound as close to their English name as possible. Others choose completely new, fun names that they just happen to like.

Here’s an online tool you can use to suggest possible Chinese names based on your English name, gender, and basic character traits. It’s a good starting point and a source of ideas. However I would consult a Chinese friend before making a final decision, just to make sure the name is appropriate.

Posted by Kai at 6:49 pm Tagged with:

Using Skritter to Learn to Write Chinese

Best Resources, Characters, Learning Tools, Lessons No Responses »
Aug 242010

I recently came across an article about Skritter, which is an online tool that you can use to learn how to write Chinese characters. I tried the free demo lessons and it looks to be fun and effective.

Using Skritter, you simply follow along the interactive lessons which show you how to write Chinese characters stroke by stroke. I used the trackpad on my laptop, but I think it would be best if you had a tablet since that would more accurately simulate a writing instrument.

For me, writing Chinese characters is not currently a priority. Right now I am focused on conversational Chinese, though I plan to learn the characters at a later time. But if I was learning characters, I think I might give Skritter a try (even though it costs $9.95 per month).

Here’s a link to the Skritter website if you want to try the free demo.

Posted by Kai at 5:58 pm Tagged with: , , ,

Chinese Characters and Culture

Best Resources, Characters, Culture, Learning Tools No Responses »
Aug 242010

Not everyone who learns to speak Chinese will take the time to learn to read Chinese characters. But if learning to read and write Chinese is part of your study routing, you’ll want to check out Zhongwen.com. (“Zhong wen” of course means “Chinese language”).

According to site creator Rick Harbough, Zhongwen.com  is designed to “help students understand, appreciate and remember Chinese characters, one of humanity’s greatest and most enduring cultural achievements.”

Part of what I like about this site is that it has such a simple-yet-unique (and highly functional) layout.

The information is serious, accurate, useful and absolutely fascinating.

Posted by Kai at 5:48 pm Tagged with: , ,
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