I have been telling the same story for years. Chinese is much easier than English. Or rather, Chinese grammar is much easier than English. Or better, Chinese grammar is nearly non-existent.
A sentence can be one character or a hundred.
A sentence does not have to have a subject and a verb. A verb need not be past, present, or future tense. The pronoun is the same whether as subject or object. Add a “ma” at the end of a statement to turn it into a question.
No wonder Chinese sounds funny in English.
“Long time no see.”
“You okay?”
“Me good.”
What’s more interesting is the characters themselves. Each character paints a picture that has evolved over time. This is the bit I enjoy the most —- to explain the evolution and the meaning behind the characters.
Edventure is University of Hawaii Maui College’s non-credit, continuing education arm. My six week course starts Tuesday April 7th at 6 PM. Register online. and again in September.
顧恩以教中文
Learn Mandarin Chinese: six Tuesdays in 2015
Pingback: Teaching from the gut by Anne Ku