Why is the name “Confucius” unlike other Chinese names?
It’s been Latinized Confucius is one of the most influential Chinese philosophers. His philosophy, Confucianism, forms the basis of much of what we think of …
How do people in mainland China feel when they read traditional Chinese?
My pastor and his wife are from Guangdong and immigrated to the US about 10–12 years ago. They speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien, and he …
Is there any language that is harder than Mandarin Chinese, excluding Cantonese?
I studied Russian for three years in high school. By the time I had done that, I could kind of patch together a shaky Russian …
How do computer keyboards for traditional Chinese characters work?
I use Zhuyin and this is part of the keyboard for my PC. As you can see ㄅㄆㄇㄈat the left of the picture where ㄆ …
Why do the Chinese people use the characters system of writing instead of alphabets? Aren’t alphabets easier to write and more resourceful in making new words?
No, alphabet based systems aren’t easier to write. It simply shifts the difficulty from one aspect of writing to another. Let’s take English for example. …
Why does the Chinese language in Northern China and Central China sound similar, but Northern China and Southern China, and Central China and Southern China sound unintelligible?
The dialects in the North are more closely related to each other because travel was a lot easier. The topography map below shows mountain elevations …
From what groups are the Han Chinese descended from?
The Han Chinese are a mix of many groups over time, and here are some of the likely groups: A proto-Chinese group in southern China, …
What are some words in Cantonese that I should know?
Well, I’ll assume that you want to remember more than some cringe tourist level phrases to just get by. Usually, Cantonese is a spoken language …
What is the Longyou Caves in China and what is the mystery surrounding their construction and purpose?
Back in 1992, a group of villagers in Longyou county, China stumbled upon an astonishing discovery. The area near the village of Shiyan Beicun was …
Do Mandarin and Cantonese incorporate (untranslated) English words or phrases in their language every day?
Well, I am a Mandarin speaker, so I just offer my view about this topic with regard to Mandarin. Words or phrases in English are …