Ok so we have established that English aside, I have studied two languages in my life and as I write this I am trying to work out why I don't go back and delete my somewhat bizarre statement about mandarin being the hardest language in the world to master - but you know what, I am going to leave it there as it is an awesome opening statement albeit a tad misleading.
Everyone of the interns arrived in China possessing the ability to say hello, which is Ni Hao! However that is were my command of the language ended and to be frank, four and half hours worth of lessons later that is still pretty much all I know.
The key to learning mandarin is sussing out how to pronounce the sounds that make up words, problem is I (and seemingly every other intern) cannot get to grips with these sounds and when I actually attempt to say anything other than Ni Hao, I end up spouting a load of gobbledygook.
For example, thank you is xie xie and seemingly no westerner can agree on how it is pronounced, honestly I have heard twenty variations on its pronunciation and I simply can't say which is correct. So I have actually found myself avoiding use of the word, when in a situation were I am expected to say thank you, I just say thank you. I am not sure whether or not the shopkeepers etc. understand what it is I am saying but at least I am being polite.
Luckily for me, the chinese are as terrible at English as I am mandarin. This is not a bad thing however and does make for some wonderful translations, particularly on warning signs:-
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| "Electricity! Look Out!" - My favourite sign in China, so far... |
I am due to have another two hours worth of lessons a week until I come home, and if I can master xie xie then I will leave a happy man.
xie xie.
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