Chinese Phrases for Dummies
Chapter One
I Say It How? Speaking
Chinese
In This Chapter
* Getting a handle on basic Chinese sounds
* Perfecting the four basic tones
* Practicing Chinese idioms
* Understanding basic Chinese phrases and
gestures
Time to get your feet wet with the basics of
Chinese. This chapter gives you the guidelines
that help you pronounce words in standard Mandarin
(the official language of both the People's Republic
of China and Taiwan) like a native speaker and helps
you get a handle on the four tones that distinguish
the Mandarin dialect. After you have the basics down,
we show you how to construct basic Chinese phrases.
But before you dive in, here's a bit of advice: Don't be
intimidated by all the tones! When studying a foreign
language, don't worry about making mistakes the
minute you open your mouth.
The Written Word: Yikes!
No Alphabet!
With so many distinct dialects in Chinese, how do
people communicate with each other? The answer
lies in ... (drum ... read full excerpt from Chinese Phrases For Dummies ebook
