# Learning tips: 漢字，怎麽記得啊！



## ROgringo

我是美國人， 我學了1 年的中文了，現在我在臺灣學中文一個學期。 我的課不太難可是我想找到一個比較好的讀書的方法。  就是， 我練習寫字時，我把每一個字寫60， 70 次。。。很麻煩呢！ 要是有一個native speaker ， 請， 幫忙我！ 應該有一個比較好的法子啊！ 我怎麽可以記得我的字？ 我很感謝你們的建議！


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## nichec

ROgringo said:


> 我是美國人， 我學了1 年的中文了，現在我在臺灣學中文一個學期。 我的課不太難可是我想找到一個比較好的讀書的方法。 就是， 我練習寫字時，我把每一個字寫60， 70 次。。。很麻煩呢！ 要是有一個native speaker ， 請， 幫忙我！ 應該有一個比較好的法子啊！ 我怎麽可以記得我的字？ 我很感謝你們的建議！


 
But that's the way we all learned how to write, each every one of us native speakers


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## Flaminius

Stretching the notion of "native speaker," we learn Chinese characters the same method in Japan; repetition after repetition.  

And in one class, I had to copy characters 100 times.


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## Eillitrena

我们也是从儿时起就这样学着写的呀，还是在键盘上输入的要更快哦？！ Fighting!
美国人不少说西语的，您会不会呀？^_^


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## rose-mail

ROgringo said:


> 我是美國人， 我學了1 年的中文了，現在我在臺灣學中文一個學期。 我的課不太難可是我想找到一個比較好的讀書的方法。 就是， 我練習寫字時，我把每一個字寫60， 70 次。。。很麻煩呢！ 要是有一個native speaker ， 請， 幫忙我！ 應該有一個比較好的法子啊！ 我怎麽可以記得我的字？ 我很感謝你們的建議！


 


你學了一年中文有這樣的成績已不錯!書寫漢字我認為最直接簡單方法, 就是記熟*漢字部件. 當你把漢字部件變成朋友, 就會發現書寫漢字的功力突飛猛進!*


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## Andrés Wang

我覺得閱讀還有多寫是很重要的，而且是盡量用手寫，少打字。假如我們常常用電腦打字，中文字容易越忘越多。中文字是象形字，所以常常看與寫是很重要的，不像English or Spanish等歐洲語文拼寫，寫的字與嘴巴說的差不了多少。


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## liveinusa

你好，我是中国人，你才学习一年中文就写出这些语法结构很清晰的句子真的很不错！我小的时候学习语文也是需要每个字写很多遍的，那时候老师给我们留的作业就是抄写生字，一个字写10遍，然后第二天老师会测验默写，也就是他读词，我们写出来那种形式的测验。这种形式之后还会忘记，那就需要反复记忆了，而且我们每学期都有很多测验的，为了加强记忆。还有经常造句也是记忆单词的好办法，通过这种办法，你会记住在什么环境下使用这个词。
还有，现在网络很发达了，你可以通过和native speaker网上聊天的方式练习汉字，而且你还可以学习native speaker的地道的表达方式，了解在什么情景下用什么字来表达，给native speaker写email等等都是很好的学习方法，我相信你一定会进步很快的！加油！
I am living in usa now. I have been studing English for 10 years in my country. But actually I just did a lot of reading and writing practice when I was in China. Now I move to usa and I feel that speaking and listening is very important.





ROgringo said:


> 我是美國人， 我學了1 年的中文了，現在我在臺灣學中文一個學期。 我的課不太難可是我想找到一個比較好的讀書的方法。 就是， 我練習寫字時，我把每一個字寫60， 70 次。。。很麻煩呢！ 要是有一個native speaker ， 請， 幫忙我！ 應該有一個比較好的法子啊！ 我怎麽可以記得我的字？ 我很感謝你們的建議！


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## coconutpalm

你的汉语说（写）得很好啊！
如果你想在打字的时候都不忘记怎么写汉字的话，我推荐你用五笔。真的哦，我用五笔就发现我有好多字都不会写，也不会打。用极点五笔的话既可以输出繁体也可以输出简体，而且还可以用拼音查询你不会用五笔输入法打的字，很有用。


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## avlee

其实，你真的不该去台湾或者香港那样的地方学写汉字，很同情那边的人，写个字都要比我们多费些功夫。
Don't learn how to write Chinese characters in Taiwan or Hongkong.
They are USING TRADITIONAL characters which are much more complicated in strokes than the simplified characters.


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## univerio

avlee said:


> 其实，你真的不该去台湾或者香港那样的地方学写汉字，很同情那边的人，写个字都要比我们多费些功夫。
> Don't learn how to write Chinese characters in Taiwan or Hongkong.
> They are USING TRADITIONAL characters which are much more complicated in strokes than the simplified characters.



Although the traditional version is harder, one can see more relationships between different characters and how they came to mean what they mean. More strokes doesn't necessarily mean harder to learn.


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## samanthalee

It doesn't matter whether we are learning the Chinese traditional characters or the Chinese simplified characters; the way to memorize the characters is still the same: we copy the characters again and again.

It may be quicker to write the simplified characters, but it is easier to see the logic of each ideogram in the traditional characters. This would explain why those who learnt simplified characters can read traditional characters text without much effort. In a way, this shows that the traditional characters are easier to learn. (Unless you want to argue that those who learnt simplified characters are born smarter in the first place.  But I don't think so.)

Even though traditional characters are easier to learn; between copying lines in traditional characters and in simplified characters, I'll choose simplified characters any time because I'm just plain lazy.

Both traditional characters and simplified characters have their own merits. And every foreigner has a right to choose which to learn. (Lucky you. The native speakers are stuck with the choice of their government)

No matter the choice, there's only one way to learn the characters: *keep copying lines!*


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## happyhippo

I suggest that you read some simplified Chinese books appropriate to your level. I didn't copy much the Chinese characters when I was a child. The reason we were asked to copy (At most 10 times as I remember. Definitely not 50 or 60 times!) was more about practicing better caligraphy than memorizing the strokes, because most children already know those words since we had already been exposed to them a lot through reading comic books and other childrens books, etc.


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## avlee

univerio said:


> Although the traditional version is harder, one can see more relationships between different characters and how they came to mean what they mean. More strokes doesn't necessarily mean harder to learn.


I bet less than 0.01% language learners want to be a scholar or linguist. I've never heard any guy I know says sth. like, "I want to be an expert/scholar/linguist on that language!" so far. 
To say the least, even if you want to be a linguist, you still have to start from the simpliest word at the very beginning.
And it goes without saying that everyone wants to do the easiest thing with the least effort.
Furthermore, it is said that the Chinese characters originated from Oracle characters. If people who lived in that age were sitting before this screen watching all these posts, I'm sure he/she will snort out in distain, "You guys shall take up a sharp stone axe and carve the beautifully designed Oracle characters on the surface of the animal bones like we do all the years!" And I'm sure that it'll help you to understand more about the Chinese language and how the characters came out to mean what they mean according to your aforesaid logic.
The last point I have to make is this: if you're the so called scholar/expert/linguist, that doesn't mean you're a good teacher at the same time; if you're a teacher, and definitely nothing like a linguist/scholar, please do tell those poor foreigners both character systems and see which they would prefer(don't select for them yourself, currently people who are using Traditional Characters don't seem to be very special comparing to the simplified character users except for their stubborn preference on the traditional characters).


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## samanthalee

Hmm...
Considering the fact that all the people I've met who learnt Simplified Characters are able to read Traditional Characters and yet, most of those who learnt Traditional Characters are confounded with Simplified Characters, it does seem Traditional Characters are more intuitive to learn.

Without wanting to be a scholar of linguistics, being able to see the relationships between the different characters can help learner memorize the strokes in a Mind-Mapping/Association approach to learning. There are indeed textbooks of Chinese language that approach the teaching of writing Chinese characters via etymology, showing the gradual changes that occurred from the Oracle scratchings to modern characters. Learning via etymology can be an interesting aid to memorizing (especially for adult learners), and in this, Traditional Characters have the advantage.



avlee said:


> (don't select for them yourself, currently people who are using Traditional Characters don't seem to be very special comparing to the simplified character users except for their stubborn preference on the traditional characters).


The choice of Simplified or Traditional Characters is up to individual preference. Anyway, for the first few months of learning, the characters being taught are probably the simple ones that are written in the same way in both the Simplified and Traditional system. Though from a practical point of view, I would advise foreigners to learn the Simplified Characters. Firstly, once you master the Simplified Characters, it's not difficult for you to recognize Traditional Characters; it's almost like learning 2 systems for the effort of learning one (ignoring the fact that the Simplified is a more difficult system). But the reverse isn't true; knowing Traditional Characters doesn't let you recognize Simplified Characters (that's what I've seen happening with native speakers). Secondly, how do you argue with the 1.2 billion people in China (give or take a few hundred million who're illiterate; and you may also like to add the puny 2 million in Singapore who learn the Simplified Characters too)?

And yes, people who are using Traditional Characters don't seem to be very special comparing to the Simplified Character users except for their stubborn preference on the Traditional Characters. Just as people who are using Simplified Characters don't seem to be very special comparing to the Traditional Character users except for their stubborn preference on the Simplified Characters. *We can't conclude much from these except that us Chinese are just plain stubborn people.*


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## avlee

I'm afraid I disobeyed my own maxim as shown in the signature area.


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## fyhao

您的华文水准不错阿。。。反过来我还在学英文呢，但是程度很差。。。加油吧！！！


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## T-MAC

ROgringo said:


> 我是美國人， 我學了1 年的中文了，現在我在臺灣學中文一個學期。 我的課不太難可是我想找到一個比較好的讀書的方法。 就是， 我練習寫字時，我把每一個字寫60， 70 次。。。很麻煩呢！ 要是有一個native speaker ， 請， 幫忙我！ 應該有一個比較好的法子啊！ 我怎麽可以記得我的字？ 我很感謝你們的建議！


Just speak it every day,and write it sometimes!


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## agliagli

You can start by copying these lines :
学而学习之,不亦乐乎 (simplified)
學而學習之,不亦樂乎 (non-simplified)

This is the only way! Stick to Confucius chapter one at first!  it helps... 

Simplified and non-simplified characters are not a problem; I personally think both should be learnt. It is not really difficult if you are deadly in love with the Chinese culture (or cultureS... don't kill me, please! )!  Just keep it up and enjoy the effort... it worths it!

PS: if you have time and interest for it, pay a casual glance at the classics. Il personally love the Chinese classics! sometimes better than modern Chinse I am afraid...


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## solomon524

It does not matter which characters you learned. You know world changes.words changes. But you should share more time with your Chinese friends frequently, that will help a lot for your learning.


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## coconutpalm

agliagli said:


> You can start by copying these lines :
> 学而学习之,不亦乐乎 (simplified)
> 學而學習之,不亦樂乎 (non-simplified)


Great sentence as motto! Yet I'm afraid I have to make some correction: it should be 学而时习之，不亦乐乎/學而時習之，不亦樂乎



agliagli said:


> PS: if you have time and interest for it, pay a casual glance at the classics. Il personally love the Chinese classics! sometimes better than modern Chinse I am afraid...


There are good modern fictions, though I have a special love for classic Chinese, too.
We are the geek


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## Shiu

I think your Chinese is great!
I think no matter you are learning simplified character or traditinoal characters, you need to practice, you need to write harder.
我相信不管你是在中國學簡體字或在台灣學正體字就是要勤練勤寫就是了.
漢字是象形文字來著的,如果看了漢字的原始圖片的話,我相信你會學得更快的!


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