The Chinese language is a very complex and different language, different from any in the entire world. The Chinese do not have an alphabet, but instead have many different word-pictures that have meanings. Each word-picture is made up of different parts, or strokes, and some are derived from the actual object they represent. Ancient Chinese and Modern Chinese, like Old English and Modern English, are different.
There are many dialects in the Chinese language, and when Chinese is spoken in every day language, it is often different from how someone would write it down in proper Chinese. The Chinese language includes grammar and other rules that apply to how a person can write in Chinese. Two main dialects are Mandarin and Cantonese.
Traditionally, Chinese is written vertically, from the top down, and from the right to the left. Chinese is also read that way, so the front cover of a book would open from the left to the right.
There are many famous poems in Chinese, which children often learn to recite when they are at a young age. There are also many "hidden-meaning" stories, which teach an important lesson.
There are also many forms of Chinese calligraphy. Some forms are more curved, and rounded, while others have fewer strokes to them. Also, the same word can have more than one meaning, or more than one way of pronouncing it. Depending on the situation, a word can be pronounced differently.
The Chinese language is a language that uses different tones of voice in order to convey meaning, emphasis on certain words or sounds. |
