On picking a language. Chinese vs Japanese

[Lumbering Ox]

I am almost done with Remembering the Kanji [1950ish Huzzah!] but I am getting cold feet if you will.

 

Japanese has the advantage that as a Canadian I'd probably adapt to the climate in the north of the country more easily.

It is also a bit easier to learn without help. Much more grammar but one can learn that via texts and exposure to media.

On the downside if I don't live there the language is pretty much useless. I am pushing 50 so by time anime and manga hit these shores much like Ewocks I was a bit too adult to get into it. The movies are meh. Japanese people are rare.

 

Chinese. On the plus side it is more useful outside of the country. Some Mandarin [and Canto] programming on TV. A lot more Chinese people around at least in the bigger cities. The movies are much better. Even if I never moved overseas I could see getting some use from my efforts. Aside from tones it is a much easier.

On the downside, the PRC is too polluted although the areas around HK seem not so bad, Cantonese has even more tones. Taiwan seems brutal hot and humid much of the year but is probably where I'd go if I moved to a Chinese place. I've heard too many people say that they learned Chinese only to not be understood. Some of these people seem to have worked on their tones. I am not very confident of learning them without a lot of one on one help [i started another thread about finding help on this] and fear taking the leap, investing lots of hours only to faceplant.

 

For giggles

 

Hindi. [Actually on my TDL] Downside, mostly spoken in the hottest most polluted areas. Visa difficulties for long term stay. Multiple letters that sound exactly alike.

On the plus side, more usable here, in my small town I actually could use it once in a while. Bollywood FTW.

 

If I were younger, it wouldn't matter so much but I am 46 and all these languages involve a massive investment of time.

 

Reading the above it would seem I should switch to Chinese but I could always use a second opinion.

[Flickserve]

Pick the one that you are interested in.

[boctulus]

Well, all depends......

 

If you are thinking to move to Japan / China you should consider Japan is a very developed country and China is a developing country with a lot for improving in terms of education, security and a very small PIB per capita.

 

There are a lot of japanese people in many countries as USA, Australia, China, Brazil, Peru, Argentina (even in small cities),... so It's not sure chinese be more broadly.

 

Japanese language could be harder to learn not just because the grammar but also because a lot of kana which is meaningless for someone who does not understand the speaking language. I mean it's very easy for japanese kids but very hard for foreign beginner learners.

 

A full comparison between japanese and chinese languages maybe it's offtopic ...... there many differences (tones, use of kanji / hanzi, kana and a very different grammar in general)

 

At the end, it's a question of taste and I'd follow the Flickserve suggestion.

[Lu]

My question is usually: who do you want to talk to? And in your case, more broadly: what do you want to do with it?

 

(If it's a wife you're looking for, I'd pick Chinese if I were you. Or you could consider finding the spouse first and then learning whatever language she speaks best.)

[boctulus]

(If it's a wife you're looking for, I'd pick Chinese if I were you. Or you could consider finding the spouse first and then learning whatever language she speaks best.)

 

(South-) Korean girls are very attractive too and open-mind to match with western men

[Chris Two Times]

Are we going down that route with this thread?

 

Sticking to the language topic...why not Arabic? Got a swath of countries covered (never mind dialects).

 

I go with the above..."pick the one that you are interested in".

 

Warm regards,

Chris Two Times

[Demonic_Duck]

Sticking to the language topic...why not Arabic? Got a swath of countries covered (never mind dialects).

Aren't Arabic "dialects" a lot like Chinese "dialects", though? I.e. many of them are actually separate, non-mutually-intelligible languages.

[Chris Two Times]

Aren't Arabic "dialects" a lot like Chinese "dialects", though? I.e. many of them are actually separate, non-mutually-intelligible languages. 

 

I reckon so, hence me writing "(never mind dialects)".

 

Warm regards,

Chris Two Times

[Shelley]

If you are learning for pleasure I would pick Chinese because there is a wealth of learning materials and people to talk to online or in person if you look hard enough.

If you are generally interested in Asian languages, then chinese is a good basis for learning others. Japanese has its roots in chinese, so it can be helpful.

 

I personally find China has an enormous amount of history, culture, and beauty that is evident in the language. This is why I chose to learn chinese, I wanted to be able to read and write characters and be able to access the knowledge in chinese culture in the original language.

 

Once I had started I was hooked, I will always be learning and this is one thing I like there is no decisive end, it will continue to give me pleasure for the rest of my life. I am very glad to have something like this as I am a firm believer in keeping the brain active to stop deterioration in later life - if you don't use it, you lose it. For me it is a life long passion.

 

If on the other hand if you are going to learn because of business, travel, love or moving home then it has to be a language you will use for these things. Only you really know what you want to learn for, so although there is some very good advice, help and information from people on the forum, you need to work out what you really want to do it for.

 

If it is a straight up vote, mine goes for Chinese

[Lumbering Ox]

I settled down to the three I mentioned. I actually wanted something difficult, something different and something from an interesting culture. Granted I might not be much into Japanese media but it is still an interesting place and if I had all the time in the world I wouldn't mind living there for at least a year. China has loads of cool stuff. India is facinating and I like bollywood.

 

Arabic? No interest at all in the cultures of the area. Maybe I am missing out on something but still. I've know a pretty cool dude from Jordan and another from Oman though. I would have gotten more use out of it than Japanese. It does qualify as a difficult language though but nothing to drive me there sort to speak. Also the difference between modern standard Arabic and street Arabic is even more annoying that the 1001 Chinese dialects and sub dialects.

 

I know it is my choice and dependent on what I want to use it for but much like the proverbial mule between 2 equally distant haystacks...

 

 

As it was brought up [jeez you people don't understand the concept of TL DR do you, I love you guys]

[boctulus]

Japanese has its roots in chinese, so it can be helpful.

 

 

I think you mean "japanese has its writing roots in chinese

 

Arabic? No interest at all in the cultures of the area.

 

 

Which area ? you mean Europe and Africa ? they are many arabic countries in both continents but the most interesting thing for a chinese / japanese learner could be in Egypt, Africa because the egipt writing is more or less chinese like writing system! a logographic system

 

(Now egyptian people speak arabic but in the old days... )

[Lumbering Ox]

"

Which area ? you mean Europe and Africa ? they are many arabic countries in both continents but the most interesting thing for a chinese / japanese learner could be egipt writing is more or less chinese writing system is! a logographic system

 

(Now egyptian people speak arabic but in the old days... )"

 

I've read a bit of ancient Egyptian literature, not that there is much out there and a bit on the history. The writing system is pretty down my TDL, perhaps if Chuck Norris may peace be upon his roundhouse kick gives me immortality.

[Chris Two Times]

"Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast."

[Shelley]

I actually wanted something difficult, something different and something from an interesting culture.

 

 

Sounds like Chinese to me

 

I don't think women have anything to do with it. Learn what you want for you.

 

You never know what's around the corner, if you like girls that are into baseball- go to baseball games, if you like girls who are into reading- go to libraries and if you like girls who like to learn new things- go to night classes,.... you see where I am going with this.

 

Just do what you like, if its going to happen it will, don't stress about it.

[dwq]

Wouldn't French or even Spanish be of the most utility for a Canadian, if you are looking from that angle?

[Lumbering Ox]

"Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast."

 

I am very wordy when I write. Try not to take my inability to be concise as some sort of escalation or things getting out of hand.

We cool brah.

 

 

French. My father's first language is French. Most of his side of the family can't speak the English. He is 83, I live with him. I probably should take advantage of it while he is still alive but I spent my first 13 years struggling with French [unilingual mother] growing up in Quebec through the PQ and referendums. There are a lot of hard feelings there. My mother is dead, my father has a bilingual French special lady friend. She keeps insisting that I understand her when she speaks French to me regardless of how often both of us say I don't. That doesn't help my love of French. Also I have no draw towards anything French, aside from Dumas which I've already read a lot of and can't bring myself to do it again. I know a guy who says Lord of the Rings is better read in French than English though.

 

I'd rather Spanish than French, useless in Canada but my father took a few courses in it so it would be a bonding thing, there is the DELE exams. However after everything I couldn't name you a single book, TV series or movie I would want to watch in the language except for Don Quixote which I have no interest in reading again. I have no interest in travel to any Spanish speaking place. Nothing personal, there is no push away, just no pull either.

 

 

Also two of the things I was looking for is difficult and different as well as utility.

[li3wei1]

try learning sign language. In the movies, deaf chicks are always hot. I bet it's difficult, too.

[boctulus]

Seriously,  chinese is hard enough (specially for tones but also the big number of characters) but japanese for a foreign is even harder.  @BrianP you should just try to learn japanese by yourself to see why.

[Shelley]

growing up in Quebec

 

 

Me too, Montreal, at 15 I left and moved to UK with my parents as they didn't like the FLQ, the kidnappings and the soldiers on the streets with guns.

 

French was my automatic second language, and having experienced learning a second European language I was not interested in Spanish, Italian,etc.

 

No more verbs please

 

I decided to pick chinese, it was as far away from French as I could get

 

Don't know what more I can do to help from behind a keyboard, but remember if you try chinese and you hate it, you can always stop.

 

 

[boctulus]

No more verbs please

 

Same feeling with romance languages