When to start learning Cantonese

[xuefang]

I'm now only a beginner in Mandarin Chinese, but someday I would like to start learning Cantonese. That's what my boyfriend and his family speaks. So, when to start learning it? How good I should be in Mandarin before trying to learn Cantonese?

[nipponman]

Any time is good, but do you really want to distract yourself from your Mandarin? If you start learning Cantonese now, you might confuse it with your Mandarin and vice versa.

nipponman

[xuefang]

Would it be better to start learning Cantonese when I'm much more familiar with Mandarin? Or would it be as confusing as it would be now?

[Hofmann]

I'd start after having a good grasp on Mandarin grammar, and having some basic vocabulary down. The grammar structures of Mandarin and Cantonese differ only slightly (e.g X比Y高 vs. X高過Y). That way, learning Cantonese would only be a matter of using a different vocabulary and pronouncing words differently.

But you can start whenever you want.

[wai ming]

Personally, I think knowledge of Mandarin may help you learn Cantonese. Firstly, the two share quite a lot of vocabulary, and having a knowledge of Mandarin can help you make connections when it comes to learning Cantonese vocabulary. Secondly, the basic grammar is similar (although Cantonese grammar is different in quite a few areas). Thirdly, written Cantonese is pretty much the same as Mandarin (well, it's actually written in Modern Standard Chinese, but that's almost exactly the same as Mandarin).

That said, I think Cantonese is more difficult than Mandarin for most people, with its greater diversity of sounds and tones, as well as the fact that it's written in traditional characters (not that I'm trying to put you off, or anything ). It probably wouldn't hurt trying to get your head around the different sounds and tones earlier rather than later...

From my own experience (I learnt Mandarin quite well first and have only just started tackling Cantonese), I have a tendency to "mandarin"-ize Cantonese sounds... which results in pretty warped pronunciation. That said, there are also times when I can listen to people, and understand what they're saying simply because I recognise the similarity with the Mandarin equivalent.

Have a look at Adam Sheik's Cantonese page www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk and the learning Cantonese forums at www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum. There have been many discussions re the connection between Mandarin and Cantonese and learning Cantonese and/or Mandarin there.

[盤古]

I'm a native-Mandarin speaker and I picked up quite a lot of Cantonese in matters of weeks just from my friends. Granted though I can barely have simple conversations but I feel like if I really wanted to, I can expand my vocabulary at an extremely fast pace, at least MUCH MUCH MUCH faster than any of the other languages I've learned or attempted to learn...

[nipponman]

If you start learning now you might find out that you can't differentiate between the two, at least if you're not a native speaker. Furthermore, learning cantonese can be expensive, since there is not much free online resources (that I can find anyway).

nipponman

[xuefang]

Well, when I start learning Cantonese I can get much help from my BF because he speaks Cantonese.

I think it's best to continue learning Mandarin and later begin with Cantonese.

[nipponman]

Well, when I start learning Cantonese I can get much help from my BF because he speaks Cantonese.

You're at a distinct advantage over the rest of us!

I think it's best to continue learning Mandarin and later begin with Cantonese.

exactly.

[geraldc]

If you've got the opportunity to learn it now, you might as well start learning it now especially if that's what your BF and his family speak. Just start by learning a few everyday phrases, the different thank yous etc. If you put it off, you're just missing opportunities to practise etc. I've never heard of anyone who regretted learning a language too early.

If it does interfere with your Mandarin, just drop the cantonese, and restart at a later date.

[xuefang]

Thank you very much for your help and wievs. That's true that I can start now and then see how it's going to go. And if it's too hard to learn Cantonese now I cant start it again later.