Common mistakes during learning Chinese.

[Dandy Jiang]

1. 我中午吃饭在食堂。

Similar mistakes:

• 我学汉语在中国。
• 他们玩在外面。

 

Correction:

Here's the correct order in Chinese: ①time②place③verb/verb phrase.

 

So the correct sentences are:

• 我①中午②在食堂③吃饭。
• 我在中国学汉语。
• 她们在外面玩。

 

2.我觉得她是漂亮。

Similar mistakes:

我听说汉语是很难。

我们国家离中国是远。

 

Correction:

If you want to express that S. is adj., you can't translate is into 是. Normally, it's: S.+degree adverb+adj.

 

（So the correct sentences are:）

• 我觉得她很漂亮。
• 我听说汉语很难。
• 我们国家离中国很远。

 

PS. The structure S.+是+adj.  represents firm and sure attitude, which means S. is indeed adj.是 needs to be pronounced with stress. For example: 我觉得她是漂亮-I think she is beautiful indeed.

 

3. 我早上没吃饭了。
Similar mistakes:
我室友上周生病了，没去上课了。
我昨天太累了，所以没出去玩儿了。

 

Correction:
Many learners think that 了 equals to past tense, which is wrong. When something is already happened, we use 了. Since 没吃饭、没上课、没出去 are things never happened, we don't use 了.）

So the correct sentences are:
我早上没吃饭。
我室友上周生病了，没去上课。
我昨天太累了，所以没出去玩儿。

 

4. 以前我常常散步了。
Similar mistakes:
我去年一直在学汉语了。
上个月他总是复习到很晚了。

 

Correction:
If an action is regular or happened repeatedly, we don't use 了 despite of a past situation.

So the correct sentences are:
以前我常常散步。
我去年一直在学汉语。
上个月他总是复习到很晚。

[gwr71]

It follows the word order of simple sentences  (which has many many exceptions) which is as follows:

Subj   time   manner   place  neg     aux     verb  complement  obj.  

 

you can correct me when I am wrong. I welcome that correction.

[Shelley]

Because I am not so familiar with the correct grammatical terms for things I have used simpler language.

 

I have an electronic sticky note with this on it:

 

Who     When     Where   How   What    Duration

 

This makes it really clear in my head which parts of speech go where.

I really hope I have got it right or else I have been learning mistakes which are the hardest to unlearn

[ZhangKaiRong]

Not all foreign languages follow the same sentence structure - although I see why someone with native English would make these mistakes, they not represent foreigners in general... For example, in my beginner Chinese classes, none of the students struggled with these structures, as the native language has similar sentence patterns to Chinese...

[gwr71]

As a newbie,

I see Mandarin sentences as a jigsaw puzzle.  Sometimes the sentence is easy like in English, S V O.  

 

Many times it is all jumbled up and you have to rearrange it in your head to fit our knowledge of English sentences.   

 

I think the hardest part for me is to understand Mandarin as a Topic-prominent language.  The difference between subject and topic in a Mandarin sentence.    The Noun Phrase sometimes gives me headaches but I have just reviewed them recently.  Verb phrase is similar to English.  

[陳德聰]

I think the tendency to generalise foreigners as being English speakers is what drives this idea of “mistakes all foreigners make”. These issues clearly are only relevant to people who speak a language that puts time and place after the verb.

[Shelley]

2 hours ago, gwr71 said:

you have to rearrange it in your head to fit our knowledge of English sentences.  

Sometime ago I decided not to do this, I preserve the original word order, this helps me think in chinese. I am not learning to be a translator, I am learning chinese.

 

I started a topic about it some time ago and the discussion that followed was very interesting.

You can find it here https://www.chinese-forums.com/forums/topic/50055-preserving-word-order/?tab=comments#comment-383691

[gwr71]

I guess I have a long way to go.  thank you for the info. I will look at the thread.

[Flickserve]

@Dandy Jiang

 

I find the title of the thread rather uncomfortable to read. Could it be changed to "Chinese (second language)  learners" instead of "foreigners"?

 

An American / Canadian / French person learning Chinese in their own country is not a "foreigner". 

[ChTTay]

Flickserve, to many Chinese tourists, even when they’re in your country, you’re still the foreigners. 

 

In English it is a word with more negative connotations or, as you say, a someone uncomfortable tone! 

 

I like this thread but even better if the OP had actually asked a question to start a discussion. So, anyone got any other common mistakes they themselves or  others make?

 

For beginners that I know, the first one is really common. Just following English word order but speaking Chinese. Another one that is more broad, and a reflection on teachers, is beginners seem to rarely spend enough time on pinyin/pronunciation. It’s like they have 1 or 2 lessons then forget about it. 

 

I am am not a beginner but I will fairly often swap 2 character words round when I”m not concentrating or talking too much haha. For instance 呼吸 becomes “xihu”. Anyone else?

[Zbigniew]

1 hour ago, ChTTay said:

Flickserve, to many Chinese tourists, even when they’re in your country, you’re still the foreigners. 

 

I suspect Flickserve knows that, and his point is that "foreigners" in this context is a culturally insensitive use of English, which it is. The moderation team seem to agree.

[ChTTay]

To assume makes an Ass out of you and me!

[Shelley]

Unfortunately and not wanting to split hairs, we are now left with a clumsy title for this topic. "Common mistakes during learning Chinese" Would scan better as "Common mistake made when learning Chinese"

 

I don't see why there had to be a question to start a discussion, there is a 13 post discussion so far.

 

Maybe the OP might like to start another topic (they are free) asking people what common mistakes they think are made.

[Flickserve]

8 hours ago, ChTTay said:

Flickserve, to many Chinese tourists, even when they’re in your country, you’re still the foreigners.

 

It doesn't mean they are correct :-) 

[ChTTay]

Ok ok, I’ll stick to my area of the forum...

 

*shuffles away*

[abcdefg]

9 hours ago, ChTTay said:

I am am not a beginner but I will fairly often swap 2 character words round when I”m not concentrating or talking too much haha. For instance 呼吸 becomes “xihu”. Anyone else?

 

I do that too, especially when the old brain is fatigued.

[DavyJonesLocker]

I think using subject predicate structures rather than topic comment  structures is common for a beginner learning Chinese. While it's not a " mistake" over use of subject predicate sentences can sound unnatural.