Using AI (ChatGPT) for learning Chinese

[Jan Finster]

Some of you may already know ChatGpt (https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/). It is basically an AI language system (prototype-ish). You can ask question and chatgpt will come up with answers. It is pretty good, it is currently free, but not yet 100% error-free ?

 

I played around it a bit and I feel it could revolutionise many things in my life, including language learning.

 

Here some examples:

 

Write a dialogue in Mandarin about 2 people on a blind date at Beijing's summer palace

(Person A and Person B have never met before and are meeting for a blind date at the Summer Palace in Beijing)

Person A: 你好，我是李雪。你是谁？
(Hello, I am Li Xue. Who are you?)

Person B: 你好，我是张伟。很高兴认识你。
(Hello, I am Zhang Wei. Nice to meet you.)

Person A: 同样很高兴。我们在这里约会是很好的选择。
(Likewise, I'm glad to meet you. It's a great choice to have a date here.)

Person B: 我同意。夏宫是北京最美丽的地方之一。
(I agree. The Summer Palace is one of the most beautiful places in Beijing.)

Person A: 我们应该开始参观。我们可以先去看长廊。
(We should start the tour. We can go see the Long Corridor first.)

Person B: 好的。那里有很多美丽的图画。
(OK. There are many beautiful pictures there.)

(They walk and talk while visiting the Long Corridor)

Person A: 张伟，你喜欢什么样的女孩子？
(Zhang Wei, what type of girl do you like?)

Person B: 我喜欢有爱心，有责任感，并且能与我相处的女孩。
(I like a girl who is caring, responsible, and can get along with me.)

Person A: 哦，我喜欢有梦想，有目标，并且有自己的想法的男孩。
(Oh, I like a boy who has dreams, goals, and has his own ideas.)

Person B: 我同意。我们的目标是一样的。
(I agree. Our goals are the same.)

(They continue to visit other parts of the Summer Palace)

Person A: 真是太美了，我真的很喜欢这里。
(It's so beautiful, I really like it here.)

Person B: 我也是。我们应该再来一次。
(Me too. We should come again.)

Person A: 我希望我们能再次约会。
(I hope we can have another date.)

Person B: 我也是。那么，我们下次

Write a 200 words summary of the book 定西 孤儿院 纪事in Mandarin for 3rd grade students

 

《定西孤儿院纪事》是一本关于孤儿院生活的书。在这本书中，我们讲述了孤儿院里的小朋友们的故事。他们有的来自富有的家庭，有的来自贫穷的家庭。但是，在孤儿院里，他们都是一样的。他们都需要爱和关心。

在孤儿院里，小朋友们有很多有趣的事情可以做。他们可以和其他小朋友一起玩耍，学习新的知识和技能，还可以参加各种活动。小朋友们也有很多老师和照顾他们的人，他们会给小朋友们带来很多爱。

然而，尽管孤儿院是一个很好的地方，但是小朋友们还是希望有一天能够回到自己的家。他们希望有一天能够和自己的父母重逢。这本书告诉我们，即使是在孤儿院里，小朋友们也会有温馨和爱的生活。

[Jan Finster]

 

 

Make a 200 word argument in Mandarin about China's major societal problems of the next 10 years.

 

中国在未来十年面临的社会问题是多样的。其中一个主要问题是人口老龄化。随着中国人口年龄增长，老年人的数量将会增加。这将对医疗和养老领域造成压力，同时也会影响社会经济发展。

另一个主要问题是环境污染。中国经济的高速发展导致了工业排放和城市污染的增加。这会对人类健康造成威胁，并影响生态平衡。如果不采取有效措施，环境污染将会成为中国社会发展的一个重大障碍。

此外，中国社会的不平等问题也将是未来十年中国社会发展的一个重大挑战。随着经济发展，贫富差距不断扩大。如果不能有效解决这个问题，将会对社会稳定造成威胁。

总的来说，中国在未来十年面临着多种社会问题。需要采取有效措施来解决这些问题，以保证中国社会的健康发展。

 

Is 我今天睡着不 grammatically correct?

 

"我今天睡着不" is not grammatically correct. The proper way to say "I cannot sleep today" in Mandarin Chinese would be "我今天睡不着". The negation particle "不" (bù) should come after the verb "睡" (shuì) in this case.

 

If you also use it, please share how

[StChris]

This is an amazing app. I have a Chinese colleague who would often ask me to proofread her emails, but now she mostly just uses ChatGPT and it really does produce well-written professional English (even with very narrow, industry-related topics).

 

I was wondering about whether it supported Chinese or not. I'll give it a try this weekend.

[StChris]

Of course, the app itself makes many language skills (including being articulate and logical in your native language) pretty much obsolete- or rather it would probably be better to say that it levels the playing field. So long as a person has a high enough level to be able to articulate what they want it write for them and the ability to judge the quality of the output, then this app will pretty much put them on the same level as someone genuinely talented at writing. If the language produced in the Chinese version is as good as the English one, then it will boost "my" written Chinese to the same level as a well educated native speaker.

[Jan Finster]

More examples:

 

What is the difference in usage between 危害 and 危险 in mandarin. Please provide examples to exlain

 

In Mandarin Chinese, 危害 (wēihài) and 危险 (wēixiǎn) both have to do with danger or risk, but they are used in slightly different ways.

危害 (wēihài) is used to describe the actual harm or damage caused by something, often as a result of neglect or carelessness. For example:

这种污染对环境造成了巨大的危害。 (zhè zhǒng wūrǎn duì huánjìng zàochéngle jùdà de wēihài.)
The pollution caused enormous harm to the environment.
危险 (wēixiǎn) is used to describe the potential for harm or danger, often as a warning to be cautious. For example:

这条路很危险，请小心驾驶。 (zhè tiáo lù hěn wēixiǎn, qǐng xiǎoxīn jiàshǐ.)
This road is very dangerous, please drive carefully.
In summary, 危害 refers to the actual harm or damage caused by something, while 危险 refers to the potential for harm or danger.

[Jan Finster]

 

What are other ways to express 在 某种程度 上 in mandarin?

 

In Mandarin Chinese, there are several ways to express "in some degree" or "to some extent" similar to 在某种程度上 (zài mǒu zhǒng chéngdù shàng). Some examples include:

在一定程度上 (zài yīdìng chéngdù shàng): "to a certain degree"
在某些方面 (zài mǒu xiē fāngmiàn): "in some aspects"
在某些程度 (zài mǒu xiē chéngdù): "to some extent"
在某种程度 (zài mǒu zhǒng chéngdù): "to some degree"
部分上 (bùfèn shàng): "partially"
For example,

他的观点在一定程度上是正确的。(tā de guān diǎn zài yīdìng chéngdù shàng shì zhèngquè de.)
His viewpoint is correct to a certain degree.
这个计划在部分上是可行的。(zhè gè jìhuà zài bùfèn shàng shì kěxíng de.)
This plan is partially feasible.

go on

Another way to express "in some degree" or "to some extent" in Mandarin Chinese could be:

一定程度内 (yīdìng chéngdù nèi): "within a certain degree"
某种程度内 (mǒu zhǒng chéngdù nèi): "within some degree"
有限度地 (yǒu xiàn dù de): "to a limited extent"
部分地 (bùfèn de): "partially"
一部分 (yī bùfèn): "partially"
For example,

这个方案在一定程度内是可行的。(zhè gè fāng'àn zài yīdìng chéngdù nèi shì kěxíng de.)
This plan is feasible within a certain degree.
我的提议有限度地解决了问题。(wǒ de tíyì yǒu xiàn dù de jiějué le wèntí.)
My proposal solved the problem to a limited extent.
It is also worth noting that these expressions can be used in different context and sometimes have slight variations in connotation, it is important to understand the context before using them.

[Jan Finster]

What does 一堂 公民课 mean? Please provide examples

 

一堂公民课 (yī táng gōngmín kè) in Mandarin Chinese means "a civic class" or "a citizenship class" . It refers to a class or course that teaches students about their rights and responsibilities as citizens, as well as about the political and social systems of their country. It is often taught in schools as a mandatory subject.

For example:

我们班的一堂公民课讲的是如何参与公民投票。(wǒmen bān de yī táng gōngmín kè jiǎng de shì rúhé cānyù gōngmín tóupiào.)
Our civic class talked about how to participate in citizen voting.
一堂公民课教会我们如何成为有社会责任感的公民。(yī táng gōngmín kè jiàohuì wǒmen rúhé chéngwéi yǒu shèhuì zéréngǎn de gōngmín.)
A civic class teaches us how to become socially responsible citizens.
It is a way for citizens to learn and understand their rights and responsibilities and be active and informed citizens in the society.

[Jan Finster]

 

Please rewrite the following sentence in mandarin without using any of the same words "也有人说是清零和封城给上海人民还有全国人民上了一堂公民课，让大家认识到这个（政府的权力有点太高了"

 

Answer:

"有人认为是清零和封城给上海人民和全国人民上了一堂教育课程，使大家能够明白政府权力的高度"

[Jan Finster]

What are other expressions for 高峰 时刻 and how do they differ?

 

"高峰时刻" (gāo fēng shí kè) in Chinese means "peak hour" or "rush hour." Other expressions that have a similar meaning include "交通高峰" (jiāo tōng gāo fēng) which means "traffic peak" or "busy traffic time," "繁忙时间" (fán máng shí jiān) which means "busy time," and "高峰期" (gāo fēng qī) which means "peak period." The main difference between these expressions is the context in which they are used. "高峰时刻" and "交通高峰" are more commonly used to refer to the peak hours of traffic, while "繁忙时间" and "高峰期" can be used in a broader sense to refer to any busy time or period.

 

Please provide cloze sentences that lets me practice the terms above 

交通在高峰时刻非常拥挤。(Traffic is very crowded during rush hour.)
我们应该避免在交通高峰的时候出门。(We should avoid going out during busy traffic times.)
繁忙时间是不适合做事的好时机。(Busy times are not good opportunities to get things done.)
高峰期是需要调整我们的计划的。(Peak periods require us to adjust our plans.)

Please leave out the terms in the cloze sentences and replace them with blank space
交通在 ________ 非常拥挤。(Traffic is very crowded during ________.)
我们应该避免在 __________ 的时候出门。(We should avoid going out during __________.)
__________ 是不适合做事的好时机。(__________ are not good opportunities to get things done.)
__________ 是需要调整我们的计划的。(__________ require us to adjust our plans.)

[Jan Finster]

 

Pretend you are my chinese teacher. I want to practice mandarin small talk with you. Correct any mistakes I make. Let us start: 你好吗

你好! 我很好, 谢谢. 你呢? (Hello! I'm good, thank you. How about you?)

Me 我也很好但是我有点累
很好, 累是正常的. 你最近在做什么? (That's good, feeling tired is normal. What have you been up to lately?)

Me 我今天做了我的最喜欢的德国菜. 吃过了德国菜吗
很好听! 我没有吃过德国菜, 不过听说很好吃. (That sounds nice! I haven't had German food before, but I've heard it's delicious.)

[Jan Finster]

What is the grammatical function  of  就 in 中国 有 一种 就医 文化

In the sentence "中国 有 一种 就医 文化," the word "就" is used as an adverb, indicating that the action of "医" (to treat or to see a doctor) is done in a certain way or with a certain emphasis. In this context, it could be translated as "just" or "exclusively" in English.

Could you omit 就 in 中国 有 一种 就医 文化?
Yes, the sentence "中国 有 一种 医文化" could be used, which means "There is a certain kind of medical culture in China." But the presence of "就" emphasizes the specific way in which this culture is unique, it gives more emphasis to the aspect of "just" or "exclusively" for the medical culture.

[Tomsima]

Really interesting, though that last one is a bit concerning, especially as it presents the information with such certainty...

[Jan Finster]

On 1/20/2023 at 2:11 PM, Tomsima said:

Really interesting, though that last one is a bit concerning, especially as it presents the information with such certainty...

 

Yeah, you have to be careful. When I ask ChatGpt about things related from my profession, it is full of mistakes. Basically useless.

 

It is a language model, so for now and I merely expect it to use language correctly. The [grammar] explanations may not always be correct. I wonder if someone here picks up on actual language mistakes it makes. That would be concerning as a language learning tool.

[Moshen]

Quote

I wonder if someone here picks up on actual language mistakes it makes. That would be concerning as a language learning tool.

 

Not necessarily.  If it were, let's say, correct 98% of the time, it would do at least as well as a moderately good language teacher or an italki native speaker.  And available 24/7 without having to make an appointment!

[Jan Finster]

On 1/20/2023 at 3:26 PM, Moshen said:

available 24/7 without having to make an appointment!

 

Well, not quite. 9/10 times I want to use it, it is down due to too high demand... ?

[Johnny-5]

Quote

Not available

OpenAI's services are not available in your country.

hmm, not in China 

[calculatrix]

Wow, that is phantastic. I am hyperventilating.

[Jan Finster]

On 1/22/2023 at 9:37 AM, calculatrix said:

?I am hyperventilating.

Me too. It is addictive. It is really a potential game changer as now we can practice outputting (writing) without a teacher

 

I have been chatting all night ? never written anything before, but I make progress

 

It does make mistakes though:

 

迈恩河是法兰克福的一条主要河流，它流经德国和法国。从长度和流量上来说，迈恩河属于中等规模的河流。

 

me: 迈恩和不流经法国

 

对不起，我之前的回答是错误的。迈恩河只在德国流域流淌，并不经过法国。迈恩河起点位于德国北部，汇入北海。

 

This is geographically completely wrong ?

 

 

[Moshen]

Quote

It does make mistakes though:

 

As you said, it has picked up how to use language.  But it hasn't "learned" how to tell what's factual and what's not.

 

Maybe imagine it's like talking to a very patient small child who can speak her native language correctly but says a lot of untrue things because she doesn't know how to distinguish fantasy or nonsense from reality.

[phills]

This thread is pretty interesting.  I've been meaning to experiment with it as well.

 

My understanding is that a "language model" doesn't mean it produces language perfectly.  It's statistical in its construction and so it doesn't understand rules of grammar at all.  It's perfectly capable of producing text using incorrect grammar.  It doesn't even understand the meaning of individual words, only that certain words (and types of words) tend to go together in certain sequences.

 

When you ask it about grammar specifically, it's "creatively" writing (ie hallucinating) its own explanations of grammar, which might or might not be actual rules of grammar, depending on how common your question is, and whether it's read sufficiently many other people's explanations of this grammar rule before in its training data. 

 

Despite that though, you can probably paste in a typical foreign language exam and it'll pass. 

 

I imagine it can be a great learning tool, because it's infinitely patient.  And it's great at paraphrasing / creatively rewriting stuff, which can stimulate your own language imagination abilities.

 

I think it's most like talking to a super-intelligent dog who can speak human language.  Unlike a child, it doesn't have human instincts, but you can kind of talk to it, and it responds and seems eager to please.  Your dog seems to understand your name for it, but does it really? 

 

@Jan FinsterWhen you use it as a chatbot, how well does it respond to you if you speak ungrammatically to it?  Can you get it to correct your speech?  I imagine it'd be a terrible at
"correcting" you, but maybe you can prompt it to engage in that behavior.