Learn Chinese

Chat with Friends on QQ

QQ is the Chinese version of Skype

One of the main problems you have when learning a new language is finding someone to practise it with.

I joined QQ (the Chinese Skype) and soon people were contacting me and wanting to Chat

Many did not know any English, so I was forced to use my Chinese.

It is a great way to learn.

You can also help them with English and become freinds.

and don't worry, it is all in English

QQ is the equivalent of Skype in China

When I am chatting on QQ I have both the MDBG word dictionary in a seperate window and the MDBG phrase/sentence dictionary in a seperate window - both set to English.

If I am unsure of a word or a phrase in QQ I can easily copy and past it into the dictionary.

Sometimes if I am tired or unsure I type the sentence in English and translate it into Chinese.

REMEMBER - the translations are 很差 hěnchà, so always check out the Chinese set out below the translation and adjust if you have to.

I type my sentences into QQ in Chinese, and have QQ set to Chinese.

If I am unsure or just want to check, I copy and past the sentence (written in Chinese) from QQ into the MDBG phrase/sentence dictionary.

With all the above set up I do not have to be constantly changing from Chinese to English in my computer language setup.

I find this means I can keep the conversation going ... I often chat to people in China who cannot write 英文 Yīng​wén . It is a great way to learn.

This is a list of common Chinese words that I find useful when chatting on QQ

I call them the 'joining words'

After a while you will just know them

But in the early days it is useful to have the list on your wall

着zhe​- particle attached after verb to indicate action in progress, like -ing ending

者 zhě​ - after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ... / (after a noun) person involved in ... / -er / -ist / (used after a number or 後｜后 or 前 to refer to sth mentioned previously) / (used after a term, to mark a pause before defining the term) / (old) (used at the end of a command) / (old) this

被 bèi​- by / (indicates passive-voice clauses) (English = en)

家 jiā ​- home / family / classifier for families or businesses / refers to the philosophical schools of pre-Han China / noun suffix for specialists in some activity such as musician or revolutionary, corresponds to English -ist, -er, -ary or -ian

过 guò​ - (experienced action marker) / to cross / to go over / to pass (time) / to celebrate (a holiday) / to live / to get along / excessively / too ...

或 huò​ - maybe / perhaps / might / possibly / or

或者 huò​zhě​ - or / possibly / maybe / perhaps

如果rú​guǒ - if / in case / in the event that

如rú - if, supposing; as if; like, as

的话 de​huà​- if (coming after a conditional clause)

中 zhōng​- within / among / in / middle / center / while (doing sth) / during

外 wài​- outside / in addition / foreign / external

五方 wǔ​fāng​ - the five directions:  east 東 东, south 南, west 西, north 北 and middle 中

为wèi, wéi – For -- do, handle, govern, act; be

为wèi – For -- as (in the capacity of) / to take sth as / to act as / to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do / by (in the passive voice)

并bìng - and / furthermore / also / together with / (not) at all / simultaneously / to combine / to join / to merge

并且 bìng​qiě​ - and / besides / moreover / furthermore / in addition

和hé - and / together with / with / sum / union

与yǔ, yù, yú - and; with; to; for

于 yú​ - in / at / to / from / by / than / out of/ on 比赛将于下个月一号举行

跟 gēn​ - to follow closely / to go with / with / towards / as (compared to) / from (different from) / and (in addition to)

更gèng - more / even more / further / still / still more

但是dàn​shì - but / however

例如 lì​rú - for example / for instance / such as

要不 yào​bù​ - otherwise / or / or else / how about...? (one choice or the other) / either this, or else...

还 hái​- still / still in progress / still more / yet / even more / in addition / fairly / passably (good) / as early as / even / also / else

还有 hái​yǒu​- furthermore / in addition / still / also

除了 chú​le​- besides / apart from (... also...) / in addition to / except (for)

为此 wèi​cǐ​ - for this reason / with regards to this / in this respect / in order to do this / to this end

因为 yīn​wèi​- because / owing to / on account of

因 yīn​- cause / reason / because

原因 yuán​yīn​- cause / origin / root cause / reason / CL: 個｜个

之所以 zhī​suǒ​yǐ​ - the reason why