49 replies to this topic

[Rainie]

Ok but
I am assuming everyone who speaks Chinese knows how to read/write pinyin/jyutping, but possibly may not necessarily be able to read/write the characters? Or do all Chinese speakers know how to read/write in Chinese characters?

Well it depends on the person ~
(I can read/write characters and pinyin/jyutping, but my sister can only speak Chinese and doesn't understand characters/pinyin/jyutping at all, etc.)

Most Chinese speakers (especially if they grew up in China) should be able to read/write the characters though :x
They might not if they were born in another country and were just taught Chinese by their parents or something, but in that case they should know another language(s) as well

[Turnip]

Well it depends on the person ~
(I can read/write characters and pinyin/jyutping, but my sister can only speak Chinese and doesn't understand characters/pinyin/jyutping at all, etc.)

Most Chinese speakers (especially if they grew up in China) should be able to read/write the characters though :x
They might not if they were born in another country and were just taught Chinese by their parents or something, but in that case they should know another language(s) as well

Mmmm, I was gonna say maybe redirect them to the TC channel or something so then they could get help through speaking etc etc but then
how would we tell them to go to the TC channel if they can't read it o.o (or if no one who can speak Chinese is in there when they are and all that)

Nnngggh D: This is difficult!!

[Nymh]

Well it depends on the person ~
(I can read/write characters and pinyin/jyutping, but my sister can only speak Chinese and doesn't understand characters/pinyin/jyutping at all, etc.)

Most Chinese speakers (especially if they grew up in China) should be able to read/write the characters though :x
They might not if they were born in another country and were just taught Chinese by their parents or something, but in that case they should know another language(s) as well

Alright I'm making an executive decision and going with simplified characters. If any of you guys that said you can speak Mandarin don't understand simplified characters then let me know and I'll take you off.

[James]

Haha I guess I'm your other language half... I can understand it but not read and write...

Awesome! Whenever I get a cam we can get on tinychat and you can speak and I'll write it.

[Melchoire]

Noted and edited.

Also, you unfortunately don't get on the list.

Wha-eva, I didn't even wanna help anyone anyway!

[TamerVirus]

I'm so confused

Ok so I should have Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) rather than Mandarin/Cantonese?
Or should I just choose one (traditional or simplified) and put that only and you guys can sort out the translation to/from the other if needed?

Traditional and Simplified are only ways of writing the language, phonetically they are the same...barring dialects and so forth

Locationwise, Simplified is more common than traditional, as it is the standard in Mainland China and is most likely taught in the educational systems around the world. Traditional Chinese is more common is places like Taiwan

Edited by TamerVirus, 23 February 2012 - 05:36 PM.

[zandra]

I'm so confused

Ok so I should have Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) rather than Mandarin/Cantonese?
Or should I just choose one (traditional or simplified) and put that only and you guys can sort out the translation to/from the other if needed?

I would say that chinese traditional and simplified are just different ways the language is written. Something like american english and british english. Traditional is mainly used in places like taiwan while simplified is more accepted globally. Most people that understand one should be able to understand the other.

Mandarin/Cantonese/Hokkien/Hakka/Teochew/Hainanese etc would be different dialects/slangs the language is spoken (ancient emperor created a standard chinese writing but apparently forgot about slangs on how all characters are spoken). and believe me, they can be spoken like it is two entire different language. I understand and can speak Mandarin, Hokkien and Teochew, but if you were to speak to me in cantonese or any of the others, i would have no clue. it would probably sound like a foreign language to me.

Correct me if i am wrong, but this is what i always understand from that.

[Galadriel]

Add me for Afrikaans I want to be on this list.

Also fluent in Parseltongue.

Edited by cronus, 16 March 2012 - 09:19 AM.

[Nymh]

I would say that chinese traditional and simplified are just different ways the language is written. Something like american english and british english. Traditional is mainly used in places like taiwan while simplified is more accepted globally. Most people that understand one should be able to understand the other.

Mandarin/Cantonese/Hokkien/Hakka/Teochew/Hainanese etc would be different dialects/slangs the language is spoken (ancient emperor created a standard chinese writing but apparently forgot about slangs on how all characters are spoken). and believe me, they can be spoken like it is two entire different language. I understand and can speak Mandarin, Hokkien and Teochew, but if you were to speak to me in cantonese or any of the others, i would have no clue. it would probably sound like a foreign language to me.

Correct me if i am wrong, but this is what i always understand from that.

Ok but am I reading this correctly: no matter the dialect of SPOKEN Chinese, you all use the same characters? If that is the case then I am leaving it with simplified characters because these help sessions will happen via the internet and not vocally.

Add me for Afrikaans I want to be on this list.

Also fluent in Parseltongue.

Hissssss

[Adina]

It's actually Româna.
Român = romanian man.

[Nymh]

It's actually Româna.
Român = romanian man.

Thank you!

[zandra]

Ok but am I reading this correctly: no matter the dialect of SPOKEN Chinese, you all use the same characters? If that is the case then I am leaving it with simplified characters because these help sessions will happen via the internet and not vocally.

Yup that is correct. of course, you could also say that most people that use traditional Chinese characters are hokkien speakers =P okay nvm ignore that. yeah that is correct!

[Noitidart]

Really cool idea. Urdu/hindi. If anyone speaks that let sget on tiny and chat. I have no confidence to speak in rl cuz people make fun of me. But internet people are just so much nicer.

[Leaf]

Hey we should get that guy who has the avatar of courage the cowardly dog to be our Spanish speaker. Someone go inquire.

[Aarpm]

Wonderfully helpful idea nymh. Thanks! Add me to Japanese and French please.

[Nymh]

Hey we should get that guy who has the avatar of courage the cowardly dog to be our Spanish speaker. Someone go inquire.

aooweorhfhfhghhghhghghgkjiiiiiiiiii :DDDDDDDDDDDDD
I am pretty sure he is not actually around here enough to have any good answers to questions that noobs might have, so it's probably not a good idea

Wonderfully helpful idea nymh. Thanks! Add me to Japanese and French please.

Thank you! Done, and done.

[Volition]

Put me down for mandarin chinese, and pig latin.

[ShadowLink64]

Je peux parler et ecrire en français aussi.

[Yung]

French! That is so cool.

[ShadowLink64]

French! That is so cool.

Peut-être. Beaucoup des personnes en Canada parler en français.
(Maybe. A lot of people in Canada speak French.)

[Drakonid]

Spanish, basic French and Portuguese.

[Rainie]

Je peux parler et ecrire en français aussi.

Je sais .. un peu de français X3! (J'apprends le français à l'école )

(& This is so late cx~ but..)

I would say that chinese traditional and simplified are just different ways the language is written. Something like american english and british english. Traditional is mainly used in places like taiwan while simplified is more accepted globally. Most people that understand one should be able to understand the other.

They are, although I still feel that most people who write in Chinese Simplified wouldn't understand (at least some) Chinese Traditional characters since some of them are quite different; like 个 and 個 for example o: ~

&I just like using Chinese Traditional (although I know both) because the characters are prettier/more meaningful X3~
(You can't have love without the heart, ne?)

Edited by Rainie, 20 March 2012 - 02:37 AM.

[fimend]

This is a really cool idea. I took French in school, but I wouldn't say I'm fluent at all.

[syaopup]

English and Mandarin (The 'main' dialect of Chinese) bilingual here, add me to the list of Simplified Chinese.
I studied Japanese for a while so I'm able to understand simple conversational sentences, read hiragana, katakana and a bit of kanji. But beyond that I'm not much of help.

[Nymh]

English and Mandarin (The 'main' dialect of Chinese) bilingual here, add me to the list of Simplified Chinese.
I studied Japanese for a while so I'm able to understand simple conversational sentences, read hiragana, katakana and a bit of kanji. But beyond that I'm not much of help.

I will add you to the list but keep in mind that this is aimed at helping newbies to the site who are not good English speakers. Since you just joined yesterday I don't know if you would be comfortable yet answering questions like this? Not that anyone on the list is being flooded with PM's I am sure, so hopefully by the time you get any you will be well versed in how the site and programs work