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indigostudies · 8 months

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it’s interesting to me when people on tumblr who are learning chinese say you don’t need to learn radicals, because………i just don’t think that’s true? as someone who grew up speaking and learning it natively i may be biased, but there’s just…….so many situations when knowing at least basic radicals and meanings is very useful.

if you’re in an area that uses traditional or simplified and you’re used to the opposite set, then knowing radicals can be key to understanding the written language on signs in the area, menus, letters, etc. if you’re reading something and you know the meaning of the characters around a new character, but you don’t know what that character is because it’s unfamiliar to you, knowing radicals allows you to make a guess at the meaning of the character and possibly connect it to the spoken version of the character that you already know based on that context, as for example a radical often lends pronunciation clues to a character.

also, knowing radicals makes it much easier to remember how to write characters—it’s much easier to remember, say, 想 as wood-and-eye-over-heart (木目心) or 绿 as silk-record (silk radical 纟plus the word 录 as in 录音, audio recording) because those are patterns you already have than to remember the individual strokes necessary to write a character. and on the topic of writing—knowing radicals also tells you the order in which to write a character, which is absolutely key to writing legible, orderly characters in a minimal amount of time!

obviously the measure of how many radicals you “really” “have to” know is going to vary by the person you talk to, but i think it’s important to have at least a passable basis in radicals if you’re going to learn chinese, a language written with radicals as important components of words.

and, lest i be remiss—here’s some resources i managed to find with a quick search.

hackingchinese page on radicals with a number of links to .anki, .txt, and .pdf files of the 100 most common radicals

hskacademy list of 214 radicals

a fluentu page that includes 214 radicals and expounds upon the meaning of phonetic and semantic components and their difference from radicals

ltl-beijing page that includes links to a list of radicals, some history behind them, a quiz, printable pdf, and more

and finally, not a link, but a recommendation for an app: download TOFU learn and use the hsk level decks! this is a very easy way to get into the habit of writing and repeating characters daily, which is absolutely vital if you want to get anywhere with reading and writing. dot languages also has a written component to practices, but the app is multi-functional and not confined to writing, nor does it give information about component and radical meanings like TOFU learn does. additionally, i would recommend downloading pleco, which is a very thorough dictionary that has the option to view the radical/component breakdown of a given character (under the “chars” tab—for example it breaks down 音 as 立 and 日) i’ve also seen skritter recommended a lot, but i cannot vouch for that.

#chinese langblr #mandarin langblr #chinese language #chinese resources #langblr #langblr resources #this was originally all one chunk of text but i’ve broken it up to make it easier to read #i hope this comes off as attempting to be helpful rather than patronising #because i genuinely want to help!#and i think if you have no heritage ties to chinese it’s DOUBLY important you learn at least a few radicals #because unlike chinese-born/raised kids you don’t have a basis or background to fall back on #and you’re at a disadvantage if you ignore that #汉语 #indigostudies #resources #indigo ink

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8-bitdyke · 10 months

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Shuffle your favorite playlist and post the first five songs that come up. Then copy/paste this ask to your favorite mutuals. 🎶🎧💜💙🤗

thank u 4 the tag i’m honoured !!! i don’t have a fav playlist so i’m shuffling my liked songs ^^

1. Zvezdane staze - Block Out

2. Super Bowl - Stray Kids

3. Fratello - Aerodrom

4. mona lisa - mxmtoon

5. tried to call you - Camilla Rowe

#ask games #indigostudies

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thelittlestspider · 11 months

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💜and 💞 for the ask meme!

💜: where are you in the writing process?

by the skin of my teeth is in the planning/drafting stages. carry me has kind of an outline but i may have to change some stuff. blackwood is still in the brainstorming phase.

💞: which future scene are you looking forward to writing?

carry me: i'm really looking forward to writing ray and scott's self-destructive phases.

by the skin of my teeth: i can't wait to get to the courtship scenes where peter and javier try to win carter over lol.

#indigostudies #kimi replies #kimi writes #i love peter and javier's himbo ways

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zzzzzestforlife · 22 days

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let's build a village together 💕

i found this super cute animal crossing picrew and decided i wanted to live in a video game with y'all today 😂 disclaimer: i've never actually played animal crossing because i fear if i start, i'll never stop 😅

also drop an "achievement" you unlocked lately to make things more interesting and celebrate the small wins(?) in life!! 🎉

🏆 CHAOTIC MULTI-TASKER — achieved when i added 2 books to the one i'm currently reading and started learning one more language in addition to my main 3 💀 (and making barely bare-minimum progress in everything now 🤡)

tagging all my moots because this is my first time starting a tag game and i'm excited 🤭 love you guys!! (and sorry if i missed anyone who follows me via main but i follow your sideblog or smth 😭 just consider yourself tagged as well 😉) 💞 @pianistbynight @winryrockbellwannabe @megumi-fm @obakanosandoitchi @manasseh @jukain4216 @shoosiopao @tea-tuesday @yughostlavia @shhhitscoffeetime @phnxstudies @girl-please-study @studykac @nelyastudies @soul-ology @lemonempress @alittlebreak @whenmemoriesfrost @cheste7 @juststudyyy @solarsapphic @ros3ybabe @malaidarling @indigostudies @tokidokitokyo @cinammon-buns @hanabeeri @relativeficti0n @issacovegx @sayitalianohome @perabera @paramnesia9 @cravingstudyvalidation @mortuarymorticia @getbreaded @roxysbbg @ilonar0 @panda-studiesmed @casiopeasmiles @strangeclayanimal @anna--studies @socksgrowssocks @the-awesomecosmos-studies @wwitss

#animal crossing #tag game #tagging game #picrew game #small wins #gamer aesthetic #nintendo switch #animal crossing villagers #moots 💕#study break #친구

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pb-dot · 7 months

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15 Questions 15 Mutuals

@kaiarchives tagged me in this game that I haven't had the pleasure of seeing before, so that's exciting. The rules are: Answer the 15 questions and tag 15 of your mutuals.

1. Are you named after anyone?

No.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Last Sunday. I don't think it was for any particular reason, I just had a headache and was feeling down.

3. Do you have kids?

No.

4. What sports do you play/have played?

I played a bit of a football as a kid and a bit of volleyball for school. I also did range shooting in my tween years.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Quite a lot. I've been trying to cut back and be a bit more genuine, but my habit for being sarcastic and my generally low moods have given me a bit of Resting Bitch Voice, so people don't always pick up on it.

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Facial shape I think. Before I learn someone's name I generally remember them by the shape of their jaw and cheeks.

7. What's your eye color?

Blue, but it's a kinda greyish blue.

8. Scary movies or Happy endings

I like scary movies with happy endings. Give me protagonists who face down with the worst of humanity or the nasties of the world and come out alive and swinging, if not a bit traumatized.

9. Any talents?

I'm told I have a way with words. In general I don't believe in talent in the "innate skill" way though.

10. Where were you born?

Oslo, Norway.

11. What are your hobbies?

Writing, reading, movies, video games (mostly strategy and roguelikes,) I used to sing in a choir and I kind of want to get back into that.

12. Do you have any pets?

No. Haven't really had the opportunity to, but I'd like to get a dog someday.

13. How tall are you?

178 cm, so... what, 5'10?

14. Favorite subject in school

Language and it's not close at all. Social Sciences as a second place I suppose.

15. Dream Job?

Author. Give me a way to live from writing and I'll churn out books at a brazen clip. It might drive me crazy, but it'll be worth it.

As for the tags: @frostedlemonwriter @shay-puppitty @longwuzhere @indigostudies @an-elegant-void @mjjune @marlenadutch @fire-but-ashes-too @meerawrites @sparrowrising @silverslipstream @floweryprosegarden @the-secondborn-of-seven @chishiio @a-had-matter

#tag game

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illarian-rambling · 2 months

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Thanks for the tag @somethingclevermahogony!

Oc in 3

How-To: Post three pictures or images you feel relate to a character. They can be face claims, famous artworks, photos, anything you think fits the Vibe™.

Alright, since I'm on my Honor's Outcasts kick and yall seem to like this little freak, let's go with Djek! He's the second youngest of the quartet and the designated funny guy. That silly energy is really all he has going for him, and also all that's keeping him going

I'll tag @addicted2coke-theothercoke @agirlandherquill @indigostudies and @roach-pizza!

#writing #writerscommunity #writblr #author #my ocs

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godhoodandgirlhood · 10 months

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15 Questions, 11 Mutuals!

tysm @frenchywrites for tagging me <3

nudge nudge @jamiedeadwrites @lavender-laney @thelittlestspider @d3mon-ology @inadreamerslibrary @cream-and-tea @snehithiye @ryleswwrites @noblebs @indigostudies @hallwriteblr

lmk if you don't want to be tagged in tag games!

rules & stuff under the cut :3

answering each question as my oc except im leaving her entire identity a mystery >:))

hint hint!: shes from project carmine ;]

1. Are you named after anyone?

No, but my name means "beautiful-voiced."

2. When was the last time you cried?

I don't have time to cry, not anymore.

3. Do you have kids?

No, but sometimes I wish. I want to be a better parent than my parents were.

4. Do you use sarcasm?

No, actually. /srs

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Their spirit. I won't notice you if you are... mundane. I like those who can change my mind about something. It keeps me on my feet.

6. What's your eye color?

A very fair shade of green.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Neither. I would prefer a happy ending if I had time to watch something. Gods, I am too busy.

8. Any special talents?

I can fence! I think I'm skilled, but I haven't faced anyone in years.

9. Where were you born?

On the Isle. It was fun but turned drab very quickly. It's safe to say that I'm glad I left.

10. What are your hobbies?

I... write poetry? I hardly do it because free time is rare.

11. Do you have any pets?

I had a fish, but Nia killed it.

12. What sports do you play/have played?

Fencing and archery count, yes?

13. How tall are you?

189 centimeters. Simply put, six feet and two inches.

14. Favorite subject in school?

Our mother taught us school, so it ranged from music to poetry. Such variety, but I would have to choose poetry and prose.

15. Dream job?

I guess I'm already living a dream, although it's mostly a nightmare. My queenly duties await.

#writeblr #tag game #gay4utica #long post

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liu-anhuaming · 5 months

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Nine People I'd Like To Get To Know Better (Tag)

thank you to @indigostudies for tagging me!

Last Song: 《起風了》 by 吳青峰

Favourite Colour: green. very nice soothing color, i own many green things

Last Movie/TV Show: i don't really watch tv or movies that often? i think the last movie i watched was....glass onion? or the menu?

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury: spicy all the way, was literally just eating some mapo tofu for dinner before writing this

Relationship Status: single and unwilling to mingle

Last thing I Googled: "sticker paper for printer" bc i keep a reading journal and print book covers out in large batches, i was thinking it would also be easier to print them on sticker paper to cut out the step where i try to put double-sided tape on the covers after i cut them out

Current Obsession: this cardamom chai candle i picked up from a local candle maker yesterday. it's not quite good enough to supplant my #1 candle (a coffee scented one from nightshift wax co that smells nice and bitter like a good coffee candle should), but i do keep unscrewing the lid to take a deep sniff (when i'm not burning it, that is)

i never know who to tag on these, so if you feel like doing it go for it and tag me!

#also i feel like i've been tagged in other things like this a few months back when i was Big Depressed #so sorry i didn't respond to those #also re: the coffee candle. i don't drink coffee but i've always loved the smell of fresh ground coffee #the few other coffee candles i've found in stores have a sweeter smell and i don't like that #i like the bitter smell

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potentiallypolyglot · 5 months

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Reply to @indigostudies ask

I can't see any notifications from you for some reason and I only saw your ask in my email notifications, not my inbox on tumblr which is strange. But I still wanted to answer :D

7. My favorite animal is a cow so in Chinese it's 奶牛 (nǎi niú)

46. I don't believe Chinese and English have a lot of cognates since their development as languages was largely separate as I understand. But I have recently been listening to an audiobook called A Brief History of China and I learned that the English word kowtow comes from the Chinese 叩头 (kē tóu) literally meaning knock head because it refers to a bow in which you touch your head to the ground in reverence. Today, kowtow can refer to the actual bow itself, but more commonly refers to complete submission or groveling.

I first heard this word in English in a song when I was in high school and my friends and I all thought it was strange and had a teacher define it for us. I only discovered this history yesterday.

Before yesterday, if I had answered this ask, I would have said I have no idea, but I like the way 不可能 (bù kě néng) sounds. They say this all the time in dramas and I think it somewhat transcends the language barrier. Prior to learning the pinyin I thought it sounded like Boo! k'No! and it basically means no way/impossible, which I think could be understood even if you don't speak Chinese haha

#thanks for the ask #sorry for the delay #asks

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indigostudies · 10 months

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What are those apps you usually post in your productivity updates?

hi! here's a breakdown of apps i use, as well as websites and other resources i've used/use for my learning (mainly chinese, though some of these resources can be used for other languages as well).

apps i use every day:

dot languages: this is a chinese-specific app where you select your hsk level, and then read articles at that level. there's a pop-up dictionary, an option to show pinyin, post-article vocab practice (audio, matching, translation, and writing), and the option to have your articles either in simplified or traditional.

TOFU learn: a blend between flashcards and writing, you can find decks for various things, including hsk level-specific decks, and you learn new vocab with the stroke order and then write each new term three times—once with an overlay (so the term is visible), and then two times from memory. there's also a review function, which helps you practice terms you've already learnt, and each term has audio that goes with it. i use it for chinese, but there's decks for esperanto, french, german, italian, japanese, korean, norweigian, portuguese, russian, spanish, swedish, and turkish.

the pleco dictionary app: my favourite chinese dictionary app; allows you to translate from english to chinese or chinese to english, has options for writing, radical, vocal, and keyboard entry, and has both traditional and simplified characters.

ankiapp: this one's not particularly complicated; it's a flashcard app, where you can make your own decks or download decks other people have made. it uses a spaced repetition system to help you remember terms—you rate yourself from worst to best on how well you remembered the term, and that determines how many times it'll pop up afterwards. it also gives you an overall grade for each deck, which is a nice way to measure your progress.

duolingo: probably my least favourite of all of the apps i use; the chinese course isn't the best, and now that they've removed the notes/grammar information option, there's no way for people who aren't already fairly familiar with the language and its inner workings to learn them if they exclusively use duolingo. it's okay for maintenance practice, though, but i'm already almost finished with the entire course and i would say it barely reaches to lower hsk 4, so i wouldn't say it's a good tool if you're more advanced.

apps i have but use less often:

readibu: this is sort of like dot in that it's an app for reading in chinese with a pop-up dictionary. however, that's where the similarities end; readibu has novels, short stories, and articles aimed at children, and each of those are further split into genres. readibu also lets you add your own web-pages and read them on the app, so you can use its pop-up dictionary with them. it's aimed more to intermediate and upper intermediate learners, with hsk levels ranging from hsk 4 to hsk 6. the only reason i rate dot above readibu is because dot has a larger range of levels (hsk 1 through hsk 6 i believe? but it may go higher) and exercises built in to help you learn the vocab.

the chairman's bao: also a chinese reading app, though if you use the free version, you only get one sample article per hsk level (hsk 1 - hsk 6). i believe that every so often you get a new sample article for each level, but i'm not sure what the interval on that is. it also has a pop-up dictionary and a flashcard option for saved vocab.

du chinese: another chinese reading app; it has articles divided into newbie through master (six levels in total, though they don't line up perfectly with the hsk in my experience), and new articles are free for a certain period of time before becoming locked behind a paywall. there's a pop-up dictionary and a vocab review/test option for vocab you save.

memrise: flashcards with audio, depending on whether you're using an official course or a user-generated deck. decent, but it can get repetitive.

hellotalk: not exclusively chinese, but i believe it started off mainly aimed that way. you set your language, and then your target language, and then you can talk to native speakers who have your language as their target language. potentially incredibly useful, but if you're like me and extremely introverted you may have a hard time using this app, since it requires a lot of one-on-one interaction.

slowly: i haven't actually gotten around to using this, but it's sort of like a digital penpal app, as i understand it. you can learn more about it here.

websites and other miscellanea:

this massive mega drive by @salvadorbonaparte (languages, linguistics, translation studies, and more).

this masterpost by @loveletter2you (linguistics, languages, and language learning books/textbooks).

this masterpost on chinese minority literature by @zaobitouguang

the integrated chinese textbooks by cheng and tsui, which are the textbooks i use for self-study—there's textbooks and workbooks, as well as character workbooks (though these can easily be cut out without suffering from the loss).

mandarinbean: graded readers, hsk 1 - hsk 6, with a pop-up dictionary and the option to read in traditional or simplified

chinese reading practice: reading, beginner through advanced (three levels), with a pop-up dictionary and some additional notes included on vocab and language-specific things non-native speakers might struggle with or not know.

hsk reading: graded readers, hsk 1 - hsk 6, divided into three sections (beginner, intermediate, advanced). does not have a pop-up dictionary, but does have an option to translate the text, post-reading quizzes, and notes on important vocab with example sentences.

my chinese reading: reading from beginner to advanced (four levels); has a pop-up dictionary, the option to play an audio recording of the passage you're reading, notes on key words, things that are difficult to translate, grammar, and post-reading comprehension questions.

the heavenly path notion website, which i would say is one of the best resources i've ever found, with a massive number of guides, lists of chinese media in a variety of forms, and general resources.

chinese character stroke order dictionary: what it says on the tin; will show you the stroke order for a given character.

hanzigrids: allows you to generate your own character worksheets. i use this very frequently, and can recommend it. the only downside is if you want to create multiple pages at once, you have to pay; however this can easily be circumnavigated by creating only one sheet at a time. you can download the sheet as a pdf and print it out for personal use.

21st century chinese poety: a resource i only came across recently; has a massive collection of contemporary chinese poetry, including translations; much more approachable than classical poetry, which can often be incredibly dense and hard to parse due to the writing style.

zhongwen pop-up dictionary: if you're reading something in chinese on a website that doesn't have a pop-up dictionary, this is a must. i've never encountered any words that it doesn't have a translation for so far, including colloquialisms/slang. i use it to read webnovels, and it's been a fantastic tool. you can also save vocab by hitting the r key when you're hovering over a word/phrase, making it easy to go back and add terms to your flashcard deck(s).

chinese reading world: a website put together by the university of iowa; split into three levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced), with thirty units per level, and ten modules per unit, as well as multiple proficiency tests per level. each module is split into three parts: a pre-reading vocab quiz, the reading with a number of comprehension questions based on it, and a post-vocab reading quiz. it also rates you in relation to someone with a native proficiency based on how quickly you read and answer the comprehension questions, and how many vocab questions you get right.

jiaoyu baike: an extensive chinese-to-chinese dictionary, put out by the taiwanese ministry of education. you can find an extensive write-up on it here, by @linghxr.

social media etc: see this post by @rongzhi.

qianpian: another chinese-to-chinese dictionary; @ruhua-langblr has a write-up on it here.

this writeup on zero to hero by @meichenxi; initially aimed at chinese learning, but now has expanded greatly.

music rec's: this masterpost by @linghxr.

tv/film: youtube is a great place to find chinese tv shows and films, and they often have english subtitles. if you can't find something on there, though, you can probably find it either on iqiyi or asianvote, which have both chinese and other asian shows and films (though you'll want an adblock if you're going to use the latter). i use these a lot to watch things, and have discovered a lot of media through these, and then novels through those when i went searching to see what they were adapted from.

polylogger: a website for logging the amount of time/type of language study you do. has a wide variety of languages, and the option to follow other people. still, it's a fairly basic site.

#chinese langblr #chinese language #chinese learning #langblr #chinese #mandarin #langblr resources #resources #汉语 #indigostudies #inbox #indigo ink

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indigostudies · 4 months

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the usage of 除非 has been something i've been struggling with this week, so i thought i'd make a post reviewing it to help me get more practice with and confidence with it. 除非 is used to discuss hypothetical situations, as in "only if", "unless", etc. it can either be used by itself, or with other words in a part of a pattern.

除非 by itself is used in the second half of a sentence, giving a condition under which the first portion of the sentence can occur.

我每天上课, 除非我生病 "i go to class every day, unless i get sick" 每一门课有期末考试, 除非有个期末项目 "every course has a final exam, unless it has a final project" 图书馆的书都能带回家, 除非你要看特辑馆的书 "you can take any book from the library home, unless you want one from the special collections library"

when used at the start of a sentence paired with 否则/(要)不然 in the second half, it's used to express that unless the situation listed in the first portion of the sentence occurs, the second portion of the sentence holds true.

除非我把书弄坏, 不然我不会付破坏书费 "unless i damage the book, i won't have to pay the damaged book fee" 除非有免费的饮食, 否则我不会去一个聚会 "unless a gathering has free food, i won't go" 除非放假, 要不然留学的学生不会回家 "unless it's a break, study abroad students won't go home"

it's also paired with 才 to express that unless the first portion of the sentence occurs, the second portion of the sentence won't occur—essentially the inverse of the 除非......否则/(要)不然...... pattern.

除非有没有猪肉的选择, 她才会去餐厅吃晚饭 "if the dining hall has non-pork options, she will eat dinner there (otherwise, she will not)" 除非我有很早的预约, 我才在上午九点以前起床 "if i have an early appointment, then i will get up before nine in the morning (otherwise, i won't)" 除非你要养猫, 才能在这儿养宠物 "if you want to have a cat, then you can have a pet here (otherwise, you can't)"

#langblr #mandarin langblr #chinese langblr #汉语 #indigostudies #i have a quiz tomorrow so i REALLY needed to get this drilled into my head #indigo ink

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indigostudies · 8 months

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feeling enthusiastic tonight so i wanted to talk about my favourite things about the languages i speak/am studying!

mandarin chinese:

singular character words are fairly rare! unlike english, due to the high number of homophones in the spoken language, most words are comprised of two or more characters for clarity's sake. for example, while 孩 does by itself mean child, usually it's combined with another character (ie 孩子，小孩儿，etc.) due to it sounding similar to other words (还，骸).

in spoken language, you often need the entire context to understand the meaning. due to homophones, if you're missing the surrounding context, then it can be easy to misunderstand what someone's saying.

homophones generally! i've been known to love a good tongue-twister, and being a native chinese speaker is definitely part of that—there's just so many good ones! this also crops up in social media/memes, where a homophone is substituted for the original character(s).

the written language! i'm definitely more biased towards simplified chinese, but i can still read traditional chinese, and i think chinese is one of the most beautifully-written languages. it's just so logical! the strokes follow a certain order, and everything is contained in "boxed" that are very pleasing.

german:

poetry! german is known for literature, and i love reading poetry in german, even if not having studied it in a while means i have to look things up pretty frequenty ^^°°

the pronunciation! while i'm definitely at an advantage since i have an ear for languages and can nail german pronunciation at a natural level, i love speaking german—especially the longer words! i love the way the letters sound together (i'm definitely biased towards the eu/äu combination haha).

the ß!

gothic script—this appears a lot in historical german print, and i love it, even if it does make it a bit of a challenge to read anything haha.

kurmanji:

the various possessiveness contructions—there is no verb corresponding to the english to have, so instead you have to use the verb hebûn, to exist, so for example, two brothers of me exist (du birayên min hene, using the izafe construction) or for me two brothers exist (min du bira hene, without izafe, possessor is in the oblique case at the start of the clause) would be used instead of "i have two brothers".

the xw dipthong—i'm probably biased because i love "uncommon" sounds and letter combinations, but not only does the x in kurmanji sound nice (it's sort of like the ch in bach, or the ch in loch), when combined with the w it makes a sort of hissing sound which i'm very partially to.

mongolian:

sounds absolutely gorgeous!! central asian languages generally sound very pleasing to me, but i especially love the guttural sounds in mongolian.

the traditional script is one of the most beautiful things i've ever seen. i have yet to learn how to write in it (at least without a lot of tears on my part), but there's a user on xhs that writes in traditional script, and it's just. stunning. it's fluid, and curling, and just! aaaa!!! i love it. also it's written vertically, which is a fairly uncommon thing as far as languages go.

it's got a ton of different dialects! i'm a known enjoyer of dialects and regional language variations, so of course this is like a goldmine to me.

korean:

i know i said that the mongolian script is gorgeous, but look, i love writing systems in general, and korean is just. so orderly! so perfect for my pattern-obsessed little mind! also, it only takes, like, half an hour to memorise. 12/10 i love it.

a very specific point, but the various ways to say goodbye! you specify whether the person you're speaking to are staying or leaving.

turkish:

probably the most agglutinative language i'm aware of—a lot of words, especially more "modern" (ie new) words are formed by taking a base word and then adding on "meaning" or semantics to it, for example the word for a shoe cabinet is literally "that which stores the covers for the feet".

neutral pronouns! spoken mandarin is also neutral in pronouns, but in turkish both the written and spoken form of the third person pronoun is neutral. while it does make it a little bit frustrating if you're trying to, say, discuss feminist theory, it does mean that no gendered assumptions are made about, for example, a job position.

that's all i can think of right now! if anyone else wants to ramble excitedly about the languages they're studying/speak, please feel free to add on!

#langblr #langblr positivity #language positivity #indigostudies #indigo ink

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indigostudies · 2 months

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it's the end of the week, so i thought i would make a brief post on a subject i'm personally interested in: erhua!

first of all, what is erhua? erhua, written 儿化 in simplified chinese, is a dialectic trait found commonly in the north, most famously in the beijing area, though places like qinghai also use erhua. it's the addition of the -er sound to the end of words—but despite being written out with the character 儿, it doesn't always sound like -er. it also can drastically alter the way the preceding character is pronounced, making it hard for people unaccustomed to erhua to distinguish what a speaker who uses erhua is saying.

standardised chinese has some degree of erhua inherent to it, but generally, the further south you go, the less likely you'll be to hear it in speech—in taiwan, for example, erhua is entirely absent. as far as shanghai, where i grew up, most people who were from the area wouldn't use erhua when speaking.

like i mentioned, erhua can drastically change the way a word sounds—you can see a full breakdown of the rules surrounding erhua, linguistically, as well as a more detailed breakdown of beijing-specific usage, on this page on erhua (wikipedia). this post will go over some examples of erhua in written form, including pinyin, as well as audio i've recorded of myself speaking both the erhua and the non-erhua variants.

你去了哪儿？ nǐ qù nǎ'r？你去了哪里？ nǐ qù nǎ lǐ？

最近，你跟小孩儿一起画画儿吗？ zuì jìn，nǐ gēn xiǎo hǎ'r yì qǐ huà huà'r ma？最近，你跟小孩子一起画画吗？ zuì jìn，nǐ gēn xiǎo háizi yì qí huà huà ma？

别玩儿了，把盖儿放到婉儿上。 bié wá'r le，bǎ gà’r fàng dào wá’r shàng 别玩了，把盖子放到碗上。 bié wán le，bǎ gàizi fàng dào wǎn shàng

我们一会儿就要去她那儿打游戏儿，后来一起吃饭，聊天儿。 wǒ mēn yì huǎ’r jìu yào qù tā nà’r dǎ yóu xì’r，hòu lái chī fàn，liáo tiā'r 我们一会子就要去她那里打游戏，后来一起吃饭，聊天。 wǒ mēn yì huìzi jìu yào qù tā nà lǐ dǎ yóu xì，hòu lái chī fàn，liáo tiān