Mandarin Chinese is definitely a foreign language for Westerners and even Easterners alike. But what are some of the most common misconceptions that Mandarin Chinese Learners have? We explore the top four below:
1. All Chinese People Speak Standard Mandarin Chinese Not true! When I was traveling throughout China, even though I was an HSK Level 6, I couldn't understand much of the conversation in the more rural provinces. Why? Because besides Mandarin Chinese, there are many different "方言 (fāngyán) dialects" spoken in China. Different Chinese dialects have different pronunciation. So don't be surprised if you can't understand what Chinese people are saying on the street, even if you have passed the HSK 6!
If you're not able to understand chances are that these people are speaking a different dialect of Chinese. And yes, even Chinese people can not understand each other if each is speaking his/her own dialect. So you're not alone.
Local dialects will affect the Mandarin used in daily conversation.
Different Mandarin dialects have different pronunciation. Due to the dialects influence, people from different provinces also have different accents even though they all speak Mandarin Chinese. It's similar to accents in the United States--and the different vocabulary different regions have. There's southern accents, Minnesota accents, New York accents--and many more. Many different people in America pronounce English differently.
2. Textbook Mandarin Is Daily Mandarin Also not true! In many Mandarin textbooks it will be written that people say the following to greet one another:
"你好吗 (Nǐ hǎo ma)?= How are you?
"很高兴认识你 (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ)! = Nice to meet you!"
In daily life people more often use ...
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