Sara’s Mandarin Monday：为什么我的汉语口语还这么差？
Note: Incorrect sentences are in red and corrected ones (based on my readers’ comments) are in green. Thank you everyone for helping!
大家好！这是我的第一个Sara’s Mandarin Monday。每个星期一我的博客有新的中文博文。很多人建议我写中文博文，是因为写中文博客是个很好的方法提高自己的写作水平(写博客是个很好的提高自己写作水平的方法)。我希望你们可以帮助我改错，这样我的中文博文会越来越好。
今天的题目是：
为什么我的汉语口语还这么差？
我的同学对我说过：“你的中文不是那么流利，但是我们都可以听得懂你。” 对，中国人一般也会(能)听得懂我的普通话，但是我的口语还不够好。我的语法有太多错误，我不知道怎么用我刚才学到的词语。那些词我会(能)看得懂，但是说话的时候，我想不起对(合适)的词。我的汉语有很多 “那个，这个”，比如说，“给我那个开电视的东西”，“那个东西是在那个红色东西的后面”。我的 男朋友当然听得懂，但是这还不算流利的汉语。
我应该多一点跟中国人聊天(我应该多跟中国人聊天)，但是我的性格比较内向，所以对我来说，跟陌生人说话不是个很容易的事。Fluent in 3 months 的 Benny 可能会说“那不要那么内向！”，说的容易，做的难。已经24年过的这样的内向的生活，怎么样今天会改变我的性格呢？(已经过了24年这样内向的生活，怎么可能今天就可以改变我的性格呢？) 除了我以外，世界上一定也有别的跟我一样害羞学习中文的人(一定也有跟我一样害羞的(在)学习中文的人)，对不对？我们怎么样可以提高我们的口语水平？
正确语法和巨大词汇(正确的语法和巨大的词汇)也不够。如果你要跟中国人一样说普通话，那你也必须认识很多成语。还不够！你也要知道中国人现在喜欢说什么话题，比如说新电影，新书，新闻等等。看电影，电视剧，书以后，我还有时间出去找中国人聊天吗？
以前学习中文只是个爱好而已，现在中文就是我的专业。有时候我觉得我的生活除了学汉语以外，没有别的内容。在教室说汉语，在超市说汉语，再家说汉语。连对我的猫说普通话！我每天说汉语，但是我的口语还很差。
那为什么我的口语是那么差呢？很简单，我太懒！是很容易说“那个蓝色东西”，但是我应该努力一点，查词典，才会知道那个东西的名字是瑞士军刀。到这个水平（我现在的水平）不是那么难，找中国男朋友/女朋友就可以了，但是从这个水平到流利的水平，对我来说，是很难。我必须学习新的词语，必须学习成语，必须学习语法，必须认识中国文化，必须跟不同的人聊天。只跟我男朋友说话一定不够！
我的普通话现在很差，但是我承诺一年后我的汉语会流利一点！以后我会告诉你我打算用怎么样的方法提高我的口语水平。
Briefly in English:
This is my first Sara’s Mandarin Monday where I will post blog posts, videos or something else entirely in Mandarin Chinese. I hope that all of you who can will help me to correct my mistakes so I can improve my Chinese. And if you’re learning Chinese, why not to leave a comment in Chinese?
In this first post in Chinese I wrote my my spoken Chinese still isn’t good enough. At least for now I’m not going to translate my Chinese posts, but I might reconsider that later on.
31 Comments
Shu
Very nice Sara, I am very impressed by your article:)
Rethink about these two sentences
怎么样今天会改变我的性格呢
那为什么我得口语是那么差呢
I will check back later.
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
谢谢你！
[Reply]
Shu Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 2:39 am
Sara,
It is very nice that you did some correction work on it.
A little suggestion,
那为什么我得口语是那么差呢
You should change the 得to 的。
得 is used after a verb, while 的 is to use to connect the attribute and noun.
You did very well, keep up the nice work.
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
January 29th, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Thank you! Oh, that’s a typo, I had it right in other parts.
[Reply]
Anonymous
You sound like you hit a inevitable plateau in learning. 你的写作已经没什么问题了, 如果不知道作者是谁的话, 我不会猜到这文章不是中国人写的. 但是对于口语来说, 我认为如果想更上一层楼, 最好还是努力打好基础. 1)对于很多中文学习者而言, 如果能清楚的发出z, c, s, zh, ch, sh, x 这几个音, 就成功了1/3了. 2)牢记发准每个字的音调. 3)说话或阅读时, 句中的词有时要连读, 有时要停顿. 不要读破句, 否则听起来就像崩豆子或挤牙膏.
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Sara Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:12 pm
真的猜不到吗？我自己觉得我用的词语太简单。一年半后我要写毕业论文，所以必须学习书面语。
我现在用的方法练习发音是这样，我有一本书和它的录音，我一边听录音，一边朗读。以前老师建议过我多一点练习发出 z, zh, c, ch, 现在我不太清楚有没有进步。
谢谢你的帮助！
[Reply]
Graham
写得好！我觉得妳很。。。那个不会等的情感。不用担心妳的中文水平。继续练习，继续活着，妳的口语一定会成流利。
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Sara Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
谢谢Graham! 我知道你的意思，我希望我的中文会快点进步。我还有两年读书，但是有时候我觉得两年也不够，我在两年内怎么能够好？我真的也太懒，常常找借口不学习，但是现在我不要继续找借口，要努力一点 :)
[Reply]
Vincent
你好，这文章写的不错！只是有一些语法错误。
例如：已经24年过的这样的内向的生活，怎么样今天会改变我的性格呢？
改为：已经过了24年这样内向的生活，怎么可能今天就可以改变我的性格呢？
加定冠词这个，那个并没有错，只是我们都知道该特定的东西时，就不带定冠词。
我觉得你只要不断的纠错，你的口语和写作就会有很大的改进。加油！
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
谢谢Vincent！
[Reply]
Jack
I think you are right about joining some club in your previous post. Just not debate club or speech club! I think in any university, there should be a lot of hobbist clubs – Usually at the start of the year there would be a “Club day” where all the clubs put up a table and try to recruite members. That’s where you need to be, and find a club you like and join them! A hobby you like, will usually create social situation where you socialise and make friend with people of similar interest and that in turn will improve your conversational Mandarin in subjects you like which would keep you interested.
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Sara Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
I wanted to join a club last semester but then didn’t see any club day happening, but perhaps it was in a part of campus I don’t usually go. Next semester I have to ask my teacher if there is a club day and when. I would like to join the photography club for example.
[Reply]
TripleSun
This post is very great, i like it. Keep doing it.
There are some points that you can improve within this bolg.
1. in the second row”写中文博客是个很好的方法提高自己的写作水平”
It’s better rewrite as ”写博客是个很好的提高自己写作水平的方法‘’ or ‘’写博客是个很好的方法来提高自己的写作水平‘’
Usually we are used to add all the adjectives and attributs before the non that be focused on.
For this, 写博客是个方法 is the skeleton. So.
though your original sentence is right and comrepehnsible, but the rewrited ones are more normal.
2.body part, paragraph 1,
row 1, ”中国人一般也会听得懂我的”, you should use 能(够) or 可以 here instead of 会.
row 3 ”那些词我会看得懂‘’, the same as the above. ”我想不起对的词。” instead of 对，using 合适 or even 正确 here are more appropriate.
3. body part，paragraph 2
row 1，‘’我应该多一点跟中国人聊天‘’，it is a little bit long-winded, just say 我应该多跟中国人聊天 is OK.
Fluent in 3 months 的 Benny， you can write as 三个月就说的很流利的Benny.
row 3，‘’世界上一定也有别的跟我一样害羞学习中文的人‘’， there is a little mistake, 跟我一样害羞学习中文的人 would make a sence like the person who is shy of learning Chinese，it is 歧义. So, keeping from this, you can rewrite as 一定也有跟我一样害羞的人在学中文 or 跟我一样害羞的(在)学习中文的人. Im not willing to speak like a book, but 歧义 is a very improtant problem. I think you just have a carelessness, dont worry about it.
4. body part，paragraph 3
row 1, 正确语法和巨大词汇也不够。
I think you would like to express you need a huge amount of vocabulary, but that you have learned are insufficient.
巨大词汇也不够 make a sence like a huge amount of vocabulary is also insufficient that is different from your original meaning. So， write as 正确的语法和巨大的词汇 is fine.
Well, im really speaking like a book, hope u dont feel im too boring. U are pretty good，believe yourself.
Happy New Year！龙年大吉！
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Triple Sun, I should pay you for checking all my writings! This is exactly what I needed, corrections and explanations. I do want to write like a Chinese person, not in a way where everyone can see I’m a foreigner writing Chinese. Thank you so much, 谢谢你！
[Reply]
heahe
你的写作水平差不多达到中国中学生水平了，写的东西用嘴巴说出来就是口语。我想你的口语问题不大，除了一些很特别的习惯用语，成语和典故外，其实大多数中国人对成语和典故也常犯迷糊，因为很多成语和典故是中国历史和文化上的事。楼上已经帮你改得差不多了，我就不多嘴了。
happy new year!
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Sara Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:44 pm
谢谢heahe！我真的没想到达到中学生水平了！
[Reply]
Jake
This is your first Chinese blog. I can say it is very good. Everything is clearly expressed, and all the contents are understandable. There are some glitches of the grammar, but they are not serious problem.
You don’t need to put too much pressure on learning Chinese. The interest is your best teacher.
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Thank you Jake, I’m very happy that my meaning is understandable from my writing. That is the most important thing.
[Reply]
cvaguy
Your Chinese writing is pretty good except some minor issues.
Don’t think you can be any worse than I was in term of shyness. However, I am no longer shy and socially awkward. The secrete is to practice with strangers. Whatever happens, I don’t see them anymore.
In the same way, you can practice Chinese with strangers and overcome shyness as side benefit. 一箭双雕，何乐不为？Just make sure you know how to end a conversation and move on :)
And don’t worry, 有志者，事竟成。
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
January 29th, 2012 at 10:12 pm
That’s a good advice to remember, it doesn’t matter if I make mistakes, I don’t probably ever see them again. If someone starts talking to me I do answer, but the hardest part is to be the first one to speak.
[Reply]
cvaguy Reply:
January 31st, 2012 at 11:33 am
Yep. It is hard to start a conversation with strangers, I have to agree. I remembered the first few times I tried to start conversations with strangers, even with all that preparation in head and summing up enough courage, my heart was still pounding with nervousness, luckily I did not tongue tie.
However, after a while I was much more comfortable starting conversation with anyone. Practice makes it perfect. If I can do it, you can as well.
Crossing the barrier of my comfort zone is one of the life changing mile stone for me. It will be for you too.
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
February 1st, 2012 at 6:49 pm
I do believe that practice makes perfect, I guess the first step is always the hardest one.
[Reply]
ordinary malaysian
What is there for me to add, except to say that there are many who are more qualified than me to comment on your Mandarin as my own command of the language is anything but to shout about. 我没有资格评轮你的话语。我自己的华语差得很。但，除了有一些别扭句子结构 (of which I am myself very prone to, being not Mandarin educated though I am a Chinese myself), you seem to have done very well for someone who has studied the language for only about a year or so. 加油!
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Sara Reply:
January 29th, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Just to point out, I started learning Chinese in 2008 Autum and continued studying it in Finland for 1,5 years. Usually had one or two lessons per week. But started studying more actively when I came to Guangzhou on March 2010 :) So it has been more than 3 years now.
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ordinary malaysian
“..my own command of the language is anything but to shout about..” Oops, excuse the “but”!
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Anna
Mandarin Monday is a fantastic idea to show your progress in Chinese skills! I hope you don’t mind, but I used it in my blog- don’t worry, I gave you credit! ;)
Anna
[Reply]
Sara Reply:
February 10th, 2012 at 11:10 am
I’m more than happy if someone else wants to do their on Mandarin Monday :)
[Reply]
Pecktb
我也学汉语。说流利的汉语要求时间，别担心！如果你努力就成功！我学韩语两年了还有去的很多进步。我要一直学习来有一天说地道的汉语！加油！
[Reply]
Pecktb Reply:
July 13th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
**汉语，不是韩语。可是将来我要学韩语！
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Sara Jaaksola Reply:
July 31st, 2012 at 10:58 pm
你的汉语真不错啊！我们一起努力吧。我的英语不地道，但是因为某原因希望我的汉语会地道一点。
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