Comments on: Dealing with near-synonyms in Chinese as an independent learner https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/ A better way of learning Mandarin Mon, 13 Nov 2023 21:11:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Is learning things by heart good for improving your Chinese? | Hacking Chinese | Hacking Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-113623 Mon, 13 Nov 2023 21:11:24 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-113623 […] Memorising a phrase to remember the difference between two words – If you keep mixing up two words, you can try memorising a sentence that shows how they are different. For example, if you’re a beginner and forget when to use 二 and 两, memorise a sentence like 第二个教室有两个学生. Coming up with these for tricky words can be hard, though, so you might need help from a teacher. I’ve written more about how to deal with near-synonyms here, but beginners often do well in simply ignoring finer differences between words: Dealing with near-synonyms in Chinese as an independent learner […]

]]> By: May https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2316 Thu, 21 Aug 2014 00:38:32 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2316 In reply to Olle Linge.

I am currently using 博雅汉语高级I. It has a lot of near synonym lessons after each text. For example: 深邃／深刻；提示／提醒；得意／满意；烦恼／苦恼；忧郁／忧愁；嘲笑／讥笑 for the first lesson.

]]> By: Olle Linge https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2315 Fri, 21 Feb 2014 02:00:57 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2315 In reply to Livonor.

Just to clarify, these words are fairly easy to understand properly in context, but not that easy to use actively yourself. There’s some more info about this here if you’re interested. As you can see, it’s not that straightforward.

]]> By: Livonor https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2314 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 18:57:46 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2314 I didn’t had any problems with them until now, kanji and context make them clear most of the time. Here’s my personal interpretation of those words:

特徴 The most common, refers to someone “special property” such a unusual skill

特質 hardness, heat resistance, and other physical properties

特色 only saw this guy once in old Chinese passaport in a museum, it seems to refers to visible differences in a person such a skin color etc

特性 I don’t have much insight in this one, but 性 seems to gives a generic “natural” idea of property, like in “chemical properties”

特點 Never saw this one, I don’t have a clue about what it can mean

]]> By: wkwrd https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2313 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 15:04:34 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2313 In reply to wkwrd.

Notice in this example how we define “inner” and “outer”:

1.「中文的特徵」-> Regarding how the tool “Chinese” was “formed” , “used”, or “looked” from outside -> Use this to talk about the Grammar and Sentence Structure stuff.

2.「中文的特質」-> Regarding the Nature, or the Attribrute of the tool “Chinese”.(it’s hard to learn…etc)

]]> By: wkwrd https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2312 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 14:32:15 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2312 The above article pic’s explanation:
「特性」: Qualities (The nature aspect of something)

「特質」: Features / Characteristics (Mostly used on the inner, not-so-obvious aspect of something/someone; Personalities; Qualities)

「特徵」: Features / Characteristics (Outer traits, like how something/someone looks and feels…etc)

「特色」: Features / Qualities / Characteristics that stand out from the rest; Special Features

「特點」: Special Points

Oh, and another nice online dictionary to recommand:
http://tw.dictionary.search.yahoo.com/

]]> By: Olle Linge https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2311 Tue, 09 Jul 2013 15:19:16 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2311 In reply to Tim L..

I’m guessing this is the typical over-emphasis on output rather than input. I don’t think it’s a good idea to focus too much on subtle differences between words that the student hasn’t heard in context several times already. By the way, what textbook series did you use? Sounds interesting.

]]> By: Olle Linge https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2310 Tue, 09 Jul 2013 15:09:11 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2310 In reply to Corey.

Great suggestion! I use Jukuu quite a lot myself. I’ve actually written about this in another article, but perhaps I should have included clearer references. Here’s the article: 21 essential dictionaries and corpora for learning Chinese

]]> By: Evetei https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2309 Sat, 29 Jun 2013 20:34:37 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2309 A few years ago,I read 汉语八百词 from cover to cover, which was a wonderful way to get in the grammar/synonyms and my reading practice in Chinese all at the same time.

BTW, your website is excellent!
Thank you!

]]> By: Tim L. https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-near-synonyms-in-chinese-as-an-independent-learner/#comment-2308 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 01:52:49 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3403#comment-2308 The last time I studied Chinese at a Chinese university (at what I would now call a high intermediate level), in 2010, one of our textbooks would include a set of near-synonyms explained quite clearly in each chapter. I would understand it all perfectly, but since we studied for exams, many of the subtle differences were forgotten after the exams. I now sometimes find myself wishing I had the textbooks at hand, specifically for these near-synonym cases… good explanations, wrong motivation for memorizing them.

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