Comments on: Chengyu, a magic key to Chinese language and culture, or a waste of time? https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/ A better way of learning Mandarin Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:27:19 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Olle Linge https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-139222 Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:27:19 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-139222 In reply to Jason.

Yes, I agree, and I think that was the point I made in the article, too! In my experience, though, many students and teachers ascribe some kind of mystical value to chengyu. Like you say, they are just like any other vocabulary, and obviously, if you just started learning Chinese, it will take a while before it can be motivated to learn chengyu based purely on frequency.

]]> By: Jason https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-139149 Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:03:01 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-139149 Chengyu should just be treated the same as any other vocabulary: only learn them when you think you will use them, and make sure you understand the correct way to use them. Many (not all) of them are more advanced, and so should only be learned at the advanced level, but that is the same with any advanced vocabulary. The ones that are basic should be learned at the beginner level (if you think you will use them), just like any beginner level vocabulary. I mean, you CAN choose to ignore all chengyu and never use a single one until the advanced level, but I can’t think of any reason to do so. Just because their use is more narrow, and you want to avoid using it incorrectly? That’s just a good reason to learn what the appropriate time to use them is, but that’s the case for any word or phrase. And yes, many of them are not used very commonly, so it would be weird to go around saying them all the time. But not really, as long as they are used at the appropriate time. That’s no different from sayings in English. Also, it should be noted that not all chengyu are of the same quality. Some are condensed historical stories, but others are just shortening of a phrase. I think the second type are probably used more commonly. Just like how in English, people don’t normally go around saying proverbs all the time.

]]> By: YouGlish: A free service to hear and see Chinese words in context | Hacking Chinese | Hacking Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-122588 Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:27:24 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-122588 […] you have learnt that 不知不觉 (bùzhībùjué) means “unconsciously; unwittingly”, but you’ve read my article about Chengyu and know that it isn’t used as you think it is based on the definition. No problem, YouGlish […]

]]> By: Why you should preview before every Chinese lesson | Hacking Chinese | Hacking Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-120731 Sun, 16 Jun 2024 16:31:19 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-120731 […] them. Your brain needs input to figure out what things mean and how they function in the language. You can’t be expected to use a chengyu correctly right after encountering it for the first time. By previewing, you can listen to and read the material multiple times before the lesson, giving you […]

]]> By: Student Q&A, April 2024: Learning chengyu, listening to yourself and using role-playing games to learn Chinese | Hacking Chinese | Hacking Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-118932 Tue, 09 Apr 2024 22:04:36 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-118932 […] Learning the right chengyu the right way (please note that I’m in the middle of updating this article) […]

]]> By: Is learning things by heart good for improving your Chinese? | Hacking Chinese | Hacking Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-113622 Mon, 13 Nov 2023 21:03:32 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-113622 […] on just the word itself, and you you will then learn how the word is used by reading and listening. When it comes to chéngyǔ, the usage is almost always more narrow than you think, so the best way t…. This is very similar to the previous bullet point about tricky […]

]]> By: Chinese idioms – why and where to start? – China Academy https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-97519 Tue, 05 Jul 2022 13:57:12 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-97519 […] https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/: “Ever since I started learning Chinese, I’ve heard people say that if I want to impress native speakers and show that I really know Chinese, the key is to learn chengyu (成语/成語). They are often presented as magic keys not only to the Chinese language, but also to the culture, the people, the philosophy and so on. However, this approach has always irked me. The way chengyu are presented and taught is, in my opinion, flawed. In this article, I will share my own experience of chengyu and how I think they should be approached, both from a student’s and a teacher’s perspective.” (Must-read article on the subject) […]

]]> By: Chinese idioms – why and where to start? – Claim dream https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-97473 Mon, 04 Jul 2022 13:26:03 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-97473 […] https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/: “Ever since I started learning Chinese, I’ve heard people say that if I want to impress native speakers and show that I really know Chinese, the key is to learn chengyu (成语/成語). They are often presented as magic keys not only to the Chinese language, but also to the culture, the people, the philosophy and so on. However, this approach has always irked me. The way chengyu are presented and taught is, in my opinion, flawed. In this article, I will share my own experience of chengyu and how I think they should be approached, both from a student’s and a teacher’s perspective.” (Must-read article on the subject) […]

]]> By: Chinese idioms – why and where to start? – KAOHONGSHU https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-92954 Fri, 04 Mar 2022 20:20:29 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-92954 […] https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/: “Ever since I started learning Chinese, I’ve heard people say that if I want to impress native speakers and show that I really know Chinese, the key is to learn chengyu (成语/成語). They are often presented as magic keys not only to the Chinese language, but also to the culture, the people, the philosophy and so on. However, this approach has always irked me. The way chengyu are presented and taught is, in my opinion, flawed. In this article, I will share my own experience of chengyu and how I think they should be approached, both from a student’s and a teacher’s perspective.” (Must-read article on the subject) […]

]]> By: Joris https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/#comment-77321 Tue, 25 May 2021 05:21:47 +0000 http://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=3337#comment-77321 In reply to Marian.

That book contains 500 suyu, not chengyu.

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