Is it Chinese language hard to learn & speak?

Question

Is it Chinese language hard to learn & speak?

Answer 1

Depends on what your idea of "hard" is.

In terms of writing and reading Chinese, Chinese grammar is easier than the grammar of European languages. It may seem complicated at first, since there is such a large number of characters, but only 3000 are in common usage.

Listening and speaking Chinese may be harder because the tone system may be unfamiliar to people who speak European languages. Mandarin Chinese has four tones, and Cantonese has nine, and some dialects have even more.

Chinese grammar, like I said, is however easier than European grammar. For example, there is no conjugation of verbs or declination of nouns.

Answer 2

Learning Chinese is not difficult as you imagine. I give you some statistics data from 6,000 students in past 4 years. The experience from other learners maybe give you more confidence.

We update statistics every year.

Average Period to pass one level: 6-12 weeks

Destination Level: Survival 25%, Beginner 48%, Intermediate 18%, Advanced 7%, Mastery 2%

(What is Chinese level: http://www.hellomandarin.com/levelassess... )

Course Selection: Full package 74%, Conversation+Pinyin+Grammar 12%, Writing+Grammar 5%,  Conversation Only 6%, Writing Only 3%

Practical Chinese Course 45%, Business Chinese Course 31%, Children Chinese Course 22%, Others 2%

You also can find some learning suggestions and tips on http://www.hellomandarin.com/ilovechines...