We all know that learning Chinese online is getting more and more popular.
but sometimes you really just need to go to the books.
You are reading: Best books to learn chinese
and I want you to have the best resources at hand for those moments.
Whether you’re working on vocabulary, characters, or chengyu, there’s a wide range of excellent books that can be a brilliant addition to your Chinese learning.
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- “Fundamentals of Chinese Characters” (Yale University Press)
- “Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide” (Modern Grammars)
- “times: newspaper reading advanced chinese course”
- “classical chinese abridged series: the besieged city”
- “500 common chinese idioms: an annotated frequency dictionary”
- “niubi! : the real Chinese that they never taught you in school”
- why is it still important to learn Chinese from books?
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- books are much more complete and specialized than most websites
- workbooks present a more tangible way to learn
- books can be used much more easily on the go
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“Fundamentals of Chinese Characters” (Yale University Press)
This book is probably the best guide to Chinese characters currently available. while teaching the meanings of thousands of characters, he also teaches much, much more. The book aims to break down each character into its constituent elements and then develop the student’s understanding of the history and deeper meanings of these characters throughout each chapter.
Both Chinese radicals and the more difficult phonetic elements to teach are covered extensively throughout this book, with accompanying lists and reference tables. To make student life easier, the book is also divided into broad topics, so you can easily study or review characters in a given field.
This book is also especially helpful because it gives students a way to associate characters with real-life objects or ideas, which is extremely important. while later in the learning process it is better to use radicals and phonetic elements to memorize the characters, these mnemonics are incredibly useful for the first 500 characters and provide an easier way to learn.
“Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide” (Modern Grammars)
The next book on our list is the only reference you’ll ever need for Chinese grammar. This book covers all the rules, quirks, and patterns you’ll encounter throughout learning Chinese. this grammar is divided into easy to analyze chapters in which a student can quickly find an answer to the constant question, “but why is it written like that?”
The added value of this reference book is its very detailed index, which allows the book to function as a grammar dictionary. readers can look up certain rules, jump to the page they are on, and understand how they are used.
A book like this is important because it teaches grammar at a much deeper level than the average classroom textbook or website. while other books teach grammar, they usually only teach it at a simplistic level that they feel is “appropriate” for the learner. this approach, however, can often be confusing later on, so a book like “Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar” is essential in situations where a deeper understanding is desired.
“times: advanced chinese newspaper reading course”
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For intermediate and advanced learners, one of the major milestones they may want to achieve is the ability to read Chinese newspapers. The Times Newspaper Reading Course is the best possible way to achieve this. Using real-world newspaper articles, fast-paced lessons, and associated workbooks, this course helps you go beyond headlines to truly understand newspaper articles.
In general, each chapter deals with a single news topic and invites the student to read a series of articles, learn new vocabulary, and then answer questions based on their understanding of the text.
The reason why newspaper reading needs its own learning book is due to the fact that Chinese newspaper texts are very different from other forms of written language. articles use complicated vocabulary, unusual formatting, and unusual grammar to help condense information. this makes it particularly difficult for students and something that should be taught separately from other types of reading.
“abridged Chinese classic series: the besieged city”
While the other books deal directly with learning, this one is also entertaining. As a stripped-down version of the Chinese classic “The Besieged City,” it’s a great entry point for students interested in reading their first Chinese novel. Although the grammar and vocabulary have been simplified, the overall plot of a young man struggling with an arranged marriage in 1930s China is engaging and fun.
Because it is a “reader”, this book also works as a way to increase vocabulary and comprehension. Along with the body of the text in this book, each chapter is followed by a list of unusual new vocabulary, which helps students better understand the meaning of the text. additional complicated vocabulary is covered in detailed footnotes that accompany each page of the text, teaching you new words and making the text easier to read.
Also, each chapter has its own quiz based on the content of the book, and a student can easily quiz themselves to make sure they really understood the content. Please note, however, that all vocabulary and explanations are in Chinese, so make sure your Chinese is at an intermediate level before working through this book.
“500 Common Chinese Idioms: An Annotated Dictionary of Frequency”
Getting to grips with Chinese idioms, also known as chengyu, is one of the trickiest parts of Chinese. This book is one of the most detailed lists of these idioms that you can find, and thus is a must-have for any learner.includes not only the literal meanings of the 500 most commonly used Chinese idioms, but also their antecedents, synonyms and antonyms. in addition, detailed information on how to use each idiom is provided, and several example sentences are given to show how they are used.
While common textbooks do teach some chengyu, they often don’t adequately explain its meaning or why they mean what they mean. Furthermore, even when you’ve finished a regular textbook course, only a small percentage of commonly used idiomatic expressions will have been taught, making this book an essential learning resource.
“niubi!: the real Chinese that they never taught you in school”
One part of Chinese that’s very rarely taught either online or in classic textbooks is Chinese slang. Like any language, Chinese contains a huge slang vocabulary that’s often overlooked in teaching due to vulgarity, grammatical incorrectness or simply because the author doesn’t know it. Nonetheless, it’s very important to learn and understand the most common of these slang words.This book is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive guide to Chinese slang available in print. contains simple English explanations of each slang word and also provides detailed information on how and in what situation the words should be used.
Also, the book is written in a very light-hearted tone and is accompanied by many humorous illustrations, so learning from this book can often be a laugh-out-loud experience.
why is it still important to learn chinese with books?
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Online learning is all the rage right now, and for good reason.
for example, fluentu language learning program helps structure individual learning by collecting high-quality, small-size media clips, such as movie clips and news segments, and attaching professional translations and subtitles to each from them. is an example of how you can improve listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills in one place online.
Despite this, there are still some significant advantages to using books, making them an indispensable part of your Chinese learning journey.
the books are much more complete and specialized than most websites
The main reason why it is still important to use books to learn Chinese is that many books are still much more comprehensive than online learning websites. While most websites aim to teach Chinese as a broad subject, the books (apart from regular textbooks) are much more specialized.
many deal exclusively with a single topic with a level of depth not found anywhere else. such topics include Chinese grammar, cultural influences on the language, or specific reading/writing styles.
workbooks especially present a more tangible way of learning
Another reason books are important for learning is that many, especially workbooks, provide a more tangible way for students to interact with (and practice) the language.
Written Chinese especially requires a great deal of writing practice, and unlike online programs that generally use keyboard input, Chinese workbooks force the learner to write down their answers and engage with the language on paper.
books can be used much more easily on the go
A final reason that books are an important complement to newer learning methods is that they are much more portable than digital programs. you can study with them on a plane, train, at the beach or on the way to work, no wifi needed!
For this reason, it’s always good to have one of these books with you constantly, so you can turn your wasted minutes into productive learning time.
On the other end of the spectrum, books are becoming more available in electronic format, which also allows you to travel with them more conveniently and access them on the go, even offline! for example, at vitalsource, you can buy e-textbooks and read them not only on a kindle, but also on an ipad or any other android device.
Each of these books has the ability to function as a supplement to online or traditional Chinese study. By working with them, you will be able to improve your Chinese faster and gain a much more detailed understanding of the Chinese language.
so what are you waiting for? grab some books and speed up your learning!
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Getting to grips with Chinese idioms, also known as chengyu, is one of the trickiest parts of Chinese. This book is one of the most detailed lists of these idioms that you can find, and thus is a must-have for any learner.
One part of Chinese that’s very rarely taught either online or in classic textbooks is Chinese slang. Like any language, Chinese contains a huge slang vocabulary that’s often overlooked in teaching due to vulgarity, grammatical incorrectness or simply because the author doesn’t know it. Nonetheless, it’s very important to learn and understand the most common of these slang words.