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i need to know how many alphabet a chinese language have and how long would it takes to learn how to speak it. and what's so difficult about it./chinese and arabec which one is harder to learn

2007-01-15 17:14:00 · 2 answers · asked by marcel m 2 in Society & Culture Languages

2 answers

To read most Chinese newspapers, books, etc. it has been estimated that you need to know how to read 3,000-5,000 characters. As for the entire Chinese language, there are over 55,000 characters.

"What's so difficult" about speaking Chinese for English-speakers is that Chinese is a tonal language. This means that how you pronounce something determines the meaning of the word. If you say the same sound in a different way, it means something completely different. This is what many English-speakers find difficult about speaking Chinese.

Chinese vs. Arabic? Well, Arabic will take you less time to learn how to read and write and Arabic is not a tonal language, but many English-speakers still find it difficult to speak.

The cultures of the Chinese and those that speak Arabic are quite different, so I don't think anyone can tell you which language is easier. Think about what interests you. If you are interested in the Arab world, Islam, etc. then you should learn Arabic. If you are interested in China and its culture, then you should take Chinese. (Both are very useful in getting jobs.) When a person is truly interested in one language, it is easier for them to learn than a language that they do not want to learn.

2007-01-15 18:17:30 · answer #1 · answered by Rabbityama 6 · 1 1

Chinese, as other character-based laguages, does not have an alphabet.

2007-01-16 02:11:51 · answer #2 · answered by Sterz 6 · 0 2

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