Re:Why Chinese Is So Damned Hard
by tokenadult on Saturday May 22, 2010 @08:37PM
(#1371386)
I've already cited books in this thread, and they list dozens of features of Modern Standard Chinese grammar that are confusing even to speakers of other Sinitic languages.
An example I often bring up to English speakers who are learning Chinese is that they have to learn that the Chinese verbal system is based on aspect
rather than on tense. Many native English speakers misspeak Chinese as a second language because they struggle to impose their sense of tense on a tenseless language, and meanwhile get Chinese aspect marking all wrong. That can lead to misunderstandings in either direction, as my extensive acquaintance with persons who speak both languages often shows.
An example I often bring up to English speakers who are learning Chinese is that they have to learn that the Chinese verbal system is based on aspect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_aspect
rather than on tense. Many native English speakers misspeak Chinese as a second language because they struggle to impose their sense of tense on a tenseless language, and meanwhile get Chinese aspect marking all wrong. That can lead to misunderstandings in either direction, as my extensive acquaintance with persons who speak both languages often shows.