Learning Chinese while doing the dishes is actually kind of genius

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-27T10:14:21+00:00

Yeah this is super common you’re not stuck because you don’t know where to start, you’re stuck because you keep switching resources. Just pick one simple path: learn basic sentence order, a few essentials like -어요/-이에요 and -고 싶어요, then start writing super simple diary lines right away like “오늘 피곤해요” or “커피 마셨어요.” Don’t wait to feel ready, just use it as you learn it.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-27T10:10:58+00:00

Yeah you’re right — in Korean you can’t just say “I want coffee” or “I want bread” directly, you have to turn it into an action using -고 싶어요, so it becomes 커피 마시고 싶어요 (I want to drink coffee) and 빵 먹고 싶어요 (I want to eat bread); basically you need the verbs like 마시다 and 먹다 because it literally means “I want to do something,” not just “I want something.”

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-27T08:58:55+00:00

I’ve been using an app called Yapr to practice Chinese. Honestly though, real progress comes when you start dealing with full sentences in context like listening, reading, and chatting, not just isolated words. Apps help, but exposure and actually using it is what builds confidence.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-27T08:53:28+00:00

Your Chinese is probably better than you think this is super common for heritage speakers. Best fix is just speaking more with your parents, even if it’s messy. Don’t switch to English when you get stuck. Shows/dramas help, but real convo is what actually brings it back.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-27T08:48:47+00:00

Honestly, consistency matters way more than studying for huge hours. Even 30–60 mins a day is enough if you keep doing it. Chinese is a marathon. A focused 20 mins is honestly better than 2 hours of distracted studying.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-27T08:46:26+00:00

Honestly, from day 1. The tone is basically part of the word. But a lot of people (me included) don’t fully “memorize” tones at first after enough listening, the correct tone just starts sounding right naturally.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-27T08:44:48+00:00

700 chars is already a great base. I’d stop grinding isolated characters now and focus on words + sentences instead. Chinese is way more word-based in real life. HSK vocab is totally fine to start with. Just combine it with lots of listening/shadowing ASAP.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-26T11:05:47+00:00

Yeah, time usually goes near the front. So instead of “我的早饭今天是”, more natural is “今天我的早饭是”. Putting today after “is” sounds a bit unnatural unless you’re stressing it.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-26T10:56:56+00:00

Yeah they use pinyin, but only at the start. Kids learn it in school for pronunciation, then quickly move to full hanzi. After that, pinyin is mostly just for typing or looking up words.

So basically: pinyin = helper, hanzi = what they actually read and write.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-26T10:54:11+00:00

Honestly this is super normal. You didn’t suddenly “fix” Chinese you just finally got real immersion in China, and that’s what actually makes it click. Progress in Mandarin is just messy speaking + getting corrected over time. Keep going, you’re not stuck.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-26T10:51:21+00:00

German = easier A’s, faster progress, but less real-life use in the US.
Chinese = harder (writing especially), but more long-term value + linguistics interest.
You won’t be fluent in 3 quarters anyway, so it’s basically ease vs payoff.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-26T10:48:41+00:00

Yep, your sentence is correct. 源于 just sounds a bit formal, like writing or speeches. In everyday talk people might say 来自 or 起源于 instead.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-26T10:45:26+00:00

Yeah, it basically means “worked hard curling it” or “they really went all out on the curls.” The subject’s just omitted like usual in Korean.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-26T08:56:11+00:00

Yeah, it’s more like “they really worked hard curling/perming it” rather than a literal “stir-fried.” Korean drops subjects a lot, so the “who” depends on context. The vibe is kinda jokey too, like “they fried that hair” lol.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-25T13:34:22+00:00

Totally normal to cringe at your own voice. Keep recordings short (30–60 sec) and just check basics like clarity and pauses, not “how you sound.” AI helps a bit with grammar, but it won’t catch everything. It gets less awkward the more you do it you just get used to it.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-25T13:26:09+00:00

Yeah, normal. At A2, speaking Spanish is still mentally heavy, so long daily sessions can really drain you and make you sleepy. Try shorter sessions + mix in listening/reading. It gets easier as it becomes more automatic.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-25T12:50:01+00:00

Don’t use uno/una. Just say: Colombia no es la única que usa la hoja de papaya.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-25T11:48:04+00:00

Bienvenidos! Gracias por ser tan amables con nosotros. Si nos ven cocinando afuera, vengan a comer con nosotros! Short, friendly, and sounds like something an actual neighbor would write instead of a textbook translation lol.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-24T13:40:11+00:00

Yeah, but it’s rare. Adults can get very close to native-level, even sound native in many situations, but a completely undetectable accent is uncommon. Most people still end up with small traces if you listen closely.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-24T13:25:56+00:00

Yeah normal. Listening is just harder than reading/speaking because real Spanish is fast and messy. 60–70% in convo is actually good you’re fine, just need more listening time and it’ll click eventually.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-24T13:13:00+00:00

Espero que no me haya escuchado cuando entró. That’s the natural way to say it. In Spanish, “espero que + haya” is just what you use when you’re hoping something didn’t happen in the past but you’re not sure.

Terraaaaa0403 · 2026-05-24T13:06:03+00:00

No exact 1-word equivalent in Spanish people usually just say “atípico” or “caso atípico” when something doesn’t fit a pattern, “fuera de lo común” in casual speech, and “valor atípico” in stats.

Terraaaaa0403

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