How learning conjunctions improved my Chinese

哈喽 from Toronto.

I’ve been back home in Canada for the past few months spending time with family after being on the road the past year. But I’m itching to get back on the road again so I may be writing from Mexico the next time (and hopefully learn some Spanish!)

Today I want to share with you a useful trick that helped me improve my listening comprehension. Being able to understand what was being said to me was one of the hardest things to learn for me as a beginner.

I quickly realized that one of the main reasons for this was that I had no idea when a sentence started and ended! I had no bearings. Everything sounded the same.

Unfortunately, this is very common for Chinese learners, especially if you’re a native English speaker like me.

Luckily for me, I found a hack that fixed this: conjugations.

In Mandarin, conjunctions like 但是 (dànshì - but), and 因为 (yīnwèi - because) are essential tools because they not only structure your sentences logically and clearly but they also help you improve your listening comprehension.

Today I’ll show you how to learn conjugations to improve your listening and speaking skills in Chinese.

Why Conjunctions Matter

Think of when you speak English or your native tongue and how often you use words like “but”, “so”, “because”, “although”, “if”, etc.

These are all conjugations.

Conjunctions are like signposts and help to connect thoughts and sentences. But they also help learners signify the start and end of a sentence or a change in thought, making them extremely important, especially for beginners, to grasp.

Moreover, conjunctions give you a hint about what is being said even if you don’t understand anything else. For example, a sentence with the conjunction 但是 (but) gives you the hint that the speaker will offer an opposing thought or view. A sentence with the conjunction 因为 (because) tells you an explanation will follow.

This helped me massively to deduce the meaning of sentences from context like I was piecing together a puzzle. Being able to learn not only what you actively study, but also from context and deduction can double or triple your learning.

Furthermore, conjunctions help with speaking. Without these tiny connections, conversations can sound fragmented, like a string of unconnected thoughts. Conjunctions bring fluidity to your speech, making your communication more natural and understandable. They're like the glue that holds your sentences together.

And the best part is that a handful of very common conjugations are used all the time. After learning conjugations, my listening comprehension and my ability to construct clear sentences improved significantly.

Start with the Basics

Begin with the most common conjunctions. Here is a list of the top 15 conjunctions in Chinese:

1. 和 (hé) - "and"

2. 但是 (dànshì) - "but"

3. 因为 (yīnwèi) - "because"

4. 所以 (suǒyǐ) - "so"

5. 如果 (rúguǒ) - "if"

6. 虽然 (suīrán) - "although"

7. 或者 (huòzhě) - "or"

8. 然后 (ránhòu) - "then"

9. 不过 (búguò) - "however"

10. 而且 (érqiě) - "and also", "moreover"

11. 即使 (jíshǐ) - "even if"

12. 除了 (chúle) - "besides", "apart from"

13. 只要 (zhǐyào) - "as long as"

14. 只有 (zhǐyǒu) - "only if"

15. 尽管 (jǐnguǎn) - "despite", "even though"

Use conjunctions in sentences

Create simple sentences using these conjunctions, like "我喜欢苹果，但是不喜欢橘子" (Wǒ xǐhuān píngguǒ, dànshì bù xǐhuān júzi - I like apples, but I don't like oranges).

Here is a list of example sentences for each.

1. 和 (hé) - "and"

   我喜欢苹果和橙子。(Wǒ xǐhuān píngguǒ hé chéngzi.)

   "I like apples and oranges."

2. 但是 (dànshì) - "but"

   我想去公园，但是今天下雨了。(Wǒ xiǎng qù gōngyuán, dànshì jīntiān xiàyǔ le.)

   "I want to go to the park, but it's raining today."

3. 因为 (yīnwèi) - "because"

   因为我累了，所以我早点睡了。(Yīnwèi wǒ lèi le, suǒyǐ wǒ zǎodiǎn shuìle.)

   "Because I am tired, I went to bed early."

4. 所以 (suǒyǐ) - "so"

   她迟到了，所以错过了会议。(Tā chídào le, suǒyǐ cuòguò le huìyì.)

   "She was late, so she missed the meeting."

5. 如果 (rúguǒ) - "if"

   如果明天下雨，我们就不去野餐了。(Rúguǒ míngtiān xiàyǔ, wǒmen jiù bù qù yěcān le.)

   "If it rains tomorrow, we will not go for a picnic."

6. 虽然 (suīrán) - "although"

   虽然他很忙，他还是帮助了我。(Suīrán tā hěn máng, tā háishì bāngzhù le wǒ.)

   "Although he is busy, he still helped me."

7. 或者 (huòzhě) - "or"

   你想喝咖啡或者茶吗？(Nǐ xiǎng hē kāfēi huòzhě chá ma?)

   "Do you want to drink coffee or tea?"

8. 然后 (ránhòu) - "then"

   我们先去商店，然后去电影院。(Wǒmen xiān qù shāngdiàn, ránhòu qù diànyǐngyuàn.)

   "We will go to the store first, then to the cinema."

9. 不过 (búguò) - "however"

   他很聪明，不过有点懒惰。(Tā hěn cōngmíng, búguò yǒudiǎn lǎnduò.)

   "He is smart, however, a bit lazy."

10. 而且 (érqiě) - "and also", "moreover"

    这部电影很有趣，而且非常受欢迎。(Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn yǒuqù, érqiě fēicháng shòuhuānyíng.)

    "This movie is very interesting, and also very popular."

11. 即使 (jíshǐ) - "even if"

    即使下雨，我也要去。(Jíshǐ xiàyǔ, wǒ yě yào qù.)

    "Even if it rains, I will go."

12. 除了 (chúle) - "besides", "apart from"

    除了英语，她还会说法语。(Chúle Yīngyǔ, tā hái huì shuō Fǎyǔ.)

    "Apart from English, she can also speak French."

13. 只要 (zhǐyào) - "as long as"

    只要你努力，你就会成功。(Zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì, nǐ jiù huì chénggōng.)

    "As long as you work hard, you will succeed."

14. 只有 (zhǐ yǒu) - "only if"

    只有通过考试，你才能升级。(Zhǐyǒu tōngguò kǎoshì, nǐ cái néng shēngjí.) "Only if you pass the exam, can you advance to the next level."

15. 尽管 (jǐnguǎn) - "despite", "even though"

    尽管困难重重，他依然坚持不懈。(Jǐnguǎn kùnnán chóngchóng, tā yīrán jiānchí bùxiè.)

    "Despite many difficulties, he still persists tirelessly."

Listen for conjunctions

Listening to native speakers use conjunctions in conversations, podcasts, street interviews, or TV shows can be incredibly beneficial. I show you how to learn from real-life material in the Copy Paste Speaking Course.

Pay attention to how they link their thoughts and ideas. Try to mimic their usage in your speech.

Apply conjunctions in daily life

It’s important to incorporate your learning into daily daily.

I recommend speaking to yourself, narrating the world around you, and filming yourself to help you build the confidence to have real conversations with native speakers. The Copy Paste Speaking Course shows how to do this in detail.

For instance, while talking about your day, you could say, "我去了图书馆，然后去了咖啡馆" (Wǒ qùle túshūguǎn, ránhòu qùle kāfēiguǎn - I went to the library, then to the café). You can regularly do this throughout your day.

Practicing in real-life situations helps you understand how and when to use these conjunctions naturally.

Moving Forward

Learning conjunctions in Mandarin Chinese was a game-changer for me, especially as a beginner learner. Conjunctions help to connect sentences and thoughts and improve listening comprehension and your sentences when you speak.

By starting with the basics, using them in sentences, listening to how native speakers utilize them, and applying them in everyday life, you will notice a significant improvement in your ability to understand and speak Chinese.

If you want practical guidance to help with your listening, check out the Copy Paste Speaking Course where I show you how I find the best real-world material to improve your listening, pronunciation, and speaking.

加油，

Danyo

PS Here are some practical ways I can help you level up your Chinese:

1. Copy Paste Speaking Course: This course will teach you a better & faster way to learn to speak Chinese by copying native speakers talking about real things, making real sentences, and speaking from day one.

2. Language Learner OS: This is a digital system to help organize your language studies, track vocabulary, build connections, stay productive, and learn faster! 

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