Sauce package in Chinese. Can you read it?
Sauce packages in Chinese. Can you read it?
Hey friends, today I'm breaking down a some sauce packages in Chinese I saw recently at the local Family Mart (convenience store). Do you know what it says?
Learning to read real-world Chinese material drastically improved my confidence because I know these are the same material native speakers see on a daily basis. If you want to be like native speakers, it makes sense to consume what they consume.
Below is the 4-step method I use to remember everything I study.
Step 1: First Pass
Try to read it without help and check how much you understand. Identify new words you don't know.
Step 2: Study + Analyze
Study the transcribed text below with the pinyin and English translations. Look up new words you don't understand.
💡 Tip: View in Chrome and get pop-up definitions when you hover over characters.
💡 Tip: Click on the pinyin below to hear correct audio pronunciation.
番茄酱
番茄醬
Ketchup
无 添加 防腐剂
無 添加 防腐劑
No added preservatives
甜 辣 酱
甜 辣 醬
Sweet and spicy sauce
***Full vocabulary list here.
Step 3: Active Recall
Most people stop at the second step. This third repetition is crucial to help you consolidate your knowledge using the power of active recall.
Read out loud this time without the pinyin. Focus on getting the right tones.
番茄酱
番茄醬
Ketchup
无 添加 防腐剂
無 添加 防腐劑
No added preservatives
甜 辣 酱
甜 辣 醬
Sweet and spicy sauce
Step 4: Final Pass
Read the original picture one more time without the pinyin and English translations to help.
Did you get your tones right?
Were you able to understand it without the pinyin and translations?
👍 Congrats, you just read a real Chinese sign!
👎 No worries, return to Step 2 and try again.
This 4-step method is so effective because of the power of repetition and active recall. I used this same method to help me have multi-hour-long conversations with native speakers in 4 months of study.
See you again next week for another real-life example.
When you're ready:
Here are three ways I can help you: