Speak Chinese by pattern recognition.
Imagine trying to explain a beautiful Chinese idiom to someone who only speaks English. It's not easy, right?
That’s because languages aren’t just about words; they’re about the imagery and feelings those words create.
For example, I was learning Chinese today and when I came across this phrase, it stopped me in my tracks:
Literally, it means "Use your own shoulders to hold up your own piece of sky." Stunning imagery right?
Figuratively, it means that one should rely on one's own strength and efforts to achieve their goals and create their own path in life.
But, in English, we might say, "Stand on your own two feet and make your own way." It conveys the same idea, but the imagery is so different.
This is what trips many learners up. They try to directly translate between languages and it ends up sounding clunky and awkward and can lose a lot of the original beauty and meaning.
The alternative?
Recognize that languages are like patterns that don’t map directly to other languages. And one advantage we have as humans is that we are pattern recognition masters.
Instead of focusing on direct translation, we can focus on recognizing common patterns in idioms, phrases, sentence structure, and grammar.
The best way to do this?
Copy native speakers. They are the masters of this because they’ve been doing it their whole life.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. I lay out the simple 8-step system I used to copy native speakers, steal native phrases and sound more natural when you speak.
You can access it here:
https://copypastespeaking.danyopang.com/
If you enroll this week, I’ll also give you access to the Language Learner OS for free ($100 value): a digital study hub to keep you organized, track vocab, build habits, and stay productive learning Chinese.
加油,
Danyo
PS cool Chinese vocabulary the day:
用自己的肩膀去撑起自己的一片天 (yòng zìjǐ de jiānbǎng qù chēng qǐ zìjǐ de yī piàn tiān)
用 (yòng): To use.
自己 (zìjǐ): Oneself.
的 (de): Possessive particle, indicating ownership.
肩膀 (jiānbǎng): Shoulder.
去 (qù): To go; to do (used to indicate an action).
撑起 (chēng qǐ): To support; to hold up.
自己 (zìjǐ): Oneself.
的 (de): Possessive particle, indicating ownership.
一片 (yī piàn): A piece of; a stretch of.
天 (tiān): Sky; heaven.
Translation: To rely on one's own shoulders to support one's own piece of sky; to take responsibility for one's own life and future.
Example sentence: 在困难面前,他决定用自己的肩膀去撑起自己的一片天,不再依赖别人。(Zài kùnnán miànqián, tā juédìng yòng zìjǐ de jiānbǎng qù chēng qǐ zìjǐ de yī piàn tiān, bù zài yīlài biérén.) In the face of difficulties, he decided to rely on his own shoulders to support his own piece of sky and not depend on others anymore.