by: Kah Joon Liow
"I want to learn Chinese but just give me the basics!"
That?s what this Chinese pronunciation guide is all about. It?s all that you need to know about the pinyin system of Chinese pronunciation to get by.
The 80% that?s important. (Spend 20% of time to learn the 80% that's important.)
To speak Mandarin, the first thing is to learn Chinese pronunciation of words using the system known as pinyin.
Pinyin is the Romanized Chinese phonetic system and is the most effective aid to learn Chinese pronunciation today. (Romanized means using English alphabets.) Pinyin was invented in the 1950?s so that anyone, especially English speaking people, could learn Chinese pronunciation easily.
Most of the letters in pinyin have the same sounds as letters of the alphabet ? with only a few exceptions. It?s really a very practical system
that reduces the time it takes to learn Chinese words.
Can you imagine an English speaker trying to pronounce Chinese characters without pinyin?
First, "The Four Tones" of Chinese pronunciation
Chinese is a tonal language. This means each Chinese character is a syllable with a fixed tone. A different tone is a different Chinese character and hence a different meaning. To learn Chinese, you'll have to learn Chinese characters individually.
Chinese pronunciation involves four tones, each indicated by a tone mark. The tone marks are placed over the vowels. (If the letter ?i? has a tone mark over it, the dot is removed.?
First Tone: a high, level tone represented by ?-? as in mā 妈 ?mother?
Second Tone: a rising, questioning tone represented by ?/? as in m? 麻 ?to have pins and needles?
Third Tone: a drawling tone falling then rising represented by ?v? as in mǎ 马 ?horse?
Fourth Tone: a sharp falling tone represented by ?? as in m? 骂 ?to scold?
Each syllable is written as a combination of consonants and vowels, plus the tone mark. Some syllables don?t start with consonants. And the only consonants that come after vowels are are the nasal ?n? or ?ng?.
(From here on, I?m just going to use 1, 2 3, 4 to represent the four tones in Chinese pronunciation.)
You can see the importance of getting the tones right when you learn Chinese pronunciation to avoid misunderstandings and comic situations.
A friend of mine just learnt the Chinese words for ?secretary? ?mi4 shu1? and instead said ?mystery book? ?mi2 shu1?. I bet you've heard stories like that of people.
It will take some time to get the tones right because they?re not ?natural? to English speakers. Do your best when to pick up the tones when you learn Chinese, but don?t be deterred. Eventually you?ll get it. But just so you know, you don?t have to be perfect.
I have American friends living in Shanghai who get by fine with a flat tone. Of course, breakdowns in communication arise now and then, but the Chinese people can see you?re a foreigner learning the Chinese language (i.e. their language) and they?ll try hard to make sense of what you say.
So, they?re doing all the ?hard work?!
Want to learn Chinese? Get more 80/20 rules and tips to help you learn Chinese at http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/learn-chinese.html
About The Author
Kah Joon Liow Want to learn Chinese for pleasure and profit in less time? Like to creatively enhance your life with Chinese characters and symbols? Liow Kah Joon is your guide. Sign up for his free Chinese Symbols ezine at http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com.
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My Top 3 Betfair Trading Secrets
My Top 3 Betfair Trading Secrets
by: Sam Chim
Are you sick of losing your money on Betfair?
Over 80% Betfair Members LOSE money, are you one of them? If you are then I?ve got some good news for you. I?m going to share my top 3 Betfair Trading Secrets with you for free.
Before I share my secrets with you, I want to make sure that you are familiar with the term ?Betfair Trading?. This is when we do not just back or lay bets, we trade them??to GUARANTEE a profit. All you need to do is back at a high price and lay at a lower price on the same outcome in an event. If you want to learn more about this method, I recommend you to take a look at my website (provided below).
Now that I?ve got that out of the way, I?m assuming you know how to trade on Betfair now. Here are My Top 3 Betfair Trading Secrets:
Tip 1:
Study the market you are going to trade and stick with it until you completely ?master? it. For example, I specialise...
My Top 3 Betfair Trading Secrets
Horse > My Top 3 Betfair Trading Secrets
How To Care For Your New Foal
How To Care For Your New Foal
by: Mark Andrews
You have waited eleven months for your foal to arrive. Now he is here what can you do to ensure he gets off to the best possible start in life?
Make sure that the foal sucks. A normal foal should stand and drink from the mare within two hours. If the foal is having difficulty sucking, or is not interested, he may have serious problems. Call an experienced horse vet sooner rather than later.
Colostrum, the first milk, is very important. It contains all the antibodies your foal needs to protect him from infectious disease. A foal needs between 1.5 - 2 litres of good quality colostrum. It is most important to make sure he gets enough.
If the foal won't suck you can collect some colostrum from the mare and give it by bottle. Or the vet can put it directly into the foal's stomach using a tube. Colostrum substitutes are available if the mare doesn't have any milk.
The foal's intestines...
How To Care For Your New Foal
Horse > How To Care For Your New Foal
Odds Comparison ? Increasing Your Winnings
Odds Comparison ? Increasing Your Winnings
by: Nigel Kerry
After being in sports betting for about 23 years you have come to see many things such as a hairy chimpanzee putting down the winner for a horse race 10 times in a row, leaving me with a severe insomnia problem. I have also experienced the amazing growth of the internet and especially seen the difference it made to the sports betting community.
When I started out on my sports betting journey in the beginning of the 80?s my father took me to the local bookmaker/pub ?The Winning Post?. This became the centre of my life for a year or so until I by accident saw that the odds for some races and games were very much different at a different bookmaker in the neighbouring town. I saw that I could make up to 30-40% more on my winnings on some games, so I started to compare.
Today instead of taking my bike to the neighbouring town for odds comparison I unhealthy as it might be just sit down...
Odds Comparison ? Increasing Your Winnings
Horse > Odds Comparison ? Increasing Your Winnings
Business Strategies Straight from the Horse?s Mouth
Business Strategies Straight from the Horse?s Mouth
by: Ann Kerr Romberg
When I became a coach six years ago, I had a dream that took me a while to admit to?even to myself. What I really wanted to do was to combine the two great passions of my life?coaching and working with horses?but I had no idea what that might look like. As I bravely shared my fledgling dream with others, people began to point me to other people who had the same dream. I started exploring and discovered that the field of Equine Guided Education is a lively and growing one, where there?s plenty of space for the coaching process to be incorporated.
You might be surprised to learn that coaching with horses provides a depth and immediacy that brings new information, even about business development. Synchronicity happens in the domain of energy?energy from our thoughts, our emotions, our body, our spirit. Horses, unencumbered by language, read and reflect this energy, providing...
Business Strategies Straight from the Horse?s Mouth
Horse > Business Strategies Straight from the Horse?s Mouth
Betting Portfolio Management
Betting Portfolio Management
by: Jess Kirley
The subject of financial investment is such a wide and varied area. We all know (or should know), that investing surplus funds is a sound idea; nothing new there. If you make the decision to invest, what investment options do you have?
1. Property - unit, house, holiday house, commercial property, a managed property investment fund etc.
2. Shares - stock options, different stock investment sectors such as small capitalisation mining companies, international or local share funds etc.
3. Fixed Interest - bonds, convertible notes, fixed deposits etc
The above are your major investments categories in which you may be looking to invest.
These are the 'traditional' type of investments however there are other investment areas which are just as, or more profitable than your main 'stable' of investment options. These alternative investment options include tree crops, vintage cars,...
Betting Portfolio Management
Horse > Betting Portfolio Management
The History of Steeplechase Horse Racing
The History of Steeplechase Horse Racing
by: Toby Beavers
The sport of Steeplechase racing dates back to 1752 in Ireland when two, half-crocked, friends settled the argument over who owned the best horse by racing to the nearest Church steeple after returning from Fox hunting. The winner actually rode right through the church where the vicar was holding a solemn funeral. Soon steeplechase racing spread to England, where in 1792, the first recorded race was held. This sport then crossed over from the Atlantic to the US, where it has became very popular.
In the early 19th century nine prominent men from New York - August Belmont, H. DeCourcy Forbes, Samuel S. Howland, James O. Green, Frederick Gebhard, A.J. Cassatt, Foxhall P. Keene, John G. Follansbee and Frederick H. Prince founded the National Association for Steeplechase. When it was first founded, its mission was to make the sport popular in the US and help it grow across the Atlantic. For...
The History of Steeplechase Horse Racing
Horse > The History of Steeplechase Horse Racing
Why Vacation in Mont-Tremblant?
Why Vacation in Mont-Tremblant?
by: Paul Altobelli
Theme parks!
Imitation mountains covered with imitation snow; places to eat serving food that just might taste almost like you?re eating in a quaint, foreign restaurant, picturesque little fake villages that are supposed to resemble picturesque little real villages; hotels built around man-made lakes.
Sure they?re fun for the whole family but why settle for ?fake? or ?imitation? or ?almost like? when you can have the real thing!
Mont-Tremblant Resort located just eighty minutes by air (gate-to-gate) from Newark Airport to the Mont-Tremblant International Airport, is the ideal, four-season family playground with a real village, real mountains with real snow, real lakes for water sports or ice skating, real quaint restaurants, a real gondola riding over real trees. And there are no long, hot boring lines to stand in while waiting to have real fun.
Every season of the year...
Why Vacation in Mont-Tremblant?
Horse > Why Vacation in Mont-Tremblant?
All You Need To Know About Motorcycle Spark Plugs
All You Need To Know About Motorcycle Spark Plugs
by: Maricon Williams
Motorcycle spark plugs have already caused several misfires. It can also tend to break into two when you try to remove them. These are instances when you are wasting money over low quality and non-durable spark plugs.
There has been a lot of puffing going out in the motorcycle market. Some are talking about horse power advantages. Nonetheless, be cautious of what you believe in, chances are they are just flowery words thus, misleading.
In order to avoid this, we have to bear in mind some pointers about this motorcycle parts.
First, always go with the motorcycle parts manufacturer?s recommendations. That way, you can never go wrong.
Second, if you have qualms over the parts, call the manufacturer to save you from further trouble. Do not experiment with parts, especially if you have little knowledge about them. They can go wrong in just a flick of the finger...
All You Need To Know About Motorcycle Spark Plugs
Horse > All You Need To Know About Motorcycle Spark Plugs
Hydration and Athletic Performance
Hydration and Athletic Performance
by: Colleen Palati
Hydration and Athletic Performance
Water is crucial to our survival. Because our body is made up of 60% water, it is important to be aware of our body?s need for hydration. Our body needs water for the following functions:
* It acts as solvents for nutrients.
* It aids in digestion and absorption.
* It transports materials throughout the body.
* It eliminates toxins and waste...
Horse > Hydration and Athletic Performance
Hair Removal: The Good News
Hair Removal: The Good News
by: Ron King
If you're 1 of the millions of people who have hair growing where you don't want it, today's good news is, you have a wide range of effective hair removal options available to you.
Reasons For Hair Removal
People's reasons for wanting hair removed run the gamut from medical necessity to "just because I feel like it." Many women include hair removal as part of their normal cosmetic routine. They shave their...
Horse Learn Chinese Pronunciation: the 80/20 Guide, Part 1
Horse > Hair Removal: The Good News
High Mountain Whitetails: "The Experience of a Lifetime"
High Mountain Whitetails: "The Experience of a Lifetime"
by: Russell Cook
High Mountain Whitetails is a Hunting adventure like no other you have ever experienced.
High Mountain Whitetails is located just a few miles south of Branson, Missouri. It is nestled deep in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, with its dense hardwoods and pines. At High Mountain Whitetails you are treated to some of the most spectacular beauty to be found anywhere.
Where but...
Horse Learn Chinese Pronunciation: the 80/20 Guide, Part 1 High Mountain Whitetails: "The Experience of a Lifetime"
Horse > High Mountain Whitetails: "The Experience of a Lifetime"
iPod Batteries and Accessories
iPod Batteries and Accessories
by: Dawn Rowlett
The Apple iPod has been taking the world by storm since the tiny handheld device has been released. The iPod has made it possible for people to download almost their entire music library into a mini-computer that they can take with them wherever they go. Apple has created variations on the original iPod, and has also created a variety of accessories to allow even more functionality from the little device.
There...
iPod Batteries and Accessories
Horse > iPod Batteries and Accessories