Learning Chinese: 3 Tips For Memorizing Characters (EASILY!)

In this video I'd like to share 3 tips for memorizing Chinese characters. It allowed me to memorize thousands upon thousands of Chinese characters, ace my exams and go from scratch to interpreter in 5 years (part-time and self-taught). I'm confident that if you adopt these methods, they'll also massively help you to memorize Chinese characters.

Let me know how you get on with them!

Cheers,

Fred

Here's the links for the books I recommended:

[ChineseIsEasy]

QUESTION: What technique do you use to remember Chinese characters?

[benjaminmoseslieb]

It is unfortunately common for some people to say learning characters is easy, "Just look at 大, see it looks like a man with arms out". The truth is that there are different types of Characters, and their distribution in the language is not equal. The 3 main types are Pictograms (representing a picture), Ideograms (combining pictures or words like 明 for bright), and Phono-semantic compounds (combining a sound hint and a semantic hint). When you look at the distribution of these indicated by Wikipedia you see Pictograms 4%, Ideograms 13% Phono-semantic compounds 82%. This means that comparatively few characters can be "understood" in the simple sense of meaning or pictures. The majority of characters will need to be learned by brute memory, and like the poster here implies many people resort to elaborate memory techniques to remember them through stories or associations. I guess my point is, don't be fooled by the first 4% of easy picture characters. Learning characters is a practice of will and memorization.

[genocidist]

when you write 2 pages of the same character but still end up forgetting about it

[artur]

Neumonics is the key to all learning! I find the logic of Chinese characters very fascinating! I think the Chinese characters are to be taught at all schools since it develops the brain.

[DT-sdpq]

Thanks again for your hacks. I followed your hint by adding colours to my flashcards associated to the different tones! That worked so well for me; very nice!

[d]

I am a Chinese and I actually learn from the video, there are some good points that I've never realized when I learned Chinese in school as a kid 20+ years ago. For example, part of the character represents the meaning and the other part represents the pronunciation.

[SecretlyRAW]

I feel like a turd since I’m chinese and I can only speak fluently but not write or read. This helped a lot :’) tysm

[limgeod]

I have just now discovered your channel, as a predominantly English speaker, yet Chinese American born with some conversational skills. I do much your video, and most eager to catch up on your entire series. I compliment you on how clearly and concretely you teach me how to recognize meaning in calligraphy, a point not taught me, or I didn't absorb by Chinese School, as a child. Plus, the books to aid learning you provide are most invaluable; and I very much thank you. GDL

[Khaielaash]

Hey dude! I finally found this video again! A year ago I decided to get Zhang Laoshi's books because of this vid, and I have to say learning the characters the way you describe, through having a glance at their history/context, was the best Mandarin learning decision I've ever made. I've still got a long way to go but I'm working at it :)

[morejoy]

mmm actually I had pretty much the same ideas as yourself.
A lot of non Chinese speakers won't even try to learn to read of write and many times I have explained to them that if you look at the picture for e.g. gau meaning high it's pretty self explanatory. I've also suggested integrating geometry into their learning and when you put these characters into a compound you quite often get parts if the Zhuyin alphabet which can help.

But ye, I think the book idea is really great so thanks and connection with the multiverses or universal mind, collective consciousness or whatever are really important.
Synesthesia

[dejackle]

You got me laughing like crazy when you shared that story. It reminds me how I used to do that with Spanish and the weirdness gets you remembering it and coming back for more.

[limedwardster]

For those don't like to write
Using tooth- pick sticks to form 人‘ after that add a small stick 一 to 人 became 大 Add 二 to 人 became天 . Add two small sticks to 大 became头....买卖 灾火🔥火灭灾火土 太犬 头. From 人 ，move two sticks apart became 八入 then bend two sticks became 儿, add a small piece together to form 又叉 又

write using two u, u and add l, 出 凹
巾帼 离 山 巨 叵 匠 臣 尺层.using handphone software, as long write 70% similar word will appear

[elaineg]

I’m currently learning Chinese as a much older person. When I was younger, techniques I used for learning and memorizing; no longer work. I know there’s a word for it, (I miss my Med School advisor, who had PhD’s both in Education and Biochem. Harry tried to talk me into learning Chinese 30 years ago; but I went with Latin and French instead. I should have listened 😁); but neither “learning”, nor teaching, were my focus.
Unfortunately, my career ended with a spinal injury and although I’ve done many different things since, I have become obsessed with China and the incredible language, culture and people since my Son introduced me and “re-educated” me. (corrected the false propaganda I had filled my brain with over the years). The past 3 years, interrupted by both health issues, trying different courses, and projects I had committed to; it’s been off and on. With my son preparing to return to China, and wanting to bring me over at some point; I’m ready to buckle down and rededicate myself to this beautiful language. Watching some Chinese movies and listening to Chinese podcasts, I’ve realized that I actually learned far more than I thought I had. I actually have the character book you showed...to be honest, I have a whole bookcase filled with texts, readers, graphic novels, books on calligraphy, chinese brush painting and TCM; mainly from my son’s friends who have all “adopted” me as their “American mom.” ”美国妈妈”. 😊
Question: do the learning/memory books you list, include the differences in learning as we age? Or, are they like a few other books on the subjects, primarily geared towards younger learners? Thanks!

[MrPigpigeon]

Mate, I'm glad you're back and uploading. Cheers!

[Pandaa_art]

I am Malaysian I go Chinese school and I can speak quite fluently but memorizing is just not my thing, but this video helped me alot!Thanks for posting this

[Hanyamanusiabiasa]

Me : Learn Japanese
YouTube : *Did you mean, Chinese?*

[clintmonroe]

Dude can you make a quick video of how to use there techniques to learn Chinese. Like a couple examples of each technique with different scenarios

[KylePanda]

how do you memorize 1.2.3.美國統治時期, 華人的生活比較安定, 原因;
只要華人守法, 就不受壓迫。
美國官員比較廉潔, 華人都能安居樂業。
美國在菲發展交通, 開發資源等計劃, 對華人商業有利。
美國是新興國家, 對華人的居留, 不會感到威脅。
華人對菲社會的貢獻;
華人與菲人結婚, 中, 菲混血的人, 社會地位較高。
華人經營商業, 從事工業和農業, 對發展社會經濟, 有很
大的貢獻。
食、衣、住、行方面, 有不少是由華人介紹來的。
菲國國語中, 也很多由華語來的, 如豆干, 豆腐, 白菜,
麵線, 燒包及燒賣等。
西班牙統治時, 起初為什麼歡迎華人來菲?後來為何又屠殺華
人?
西班牙政府初期為了開發資源, 鼓勵商業, 需要中國的貨物、
勞工和技術, 所以歡迎華人來菲, 後來怕華人與菲人連結起來,
反抗政府, 所以有屠殺華人的事件發生。in one day

[angeloschneider]

Most characters have a 3 line story attached.
You approach an island (at sea, not in a lake or river): the first thing you see are birds flying over "the water".
The closer you come a mountain rises out of the water.
That: is an island.

Pretty awesome video!

[inhtran]

Learn Chinese and learn English at the same time. Great. Thank you.