NetChai Chinese
学习中文
xué xí zhōng wén
Hellochinese learn · trad. 學習中文

学习中文 (xuéxí zhōngwén) is the standard way to say 'learn Chinese' or 'study Chinese' in Mandarin. It's used when talking about acquiring the Chinese language.

When to use it

Neutral. 学习 (xuéxí) is a bit more formal than just 学 (xué), but both are common. For a slightly more casual or common usage, simply use 学中文 (xué zhōngwén). If you want to specify 'Mandarin Chinese,' you can use 学习汉语 (xuéxí hànyǔ).

How to pronounce it

学习 (xuéxí) sounds like 'shweh-SHEE' (first syllable rising, second rising but often light). 中文 (zhōngwén) sounds like 'JONG-wun' (first syllable high-flat, second rising). So, 'shweh-SHEE JONG-wun.'

Other ways to say it

  • 学中文xué zhōng wénlearn Chinese (more casual)
  • 学习汉语xué xí hàn yǔlearn Mandarin Chinese (more specific/formal)
  • 我想学中文wǒ xiǎng xué zhōng wénI want to learn Chinese

Examples

我正在学习中文。
wǒ zhèng zài xué xí zhōng wén 。
I am learning Chinese.
你喜欢学习中文吗？
nǐ xǐ huan xué xí zhōng wén ma ？
Do you like learning Chinese?
学习中文很有趣。
xué xí zhōng wén hěn yǒu qù 。
Learning Chinese is very interesting.
Pro tip: 中文 (zhōngwén) and 汉语 (hànyǔ) both refer to the Chinese language. 中文 is more general and common in everyday conversation, while 汉语 specifically refers to the Han language (Mandarin being its standard form) and is often used in more academic or formal contexts.

Related phrases

和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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