Category: Language Learning

Hányǔ (Hán·yǔ Korean · Language 韩语 韓語) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

Wait a minute, isn’t this the same as last week’s MEotW?

This week’s and last week’s Mandarin Expressions of the Week may look the same at first glance, and if you aren’t careful to say them right, they may end up sounding the same too. Actually, though, if you do say them right, they sound noticeably different, and they mean completely different things.

Last week’s MEotW was “Hànyǔ (Hàn·yǔ {Han (Chinese)} · Language [→ [(Modern Standard) Mandarin]] 汉语 漢語)”, with a fourth tone “a”, and it means “Han (Chinese) language” (that is, (Modern Standard) Mandarin).

This week’s MEotW, however, is “Hányǔ (Hán·yǔ Korean · Language 韩语 韓語)”, with a second tone “a”, and it means “Korean language”.

Yes, in Mandarin, one tone is the difference between Mandarin and Korean! Indeed, getting tones right in Mandarin is as important as getting vowels right in English—Mandarin tones really do affect the meaning that much.

If you are a native English speaker, imagine someone saying to you that it doesn’t matter if they say “bet” or “beat”. (“I bet you!”/“I beat you!”—same thing?) It’s true that we don’t want to put any worldly human culture on a pedestal, and it’s true that people will be tolerant of your imprecise or incorrect Mandarin tones if they know you are trying your best. However, what if you’re not really trying your best? What if you’ve been learning Mandarin for many years, but you haven’t really tried to make your Mandarin tones better than they were when you were starting out? What if you’ve just been lazy, and dismissive of the importance of Mandarin tones when speaking Mandarin? If so, then that may even be edging towards being a patronizing, racist microaggression, even if it’s a subconscious one. (“Those silly Chinese people with their finicky tones…whatever!”) None of that proud worldy nonsense for us, thank you very much!

Another consideration is that if we are speaking in Mandarin about spiritual things, we are risking misrepresenting Jehovah God and his truth if we are not using the right tones, and thus not actually saying what we think we are saying. So, literally for the love of God, as well as to show appropriate respectfulness and love of neighbour, let us get into the habit early of really trying our best to be correct in how we say our Mandarin tones!

It’s understandable that if you grew up speaking, say, English or Korean, which don’t use tones like Mandarin does, you will likely find, especially at first, that you’re just not used to doing what it takes to say Mandarin tones correctly—your ears, your mouth, your mind, your heart—so much of you is just not used to Mandarin tones! That is not a good reason, though, to then just not even try to say Mandarin tones correctly. On the contrary, if we’re not used to doing something that is important for us to do, then we need to put extra effort into it, over an extended time, so that we eventually do get used to it. Then, when we have gotten used to it, it will feel natural and easy.

No, really! It’s totally possible to eventually get used to distinguishing and saying Mandarin tones correctly, just as it’s totally possible for someone who’s learning English to eventually get used to distinguishing between and saying “bet” and “beat” correctly. When we do get used to handling Mandarin tones correctly, then everything we do in the Mandarin field will be better and easier. We and native Mandarin-speakers will be able to easily understand each other, and our Mandarin “sacrifice of praise” to God will not be “lame”, but rather, sound, and good-sounding too!—1 Co. 14:8–11; Heb. 13:15; Mal. 1:8.