\n\t\t\tZh\u014dngw\u00e9n+<\/sup><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7w\u00e9n\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Writing<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u6587)<\/span> \u2190 Tap\/click to show\/hide the \u201cflashcard\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n

[This is a reposting of a post<\/a> that was originally posted on October 26, 2020. It\u2019s about something that is fundamentally important for Mandarin field language learners to understand correctly.]<\/p>\n

As discussed in a previous MEotW<\/a>, the expression \n\u201cZh\u014dnggu\u00f3<\/i>^{+<\/sup><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7gu\u00f3\nCentral \u00b7 Nation \u2192<\/span> [China]<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u56fd\n\u4e2d\u570b<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d\n is commonly used to refer to China, since historically, China views itself as the centre of the world, so much so, in fact, that it is the only nation to name itself as such. We can see then that Mandarin expressions starting with \u201cZh\u014dng<\/i><\/span>\n(Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]<\/span>\n\u4e2d)<\/span>-\u201d\n can refer to things related to China.<\/p>\n}

In that case then, are \u201cZh\u014dnghu\u00e0<\/i><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7hu\u00e0\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Speech<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u8bdd\n\u4e2d\u8a71<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d or \u201cZh\u014dngy\u01d4<\/i><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7y\u01d4\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Language<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u8bed\n\u4e2d\u8a9e<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d used to refer to any Chinese language, similarly to how \u201cp\u01d4t\u014dnghu\u00e0<\/i><\/span>\n(p\u01d4\u00b7t\u014dng\u00b7hu\u00e0\ncommon; universal \u00b7 {through(out) \u2192 [common]} \u00b7 speech \u2192<\/span> [(Modern Standard) Mandarin (term commonly used in China)]<\/span>\n\u666e\u901a\u8bdd\n\u666e\u901a\u8a71<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d and \u201cGu\u00f3y\u01d4<\/i><\/span>\n(Gu\u00f3\u00b7y\u01d4\nNational \u00b7 Language \u2192<\/span> [(Modern Standard) Mandarin (term commonly used in Taiwan)]<\/span>\n\u56fd\u8bed\n\u570b\u8a9e<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d are used to refer to Mandarin? Apparently not, according to my dictionaries.<\/p>\n

Instead, Chinese people commonly use \u201cZh\u014dngw\u00e9n<\/i>^{+<\/sup><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7w\u00e9n\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Writing<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u6587)<\/span>\u201d\u2014this week\u2019s MEotW\u2014to mean \u201cChinese language\u201d. It should be noted, though, that although \u201cZh\u014dngw\u00e9n<\/i><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7w\u00e9n\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Writing<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u6587)<\/span>\u201d is often used to refer to Chinese speech (e.g., in \u201cshu\u014d<\/i><\/span>\n(speak<\/span>\n\u8bf4\n\u8aaa\/\u8aac<\/span>)<\/span>\n\nZh\u014dngw\u00e9n<\/i><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7w\u00e9n\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Writing<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u6587)<\/span>\u201d (\u201cspeak Chinese\u201d)), \u201cw\u00e9n<\/i><\/span>\n(writing; script [\u2192 [language | culture]]<\/span>\n\u6587)<\/span>\u201d really means \u201cwriting<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n}

Why do so many Chinese people thus conflate writing with speech and language, when they, while related, are really distinctly different things? This seems to be a symptom of the deeply ingrained Chinese cultural conceit that the Chinese characters are the primary aspect of the Chinese languages\u2014to many Chinese people, the characters are<\/em> the language. This is contrary to the principle recognized by modern linguists (language scientists) that speech<\/em> is the primary aspect of any language, not writing<\/a>. The truth of this basic linguistic principle is shown by the fact that many languages don\u2019t even have<\/em> a writing system<\/a>, showing that the required foundation of a language is its speech<\/em>, not its writing.<\/p>\n

Our Creator himself touches on this matter in his Word the Bible:<\/p>\n

8<\/strong> For if the trumpet sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle? 9<\/strong> In the same way, unless you with the tongue use speech that is easily understood, how will anyone know what is being said? You will, in fact, be speaking into the air. 10<\/strong> It may be that there are many kinds of speech in the world, and yet no kind is without meaning. 11<\/strong> For if I do not understand the sense of the speech, I will be a foreigner to the one speaking, and the one speaking will be a foreigner to me.\u20141 Corinthians 14:8\u201311<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes, Jehovah God himself, the One who designed us with our ability to use language, emphasizes the primary importance of understandable speech<\/em> when it comes to communicating with people, especially when communicating about the potentially life-saving good news of the Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Chinese people, however, often have the mistaken view, based on nothing more than deeply ingrained human tradition and not a little cultural pride, that their characters writing system is the primary aspect of the Chinese languages. So, we must take that into consideration when they or people deferring to them erroneously tell us, with all sincerity, that we need to focus first on Chinese characters in our efforts to learn one or more of the Chinese languages. The truth, as testified to by both real language experts among humans and by the Creator himself, is that speech<\/em>\u2014both understanding speech<\/em> and speaking understandably<\/em>\u2014should be our primary focus as Chinese field language-learners.<\/p>\n

Regarding the expression \u201cZh\u014dngw\u00e9n<\/i><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7w\u00e9n\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Writing<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u6587)<\/span>\u201d, another thing I have noticed is that when Mandarin-speakers say \u201cZh\u014dngw\u00e9n<\/i><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7w\u00e9n\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Writing<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u6587)<\/span>\u201d, they mean Mandarin<\/em> speech, but when Cantonese-speakers say \u201cZh\u014dngw\u00e9n<\/i><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7w\u00e9n\n{Central \u2192<\/span> [Chinese]}<\/span> \u00b7 Writing<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u6587)<\/span>\u201d in Cantonese, they mean Cantonese<\/em> speech. As a Chinese person, I must reluctantly admit that with such habits, and with naming their nation \n\u201cZh\u014dnggu\u00f3<\/i>^{+<\/sup><\/span>\n(Zh\u014dng\u00b7gu\u00f3\nCentral \u00b7 Nation \u2192<\/span> [China]<\/span>\n\u4e2d\u56fd\n\u4e2d\u570b<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d, the central nation of the world, many Chinese people have taken quite far the tendency of imperfect humans to consider themselves the centre of the universe!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"}

[This is a reposting of a post that was originally posted on October 26, 2020. It\u2019s about something that is fundamentally important for Mandarin field language learners to understand correctly.] As discussed in a previous MEotW, the expression is commonly used to refer to China, since historically, China views itself as the centre of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[36,19,11,176],"tags":[28,534,22,25,97,12,236,99,24,296,458,126],"class_list":["post-6531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-language-learning","category-languages","category-science","tag-cantonese","tag-character-chauvinism","tag-china","tag-chinese-characters","tag-linguistics","tag-mandarin","tag-pride","tag-sinocentrism","tag-speech","tag-tradition","tag-writing","tag-writing-systems"],"yoast_head":"\n