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Try to find the the literal translation

To illustrate: Ni hao. In Mandarin Chinese it equates to hello, but it is actually two words: ni = you (informal) and hao = good/well. So ni hao actually and literally means you good, you well? My pet hate are dictionaries and books that fail to give you the literal meaning of words/phrases and oversimplify things. My tip is to try to find the literal meaning of words/phrases. You will expand your vocabulary faster and gain a deeper insight into what you learn. Some language learners dissagree with this. Does any one out there agree though? ... :)

Sent by: Xiao An

Comments

Anonymous, Hungary 2011-09-11

I often teach this way.
It's very useful because it makes you remember expressions more easily.

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Lara, USA 2011-06-19

You learn more words this way. In Xiao An's example you learned three words, when you would have only learned one without the literal translation. It also helps with compound words that seem intimidatingly long, but make perfect sense when you know all the pieces.

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Jennifer, London 2011-06-02

I feel that it is absolutely vital to know the literal meaning of a word or phrase as it gives one not only an insight into the way way native speakers think and see their world, but also helps you remember the phrase.

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