How long does it take to learn Chinese?
Every Chinese language learner asks at some point: "How long is this going to take? Will I ever get there?" Given its reputation as one of the most challenging languages for English speakers to learn, this is a valid question. The simple answer is: "It depends". But that's not what you are here for, so let's break it down!
Why is Chinese so hard to learn?
Chinese, specifically Mandarin, is considered difficult for a couple of reasons. The main ones are tones, the writing system, the syntax, and cultural differences.
Chinese tones
Mandarin is a tonal language. That means the pitch of a word can completely change its meaning. There are four main tones in Mandarin (plus a neutral tone), each with a distinct pitch contour. For example, the word "mā" (with a high-level tone) means "mother," while "mà" (with a sharp falling tone) means "scold." It took me personally a couple of months to really accept that that's a thing, but native speakers will simply not understand you if you don't get the tones at least somewhat right.
Chinese writing system
Mandarin doesn't use an alphabet. It instead relies on a very large amount of characters, each representing a syllable.
There are over 100,000 Chinese characters in total but most of them are irrelevant in modern Chinese. How many characters you need to know to read Chinese fluently depends on your goals. You should probably aim for 2,000 to 3,000 characters if you want to become somewhat literate in Chinese. Being able to recognize these characters at speed in different contexts is a whole other story though.
Many characters are pictograms. That means they are supposed to somewhat resemble the thing they are representing. However, that doesn't even work for many basic characters, so don't rely on it.
The Chinese character 山 (shān) might remotely resemble a mountain ⛰️ but it's not obvious at first glance.
Furthermore, although Chinese characters sometimes give small hints about their pronunciation through one of their components, they generally do not mark the tone at all. To make things even worse, many characters are visually similar, making recognizing and memorizing characters a big challenge. On top of that, there are simplified and traditional character sets.
The Chinese character for "dragon" looks very different in simplified in traditional Chinese.
Knowing a character thus implies recognizing it and knowing its pronunciation, intonation, and meaning. If that wasn't hard enough already, a single character can have different pronunciations with different meanings (行 -> háng (row/line) or xíng (to walk)), different tones with different meanings (缝 -> fèng (seam/crack) or féng (to sew)), or simply a different meaning depending on the context or word it is used in.
Chinese syntax
The way sentences are structured, in Mandarin is quite different from English. While English sentences typically follow a Subject-Verb-Object structure, Mandarin syntax is more flexible. The exact meaning often depends on context and word order. There are also numerous grammatical particles that have no direct equivalent in English. Furthermore, Chinese does not have a future or past tense. These aspects require English speakers to basically rewire their brains to effectively communicate in Chinese, making the learning process more complex.
Translating word for word between Chinese and English does not work due to the different syntax.
Cultural differences
Every language is a reflection of its culture, so to master a language, you need to understand the culture behind it. The problem is that Chinese culture is very different from Western culture. Chinese culture celebrates different beliefs on different holidays with different customs.
Some expressions that seem natural in English (like "Oh my God!") might not make sense in Chinese. Conversely, Chinese uses a lot of very specific terms for members of the family, which can be hard to remember for English speakers.
So how long does it take to learn Chinese?
The US Foreign Service Institute estimates that an English speaker needs about 2,200 class hours to achieve proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. However, the proficiency required for foreign service is very advanced and goes way beyond being conversationally fluent.
Furthermore, the mentioned hours only include class hours. This means people on average need 2,200 hours of instruction to reach proficiency. Adding self-study time on top can easily double or even triple these hours. Most Chinese learners I have met can handle at most 4 hours of class per day for 5 days a week. That means you'd have to spend 550 days studying Chinese, which equals roughly two years.
Not everyone has the time to learn Mandarin full-time for two years though. Also, what "proficient" means is highly dependent on a person's area of interests. Maybe you just want to watch Chinese shows? Or sing Chinese songs at karaoke with your Chinese friends? Do you want to read/watch Chinese news or would you like to discuss politics with people from China?
Chinese learning goals are a very personal matter, but let's look at some rough estimates for different levels of proficiency:
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Basic Conversational Skills: With regular study, reaching a basic conversational level can take a few months to a year. This includes introducing yourself, basic navigation, and simple daily interactions.
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Intermediate Fluency: You can hold conversations on a variety of everyday topics. This might take anywhere from 1 to 2 years of dedicated study.
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Advanced Proficiency: To reach a Chinese level where you can fluently discuss complex topics, read newspapers, and watch films without subtitles, you're looking at 3-5 years of consistent effort.
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Mastery: This involves understanding cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and historical references. This most likely takes at least 5 years but more realistically 10 years, depending on your immersion in the language and culture.
Closing thoughts
Learning Chinese is undoubtedly a marathon, not a sprint. It requires patience, consistent effort, and a genuine interest in the language and culture. It simply does not happen without putting in the work.
However, the journey is extremely rewarding. Not only do you acquire a new language, you also gain access to a rich culture and new ways of thinking. Furthermore, there are many ways to be smart about how you learn Chinese. You should use shadowing and extensive reading, make sure to optimize your Chinese lessons, and use a Chinese learning app.
Remember, everyone's journey is unique. Don't let seemingly slow progress discourage you. Also, don't compare your pace to others. What matters most is your own growth and the enjoyment you find in learning.
Keep practicing and stay curious. 加油! 🌏📚
