| Writing in Pinyin... | |
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| Aug 26, 2006 11:09 |   |
 | I've started writing (typing) in pinyin. But I do not know how to get my computer to key in the appropriate accent marks for tonality. Is it correct to write pinyin as: ma1, ma2, ma3, ma4, ma5...or is that only for teaching books and dictionaries? I think the pinyin will help me learn to speak, but ultimately, I'd like to type my letters in characters. Does anyone know how to get a XP english to do both english and madarin? I also just purchased the Pimsleur Mandarin courses 1-2-and-3...I sure hope they are good...and will work without having to follow along in a book.  |
| Aug 26, 2006 15:50 | #1 |
| Studying Mandarin is a first-class choice. The more you look into those characters, the more you'll relaise that Chinese writing is simply the world's most elegant and rich script. It's the world's greatest cultural achievement so far, in my opinion. Typing pinyin with accent marks requires special fonts that most people don't have installed, and using the numbers are too cumbersome - so virtually everyone who communicates in pinyin will not use tone indications and will rely on context for meaning, which works fine. I'd say that for general correspondence, it would be unusual and unnatural to specify pronunciation marks with pinyin texts. To type characters, go into the control panel and look for language settings - under that category you can have an option to add languages, so choose Simplified Chinese, and select MS-PINYIN as an input method. If it's not on the list, you'll need to hunt for a checkbox that enables East Asian text support - you'll need to insert the XP CD to add the files. Once installed, you'll have a blue language icon in the system tray near the clock from then on - click that whenever you want to type Chinese, and select Pinyin input. Then, type 'ma' to select from a list of possible characters. Very simple system to learn for foreigners! Good luck!  |
| Aug 26, 2006 22:32 | #2 |
| Thank you...I'll give that a try.... |
| Aug 27, 2006 21:50 | #3 |
| Hi,Mishen,can you read that word in your small pic??? So interesting!!! |
| Aug 28, 2006 02:50 | #4 |
| Cali... can you read it ? Is it the most complex Chinese character that is used at the moment ? If so I remember coming across it when I first came to China and most of the Chinese people I know couldn't read it ;) What does it mean ? Something to do with food..... ha ha! just guessing.... I can't remember..... Griz326. Good luck with learning Chinese. It's really a tough choice of language but as Mishen suggests, infinitely interesting. |
| Aug 28, 2006 02:57 | #5 |
| Ha, Cali, do you know this character? It is said that this character is the most complicated one in the world... |
| Aug 28, 2006 03:12 | #6 |
| Ha, LC, do you want to know the story of this word? Yes, you are right, it is definitely related to a kind of food. Only in Shaanxi can you find this food. ^0^ |
| Aug 28, 2006 03:12 | #7 |
| Hi,LC, Welcome back!And you are right,with food! Hi,May, I am sure you know how to read! Is it "Biang"??? |
| Aug 28, 2006 03:16 | #8 |
| Yes! You are right! |
| Aug 28, 2006 03:20 | #9 |
| As in Xi'an dialect:"Biang Biang Mian",haha! |
| Aug 28, 2006 03:25 | #10 |
| Is "Biang" the 2nd or 3rd tone?? thanks:) |
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