Learning Chinese has become an increasingly popular choice for many young Vietnamese, especially as economic and cultural exchanges between Vietnam and China expand. However, almost everyone starting out with Chinese asks the same question: What is the hardest part of learning Chinese? And how can you overcome these challenges?
In this article, let’s discover the most common difficulties Chinese learners face and explore some useful tips to make your Chinese learning journey more effective.
1. Chinese Pronunciation – The First “Gate” That Discourages Many Learners
One of the things that overwhelms new learners of Chinese is its pronunciation system and tones. Unlike Vietnamese or English, Chinese has four tones (or five if you count the neutral tone). If you pronounce a word with the wrong tone, it can mean something entirely different.
For example, “ma” in Chinese can mean mother, hemp, horse, scold, or just be a question particle depending on the tone (mā, má, mǎ, mà, ma).
The challenge of tones: Most beginners are confused by distinguishing, pronouncing, and remembering these tones. Especially for Vietnamese learners, who often default to Vietnamese intonation, it’s easy to mispronounce or not emphasize the correct tone—making it hard to be understood in real Chinese communication.
Tips for mastering Chinese pronunciation:
- Practice listening and mimicking audio files and authentic Chinese videos.
- Record your own voice regularly, compare it with the standard, and adjust as needed.
- Learn with a teacher or native speaker for direct correction.
2. Chinese Characters – The Biggest “Wall” for Vietnamese Learners
If you ask “what is the hardest part of learning Chinese?”, most people will answer: Chinese characters!
Chinese doesn’t use the Latin alphabet like English or Vietnamese but uses a logographic system. Each character is a unique symbol; you can’t just “sound out” the word. This often shocks beginners starting with basic Chinese.
- Hard to remember, hard to write: Each character can have many strokes and components, with specific rules for stroke order. Remembering the shape, meaning, and pronunciation of each character is a real challenge.
- Huge Chinese vocabulary: To communicate basically, you need about 1,000 characters; for reading newspapers, you need 2,000–3,000; and for reading advanced books, you might need up to 5,000 or more.
Effective ways to learn Chinese characters:
- Break down your goals—learn 5–10 new characters per day, and review old ones.
- Use flashcards, images, and stories to create associations and boost memory.
- Practice writing daily, following stroke order for accuracy and beauty.
3. Chinese Grammar – Simple but Full of “Traps”
Many say Chinese grammar isn’t too complicated and doesn’t require tenses like English, but the differences in word order and sentence structure are not small challenges.
- Different word order: For example, in English or Vietnamese, you say “I ate rice,” but in Chinese, it’s “我吃了饭” (I eat already rice).
- Unique sentence patterns: Chinese often places time, place, or frequency adverbs in positions that confuse learners.
Tips to master Chinese grammar:
- Always learn grammar with real-life examples and try making sentences using new patterns.
- When practicing Chinese communication, listen and speak in sentence patterns first, then practice writing and analyzing.
4. Listening and Speaking Skills – The “Ultimate Test” in Real Communication
Even with a good grasp of vocabulary and grammar, many learners still struggle when practicing Chinese listening or speaking with native speakers.
- Fast speech, reduced sounds: Native speakers talk quickly, and different regions have strong local accents, making it tough for beginners to “catch” what’s being said.
- Specialized vocabulary, idioms: Real conversations often include vocabulary and idioms not found in textbooks, leaving learners confused.
How to boost your Chinese listening and speaking:
- Practice listening online through videos, podcasts, movies, and Chinese news.
- Join a Chinese club or practice with friends to improve your reflexes.
- Note down new words and phrases you hear, and try using them in daily conversations.
5. Maintaining Motivation – The Biggest Long-Term Challenge
Besides the above difficulties, staying motivated to learn Chinese is actually the hardest challenge for many. Learning a new language takes time; there are days you feel you’re making progress, and days when you want to quit because “I’m not improving.”
Tips to stay motivated in learning Chinese:
- Set clear goals for each stage: communication, reading, taking the HSK exam, etc.
- Mix online and offline learning, and join Chinese learning communities for ongoing inspiration.
- Find Chinese content you love (music, movies, vlogs) to make learning fun.
Conclusion
So, what is the hardest part of learning Chinese? It’s a combination of many factors: pronunciation, characters, grammar, listening and speaking skills, and above all, perseverance. But with the right methods, determination, and a spirit of curiosity, you can absolutely conquer Chinese—even from zero.
Start with small steps, study a little every day, and always keep a positive mindset. Chinese will no longer be a “huge wall,” but a bridge opening up new opportunities for you!