How do you learn new Chinese words quickly and effectively?
In this lesson we discuss 6 practical ways to grow your vocabulary fast!
Dialogue Breakdown
Questions:
nǐ jué de xué xí zhōng wén cí huì zuì kuài zuì hǎo de fāng fǎ shì shén me？
你觉得学习中文词汇最快最好的方法是什么？
What do you think is the fastest and best way to learn Chinese vocabulary?
Expert 1:
"Learn Only Words That Are Relevant to YOU 只学习与你相关的单词 "
zhǐ xué xí yǔ nǐ xiāng guān de dān cí.
只学习与你相关的单词。
Learn Only Words That Are Relevant to YOU.
wú yōng zhì yí， nǐ “zhī dào” de zhōng wén dān cí yuè duō，
毋庸置疑，你“知道”的中文单词越多，
It pretty much goes without saying that the more Chinese words you “know”,
nǐ lǐ jiě mǔ yǔ zhě de jī huì jiù yuè dà.
你理解母语者的机会就越大。
the better your chances of understanding native speakers will be.
dàn shì， jiǎn dān de cháng shì jì zhù dà liàng suí jī de xīn dān cí
但是，简单地尝试记住大量随机的新单词。
But, simply trying to memorise lots of random new words
bìng bù néng hěn hǎo de lì yòng shí jiān.
并不能很好地利用时间。
is not a great use of time.
zhè jiāng shì yā dào xìng de， wú liáo de，
这将是压倒性的，无聊的，
This will be overwhelming, boring
hái yǒu nǐ hěn kuài jiù huì wàng jì zhè xiē dān cí.
还有你很快就会忘记这些单词。
and you will forget the words soon anyway.
wǒ jué de zhǐ xué xí yǔ nín xiāng guān de dān cí
我觉得只学习与您相关的单词
I think learning only the words that are relevant to you
shì zuì kuài de cí huì xué xí fāng fǎ.
是最快的词汇学习方法。
is the fastest way to learn vocabulary.
nǐ yīng gāi gēn jù nǐ de hàn yǔ shuǐ píng，
你应该根据你的汉语水平，
You should base it on your Chinese level
hái yǒu nǐ zuì xī wàng néng gòu lǐ jiě huò yīng yòng zhè xiē dān cí de qíng kuàng lèi xíng.
还有你最希望能够理解或应用这些单词的情况类型。
and the types of situations where YOU most want to be able to understand or produce those words.
lì rú 例如 For Example:
yuē huì 约会 Dating, tǐ yù 体育 Sports, ér tóng gù shì shū儿童故事书 Kids story books, jiē tóu diǎn cān 街头点餐 Ordering street food, děng qíng kuàng 等情况 etc.
qù xué xí rén men zài zhè xiē tè dìng qíng kuàng xià shǐ yòng de cí huì.
去学习人们在这些特定情况下使用的词汇。
and learn vocabulary people use in those specific situations.
zhè yàng, nǐ jiù huì hěn xǐ huan xué xí dān cí, ér qiě nǐ hěn róng yì jì zhù tā men.
这样，你就会很喜欢学习单词，而且你很容易记住它们。
This way you’ll enjoy learning the words and you’ll easily remember them.
Expert 2:
"Learn vocabulary in meaningful Phrases and Sentences, never learn a single word on its own. 在有意义的短语和句子中学习词汇，永远不单独地学习一个生字。"
zài yǒu yì yì de duǎn yǔ hé jù zi zhōng xué xí cí huì，
在有意义的短语和句子中学习词汇，
Learn vocabulary in meaningful phrases and sentences,
yǒng yuǎn bù dān dú de xué xí yī gè shēng zì.
永远不单独地学习一个生字。
never learn a single word on its own.
yīn wèi wǒ men rì cháng duì huà hé yuè dú zhōng，
因为我们日常对话和阅读中，
Because in our daily conversation and reading,
dōu shì shǐ yòng duǎn yǔ hé jù zi lái jiāo liú de.
都是使用短语和句子来交流的。
we use phrases and sentences to communicate.
wǒ lái jǔ yī gè lì zi：
我来举一个例子：
Let me give an example:
nǐ yào xué “diàn huà” zhè gè xīn cí.
你要学“电话”这个新词。
You're going to learn the new word "telephone".
nǐ kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng nǐ cuò guò le nǐ péng you de diàn huà de qíng jǐng，
你可以想象你错过了你朋友的电话的情景，
You can imagine a scenario where you missed your friend's phone call,
nǐ hé péng you zhī jiān de kě néng chǎn shēng de duì huà：
你和朋友之间的可能产生的对话：
and the possible dialogue between you and your friend:
A:
nǐ zěn me méi jiē diàn huà？
你怎么没接电话？
Why didn't you pick up the phone?
B:
bù hǎo yì si, wǒ méi kāi diàn huà.
不好意思，我没开电话。
Sorry, I didn't turn on the phone.
A:
wǒ jīn wǎn dǎ diàn huà gěi nǐ, kě yǐ ma？
我今晚打电话给你，可以吗？
Can I make a phone call to you tonight?
B:
bù hǎo yì si, wǒ jīn wǎn bù fāng biàn tīng diàn huà.
不好意思，我今晚不方便听电话。
Sorry, it is inconvenient for me to answer the phone tonight.
zài zhè gè duì huà zhōng,
在这个对话中，
In this conversation,
nǐ jì xué xí le “diàn huà” zhè gè xīn cí，
你既学习了“电话”这个新词，
you have learned not only the new word "telephone",
yòu xué xí le yǔ “diàn huà” xiāng guān de 4 gè duǎn yǔ：
又学习了与“电话”相关的4个短语：
but also 4 phrases related to "telephone":
nǐ zěn me méi jiē diàn huà？
你怎么没接电话？
Why didn't you pick up the phone?
bù hǎo yì si, wǒ méi kāi diàn huà.
不好意思，我没开电话。
Sorry, I didn't turn on the phone.
wǒ jīn wǎn dǎ diàn huà gěi nǐ, kě yǐ ma？
我今晚打电话给你，可以吗？
Can I make a phone call to you tonight?
bù hǎo yì si, wǒ jīn wǎn bù fāng biàn tīng diàn huà.
不好意思，我今晚不方便听电话。
Sorry, it is inconvenient for me to answer the phone tonight.
yīn cǐ, wǒ gè rén jué de zài yǒu yì yì de duǎn yǔ hé jù zi zhōng xué xí cí huì,
因此，我个人觉得在有意义的短语和句子中学习词汇，
Therefore, I personally think that learning vocabulary in meaningful phrases and sentences
zhè gè fāng fǎ yòu kuài yòu gāo xiào, fēi cháng shí yòng！
这个方法又快又高效，非常实用！
is a fast, efficient and practical method!
Expert 3:
"Learn How to USE Your Chinese Vocabulary. 学习怎样使用你的中文词汇。"
wǒ rèn wèi xué xí cí huì zuì kuài de fāng fǎ jiù shì
我认为学习词汇最快的方法就是
I think the fastest way to learn vocabulary is
xué xí zěn yàng shǐ yòng nǐ de zhōng wén cí huì.
学习怎样使用你的中文词汇。
to learn how to use your Chinese vocabulary.
sú huà shuō：xué yǐ zhì yòng，zhè gè hěn guān jiàn.
俗话说：学以致用，这个很关键。
As the saying goes: apply what you have learned, this is the key.
wǒ men kě yǐ zài jǐ gè bù tóng de duì huà zhōng duō cì shǐ yòng xīn cí.
我们可以在几个不同的对话中多次使用新词。
We can use new words multiple times in several different conversations.
bǐ rú shuō， nǐ xué le yī gè xīn cí " diǎn zàn".
比如说，你学了一个新词"点赞"。
For example, you learned the new word "like".
nǐ kě yǐ zài wēi xìn shàng bù tóng de duì huà zhōng shǐ yòng “diǎn zàn” zhè gè xīn cí.
你可以在微信上不同的对话中使用“点赞”这个新词。
You can use the new word "like" in different conversations on WeChat.
Examples:
qǐng gěi wǒ diǎn zàn.
请给我点赞。
Please give me a like.
nǐ diǎn zàn le ma？
你点赞了吗？
Did you like it?
wǒ cháng cháng diǎn zàn péng yǒu de zhào piàn.
我常常点赞朋友的照片。
I often like photos of my friends.
jīng guò shǐ yòng dà yuē 3 cì zhè gè xīn cí “diǎn zàn” hòu，
经过使用大约 3 次这个新词“点赞”后，
After using it about 3 times,
nǐ jiù néng “yōng yǒu” zhè gè xīn cí, yǒng yuǎn bù wàng jì tā！
你就能“拥有”这个新词，永远不忘记它！
you will “own” the word and never forget it!
lìng wài, wǒ men kě yǐ yòng xīn cí zào jǐ gè yǔ zì jǐ xiāng guān de lì jù.
另外，我们可以用新词造几个与自己相关的例句。
In addition, we can use the new word to make a few example sentences that are relevant to ourselves.
Examples:
zěn me méi yǒu rén gěi wǒ diǎn zàn？ wǒ tài shāng xīn le！
怎么没有人给我点赞？我太伤心了！
Why doesn't anyone give me a like? I'm so sad!
měi cì kàn dào yǒu rén gěi wǒ de shì pín diǎn zàn，wǒ dōu jué de fēi cháng kāi xīn！
每次看到有人给我的视频点赞，我都觉得非常开心！
Every time I see someone like my video, I feel really happy!
fēi cháng gǎn xiè nǐ men de diǎn zàn！
非常感谢你们的点赞！
Thank you so much for your likes!
hái yǒu nǐ kě yǐ yòng xīn cí xiě yī xiē hé zì jǐ xiāng guān de gù shì.
还有你可以用新词写一些和自己相关的故事。
And you can use the new word to write some stories related to yourself.
zhè yàng nǐ jiù huì hěn kuài de jì zhù xīn cí de yì sī hé yòng fǎ.
这样你就会很快地记住新词的意思和用法。
This way you will quickly remember the meaning and usage of the new word.
nǐ shǐ yòng nǐ de zhōng wén cí huì yuè duō，nǐ de cí huì jiù huì xué de yuè kuài！
你使用你的中文词汇越多，你的词汇就会学的越快！
The more you use your Chinese vocabulary, the faster your vocabulary will be learned!
Expert 4:
"Listen and Read (A LOT!) 多听多看!"
duō tīng duō kàn, jiù shì xué xí cí huì zuì kuài zuì hǎo de fāng fǎ.
多听多看，就是学习词汇最快最好的方法。
Listening and reading a lot is the fastest and best way to learn vocabulary.
shǒu xiān, nǐ yào xuǎn zé hé nǐ xiāng guān de, yǒu qù de nèi róng lái tīng hé kàn，
首先，你要选择和你相关的，有趣的内容来听和看，
First, you have to choose interesting content that is relevant to you to listen to and read,
rán hòu jī jí zhuān zhù de duō tīng duō kàn zhè xiē nèi róng.
然后积极专注地多听多看这些内容。
and then actively and attentively listen to and read a lot of this content.
bǐ rú shuō, nǐ shì gè chī huò, nǐ hěn xǐ huan měi shí，
比如说，你是个吃货，你很喜欢美食，
For example, if you are a foodie and you like food,
nà nǐ kě yǐ kàn yī xiē yǔ měi shí xiāng guān de diàn shì jié mù huò zhě diàn yǐng.
那你可以看一些与美食相关的电视节目或者电影。
you can watch some TV shows or movies related to food.
rú guǒ nǐ xǐ huān yīn lè，nǐ kě yǐ měi tiān tīng tīng zhōng wén gē，
如果你喜欢音乐，你可以每天听听中文歌，
If you like music, you can listen to Chinese songs every day
bìng qiě liàn xí chàng chàng zhōng wén gē.
并且练习唱唱中文歌。
and practice singing Chinese songs.
dāng nǐ kàn dào nǐ bù dǒng de dān cí shí，
当你看到你不懂的单词时，
When you see a word you don't understand,
nǐ kě yǐ shì zhe gēn jù shàng xià wén lái cāi cāi dān cí de yì si,
你可以试着根据上下文来猜猜单词的意思，
you can try to guess the meaning of the word based on the context,
rán hòu shǐ yòng gōng jù lái lǐ jiě hé chá zhǎo nǐ yù dào de xīn dān cí.
然后使用工具来理解和查找你遇到的新单词。
and then use tools to understand and find out the meaning of the new word that you've seen.
kě lǐ jiě de shū rù shì xué xí jī lèi cí huì de zhòng yào guò chéng，
可理解的输入是学习积累词汇的重要过程，
Comprehensible input is an important part of learning and accumulating vocabulary.
zhǐ yào nǐ néng jiān chí duō tīng duō kàn，
只要你能坚持多听多看，
As long as you can listen and read a lot,
nǐ de zhōng wén cí huì yī dìng huì dé yuè kuài yuè duō.
你的中文词汇一定会得越快越多。
your Chinese vocabulary will surely increase faster and more.
Expert 5:
"Make learning Chinese vocabulary a DAILY habit 让学习汉语词汇成为一种日常习惯"
wǒ gè rén jué de xué xí cí huì zuì kuài de fāng fǎ jiù shì
我个人觉得学习词汇最快的方法就是
I personally think that the fastest way to learn vocabulary is
ràng xué xí zhōng wén cí huì chéng wèi yī zhǒng rì cháng xí guàn.
让学习中文词汇成为一种日常习惯。
to make learning Chinese vocabulary a daily habit.
kuò dà cí huì liàng de guān jiàn jiù shì chí zhī yǐ héng.
扩大词汇量的关键就是持之以恒。
The key to expanding your vocabulary is to be consistent.
měi tiān huā shí jiān xué xí hàn yǔ.
每天花时间学习汉语。
Spend time on learning Chinese every day.
nǐ shì bù shì jué de zì jǐ de shí jiān bù duō？
你是不是觉得自己的时间不多？
Feel like you don’t have much time?
gǎn jué zì jǐ méi yǒu shí jiān xué xí hàn yǔ？
感觉自己没有时间学习汉语？
Feel that you don't have time to learn Chinese?
nà nǐ jiù ràng xué xí hàn yǔ cí huì chéng wèi nǐ rì cháng shēng huó de yī bù fēn.
那你就让学习汉语词汇成为你日常生活的一部分。
Then, you can make learning Chinese vocabulary a part of your daily routine.
nà yàng, nǐ gèng yǒu kě néng bù duàn de cháo zhe nǐ de mù biāo mài chū yī xiǎo bù,
那样，你更有可能不断地朝着你的目标迈出一小步，
That way, you are more likely to consistently take small steps towards your goal,
jí shǐ zài nǐ “méi yǒu xīn qíng” xué xí de rì zi lǐ.
即使在你“没有心情”学习的日子里。
even on days when you are "not in the mood" to study.
nǐ yě néng zuò dào。
你也能做到。
You can do it too.
zhè tīng qǐ lái hěn jiǎn dān，duì ba？
这听起来很简单，对吧？
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
duì，zhè shì hěn róng yì kě yǐ zuò dào de.
对，这是很容易可以做到的。
Well, it can be.
chí zhī yǐ héng de xué xí hàn yǔ de guān jiàn shì cóng xiǎo chù kāi shǐ, bìng zhú jiàn dì zēng.
持之以恒地学习汉语的关键是从小处开始，并逐渐递增。
The key to consistency is to start small and scale up.
"shuō qǐ lái róng yì zuò qǐ lái nán. 说起来容易做起来难。Easier said than done."
bù nán！zhǐ yào nǐ shè dìng yī gè róng yì shí xiàn de mù biāo jiù xíng le.
不难！只要你设定一个容易实现的目标就行了。
Not difficult! As long as you set a goal that is easy to achieve.
lì rú měi tiān xué xí hàn yǔ 5 fēn zhōng.
例如每天学习汉语 5 分钟。
For example, Learning Chinese for 5 minutes a day.
cóng xiǎo kāi shǐ, zhè yàng nǐ hěn yǒu kě néng huì chéng gōng.
从小开始，这样你很有可能会成功。
Start small, so you are very likely to succeed.
dāng nǐ néng zuò dào měi tiān xué xí hàn yǔ 5 fēn zhōng hòu，
当你能做到每天学习汉语5分钟后，
When you can learn Chinese for 5 minutes a day,
nǐ huì gǎn jué tè bié hǎo bìng jì xù xué xí xià qù！
你会感觉特别好并继续学习下去！
feel good about it and keep learning!
yī dàn nǐ yǎng chéng le jiān chí zhè yàng zuò de xí guàn，
一旦你养成了坚持这样做的习惯，
Once you’ve got into the habit of doing it consistently,
nǐ jiù kě yǐ tí gāo biāo zhǔn，
你就可以提高标准，
you can raise the bar,
zhú jiàn dì zēng nǐ de xué xí shí jiān，
逐渐递增你的学习时间，
and gradually increase your study time,
cóng 5 fēn zhōng dào 10 fēn zhōng,15 fēn zhōng, 30 fēn zhōng...
从5分钟到10分钟，15分钟，30分钟...
from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes...
shén zhì dào1gè xiǎo shí.
甚至到1个小时。
or even to 1 hour.
qǐng jì zhù：
请记住：
Please remember:
měi tiān 5 fēn zhōng de xué xí bǐ yī zhōu 45 fēn zhōng de xué xí，duì nǐ xué xí hàn yǔ cí huì yǒu gèng dà de bāng zhù.
每天5 分钟的学习比一周45 分钟的学习，对你学习汉语词汇有更大的帮助。
5 minutes of study a day will be more helpful for you to learn Chinese vocabulary than 45 minutes of study once a week.
"wǒ hěn máng！měi tiān méi shí jiān xué xí hàn yǔ. 我很忙！每天没时间学习汉语。I'm so busy! I don’t have time to learn Chinese every day."
rú guǒ nǐ hěn máng bìng qiě jué de zì jǐ méi yǒu shí jiān，
如果你很忙并且觉得自己没有时间，
If you are very busy and feel that you don't have time,
nà me nǐ kě yǐ bǎ xué xí hàn yǔ de shí jiān hé nǐ yī xiàng de rì cháng huó dòng hé bìng zài yī qǐ zuò.
那么你可以把学习汉语的时间和你一项的日常活动合并在一起做。
then you can combine the time of learning Chinese with one of your daily activities.
lì rú 例如 For Exampl:
dāng nǐ zǎo shang yī biān zuò zǎo cān shí，yī biān tīng zhōng wén diàn tái jié mù.
当你早上一边做早餐时，一边听中文电台节目。
When you make breakfast in the morning, you listen to Chinese radio programs.
dāng nǐ měi tiān chá kàn shè jiāo méi tǐ de shí hou，
当你每天查看社交媒体的时候，
When you check social media every day,
kě yǐ kàn kàn zhōng wén xué xí duǎn shì pín.
可以看看中文学习短视频。
you can watch short Chinese learning videos.
huò zhě zài shàng xià bān de lù shàng, tīng tīng kàn kàn zhōng wén duǎn shì pín.
或者在上下班的路上，听听看看中文短视频。
Or on the way to and from work, listen to short Chinese videos.
wǒ jué de nǐ yī dìng néng zài yī tiān lǐ kě yǐ zhǎo dào zhè xiē suì piàn shí jiān xué xí hàn yǔ de.
我觉得你一定能在一天里可以找到这些碎片时间学习汉语的。
I think you can definitely find these small “blocks” to learn Chinese in your day.
nǐ kě yǐ zuò dào de.
你可以做到的。
You can do it.
wǒ jiān xìn ràng xué xí hàn yǔ cí huì chéng wèi yī zhǒng rì cháng xí guàn,
我坚信让学习汉语词汇成为一种日常习惯，
I firmly believe that making learning Chinese vocabulary a daily habit
nà shì zuì hǎo zuì kuài xué xí cí huì de fāng fǎ.
那是最好最快学习词汇的方法。
is the best and fastest way to learn vocabulary.
Expert 6:
"Review your Chinese Vocabulary regularly 定期复习你的中文词汇"
sú huà shuō “wēn gù ér zhī xīn.
俗话说“温故而知新”。
As the saying goes, "Review the old and learn the new".
wǒ gè rén jué de dìng qī fù xí nǐ de zhōng wén cí
我个人觉得定期复习你的中文词
I personally think that reviewing your Chinese words regularly
shì zuì kuài zuì cōng míng de fāng fǎ.
是最快最聪明的方法。
is the fastest and smartest way.
wǒ men kě yǐ zuò zì kǎ，
我们可以做字卡，
We can make flashcards,
shǐ yòng shǒu jī yīng yòng，
使用手机应用，
use mobile apps,
zuò bǐ jì，
做笔记，
take notes,
zuò wèn dá cè shì lái gǒng gù wǒ men xué guò de cí huì.
做问答测试来巩固我们学过的词汇。
and do Q&A tests to consolidate the vocabulary we have learned.
zài zhè gè fù xí de guò chéng zhōng，
在这个复习的过程中，
In this review process,
zhī dào zì jǐ nǎ xiē cí huì yǐ jīng xué huì le，
知道自己哪些词汇已经学会了，
you will know which vocabulary you have learned
nǎ xiē cí huì hái xū yào duō jiā liàn xí
哪些词汇还需要多加练习。
and which vocabulary still needs more practice.
zhè yàng nǐ de zhōng wén cí huì xué de hěn láo gù, bù huì wàng jì tā men.
这样你的中文词汇学得很牢固，不会忘记它们。
This way your Chinese vocabulary items will be learned firmly and you will not forget them.