My American Boyfriend‘s Hilarious Chinese Learning Journey: A Diary39

Day 1: Okay, so I’m officially starting my Chinese language journey. My girlfriend, Mei, is incredibly patient (and beautiful!), but I’ve already managed to butcher "ni hao" about five times. Apparently, tone is *everything*. I sound like I'm asking a question when I'm trying to greet her. She keeps giggling, which is motivating…in a slightly humiliating way. My first homework assignment is to learn the Pinyin chart. Wish me luck. This is going to be harder than I thought.

Day 7: Pinyin is…a challenge. I’m getting better at pronunciation, but remembering all the tones is driving me crazy. Mei showed me a few mnemonics, like associating the high-level tone with a mountain peak and the falling-rising tone with a rollercoaster. It’s helping a little, but I still find myself accidentally turning “mā” (mother) into “má” (hemp). Oops. We’re ordering takeout tonight – hopefully, I can order correctly without causing a hilarious misunderstanding. Tonight's lesson: numbers 1-10. I think I've mastered 一 (yī) - one. That's a start.

Day 14: I’ve conquered the numbers 1-10!…mostly. I still occasionally stumble on 七 (qī) and 八 (bā), but I’m getting there. Mei’s introduced me to some basic greetings beyond “ni hao,” like “zǎoshang hǎo” (good morning) and “wǎnshang hǎo” (good evening). The tones are still a struggle, but I’m starting to feel a bit more confident. She also showed me some basic characters, starting with 我 (wǒ - I) and 你 (nǐ - you). They look so…different. I’m using a flashcard app, but I feel like I'm swimming in a sea of strokes. Tonight we are watching a Chinese movie with subtitles! Wish me luck!

Day 21: The Chinese movie was…an experience. I understood maybe 10% of what was being said, even with the subtitles. My focus kept drifting from the plot to trying to decipher the characters on the screen. But, I’m starting to recognize some recurring characters. Mei says it’s a marathon, not a sprint. I'm starting to believe her. Today's lesson involved more characters: 爱 (ài - love), 家 (jiā - home), and 好 (hǎo - good). I'm slowly starting to feel the beauty in the calligraphy.

Day 28: We went to a Chinese restaurant today, and I attempted to order in Chinese. It was a disaster. I butchered the pronunciation of almost everything, and ended up pointing at the menu and using a mixture of English and broken Mandarin. The waiter was incredibly patient, though, and we all had a good laugh. Mei says it’s a common experience. It was humbling, but also a great learning experience. I need to work on my fluency. Tonight's lesson: basic sentence structure.

Day 35: Sentence structure is tricky. Subject-verb-object is easy enough, but the word order can get confusing. Mei’s been teaching me about particles and measure words, which are completely foreign concepts to me. “Ge” for things, “bei” for cups… it’s overwhelming, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it. I managed to have a simple conversation with Mei's grandmother today! She was incredibly sweet and seemed amused by my attempts. Small victory!

Day 42: I’ve started reading simple Chinese children’s books. It’s excruciatingly slow, but I’m understanding more and more each day. I’m also using a language exchange app to chat with native speakers. It’s nerve-wracking, but it’s helping me to improve my speaking skills. I’m making a lot of mistakes, but everyone is so encouraging. This is proving to be more difficult than I thought, but the reward of communication is incredible.

Day 49: This week I focused on learning more about Chinese culture. Mei took me to a traditional tea ceremony, and I learned about the importance of respect and etiquette in Chinese culture. It was fascinating! Learning the language is one thing, but understanding the culture is crucial. The language isn’t just words, it's a window into a rich and complex society. I have so much respect for the complexity of the Chinese language and culture.

Day 56: I had a breakthrough this week! I finally understood a whole paragraph in a children’s book without needing to constantly look up words. It was a small victory, but it felt huge. The feeling of comprehension was incredibly rewarding. It’s amazing how much progress I’ve made in just a few weeks. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the (very long) tunnel. The journey is challenging but very much worth it.

Day 63: Today, I attempted to write my first Chinese character – 我 (wǒ). It looks nothing like the perfect characters in my textbook, but Mei says it’s recognizable. I’m starting to appreciate the art of calligraphy, even though my own attempts are a bit…rustic. I’m still making tons of mistakes, and I still have a long way to go, but I’m enjoying the journey. Learning Chinese isn't just about memorizing words; it's about embracing a new way of thinking and communicating.

Day 70: I'm starting to dream in Chinese! Okay, maybe not full sentences, but I'm starting to hear Chinese words in my dreams. It's a strange but exciting feeling. I think this signifies another leap in my learning process. It's clear that I've come a long way from that first shaky "ni hao." The journey continues!

2025-05-13

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