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After 2000 word list?????????

ever.arevalo.70_16919
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After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ever.arevalo.70_16919 » June 25th, 2014 8:41 pm

How do i continue to build my vocabulary beyond the 2000 word list and sentences?
I've concluded that maybe memorizing Sydney Lau's Far East Dictionary might be the way to go but maybe that is a bit zealous. I found an 8800 most common word list used with the pre-2010 HSK test, but how do i reach the same level in Cantonese, which I prefer?
Thank you
Best Wishes

ill_marketing_intern
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Joined: May 8th, 2014 5:23 am

Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ill_marketing_intern » June 25th, 2014 10:42 pm

hI ever.arevalo.70,

By building up your vocabulary, what kind of level are you trying to achieve? To get fluent in conversation, to understand newspaper and movies, or to live in Hong Kong?
You can read Hong Kong newspaper to expand your vocabulary bank (link: http://news2.mingpao.com/pns/%E6%98%8E% ... eb_tc/main). Listening to Cantonese songs also help!

Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com

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ever.arevalo.70_16919
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 21
Joined: June 25th, 2014 8:31 pm

Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ever.arevalo.70_16919 » June 25th, 2014 11:37 pm

Dear Ms. Olivia,
My goal is to be able to read Classical Chinese Literature without the aid of a dictionary.
I'm going to need help on this one.
I feel as if even if I reach the "8000-word-level", every time I want to read a newspaper i'm going to be stuck using a dictionary every few lines.
What are your thoughts on this?

Thank you
Best Wishes

ill_marketing_intern
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Posts: 28
Joined: May 8th, 2014 5:23 am

Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ill_marketing_intern » July 1st, 2014 9:44 pm

That's not easy even for us native speakers, because classical Chinese literature actually use another writing Literary Chinese (文言文), which is different from any modern spoken form of Chinese. (Maybe a bit similar to how kids react to Shakespeare?!)
However, reading newspaper is much easier comparatively. Depending which country's newspaper you want to read, they use different terms (Taiwan vs mainland China vs Hong Kong).
The more you read and look up on dictionary, the bigger your vocabulary bank expands! That's how we learned as well! :D

Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com

ever.arevalo.70_16919
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 21
Joined: June 25th, 2014 8:31 pm

Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ever.arevalo.70_16919 » July 2nd, 2014 4:15 am

Thank you very much for your insight.
It sounds like a quest.
Do you know the name of any people who are very good at literary chinese?
Maybe this is a dumb question, Do all the Chinese Universities have Literary Chinese Professors who can do that?
I guess a more realistic goal is to be able to read a novel without the use of a dictionary.

Can you recommend an extensive Cantonese English Dictionary and an extensive Cantonese Mandarin Dictionary?
I mean the biggest things available.
Thank you very much

ill_marketing_intern
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Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ill_marketing_intern » July 3rd, 2014 12:12 am

Yes, most Hong Kong universities have their own Chinese Literature Professors (eg. http://www.polyu.edu.hk/cc/cnchl.html, http://www.chi.cuhk.edu.hk/index.php/zh ... 4-hykwongc)

These are common Chinese dictionaries used in schools:
漢語大字典 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanyu_Da_Zidian)
現代漢語詞典 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiandai_Hanyu_Cidian)
Also I found this online dictionary that works similar to a real dictionary, but it's for Mandarin: http://zhongwen.com/

Chinese-English dictionary:
Longman English-Chinese Dictionary of Contemporary English (http://www.amazon.com/Longman-English-C ... 238&sr=1-1)

But with the development of electronic books and translation websites, it's less common for school kids to use a dictionary nowadays. They would use an electronic dictionary, or just search online.

Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com

ever.arevalo.70_16919
Been Around a Bit
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Joined: June 25th, 2014 8:31 pm

Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ever.arevalo.70_16919 » July 3rd, 2014 3:08 am

Thank you Very much.
I have got to get me one of each of those. That is exactly what I was trying to find out. Do the Hanyu Da Zidian and Xiandai Hanyu Cidian come in Cantonese versions?

take care

ill_marketing_intern
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Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ill_marketing_intern » July 3rd, 2014 7:40 pm

Yes, just make sure you get the Traditional Chinese version, not the Simplified Chinese one. :wink:

Olivia
Team CantoneseClass101.com

ever.arevalo.70_16919
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 21
Joined: June 25th, 2014 8:31 pm

Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby ever.arevalo.70_16919 » July 3rd, 2014 7:59 pm

nice... it seems that only time now stands in the way

lauralanda
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Re: After 2000 word list?????????

Postby lauralanda » July 10th, 2014 5:39 am

Hello ever.arevalo.70,

Thank you for posting again!
Little by little you will reach your objective :D
Please, don't give up!

Cheers!
Laura
Team CantoneseClass101.com

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