Was wondering if there are any basic principles in writing cantonese? xD i'm finally pulling my hand out my arse and actually learning to read and write instead of just speaking it. Right now i'm just reading the word, remembering the word and write the word in the correct strokes ... but since there are thousands and thousands of words is there a technique which would make it simplified/easier? Thanks in advance
good luck my mother made me learn to write/read back in elementary/jr high and i passed but ended up taking 1st year 2x because i forgot everything after i passed the class.then i never went back for 2nd year and now i just learn by remembering kanji used in super robot wars http://www.perapera.org/ that site has a plugin for firefox that automatically translate chinese into english.i used it for translations when i come across a character i dont know
If you can stand it (as it requires tons of patience), practice using a brush and ink to write your characters. You'll find that writing with the traditional implements conveys an appreciation for the characters that cannot be achieved by use of a computer nor a pen.
awww thank you godslayer ... yeah im using that now .. it is pretty good and probs wont use actual brush .... dont think i have the patience xD
lol try reading characters as you watch dramas. it helps, trust me. Singing chinese songs for karaoke is a HUGE help as well. Though of course you can't learn all characters so fast.. even after like 14 years since I've started learning I still find myself learning new characters all the time. Try chatting with people in chinese, it helps learning what characters are and how they are pronounced. As for writing, you have to do that yourself. Always easier to read than write.
Karaoke is the way to go. I learnt most of my Chinese by memorising the character and sound while trying to sing the song XD