n.
Chinese language; Mandarin
汉语
Chinese language; Mandarin
Spoken or written Chinese language, specifically the Han language (汉 Han people + 语 spoken language); standard academic and learning term.
Common Usage & Traps
- 学汉语 — to study Chinese
- 说汉语 — to speak Chinese
- 汉语老师 — Chinese teacher
- 汉语课 — Chinese class
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我会汉语我会说汉语会 needs an action verb after it; 汉语 alone cannot show what you can do.
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汉语歌中文歌Songs normally take 中文, not 汉语; 汉语歌 sounds like a textbook label.
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汉语名字中文名字Names normally take 中文, not 汉语; 汉语名字 sounds off to native ears.
Why do people say 学汉语 instead of 学习汉语?
Both mean 'study,' but 学汉语 is the shorter, everyday choice.
学习 is not wrong, but it sounds more formal and takes longer to say. In daily speech, people usually shorten it to 学 when the next word is a language. The story uses 他学英语，我学汉语 because the short verb keeps the sentence clean.
“他学英语，我学汉语。” (He studies English, and I study Chinese.)
“他学英语，我学汉语。” (He studies English, and I study Chinese.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday chat | 学汉语 / 学英语 | 学习汉语 / 学习英语 (fine but stiff) |
| Story sentence | 他学英语，我学汉语 | 他学习英语，我学习汉语 (textbook-ish) |
| Tone | Short and casual | Longer and formal |
Should I say 汉语 or 中文 for everyday Chinese?
中文 is the everyday default; 汉语 is the classroom and formal label.
汉语 is the Han language, often used in textbooks and formal talk about Chinese. 中文 is the everyday word for Chinese language, including songs, names, and apps. Both can mean Chinese, but fixed phrases often pick one and reject the other.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Songs and names | 中文歌 / 中文名字 | 汉语歌 / 汉语名字 |
| Official test | 汉语水平考试 | 中文水平考试 |
| Daily chat | 说中文 / 学中文 | 说汉语 / 学汉语 (not wrong, just textbook-ish) |
Can you say 我会汉语 to mean I can speak Chinese?
No. You need 说 after 会: 我会说汉语.
我会汉语 fails because 会 needs an action after it, like 说 or 写. You can say 我懂中文, 我中文很好, or 我会说汉语 if you mean ability. The missing verb after 会 is the whole problem in this sentence.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking ability | 我会说汉语 | 我会汉语 |
| Writing ability | 我会写汉字 | 我会汉字 |
| General ability | 我懂中文 | 我会中文 |
Appears in Stories 5 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This short, rhythmic text is a famous Chinese tongue twister. It helps beginners practice the difference between sì (four) and shí (ten) while building confidence in speaking.
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没事儿说说四和十，说好 汉语 不是事儿。
Is four years to reach HSK 5 fast or slow? Follow a conversation between two learners as they compare study hours and share realistic strategies for busy adults.
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B：我在学 汉语 和中文。
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A: 汉语 和中文？
Chat about where friends study Chinese while exploring 哪儿 and 哪里 across Beijing and Shanghai. Practice asking “where”, talking about “here” and “there”, and using the modest reply 哪里哪里 to accept a compliment.
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你在哪儿学 汉语 ？
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老包：我在上海学 汉语 。
Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.
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他学英语，我学 汉语 。
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我教他英文，他教我中文，每天学几个词，很快，我们的英语和 汉语 都能好很多。
Ever noticed how similar Chinese words can be? This rhyme plays with place names and homophones, from schools to hotels, even throwing in Samsung's origin. A lighthearted way to boost your word power.
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五星大饭店，中国和中文， 汉语 和韩语，汉字和汉子。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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