15 Funny Memes About Learning Mandarin Chinese

YANGYANG CHENG | SEPTEMBER 05, 2019

Learning Chinese can sometimes feel like an uphill battle and a daily test of your commitment.

It's important to have fun and enjoy the learning journey, so we made these silly memes all about learning Chinese.

Take a look, have a laugh, feel their truth! Then get back to the lessons!

1. Overhears people speaking in Chinese...

One of the many secret pleasures of studying Chinese is when you overhear native speakers having a conversation in Mandarin and understand!

At some point on your learning journey, you WILL have this moment and it feels great... almost like having a super-power!

2. Living Dangerously

The promise of technology is that we won't have to spend so much time trying to learn a language like Chinese.

Not only does that miss so much of the joy and personal growth from learning this amazing language, it's frankly just not true... at least not yet!

Google Translate is a great tool for looking up words, but it's not a substitute for actually learning Chinese Native speakers can always spot when someone is just copying from Google Translate... so don't be that person!

Take the time to really learn and understand Chinese... it's an incredible journey that gives you an invaluable skill.

3. Ordering Chinese Food

One of the critical milestones learning Mandarin: ordering Chinese food... in Chinese!!

I challenge you to test your Chinese language skills and go to a Chinese restaurant (or do take out/delivery) and place your order in Mandarin. You can do it!

Before you do, check out this live hangout Yangyang and Jason did, "How to Read a Chinese Menu 101". It will blow your mind how easy it is - even for beginners - to read a Chinese menu with just a few Chinese characters:

It will totally take your Chinese restaurant game to the next level, and seriously impress anyone dining with you - and the restaurant employees!

4. Forgot 吗 (ma)!

When victory feels so close, but yet so far! EVERYONE forgets to end their questions with 吗 (ma) when they start learning Chinese!

In all seriousness: don't be afraid to make mistakes! When you make a flub in a real conversation, you'll be waaaaay less likely to make the same mistake again.

Be brave! 加油 (jiā yóu)!

5. Don't Waste Time on the Internet

Don't WASTE your time on the Internet: USE it!

When you pull out your phone, instead of scrolling through endless, depressing social media feeds, spend that time learning Chinese!

It just takes a couple minutes to watch a lesson, go through your 'Up for Review' flashcards, or take a lesson quiz or two. That kind of regular, on-the-go practice helps form the connections in your brain to speak and understand Chinese!

6. Chinese Word Order Confusing?

You confront a ton of challenges when you first start to learn Mandarin - tones, 拼音 (pīn yīn), Chinese word order -and it can feel overwhelming and frankly discouraging.

I'm here to say: relax! Building your Mandarin skills to a place where you can communicate and be understood is a much nearer goal than you think, even if it's a long road to perfection.

Check out this lesson on the "Golden Rule of Chinese Word Order" and you'll see this aspect of Chinese grammar is actually quite simple!

We even made this handy infographic about Chinese word order you can print out and stick on your mirror or keep in your pocket for reference:

7. Today Was a Good Day

Once studying Chinese becomes part of your daily routine, you really come to love the feeling of completing the days study session -- and adding another day to your Study Streak!

Studying for a few minutes in the morning can give you a feeling of accomplishment and confidence for the rest of your day.

Likewise, studying at night gives you extra satisfaction and a reward after a busy day. You deserve a little time for self-care, and studying Chinese gives you a great outlet for personal growth!

8. What's Harder: English or Chinese?

Studying Chinese - or ANY new language - you have to take joy in exploring something totally different and unfamiliar. You're doing this to open your mind, right?

Think of learning to pronounce Chinese like learning an instrument: at first making these sounds is difficult and might feel unnatural, but with daily practice you are guaranteed to improve.

Most importantly: don't be afraid to make mistakes! Even being a little embarrassed can be helpful - as you'll likely never make the same mistake again!

9. I Don't Think It Means What You Think It Means

You might already know that in Chinese 它 (tā) means "it". But that doesn't mean you use 它 (tā) whenever you want to say "it" like in English!

Watch this lesson and learn how to say "it" in Chinese, the RIGHT way:

10. Getting Pretty Serious

Is YOUR love of Mandarin getting pretty serious??

We added the Study Streak stat on your homepage to help you stay motivated and encourage you to study every single day.

Even if you only have a few minutes to watch a lesson, listen to an audio review, or go through your "Up for Review" flashcards, it's better than skipping a day.

We also have fun monthly Study Streak Challenges, with rewards like free Yoyo Chinese courses and promo codes for students who keep up their study streak for an entire month.

11. I'm Afraid to Ask

Ever wondered how people type in Chinese, when there are thousands of Chinese characters? We got you covered!

After reading this article, you'll be able to start typing Chinese characters right away, which is a actually a great way to help you practice character recognition.

12. What if I Told You...

I get it: you want to learn to read Chinese, but the thought of having to memorize THOUSANDS of 汉字 (hàn zì) - Chinese characters - sends a chill down your spine!

But the magic of Chinese characters is that learning only the most common 100 characters is enough to make 42% of all written Chinese words! And with just 300 characters you reach 64%!

Learn the most common 300 Chinese characters with our Chinese Character Course, using short, fun videos, interactive flashcards, and quizzes. The first 2 units are FREE, so you have nothing to lose!

13. College Dude

OK, we don't REALLY recommend you skip your Chinese class!

But we DO recommend you try learning with us! Our structured curriculum guides you from level zero to fluency, with clear explanations and interactive reviews.

You'll be making progress WAAAAAY beyond your classmates!

14. I Don't Need to Learn Tones

To speak Chinese and be understood, you can't skip studying the tones!

If you're still struggling with tones, maybe it's the way you've been taught! Check out this video and look at tones in a whole new light:

Practicing tones until they start to feel natural when you first start studying Chinese will give you the foundation for the rest of your Mandarin learning journey!

15. Mandarin Expands Your Mind

Learning Chinese isn't just about gaining a practical skill: it's a journey that will change the way you see the world!

When you study Chinese, you unlock your own potential, literally improving your memory and focus and giving yourself a whole new perspective!

That's it for this fun collection of Chinese learning memes!

If you're not already studying Mandarin with us, we hope you'll check out our Beginner Conversational Course! You can check out the first 20 lessons for free to see how our program works and decide if you want to take the full course.

You've got nothing to lose, so start now with Lesson 1!

If you're not a beginner, you can also try the first units of our Intermediate and Upper Intermediate conversational courses , or our Chinese character courses for FREE. See how we can help you take your Chinese to the next level!

Let us know your favorite meme in the comments below!