I distinctly remember, a few years ago, at the start of my weekly Chinese lesson when my tutor said, “Okay, today we learn how to write 汉字.” I thought she was joking. I laughed. She didn’t.
She wasn’t joking.
汉字 (hànzì) is the name of the character system in Mandarin Chinese. It’s said that you need to know at least 3,000 characters to read a newspaper, which seems like a whole lot until you realize there are 50,000 total. Yeah, good luck.
For some reason I thought that I was going to learn Chinese without learning 汉字 (one of countless, gross underestimations on my part in my first move to China). It’s hard to imagine that line of thought now, as 汉字 has taken over my life. I’m supposed to know about 1,200 by November when I sit for the HSK III. I’d like to say I’m well on my way…
I suppose that if you live here for a year or two (or even three or four) and are just concerned with getting around and having simple conversations, you can get by with having little to no understanding of 汉字。 But, if you want to understand the people, the culture, and of course really understand the language, 汉字 is essential.
One way I got excited about learning the infinite number of characters and stroke patterns was by watching men who do calligraphy on sidewalks in parks. They have these awesome homemade brushes, which are actually sponges with water dispensing systems. They write lines of famous text or their own original compositions. Slowly the water evaporates and the message is gone. A beautiful compliment to the ephemeral nature of language and thought. A few men were nice enough to let me try, but unused to the flow of the water and the squishy tip of the brush my characters were even more nonsensical than usual.
I was really excited when I read that That’s Mandarin would be doing a calligraphy class for their weekly cultural activity. 50 kuai, a little 啤酒 (píjiǔ, beer) and 2 hours later and I had learned the (very) basics of Chinese calligraphy. The class was mostly beginners, but would be useful for anyone who has had no experience writing calligraphy even if Mandarin skills are rather advanced. Writing calligraphy is completely different from writing 汉字 with a regular pen or pencil. You have to have the proper hold, the perfect amount of ink, the correct pressure. It’s tough stuff! But really fun and the people at That’s Mandarin were great at introducing the art. My favorite is probably my attempt to paint a panda from a printed sample. You tell me, which one is better?
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That’s Mandarin
273 Jiaozhou Lu Building 12 Floor 3
t: 86 21 6152-0017
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