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Masu'di
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Posted - 2005.10.10 12:12:00 -
[1]
Ok strange question, i want to learn a new language, something different and something useful.
Can't make my mind up whether to learn either Mandarin or Arabic.
All though Mandarin has more speakers, this is mainly in China and Malaysia. Arabic on the other hand, is spoken in a lot more countries, and also more common in the UK, where i'm from.
For economic reasons Mandarin and Arabic are useful. Culturally i think i slightly prefer Arabic, but still Mandarin is very good too.
So, just wondering if anyone here has any advice they can help me make my mind? :D |
Saladin
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Posted - 2005.10.10 12:44:00 -
[2]
Are you talking about a formal approach to the language or just learning to carry on a conversation.
Arabic is my native tongue, and while all Arabs write the same arabic (I can read any newspaper in Arabic from any country), they speak it differently. Although I can understand when someone, say from Morocco or Lebanon, it takes a little extra concentration to understand what is being said. However, continued exposure makes that extra effort no longer necessary.
I'm not sure if Mandarin has the same problems when it comes to being used in conversation. ----
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Baldour Ngarr
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Posted - 2005.10.10 13:06:00 -
[3]
I think you pretty much answered your own question. There are 250-odd countries in the world, and Mandarin is a waste of breath in all but two of them.
Unless you specifically intend to spend time in China or Malaysia, go with Arabic.
Celt Corp - members of ISS |
Lianhaun
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Posted - 2005.10.10 13:29:00 -
[4]
Arabic, I think if you live in the EU it would be more needed now that the EU expands.
Also I think swirly letters are pretty
This is not a hijack
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DirtyHarry
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Posted - 2005.10.10 13:52:00 -
[5]
Mandarin imo, so you can talk to the adena farmers in Lineage2
-Havo ------------------- DirtyHarry ~ Havocide - yarr tbh "Take from the rich and put it on eBay" - zincol |
Salusa VC
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Posted - 2005.10.10 14:03:00 -
[6]
I would personally go with Arabic.
I also imagine it would be an easier language to learn how to speak. Reading and writing may be another matter though.
Just out of curiousity Saladin, can you read Farsi as well? I appreciate it is a different language to Arabic, but am curious as to if the script is the same?
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Lord Aradon
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Posted - 2005.10.10 14:06:00 -
[7]
As a lot of people in Britain speak it, i would say Arabic.
Not sure if this is right, maybe someone can correct me
A'Sala Moalay K·m. (supposed to be hello i think)
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Ebedar
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Posted - 2005.10.10 14:16:00 -
[8]
Originally by: Lord Aradon As a lot of people in Britain speak it, i would say Arabic.
Not sure if this is right, maybe someone can correct me
A'Sala Moalay K·m. (supposed to be hello i think)
Saladin will be able to correct it better, I assume, but I usually see it written as "asalaam alaikum" or "asalaamu alaikum".
It means peace be upon you.
One Step Further |
Jenny Spitfire
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Posted - 2005.10.10 14:26:00 -
[9]
There are many countries speaking Mandarin IMHO (to list a few, China, Malaysia, Singapore, or anywhere where you have Chinese people around, US, UK, France, Germany, to name a few).
As to what language do you wish to learn out of the two, is strictly subjective. Probably depends on how do you want to use it and what are your future plans. If you are looking far east and things with trade, industry and engieering, take Mandarin. Same goes with Middle-East, if you are planning to have some related events in your life there, take Arabic. High end electronic engineerings, take Japanese and the list goes on.
TBH, what do you want to do when learning a language is the question that you should ask yourself. If it is just for the fun of it, pick one and try for a semester before changing them.
RecruitMe@NOINT! |
Lord Aradon
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Posted - 2005.10.10 14:32:00 -
[10]
Originally by: Ebedar
Originally by: Lord Aradon As a lot of people in Britain speak it, i would say Arabic.
Not sure if this is right, maybe someone can correct me
A'Sala Moalay K·m. (supposed to be hello i think)
Saladin will be able to correct it better, I assume, but I usually see it written as "asalaam alaikum" or "asalaamu alaikum".
It means peace be upon you.
Yeah, peace be upon you, is it not usually used as a greeting?
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Ebedar
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Posted - 2005.10.10 14:35:00 -
[11]
Originally by: Lord Aradon Yeah, peace be upon you, is it not usually used as a greeting?
Yes, though it's not restricted to Arab-speaking countries - it's a standard greeting used amongst all Muslims, regardless of where they're from.
The reply is "wa alaikum asalaam" (peace be upon you also).
One Step Further |
Lord Aradon
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Posted - 2005.10.10 14:41:00 -
[12]
Originally by: Ebedar
Originally by: Lord Aradon Yeah, peace be upon you, is it not usually used as a greeting?
Yes, though it's not restricted to Arab-speaking countries - it's a standard greeting used amongst all Muslims, regardless of where they're from.
The reply is "wa alaikum asalaam" (peace be upon you also).
Thats the one a muslim from work taught it me once and i didnt forget how to say it, more how to write it lol, but yeah general greeting i use it on Muslims i know, but my local video shop owner likes to answer differently sometimes, hes a right ole **** he is LOL
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Saladin
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Posted - 2005.10.10 18:33:00 -
[13]
Originally by: Ebedar
Originally by: Lord Aradon Yeah, peace be upon you, is it not usually used as a greeting?
Yes, though it's not restricted to Arab-speaking countries - it's a standard greeting used amongst all Muslims, regardless of where they're from.
The reply is "wa alaikum asalaam" (peace be upon you also).
Since Arabic is not a Latin language, there is no 'correct' way or spelling to indicate it in english. You simply write it as it sounds to you (transliterate). It is a popular greeting. I don't know what the OP's mother tongue, but if Arabic is the choice for you, then there are quite a few new letters you will need to learn. One of the problems is that children are locked into certain pronounciation patterns it becomes hard to learn new letters/pronounciation. Just from my experience, its because of this its so easy to spot a non-native speaker.
In the end, the deciding factor in my opinion should be how often you will get to use it. I learned french in middle school and was good enough to read the paper, but when I stopped learning/using it, the knowledge faded away very quickly. If you do not have friends you can practice the language on, then it will fade quickly. ----
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Slithereen
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Posted - 2005.10.11 07:04:00 -
[14]
Learn Mandarin.
- The total population who speaks it is much larger than those who speak Arabic.
- Business opportunities in the Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. And I do mean business opportunties.
- It is big in any job resume, if you dream of being a well paid executive expatriate.
- Maybe you can watch the next Zhang Yimou movie without a subtitle.
- Mandarin in conversation wise is very easy. Mainly it follows the same subject verb object (SVO) order as English.
- Did I say business? The big money.
China - 9.5% economic growth early, third biggest trade in the world now (only exceeded by the US and Japan), $730 billion in US dollar reserves, half a trillion in US Treasury bonds, and one third of the world's industrial output. The other Chinese speaking places are not shabby either. Hong Kong - $113 billion in reserves, Taiwan - $150 billion, Singapore, $90 billion.
_______________________________________________ "Is it me or the bad guys just getting totally pathetic?"---Clover, Totally Spies, "Hope is wasted on the Hopeless."---Mandy, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. "Stars are holes in the sky from which the light of the Infinite shine through."---Confucius.
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Dark Shikari
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Posted - 2005.10.11 09:39:00 -
[15]
Mandarin would be by far the best, except for the fact that actually learning to read it is nigh impossible. And don't even try understanding sung Mandarin... -- Proud member of the [23].
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Rodj Blake
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Posted - 2005.10.11 13:35:00 -
[16]
I hear that MI5 and GCHQ are crying out for people with Arabic language skills these days.
Dolce et decorum est pro imperator mori |
Hippey
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Posted - 2005.10.11 13:49:00 -
[17]
I'd say Arabic, cause then you can read all the terrorist web-sites and know when to avoid the next attack. ------------------------------------------- If you do nothing to stop slavery, you do everything to support it!
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Salusa VC
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Posted - 2005.10.11 13:57:00 -
[18]
Originally by: Hippey I'd say Arabic, cause then you can read all the terrorist web-sites and know when to avoid the next attack.
Now that is out of order.
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Vegeta
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Posted - 2005.10.11 14:00:00 -
[19]
Originally by: Hippey I'd say Arabic, cause then you can read all the terrorist web-sites and know when to avoid the next attack.
Make your own kind of music, sing your own special song. |
Siren Shiva
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Posted - 2005.10.11 14:55:00 -
[20]
Edited by: Siren Shiva on 11/10/2005 15:01:30 As someone who has seriously read into economy, I'd have to say Mandarin all the way. Upstarting young business people who speak Mandarin are currently having a huge advantage in deal and job offers and opportunities, but the longer you wait the more others will realize this, = more competition.
China and India are THE upcoming business hotspots. China is estimated to take the USA's spot as the world's #1 economic power in the not too distant future. As for India, you dont need to learn one of their many dialects as they speak excellent english.
Also with China's population being so huge, there are more people speaking Mandarin than there are Arab speakers.
However, if you are more interested in Arab culture and the countries themselves, by all means go for it.
Originally by: Lianhaun Arabic, I think if you live in the EU it would be more needed now that the EU expands.
I doubt the EU will expand into the middle east, the idea behind it is that it is well, european
Turkey hasnt joined yet, and speaks Turkish. A beautiful language btw.
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diablo
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Posted - 2005.10.11 14:57:00 -
[21]
Id go Mandarin, cos u look good even though your local chinese wont understand you, the chicks will love it :)
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Eris Discordia
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Posted - 2005.10.11 15:00:00 -
[22]
Please make sure your replies are respectful and not political
I heart all, some more then others though. |
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Rodj Blake
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Posted - 2005.10.11 15:03:00 -
[23]
Originally by: Siren Shiva
China and India are THE upcoming business hotspots.
Indeed.
Might I suggest that Urdu or Punjabi as alternative languages to learn?
Dolce et decorum est pro imperator mori |
Scorpyn
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Posted - 2005.10.11 15:07:00 -
[24]
Personally I'd go for japanese to be able to watch unsubbed anime
If you go for chinese, you should be able to play on the chinese EVE cluster if/when that is started
Btw, isn't there another arabic language... persian or something? Maybe that'd be interesting?
Hmm... not much help here...
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monkiboi
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Posted - 2005.10.12 13:17:00 -
[25]
Originally by: Jenny Spitfire There are many countries speaking Mandarin IMHO (to list a few, China, Malaysia, Singapore, or anywhere where you have Chinese people around, US, UK, France, Germany, to name a few).
According to my gf (who is from Hong Kong) Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong while Mandarin is used on the mainland. Most Chinese in the UK (and possibly other countries) are from HK so, depending on who you want to speak to Cantonese may be the better option.
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Dirtball
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Posted - 2005.10.12 13:59:00 -
[26]
Edited by: Dirtball on 12/10/2005 13:59:57 i've heard that if you can speak english and mandarin you can speak with 90% of the world, or some crazy high number like that.
Edit: or maybe english and what the above poster says, one of the chinese ones anyway :)
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Admiral IceBlock
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Posted - 2005.10.13 18:06:00 -
[27]
well Arabic writings looks difficult, whereas Chinese looks easier.. :P
"We brake for nobody"
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Quanteeri
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Posted - 2005.10.13 19:18:00 -
[28]
Doesn't Chinese have a phonetic alphabet, like Japanese has Hiragana and Katakana?
Go Fred!
<- Working real hard for [24] |
LanC xFxFace
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Posted - 2005.12.26 06:23:00 -
[29]
You mean the Mandarin PīnYīn ? Like "Ni Hao Ma?" (means How are you?)
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Ronald Speirs
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Posted - 2005.12.26 07:07:00 -
[30]
Personally, i have friends that speak both. I dated a girl in for almost 2 years that was chinese. I honestly tried to learn mandarin. I understand the words "daughter's friend" and "the white devil" quite clearly. these were usually directed at me or in conversation about me. What usually followed was an insulting gesture or "the I'm gonna kill you whilst you sleep" look.
But, back on topic, while mandarin may have more speakers, they are concentrated in asia. If you are going to learn a new language i'd go with arabic. It just seems to me that it would come in handy in more situations. <insert witty signature here>
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