In 電影院 Near You

2018-19 Taiwan台灣

[indianyingyuannearyou]

遠東聽力與口語 Task-Based Listening & Speaking

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ICLP Level: 2

Class Type: 1-on-1

Thoughts: While I did feel this textbook was a bit too elementary for me (my teacher ended up switching books near the end of the term), I can still recognize the positives of it. It does a thorough job of covering nearly every possible conversational encounter to be had while living in Taiwan, from going to the post office, to deciding which restaurants to eat at. Additionally, there was a lot of flexibility in the subject matter for the teacher to adjust the curriculum in order to suit the student’s needs. Some of my classmates focused more on pronunciation, others on their listening. My teacher and I spent a lot of time practicing real-world scenarios, which meant learning lots and lots of supplementary vocabulary that built off of the concepts presented in the book. 

[indianyingyuannearyou]

新編會話 Modern Chinese Conversation

⭐⭐⭐/5

ICLP Level: 3

Class Type: Group

Thoughts: There was no shortage of dialogue in this book, which is nice because it gave plenty of opportunity to see the grammar and vocabulary in use. However, at times the passages can seem redundant and circular in nature. My teacher did a great job in coming up with effective classroom activities for us to practice the material, as well as explaining in depth the cultural norms that arise throughout the book. One downside is that the grammar explanations are not very clear. Rather than an explanation, there are lots of examples. I personally don’t mind this too much, but without a teacher, I probably would have learned to use a lot of structures incorrectly. 

[indianyingyuannearyou]

我變成茶瘾了嗎？

I think I may be addicted to tea now, I feel like I’ve been having withdrawals for the past few months (joking). But really, tea was served, more often than not instead of water, with nearly every single meal we ate. So to come back home and have none of it? Insanity. 

This happened with other foods and drinks too. I became accustomed to warm-hot water, plain rice, and at least weekly boba. In terms of reverse culture shock, the strongest aspect definitely had to be the change in diet. Of course I missed my mother’s cooking terribly while I was away, and it was amazing trying again after so long, but I couldn’t help the feeling of missing a bowl of soup before the meal, and a bitter-tasting dessert afterward, ya know?

The tea pictured below is from when we went to Dadaocheng. It was before our Chinese language studies began, so while I could understand whatever I knew from Chinese 1a-2b and Chinese television, I do think I missed out quite a bit on the history and culture the tea house laoban was giving us. Near the end of the year, we got the chance to go to Alishan, where my friends and I got a tea presentation from this guy who turned out to be an amateur model (he gave us his card with his social medias, a multifaceted 王!). To be quite honest, I’m not much of a foodie and I suck at remembering the names of things I’ve tried. Just know I drank hecka tea. I even drank tea that my teacher got from her friend in Germany!

I do miss tea, but I must admit I’m not a very knowledgeable drinker of it because it took plenty of near-sleepless nights and my mother’s advice until I realized that it was likely the caffeine from all that tea keeping me up. It did have other effects too though. When I got sick or was feeling anxious, my teacher would give me certain teas to ease my symptoms and it really worked. I’d like to do some research and really find the teas that work for me one day. Just maybe not soon because I’m swamped this semester.

[indianyingyuannearyou]

Chinese 199 After Taiwan

At my university, we have a limited number of Chinese courses. Therefore, in order to earn a minor in Chinese, you must study abroad (It could also be possible by attending upper division Chinese courses at another local institution and then transferring the credits, but I’m not 100% sure on that). Once a student returns from their study abroad program, they can ask permission to take a course called Chinese 199. Sometimes it will have a few students, and other times, like the one I’m taking now, it can be just the student and the professor. 

Pretty much, I discuss with my professor my goals for the class, choose a textbook, and decide how many units I want to earn for the course. My goal was originally to improve my TOCFL score from a 3 to a 4, but alas, when the testing information for my area was released, it turned out that they will not be testing level 4. Technically, my goal is still the same because I still do plan on taking TOCFL 4 in the future. The textbook I chose is one I bought from ICLP while I was still in Taiwan, called《思想與社會Thought and Society》. The book that our teachers recommended we study before taking TOCFL 4 was one I had already studied while I was in Taiwan (I took the test before that term). It’s not the only book I brought back to the US, but it was the next book in the series according to ICLP’s levels. Since this is my last semester before graduation and I’m taking my capstone Economics course, I decided to only go for one unit in order to keep my general workload manageable. I meet with my professor once a week.

I personally believe taking advantage of every opportunity to tailor academic situations (diplomas, courses, programs, etc) to suit your needs is very important and beneficial. Sure, I have plenty of opportunities to speak Chinese where I live, but this way there are many benefits: I have a professor to correct my mistakes and give me explanations, I earn credit for the course which will show up on my official transcripts, and I can design the course to fit my goals and circumstances. While classes like these can take a tiny bit more effort to put together, I do think they’re worth it in the end. 

[indianyingyuannearyou]

Update 12.21.18

So it’s been a while since I posted... I’ll just get straight to it: 

I started preparing for midterm exams which was already a pretty intense time all on it’s own when I suddenly came down with a pretty gnarly ear infection in not just one, but both ears! It hurt so much I could barely stand the pain of turning my head, and that was from a horizontal position. This evolved into plenty of doctor visits (which I will likely elaborate on in future posts) which caused me to miss our Language Mission Week, although I’m just grateful I’m better now because that pain was no joke. Seemingly immediately following, we needed to prepare for our final which was to deliver a speech in front of the school and faculty. The term just ended last week and I’ve been taking advantage of this bout of good health and free time to explore Taiwan, each trip comprising of at least one new temple and one new restaurant in addition to other destinations. 

I plan to do my monthly update soon... Thanks for waitingggg

[indianyingyuannearyou]

(Black) Foreigner in Taiwan - Hair

Overall, I feel extremely comfortable here in Taipei as a Black person. This city sees a lot more foreigners than others in the country, so when I find myself in surrounding areas, the stares increase, but I still feel very safe and content walking around. 

If I happen to meet eyes with someone who was staring, most of the time they’ll turn away. The people who don’t are normally children and the elderly. Even so, I don’t get the feeling that I’m being judged or seen in a negative way, so it doesn’t bother me too much. There have been a couple of occasions where I looked directly into a camera lens and the holder flinched and tried to act natural. Those moments are a little awkward, but probably more for them than for me. Once, when I was waiting at the bus stop, an old man approached me and said my hair was cool. We proceeded to talk about where I was from and it turns out he had lived in Silicon Valley for a while. In the end, he politely asked if he could take a couple pictures, later saying that Taiwanese only see hair like mine on television and in the movies.

The older people are a lot more vocal than any other age group. I normally only get questions about my hair and nationality from people I’m meeting for the first time. The elders will say “Pretty!” even in English just so I understand, which is actually very nice of them to want me to really get what compliment they’re giving me?? When I was on the bus, these two grandmas told me my hair was pretty, then proceeded to ask a bunch of follow up questions about how long it took, how long do I keep it in, how often do I wash it, how is it done... That really put my Chinese to the test! At the end, they also made sure to say that not only was my hair pretty, but so was my face, which is something I haven’t heard overseas before. 

When I first traveled abroad, I just assumed people were only referring to my hair, which makes sense. It could be that they’ve seen plenty of Black people, just none with blonde braids. The thing is, it made me feel almost like my hair was more important than I was? I don’t know how to explain it, but I was younger when I left the first time so that could be why I was reading into it so much. Coming to Taiwan and this being my second time abroad, I really don’t mind the questions and curiosity, but it also doesn’t hurt that the people are so polite and respectful about the subject. 

[indianyingyuannearyou]

Biking to School

The day before I moved into the dorms, I bought a bike and a lock. My dorm is adjacent to one side of the campus and the ICLP building is on the veeeeery opposite end, so it can take around 25-30 minutes to walk there. Normally I wouldn’t mind walking and going early, but it’s just way too hot outside for that, at least for me. 

The beginning of the route isn’t my favorite. I actually haven’t biked in a long time and while it did come back to me just as the saying goes, I’m still a bit shaky sometimes. I’m hoping I’ll get more comfortable as time goes on because I’m really not about to walk every day. The very very beginning isn’t too bad. Seems like there isn’t a set system for sticking to the right of the path nor do there seem to be any rules about biking on the sidewalks. With that said, the sidewalks are so skinny that two people going the opposite direction can barely fit as it is. It just is what it is I guess.

Also, I guess it turns out I live right next to a police station?! I vaguely remember reading it on a map when I was using Google to look around the city. Anyways, these are their police scooters!

Here’s where it gets a bit difficult. There are a couple of short streets that take you to the main road you need to cross before you’re on campus but this one give you a direct route to the crosswalk. The picture below is during peak commute time, maybe around 9am? Luckily, my classes start at 9:10 so I expect to be riding just before this build up. I mean, plenty of other students bike this same way, but I’m not as skilled at riding on the sidewalk, so it freaks me out a little bit. One upside is that most people are going the same direction on the sidewalk so it’s not like I’m having to dodge a bunch of pedestrians. 

This next one is a picture of the crosswalk from the opposite direction, after you’ve crossed it and are in front of the school’s entrance. As you can see, there are a lot of people trying to get across. But really, this crosswalk is the least of my worries. Maybe it’s because I’m always anticipating the relief of being through with the rougher part of the trip.

After that, it’s all gucci. The roads on campus are wide. There’s a mixture of bikes, pedestrians and cars (not a lot of cars). This one is from the direction coming back through campus. There’s a main one that’s even wider than this, but I didn’t think I looked that good in the picture... but also the one I have without me in it is kind of boring ^^ I’ll have to take another and post it! 

Hmm, what else... I’ve never seen anyone on their bike wearing a helmet. I also haven’t seen any close calls between bikes and cars or scooters either so it must be safe to forego a helmet. 

Sometimes I’m surprised at the amount of Taiwanese students I see being shaky on their bikes. I figured I would stand out like a sore thumb because of my lack of experience biking in comparison to these people who bike to far more places than just school. It makes me feel a whole lot better about myself.

People texting while biking and holding their umbrellas while biking is super common and super impressive in my opinion. I could never. If it rains while I’m biking, I’m done for.

And lastly, I can’t wait to find a friend who is willing to let me ride on their spokes or hop on the back of their bike. Legit, there will be two full grown adults on the same bike with only one of them pedaling. That is true friendship goals right there. 

[indianyingyuannearyou]

Language Pledge

We signed the language pledge last week, it’s supposed to start on Tuesday (the first day of classes). It pretty much states that we are only to speak Chinese on the two floors that ICLP occupies in the building. Three strikes and we’re kicked out of school. Well, that’s how the pledge was verbally explained to us. In written format, it stated that we were to speak Chinese 24/7 until our time at ICLP was up. At the time of writing this post, it is still the Saturday before said Tuesday--just an FYI. 

For the past few days, I’ve been slowly easing myself into an all-Chinese lifestyle. I’ve been watching an unhealthy amount of Happy Camp, I freaking love that show. I also asked my friend to recommend some Taiwanese YouTubers, so I’ve got those to check out. I hadn’t really been keeping up too much with television back home, so this isn’t the hardest change I’m making. I think the hardest part is the reading.

I started reading a lot more this past summer and I was almost back to full books! I actually have a list of stuff I want to read because I didn’t want to get started right before I came to Taiwan. I went searching online for some sites to read in Chinese because I figured it would be easier to translate one word/phrase at a time that way, but to no avail. So, today I went to a bookstore and bought an originally English book in Chinese. My thoughts are that if I want to read badly enough, I will translate this book, learn a bunch of new characters, read another book, and learn some more new characters. We’ll see how that goes. I’m actually not sure if I’ll even have the time what with all the studying and preparation required from ICLP, but I definitely wanted something to read that wasn’t a textbook just to switch things up every once in a while.

I changed my phone language to Chinese, too. To be honest, I don’t see that as being a huge feat because I use my phone so much that the muscle memory guides me. I don’t really need to know what anything says because I already know where to look. However, it does make learning new characters seem a lot less daunting when you’re looking at them all day. Plus, people think you’re super cool when they see that your phone is in Chinese. I also use WeChat to talk to my parents, and it has a translation feature. That way, I can type to them in Chinese and it’ll translate it for them. Of course my parents have top priority and I will speak to them in English whenever, it’s just nice to know I don’t have to. I’ve been making good use of that feature. 

What else?... I was considering giving myself one day out of every month to do things in English, such as writing blog posts and answering messages (parents are an exception, they’ll always get an immediate answer). All my friends already know that I’ll be doing a lot less talking and answering while I’m here because I really want to take advantage of this immersion opportunity. One of my friends asked me if I might join a club where people speak English because it seems like having to speak Chinese all the time could become exhausting.

It really can be exhausting! The way I see it though, the quicker I can get frustrated and figure out all the vocabulary/phrases/grammar I need to know to operate smoothly on a day-to-day basis, the better. I do acknowledge that it takes a lot out of me, no doubt, but I am determined to make the most out of this experience. I want to be fluent and that can only happen if I go all the way in. Something to take note of is that there is English everywhere no matter what. I’m not going to drop my language exchange partner all of a sudden because I took the language pledge, ya know? I’m definitely not opposed to breaks either, which is why I was thinking through that monthly English Day concept. When the pledge finally begins, I’ll reevaluate my choices. From what I’ve heard, ICLP does an astounding job improving people’s Chinese skills, and I’ve been getting around for weeks now on my own leading up to classes, so hopefully this will bring me to a comfortable level of communicating.

[indianyingyuannearyou]

新朋友New Friend

I’m gonna dress up these posts eventually... I’m just not sure when... I think first and foremost it’s important to get these things written down. The rest can happen later ^^

So, I was looking for the library but one of the entrances to the campus was blocked. I ended up following a girl (from a totally not creepy distance, no worries) because she looked like she knew better than I would how to get around. Well, she didn’t and actually came back down the way she came. At that point I figured maybe she was just going somewhere else? I have no clue. I asked for help getting there (in Chinese :D ) and we walked and talked together for a little bit until we split off (she was going to class and I was going to the library). 

Since then, we’ve gone out to eat twice, she’s brought me 3 pomelos and 2 egg cakes, and we’re becoming fast friends! Since she’s learning English and I’m learning Chinese, we do a sort of language exchange. So we hang out, but when we do, she speaks to me in English and I speak to her in Chinese; as we go, we correct each other and ask questions. I think it’s a great set up because speaking tends to be harder than listening. Plus, we’re having regular conversations and getting the opportunity to fill in any holes there may be. She’s really nice and helpful. I’m so glad I met her!

[indianyingyuannearyou]

西洋棋社Chinese Chess Club

So, in addition to NTU Chongde Chinese Class, I also joined the Chess Club on campus. If I understood correctly, most of them have been playing since middle school and high school. They participate in competitions too, although it seems to still be more of a club as opposed to the team. Thank goodness there were no tryouts because I had to be taught how to play for the entire first meeting lol

We have a teacher who volunteers his time which is why we don’t have to pay a fee. Everyone else in the club is male, but they’re all very nice and welcoming. I feel very comfortable there. They even help me out with my Chinese and support not only that but my game-plays! I’m also grateful that even though someone has to translate for the teacher, he takes the time to give me pointers as well. I really hope I have the time to continue going because it’s a nice change from the social clubs I’m used to. The teacher said we’re also here to make friends, but it’s apparent that they really take chess seriously, so while I am a chit-chatter, I do want to take this opportunity to learn.

The meetings are 3 and a half hours each, which really had me drained by the end of the night, so I’m definitely going to have to fit my studying in beforehand. I took notes while I was there and now I’ve dedicated a notebook to out-of-class Chinese learning (movies, shows, books, etc.) so that I can keep track of how to play and the terms I’ve learned along the way.

[indianyingyuannearyou]

臺灣文化社Taiwanese Culture Club

So, I joined a club! It’s actually called NTU Chongde Chinese Class. There, Taiwanese students volunteer their time to teach foreign students about Taiwanese culture through cooking, discussion, lecture, and other activities. They also periodically host a Chinese class. 

At the first meeting, we introduced ourselves and played a get-to-know-you game. Then, we watched a movie about aboriginal Taiwanese fighting for the rights to their ancestors’ land, had discussions about it, and ate Taiwanese vegetarian tacos, and a flurry of other Taiwanese vegetarian dishes. Inbetween, there was plenty of chatting and I really enjoyed meeting both Taiwanese and foreign friends! 

This Monday, they’ve invited us to spend Mid-Autumn Festival with them by cooking and enjoying hot pot together! I was so happy to get that invitation because I had heard about how lonely it could get when everyone went home to their families for these holidays. They said one of their purposes is to make foreigners feel apart of a new family while they’re far away from home and I think it’s very selfless of them. They could very well go home to their families, but instead they’re spending their time with us. Here come the waterworks!

[indianyingyuannearyou]

華航China Airlines

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

These posts probably won’t be in chronological order, oops.

China Airlines is a Taiwanese Airline. I had a Premium Economy Class ticket which allowed me 2 checked-in bags (I only brought one but I plan to come back with another!) and one carry on. There was also plenty of leg room, which is exactly what I needed as a tall person on a 13 hour flight nonstop to Taiwan. Despite the fact that my seat was against a wall, it was no problem to recline. The food was great and the flight attendants’ English was proficient! I am not familiar with the training that flight attendants have, but I was very impressed by just how far their English skills spanned. I always admire others for learning different languages, so to also have a profession where you’re encountering so many different dialects of English is really cool thing. 

On the plane, I watched a Japanese movie called Mixed Singles about a woman whose mother used to always push her to play table tennis, but dies when she is young. Later on, she starts dating a professional player but hides the fact that she used to play in competition. He ends up cheating on her with another player, so she decides to fix up the old ping pong club and prepare the members to play in a national competition to win him back... something along those lines. It was a mixture of humor, romance, and a little bit of drama. I really enjoyed it!

Oh, also 3 of the employees who helped me at check-in were super awesome! I don’t fly often so I probably did just about anything you ca do incorrectly, incorrectly. I’m grateful that they were so patient and even took the initiative to help me at times when I didn’t know I needed it! :)

1. China (alternate formal name) - 中華 - Zhong1hua2

2. airline - 航空公司 - hang2kong1gong1si1

hangkong: aviation

--scheduled flight - 航班 - hang2ban1 

--air - 空氣 - kong1qi4

gongsi: company

[indianyingyuannearyou]

中文聽説讀寫Integrated Chinese Textbook

⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

For my entire Chinese-learning experience at the university level, I have used the Integrated Chinese series from Cheng&Tsui. I was even using it during the upgrade from the 2nd to the 3rd edition. The improvements were great because it included more examples, explanations, and vocabulary. I can’t remember if there were separate versions, but I had the one with both simplified and traditional characters, which I saw as an interesting plus. It was nice to be exposed to both because despite my professors teaching traditional characters, I generally use simplified when texting. The story lines run throughout the entire book, and while the characters’ behavior can be a bit strange, it definitely kept mine and my classmates’ interest (as much as is possible for a textbook).

One of the areas it lacks in is the definitions. When using this book with a teacher from China, she noted how some of the reason behind me misusing words could have been because the English definitions provided were misleading. It can be difficult to translate directly from Chinese to English (and vice versa, of course) but I agree with her observation that perhaps clearer wording could have remedied this issue. Clearer grammar explanations are also needed, but precise definitions of terms would surely assist here.

Another aspect I did enjoy were the cultural tidbits between the lessons. Not only is cultural understanding extremely important, it’s also a nice break from the sometimes challenging language study.

There actually isn’t a huge volume of Mandarin learning textbooks out there, and Integrated Chinese is one of the most popular. I would definitely recommend it because it gives you the tools to learn on your own or with help, but I would also suggest consulting native speakers periodically in order to clear up misunderstandings that you may not have even realized were there.

1. to listen - 聽 - ting1

--audience - 聼眾 - ting1zhong4

--to eavesdrop - 竊聽 - qie4ting1

qie: secretly

2. to speak - 説 - shuo1

--to explain - 説明 - shuo1ming2

3. to read - 讀 - du2

--to decipher - 解讀 - jie3du2

4. to write - 寫 - xie3

--to fill out - 填寫 - tian2xie3

--to write down - 寫下 - xie3xia4

[indianyingyuannearyou]

ICLP - 分班測試Placement Test

So, we took a placement test last week because ICLP determines out classes and schedules for our first term. From the second term onward, we have the freedom to choose classes that interest us and/or are relevant to the path we’re trying to take with our Mandarin.

I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say about the placement test (I was super caught up in the half-English half-Chinese instructions on the listening portion and after that we launched directly into the reading portion 啊!), so I’ll keep it simple.

I would estimate that the listening and reading portions were fairly equal in length, with about an hour allotted to both. Depending on when you’d signed up to have it, there was also a 15-minute speaking portion where a couple of educators sort of interviewed you. I really liked that they asked questions about your interests in a way that was relevant to daily conversation. This allowed them to get to know you, which in turn helped them give you more suitable classes.

From what they told us, our placement in classes will be determined considering all 3 of these tests. And, because they are so thorough in their evaluations of our combined performance, this is the reason why it takes so long to receive our schedules (about a week and a half from the time the last placement exams were taken). 

1. placement test - 分班測試 - fen1ban1ce4shi4

fenban: to divide people into groups/teams/etc.

--[fractions] - 分之 - fen1zhi1 [ex. 1/100 = 百分之一]

ceshi: to test (students)

ce: to measure; to survey

--to attempt - 嘗試 - chang2shi4

[indianyingyuannearyou]

On the Bus

Me: *steps on

*bus starts moving, doors halfway open, haven't paid yet, shoe's untied, already gone 3 blocks, I left the stove on

Bus Driver: Hold on tight! Thank you~ :-)

[indianyingyuannearyou]

悠遊卡EasyCard

My friend had told me at least a few times before I arrived in Taiwan that the MRT/bus system was nothing to fret about and that it even operated similarly to if not better than that of SF. Well, she was right! Even though my friend was doing most of the mapping, I felt pretty comfortable wandering around Taipei with the knowledge that I was capable of GPS-ing a route back with the bus and/or train as viable options, even if it was going to take some time to find the stops. All of the characters are romanized on the street signs and on the interior LED announcements. The spelling on Google maps matches that of the signs, but it does throw me off sometimes that the they’re using Wade-Giles as instead of pinyin. That’ll take some getting used to, but I’m hoping that if I see them enough I’ll be able to look solely at the characters. 

Currently, my friend is letting me borrow his EasyCard until I get a student ID from my school which can also act as an EasyCard (although they don’t recommend it due to frequent use leading to wear and tear). You can add money to it in the MRT station, but if there isn’t one close by, you can also get it done at a 7-11, Family Mart, and a few other convenience stores I do not know the names of. 

I haven’t even been in Taiwan for a full day yet and I can already tell that the customer service workers are probably going to whip my Chinese into shape the fastest! As most in their positions do worldwide, they talk so quickly I barely have any time to process even a fraction of what I’ve just heard to get just a crumb to grasp onto. And it doesn’t help how unaccustomed I am to the Taiwanese Mandarin accent. With that said, I’ve been asking my friend what they say not only so that I can be ready with an answer in under 7 minutes, but also so that I can start to build some listening comprehension. Once I know what they’re saying, then I pinpoint the parts of the accent/rushed pieces I was having trouble with and make the proper adjustments in my head. So, here’s the conversation that happens when you’re adding money to your EasyCard:

我：我要加值。

售貨員：你要加值多少錢？

我：一百塊就好了。

I KNOW IT SEEMS SO SIMPLE BUT I SWEAR IT’S NOTTTT

[indianyingyuannearyou]

I looooove this song, it’s so beautiful. Especially the way they start on the same note and then split off into a harmony at certain parts. Overall it’s very simple yet still powerful! Anyways.....

When I’m translating for learning purposes (songs, tv shows, etc) I will generally use a notebook so that I can practice handwriting and character memorization as well. I’m doing this as a post just to share my own personal method of studying Chinese. Because this is a song, there is already access to the lyrics in English, characters, and pinyin unlike, for example, a movie which would involve rewinding as needed in order to confirm the dialogue (unless there are subtitles of course). Even with subtitles though, there is still the process of counting strokes to look up characters in a dictionary. Therefore, I find song study to be one of the easiest forms. 

bold = English lyrics

() = grammar

///// = explanation

Imperfect Child - 不完美小孩 - bu4wan2mei3 xiao3hai2 buwanmei: “not” + “complete/whole” + “beautiful”

VERSE 1:

When my smile is as bright as the sun

当我的笑灿烂像阳光 

dang1 wo3 de xiao4 can4lan4 xiang4 yang2guang1

Since I still tend to forget some characters, I will usually write out the entire line in pinyin so that when I’m reading for the context of a particular term it’ll go smoothly

canlan: to glitter

xiang: to resemble

yangguan: sunshine

Write out the definitions of words I don’t know or have forgotten -- I try to choose the definition most relevant for the context it’s coming from because then I’ll be able to look back and use it later.

When my dream has been splendidly fulfilled

当我的梦做的够漂亮

dang1 wo3 de meng4 zuo4 de gou4 piao4liang5

When I can’t fully understand the grammar, have no one to ask and/or don’t feel like asking nor looking it up, I’ll try to get a feel for it instead. It’s not always necessary to have a strict outline to follow. When looking at the English translation, I can understand the overall gist of the grammar and as it continues to come up, I’ll get a better grasp of it.

Only then will the world applaud for me

这世界才为我鼓掌 

zhe4 shi4jie4 cai2 wei4 wo3 gu3zheng3

(this world only-then for me applaud)

But only you worry if I’ll be hurt

只有你担心我受伤

zhi3you3 ni3 dan1xin1 wo3 shou4shang1

shoushang: to sustain injuries/be harmed

shou: to receive 

Breaking down the term by character gives me a fuller sense of its definition. Many Chinese words are combinations of characters, so I find that this also helps when I come across other words that include a character I’ve already encountered and looked up.

--to injure/harm - 傷害 - shang1hai4

Looking up other words with the same character not only expands my vocabulary, but in a way completes my understanding of the character. In most cases, Chinese words sharing a character will either have similar or related meanings.

The entire world is waiting for me to soar high

全世界在等我飞更高 

quan2shi4jie4 zai4 deng3 wo3 fei1 geng4 gao1

Yet you worry for my small, small wings

你却心疼我小小翅膀 

ni3 que4 xin1teng2 wo3 xiao3xiao3 chi4bang3 

que: yet [adverb]

xinteng: to love dearly; to feel sorry for

chibang: wings

And hold up a perch for me to rest

为我撑起沿途休息的地方

wei4 wo3 cheng1 qi3 yan2tu2 xiu1xi5 de di4fang1  

cheng: to support

qi: to rise

yantu: by the wayside

(for me hold up wayside rest 的 place)

When I must be like a perfect child

当我必须像个完美的小孩 

dang1 wo3 bi4xu1 xiang4 ge wan4mei3 de xiao3hai2

bixu: must/have to [adverb]

bi: certainly

--inevitable - 必然 - bi4ran2

xu: must

To fulfill everyone’s expectations

满足所有人的期待

man3zu2 suo3you3 ren2 de qi2dai4

manzu: satisfy/fulfill

--not satisfied - 不滿 - bu4man3

qidai: expectation

You seem to instead even further treasure-

你却好像，格外欣赏 

ni3 que4 hao3xiang4 ge2wai4 xin1shang3

gewai: especially/all the more

xinshang: appreciate/value

shang: view/admire

-my mistakes, my foolish self

我犯错犯傻的模样

wo3 fan4cuo4 fan2sha3 de mu2yang4

fancuo: mistake

--to commit crime - 犯罪 - fan4zui4

--prisoner/convict - 犯人 - fan4ren2

fansha: foolish

sha: stupid

shazi: idiot

CHORUS:

My imperfect dream--you dream it with me

我不完美的梦--你陪着我想  

wo3 bu4wan2mei3 de meng4 -- ni3 pei2zhe wo3 xiang3

pei: to accompany

My imperfect courage--you say it makes it braver

不完美的勇气--你说更勇敢

bu4wan2mei3 de yong3qi4 -- ni3 shuo1 geng4 yong3gan3

yongqi: courage/nerve

yong: brave

yonggan: brave/courageous

My imperfect tears--you laugh and wipe them away

不完美的泪--你笑着擦干

bu4wan2mei3 de lei4 -- ni3 xiao4zhe ca1gan1

lei: tears

--to shed tears - 流淚 - liu2lei4

cagan: to wipe dry

ca: to wipe

--to wipe clean w/ liquid - 擦洗 - ca1xi3

gan: dry

--biscuit/cracker/cookie - 餅乾 - bing3gan1

My imperfect songs--you can sing them all

不完美的歌 你都会唱 

bu4wan2mei3 de ge1 -- ni3 dou1 hui4 chang4

My imperfect worries--you worry about them as well

我不完美心事--你全放在心上

wo3 bu4wan2mei3 de xin1shi4 -- ni3 quan2 fang4 zai4 xin1 shang4zhe

xinshi: worry; “heart” + “matter”

(-- you yet put on heart -er)

This imperfect me--you always treat me as your treasure

这不完美的我 你总当作宝贝

zhe4 bu4wan2mei3 de wo3 -- ni3 zong3 dang1zuo4 bao3bei4

zong: always

dangzuo: to regard as

baobei: treasure

Even if the love you give me isn’t perfect, it’s the most beautiful thing

你给我的爱也许不完美，但却最美

ni3 gei3 wo3 de ai4 ye3xu3 bu4wan2mei3, dan4 que4 zui4 mei3

yexu: perhaps

VERSE 2

The entire world is hurrying me to grow up

全世界在催着我长大

quan2 shi4jie4 zai4 cui1 zhe wo3 zhang3 da4

cui: urge/hurry/press

 Yet you always hold me in your palms

你却总能捧我在手掌

ni3 que4 zong3 neng2 peng3 wo3 zai4 shou3zhang3

shouzhang: palm of the hand

Shielding me from those unknown storms

为我遮挡未知的那些风浪 

wei4 wo3 zhe1dang3 wei4zhi1 de na4xie1 feng1lang4

zhedang: to shelter

zhe: to hide from view

dang: to keep off; to ward off

weizhi: unkown (”not” + “know”)

When I try to become a perfect child

当我努力做个完美的小孩

dang1 wo3 nu3li4 zuo4 ge wan2mei3 de xiao3 hai2

To fulfill everyone’s expectations

满足所有人的期待

man3zu2 suo3you3 ren2 de qi2dai4

You still don’t speak your hopes

你却不讲你的愿望

ni3 que4 bu4 jiang3 ni3 de yuan4wang4

jiang: to speak

yuanwang: desire

--unwilling - 不願 - bu4yuan4

Afraid to add to the weight on my shoulders

怕增添我肩上重量

pa4 zeng1tian1 wo3 jian1 shang4 zhong4liang4

zengtian: to add

jian: shoulder

zhongliang: weight

--important - 重要 - zhong4yao4

--large in number/quantity - 大量 - da4liang4

CHORUS x2

**Something to keep in mind with studying songs is the poetic license artists can take with grammar and words because it means it may not reflect actual usage when speaking**

Sources:

Lyrics: http://topologicalinvariance.blogspot.com/2015/12/trans-tfboys-imperfect-child-lyrics.html

https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary

https://www.pleco.com/