Why I Started Learning Chinese

很多人问我：“你是摩洛哥人，为什么学汉语？”

Hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) rén (second tone, rising) wèn (fourth tone, falling) wǒ: (third tone, dipping) “Nǐ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) Móluògē (second tone, rising) rén, (second tone, rising) wèishénme (fourth tone, falling) xué (second tone, rising) Hànyǔ?” (fourth tone, falling)

People often ask me, “You are Moroccan — why learn Chinese?”

我一般笑着说：“因为一家小商店。”

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yìbān (fourth tone, falling) xiào (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Yīnwèi (first tone, high and level) yì (fourth tone, falling) jiā (first tone, high and level) xiǎo (third tone, dipping) shāngdiàn.” (first tone, high and level)

I usually smile and answer, “Because of a little shop.”

我从小住在卡萨布兰卡的一条老街上。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) cóngxiǎo (second tone, rising) zhù (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) Kǎsàbùlánkǎ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) yì (fourth tone, falling) tiáo (second tone, rising) lǎo (third tone, dipping) jiē (first tone, high and level) shang. (neutral tone)

I grew up on an old street in Casablanca.

我家旁边有一家中国人开的小商店。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiā (first tone, high and level) pángbiān (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) yì (fourth tone, falling) jiā (first tone, high and level) Zhōngguó (first tone, high and level) rén (second tone, rising) kāi (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) xiǎo (third tone, dipping) shāngdiàn. (first tone, high and level)

Next door to us was a small shop kept by a Chinese family.

开商店的是一位姓陈的先生，我们都叫他陈叔叔。

Kāi (first tone, high and level) shāngdiàn (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shì (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) wèi (fourth tone, falling) xìng (fourth tone, falling) Chén (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) xiānsheng, (first tone, high and level) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) dōu (first tone, high and level) jiào (fourth tone, falling) tā (first tone, high and level) Chén (second tone, rising) shūshu. (first tone, high and level)

The shopkeeper was a Mr Chen, whom we all called Uncle Chen.

我八岁的时候，常常去那儿买东西。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) bā (first tone, high and level) suì (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) chángcháng (second tone, rising) qù (fourth tone, falling) nàr (fourth tone, falling) mǎi (third tone, dipping) dōngxi. (first tone, high and level)

When I was eight I was in and out of that shop all the time.

陈叔叔总是笑着跟我说几句汉语，然后让我说一遍。

Chén (second tone, rising) shūshu (first tone, high and level) zǒngshì (third tone, dipping) xiào (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) gēn (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuō (first tone, high and level) jǐ (third tone, dipping) jù (fourth tone, falling) Hànyǔ, (fourth tone, falling) ránhòu (second tone, rising) ràng (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuō (first tone, high and level) yí (second tone, rising) biàn. (fourth tone, falling)

Uncle Chen would always say a few words of Chinese to me, smiling, and then have me repeat them.

那时候我不知道那些话是什么意思，但是我觉得很好听。

Nà (fourth tone, falling) shíhou (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) bù (fourth tone, falling) zhīdào (first tone, high and level) nàxiē (fourth tone, falling) huà (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) shénme (second tone, rising) yìsi, (fourth tone, falling) dànshì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) juéde (second tone, rising) hěn (third tone, dipping) hǎotīng. (third tone, dipping)

I had no idea what any of it meant, but I thought it sounded beautiful.

后来他教我一到十怎么说，我用了一个星期才学会。

Hòulái (fourth tone, falling) tā (first tone, high and level) jiāo (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yī (first tone, high and level) dào (fourth tone, falling) shí (second tone, rising) zěnme (third tone, dipping) shuō, (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yòng (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) xīngqī (first tone, high and level) cái (second tone, rising) xuéhuì. (second tone, rising)

Later he taught me one to ten, and it took me a whole week to get them right.

十岁那年，我在电视上看了一个中国电影。

Shí (second tone, rising) suì (fourth tone, falling) nà (fourth tone, falling) nián, (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) diànshì (fourth tone, falling) shang (neutral tone) kàn (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) Zhōngguó (first tone, high and level) diànyǐng. (fourth tone, falling)

The year I turned ten, I watched a Chinese film on television.

电影里的人说的话，我一句也听不懂，可是我一直看到最后。

Diànyǐng (fourth tone, falling) lǐ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) shuō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) huà, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yí (second tone, rising) jù (fourth tone, falling) yě (third tone, dipping) tīng (first tone, high and level) bu (neutral tone) dǒng, (third tone, dipping) kěshì (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yìzhí (fourth tone, falling) kàn (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling) zuìhòu. (fourth tone, falling)

I could not understand a single line of it, and yet I watched to the very end.

那天晚上我告诉爸爸：“我以后要学中文。”

Nà (fourth tone, falling) tiān (first tone, high and level) wǎnshang (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) gàosu (fourth tone, falling) bàba: (fourth tone, falling) “Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yǐhòu (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) xué (second tone, rising) Zhōngwén.” (first tone, high and level)

That evening I told my father, “One day I am going to learn Chinese.”

爸爸没有笑我，他说：“世界很大，多一门语言，多一条路。”

Bàba (fourth tone, falling) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) xiào (fourth tone, falling) wǒ, (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Shìjiè (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) dà, (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) yì (fourth tone, falling) mén (second tone, rising) yǔyán, (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) yì (fourth tone, falling) tiáo (second tone, rising) lù.” (fourth tone, falling)

He did not laugh at me. He said, “The world is wide. One more language is one more road.”

上大学的时候，我们学校正好开了汉语课。

Shàng (fourth tone, falling) dàxué (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) xuéxiào (second tone, rising) zhènghǎo (fourth tone, falling) kāi (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) Hànyǔ (fourth tone, falling) kè. (fourth tone, falling)

By the time I got to university, it had just opened a Chinese course.

第一节课，老师在黑板上写了我的中文名字：阿明。

Dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) jié (second tone, rising) kè, (fourth tone, falling) lǎoshī (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) hēibǎn (first tone, high and level) shang (neutral tone) xiě (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) Zhōngwén (first tone, high and level) míngzi: (second tone, rising) Ā (neutral tone) Míng. (second tone, rising)

In the first lesson the teacher wrote my Chinese name on the board: 阿明.

我看着那两个字，突然觉得自己跟这个语言有了关系。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) nà (fourth tone, falling) liǎng (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) zì, (fourth tone, falling) tūrán (first tone, high and level) juéde (second tone, rising) zìjǐ (fourth tone, falling) gēn (first tone, high and level) zhège (fourth tone, falling) yǔyán (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) guānxi. (first tone, high and level)

Looking at those two characters, I suddenly felt I had a claim on the language.

刚开始的时候，汉字和声音都很难，我写一个字要写很多遍。

Gāng (first tone, high and level) kāishǐ (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) Hànzì (fourth tone, falling) hé (second tone, rising) shēngyīn (first tone, high and level) dōu (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) nán, (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiě (third tone, dipping) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) zì (fourth tone, falling) yào (fourth tone, falling) xiě (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) biàn. (fourth tone, falling)

At the start both the characters and the sounds were hard; I had to write each character many times over.

有几次我也想放弃，尤其是在考试以前。

Yǒu (third tone, dipping) jǐ (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yě (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) fàngqì, (fourth tone, falling) yóuqí (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) kǎoshì (third tone, dipping) yǐqián. (third tone, dipping)

More than once I wanted to give up, especially before exams.

但是每次想到陈叔叔和爸爸的话，我就坚持下来了。

Dànshì (fourth tone, falling) měi (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) dào (fourth tone, falling) Chén (second tone, rising) shūshu (first tone, high and level) hé (second tone, rising) bàba (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) huà, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) jiānchí (first tone, high and level) xiàlái (fourth tone, falling) le. (neutral tone)

But each time I thought of Uncle Chen and of my father’s words, I kept going.

大学毕业以后，我决定来中国，看看这个我学了很多年的国家。

Dàxué (fourth tone, falling) bìyè (fourth tone, falling) yǐhòu, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) juédìng (second tone, rising) lái (second tone, rising) Zhōngguó, (first tone, high and level) kànkan (fourth tone, falling) zhège (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xué (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) nián (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) guójiā. (second tone, rising)

After graduating I decided to come to China and see the country I had been studying for so many years.

现在我在北京生活，可以用汉语跟别人交流，也可以自己去医院、银行办事。

Xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) Běijīng (third tone, dipping) shēnghuó, (first tone, high and level) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) yòng (fourth tone, falling) Hànyǔ (fourth tone, falling) gēn (first tone, high and level) biéren (second tone, rising) jiāoliú, (first tone, high and level) yě (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) zìjǐ (fourth tone, falling) qù (fourth tone, falling) yīyuàn, (first tone, high and level) yínháng (second tone, rising) bàn (fourth tone, falling) shì. (fourth tone, falling)

Now I live in Beijing, talk to people in Chinese, and deal with hospitals and banks on my own.

我还发现，学一种语言不只是学词语和语法。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) hái (second tone, rising) fāxiàn, (first tone, high and level) xué (second tone, rising) yì (fourth tone, falling) zhǒng (third tone, dipping) yǔyán (third tone, dipping) bù (fourth tone, falling) zhǐ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) xué (second tone, rising) cíyǔ (second tone, rising) hé (second tone, rising) yǔfǎ. (third tone, dipping)

I have also discovered that learning a language is not only learning words and grammar.

你会开始理解另一个地方的人怎么想、怎么生活。

Nǐ (third tone, dipping) huì (fourth tone, falling) kāishǐ (first tone, high and level) lǐjiě (third tone, dipping) lìng (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) dìfang (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) zěnme (third tone, dipping) xiǎng, (third tone, dipping) zěnme (third tone, dipping) shēnghuó. (first tone, high and level)

You begin to understand how people somewhere else think and live.

去年夏天我回家的时候，又去了那家小商店，跟陈叔叔说了很长时间的汉语。

Qùnián (fourth tone, falling) xiàtiān (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) huí (second tone, rising) jiā (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) yòu (fourth tone, falling) qù (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) nà (fourth tone, falling) jiā (first tone, high and level) xiǎo (third tone, dipping) shāngdiàn, (first tone, high and level) gēn (first tone, high and level) Chén (second tone, rising) shūshu (first tone, high and level) shuō (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) cháng (second tone, rising) shíjiān (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) Hànyǔ. (fourth tone, falling)

When I went home last summer I called at the little shop again and spoke Chinese with Uncle Chen for a long time.

他听完以后，笑着对我说：“真好，那时候我教你的话，你都记住了。”

Tā (first tone, high and level) tīng (first tone, high and level) wán (second tone, rising) yǐhòu, (third tone, dipping) xiào (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) duì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Zhēn (first tone, high and level) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) nà (fourth tone, falling) shíhou (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiāo (first tone, high and level) nǐ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) huà, (fourth tone, falling) nǐ (third tone, dipping) dōu (first tone, high and level) jìzhù (fourth tone, falling) le.” (neutral tone)

When I had finished he smiled and said, “Wonderful — you remembered every word I taught you back then.”