ABOUT THE SPEAKER
ShaoLan Hsueh - Technologist, entrepreneur
ShaoLan want to help people understand China's culture and language, and to bridge the gap between East and West.

Why you should listen

ShaoLan is an entrepreneur, angel investor, geek, writer, traveller and dreamer. She is the founder and creator of Chineasy, which she launched after her TED Talk in Long Beach, California in 2013.

In just over three years, she has built Chineasy into one of the most popular methods of learning Chinese across the Internet with several hundred thousand fellow learners. Her first book, Chineasy, The New Way to Read Chinese, was launched in March 2014 and has been translated into 18 languages. Her next book, Chineasy Everyday, was launched in March 2016.

ShaoLan is a tech entrepreneur with extensive business experience. At the age of 22, while studying for her MBA, she wrote four best-selling books on software in Taiwan, and her books were bundled by Microsoft. She co-founded pAsia, one of the major players on Internet in Asia in 1990’s. After a second masters degree at the University of Cambridge, she began Caravel Capital in 2005 to advise young tech companies.

Chineasy represents a return for ShaoLan to her artistic upbringing and in many ways a design project. This project is the culmination of her life’s journey through the East and West. Her aim is to help people to understand China, Chinese culture, its language and to bridge the gap between East and West. Her next step is to help Chinese children to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of their own language. 

 

More profile about the speaker
ShaoLan Hsueh | Speaker | TED.com
TED2013

ShaoLan: Learn to read Chinese ... with ease!

ShaoLan Hsueh: Legu la ĉinan... facile!

Filmed:
4,781,742 views

Por fremduloj, lerni kiel paroli la ĉinan estas ja malfacile. Sed legi la belegajn, ofte malsimplajn ideogramojn de la lingvo povas esti pli facile. ShaoLan demonstras simplan metodon, kiu ebligas rekoni la ideojn sin kaŝintajn en la simbolojn, kaj per kelkaj simplaj formoj atingi pli abstraktajn konceptojn.
- Technologist, entrepreneur
ShaoLan want to help people understand China's culture and language, and to bridge the gap between East and West. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Growing up in Taiwan
0
754
2056
Mi kreskis en Tajvano
00:14
as the daughter of a calligrapher,
1
2810
1612
kie mia patro estis kaligrafo.
00:16
one of my most treasured memories
2
4422
2368
Unu el miaj plej ŝatataj memoraĵoj
00:18
was my mother showing me the beauty, the shape
3
6790
3093
estas pri mia patrino montrante la formon
00:21
and the form of Chinese characters.
4
9883
2633
kaj belecon de la ĉinaj ideogramoj.
00:24
Ever since then, I was fascinated
5
12516
2507
De tiam, tiu nekredebla lingvo
00:27
by this incredible language.
6
15023
2662
fascinas min. Bedaŭrinde,
00:29
But to an outsider, it seems to be
7
17685
2735
por fremduloj, ĝi ŝajnas tiel
00:32
as impenetrable as the Great Wall of China.
8
20420
3509
nepenetrebla kiel la Ĉinia Murego.
00:35
Over the past few years, I've been wondering
9
23929
2375
Dum kelkaj jaroj, mi demandis min,
00:38
if I can break down this wall,
10
26304
2052
ĉu mi eblus disfaligi tiun muregon,
00:40
so anyone who wants to understand and appreciate
11
28356
2594
por ke kiu ajn volas kompreni kaj ĝui
00:42
the beauty of this sophisticated language could do so.
12
30950
3908
la belecon de tiu rafinita lingvo povu tion fari.
00:46
I started thinking about how a new, fast method
13
34858
4312
Mi ekpripensis kiel nova, rapida metodo
00:51
of learning Chinese might be useful.
14
39170
2848
por lerni la ĉina povus utili.
00:54
Since the age of five, I started to learn how to draw
15
42018
3986
Je mia kvina jaro, mi eklernis kiel desegni
00:58
every single stroke for each character
16
46004
3005
ĉiun individuan strekon por ĉiu ideogramo
01:01
in the correct sequence.
17
49009
2544
laŭ la taŭga ordo.
01:03
I learned new characters every day
18
51553
2057
Mi lernis novajn ideogramojn ĉiutage
01:05
during the course of the next 15 years.
19
53610
2727
dum la sekvantaj 15 jaroj.
01:08
Since we only have five minutes,
20
56337
2120
Sed ni havas nur kvin minutojn,
01:10
it's better that we have a fast and simpler way.
21
58457
3635
do prefere ni volas pli rapidan metodon.
01:14
A Chinese scholar would understand 20,000 characters.
22
62092
3525
Ĉinia klerulo kutime eblas kompreni
20 000 ideogramojn.
01:17
You only need 1,000 to understand the basic literacy.
23
65617
5112
Por baza legadpovo, oni bezonas nur 1000.
01:22
The top 200 will allow you to comprehend
24
70729
4016
La ĉefa 200 ebligas onin kompreni
01:26
40 percent of basic literature --
25
74745
2896
40 elcenton de la baza legaĵaro --
01:29
enough to read road signs, restaurant menus,
26
77641
2876
sufiĉe por vojsignaloj, manĝokartoj,
01:32
to understand the basic idea of the web pages
27
80517
3004
por la bazaj ideoj de retpaĝaroj
01:35
or the newspapers.
28
83521
1939
aŭ gazetoj.
01:37
Today I'm going to start with eight
29
85460
2199
Hodiaŭ, mi komencos per ok
01:39
to show you how the method works.
30
87659
1892
por demonstri kiel funckias la metodo.
01:41
You are ready?
31
89551
1921
Ĉu vi pretas?
01:43
Open your mouth as wide as possible
32
91472
2683
Malfermu la buŝon kiel eble plej grande
01:46
until it's square.
33
94155
2046
-- igu ĝin kvadrato.
01:48
You get a mouth.
34
96201
2682
Jen buŝo.
01:50
This is a person going for a walk.
35
98883
3088
Jen iu, kiu piediras.
01:53
Person.
36
101971
3131
Homo.
01:57
If the shape of the fire is a person
37
105102
2709
La ideogramo por fajro montras homon
01:59
with two arms on both sides,
38
107811
2270
levantan ambaŭ brakojn,
02:02
as if she was yelling frantically,
39
110081
2170
kvazaŭ li freneze kriegus,
02:04
"Help! I'm on fire!" --
40
112251
3553
"Helpu! Brulas mi!" --
02:07
This symbol actually is originally from the shape of the flame,
41
115804
4167
Origine, ĝi devenas el la formo de flamoj,
02:11
but I like to think that way. Whichever works for you.
42
119971
3813
sed mi preferas mian vidmanieron. Elektu.
02:15
This is a tree.
43
123784
2259
Jen arbo.
02:18
Tree.
44
126043
2098
Arbo.
02:20
This is a mountain.
45
128141
4425
Jen monto.
02:24
The sun.
46
132566
2601
La suno.
02:29
The moon.
47
137458
4654
La luno.
02:34
The symbol of the door
48
142112
1975
La simbolo pri pordo similas al pordoj
02:36
looks like a pair of saloon doors in the wild west.
49
144087
5706
de drinkejoj en kinaĵoj pri la fora okcidento.
02:41
I call these eight characters radicals.
50
149793
3738
Mi nomas tiujn ok radikvortoj.
02:45
They are the building blocks
51
153531
1766
Ili estas ilvortoj, kiuj ebligas
02:47
for you to create lots more characters.
52
155297
4130
krei multajn aliajn ideogramojn.
02:51
A person.
53
159427
1738
Homo.
02:53
If someone walks behind, that is "to follow."
54
161165
4268
Kun alia malantaŭ, ĝi signifas "sekvi".
02:57
As the old saying goes,
55
165433
2128
Kiel asertas la proverbo,
02:59
two is company, three is a crowd.
56
167561
3726
du estas kunuleco, sed tri, amaso.
03:03
If a person stretched their arms wide,
57
171287
2915
Etendante la brakojn ambaŭflanke,
03:06
this person is saying, "It was this big."
58
174202
4647
tiu homo diras: "Tiel grande".
03:10
The person inside the mouth, the person is trapped.
59
178849
3848
Ene de buŝo, tiu homo estas malliberulo,
03:14
He's a prisoner, just like Jonah inside the whale.
60
182697
5846
ĝuste kiel Jona en la baleno.
03:20
One tree is a tree. Two trees together, we have the woods.
61
188543
3494
Unu arbo estas arbo. Du estas arbareto.
03:24
Three trees together, we create the forest.
62
192037
3556
Per tri, oni kreas arbaron.
03:27
Put a plank underneath the tree, we have the foundation.
63
195593
4072
Metu tabulon sub arbo... jen fondaĵo.
03:31
Put a mouth on the top of the tree, that's "idiot." (Laughter)
64
199665
4135
Buŝo super arbo... jen "stultulo" (Ridoj)
03:35
Easy to remember,
65
203800
2081
Facile memoreblas,
03:37
since a talking tree is pretty idiotic.
66
205881
4942
ĉar parolpova arbo -- kia stultaĵo.
03:42
Remember fire?
67
210823
2042
Ĉu vi memoras pri la fajro?
03:44
Two fires together, I get really hot.
68
212865
2661
Du fajroj kune, kaj mi tre varmas.
03:47
Three fires together, that's a lot of flames.
69
215526
2859
Tri kune, estas multe da flamoj.
03:50
Set the fire underneath the two trees, it's burning.
70
218385
4601
Metu fajron sub du arboj... "Brulado".
03:54
For us, the sun is the source of prosperity.
71
222986
3092
Por ni, la suno estas fonto de prospero.
03:58
Two suns together, prosperous.
72
226078
2179
Du sunoj kune signifas "Prospera".
04:00
Three together, that's sparkles.
73
228257
2358
Tri kune, "Fajreroj".
04:02
Put the sun and the moon shining together,
74
230615
2021
Kunigu la sunon kaj la lunon,
04:04
it's brightness.
75
232636
1308
jen "Klareco",
04:05
It also means tomorrow, after a day and a night.
76
233944
4225
sed ankaŭ "Morgaŭ", post tago kaj nokto.
04:10
The sun is coming up above the horizon. Sunrise.
77
238169
4483
Leviĝas la suno ĉe la hozironto. Sunleviĝo.
04:14
A door. Put a plank inside the door,
78
242652
3103
Pordo. Metu lignopecon malantaŭ,
04:17
it's a door bolt.
79
245755
2057
kaj jen bartrabo.
04:19
Put a mouth inside the door, asking questions.
80
247812
2964
Ĉi-flanke de la pordo, jen buŝo farante demandojn.
04:22
Knock knock. Is anyone home?
81
250776
3331
Frap-frap... Ĉu iu ĉeestas?
04:26
This person is sneaking out of a door,
82
254107
2888
Tiu ĉi ulo ŝtelpaŝe eliras tra pordo.
04:28
escaping, evading.
83
256995
2832
Li eskapas.
04:31
On the left, we have a woman.
84
259827
2153
Maldekstre estas virino.
04:33
Two women together, they have an argument.
85
261980
2162
Du virinoj signifas "Disputo".
04:36
(Laughter)
86
264142
2133
(Ridoj)
04:38
Three women together, be careful, it's adultery.
87
266275
6518
Tri virinoj, atentu, tio signifas "Adulto".
04:44
So we have gone through almost 30 characters.
88
272793
3509
Nu, ni ĵus vidis preskaŭ 30 ideogramojn.
04:48
By using this method, the first eight radicals
89
276302
3337
Per tiu ĉi metodo, la unuaj ok radikoj
04:51
will allow you to build 32.
90
279639
2001
ebligos vin konstrui 32.
04:53
The next group of eight characters
91
281640
1763
La sekvanta aro de ok ideogramoj
04:55
will build an extra 32.
92
283403
2192
rezultigas 32 aldonajn.
04:57
So with very little effort,
93
285595
2302
Do sen tro granda strebo
04:59
you will be able to learn a couple hundred characters,
94
287897
2266
vi povas lerni kelkcentojn da simboloj,
05:02
which is the same as a Chinese eight-year-old.
95
290163
2552
same kiel faras okjaruloj en Ĉinio.
05:04
So after we know the characters, we start building phrases.
96
292715
3547
Poste, per kunmetado de simboloj, oni faras frazojn.
05:08
For example, the mountain and the fire together,
97
296262
2697
Ekzemple, kunmetante "Monton" kaj "Fajron",
05:10
we have fire mountain. It's a volcano.
98
298959
2928
oni kreas "Fajrmonton", aŭ "Vulkanon".
05:13
We know Japan is the land of the rising sun.
99
301887
3320
Japanio estas la lando de la leviĝanta suno.
05:17
This is a sun placed with the origin,
100
305207
3418
Jen "Suno" kaj "Deveno" kunmetitaj,
05:20
because Japan lies to the east of China.
101
308625
3127
ĉar Japanio kuŝas oriente de Ĉinio.
05:23
So a sun, origin together, we build Japan.
102
311752
3890
Do, de kie ekaperas la suno? De Japanio.
05:27
A person behind Japan, what do we get?
103
315642
2958
Kaj kio signifas "Homo" kaj Japanio"?
05:30
A Japanese person.
104
318600
3102
"Japano".
05:33
The character on the left is two mountains
105
321702
2801
La simbolo maldekstre estas "Du montoj"
05:36
stacked on top of each other.
106
324503
2107
stakigitaj unu sur la alian.
05:38
In ancient China, that means in exile,
107
326610
3217
En praa Ĉinio, ĝi signifis "Ekzilo",
05:41
because Chinese emperors, they put their political enemies
108
329827
2438
ĉar la imperiestroj kutimis ekzili
siajn politikajn malamikojn
05:44
in exile beyond mountains.
109
332265
2371
transmontare.
05:46
Nowadays, exile has turned into getting out.
110
334636
5011
Hodiaŭ, "Ekzilo" fariĝis "Eliri".
05:51
A mouth which tells you where to get out
111
339647
2571
Buŝo dirante kien eliri
05:54
is an exit.
112
342218
1928
estas "Elirejo".
05:56
This is a slide to remind me that I should stop talking
113
344146
3641
Kaj tiu ĉi bildo estas signalo por mi silenti
05:59
and get off of the stage. Thank you.
114
347787
1883
kaj eliri tutsimple. Dankon.
06:01
(Applause)
115
349670
3969
(Aplaŭdoj)
Translated by Stéphane Brault
Reviewed by Karine Breault

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
ShaoLan Hsueh - Technologist, entrepreneur
ShaoLan want to help people understand China's culture and language, and to bridge the gap between East and West.

Why you should listen

ShaoLan is an entrepreneur, angel investor, geek, writer, traveller and dreamer. She is the founder and creator of Chineasy, which she launched after her TED Talk in Long Beach, California in 2013.

In just over three years, she has built Chineasy into one of the most popular methods of learning Chinese across the Internet with several hundred thousand fellow learners. Her first book, Chineasy, The New Way to Read Chinese, was launched in March 2014 and has been translated into 18 languages. Her next book, Chineasy Everyday, was launched in March 2016.

ShaoLan is a tech entrepreneur with extensive business experience. At the age of 22, while studying for her MBA, she wrote four best-selling books on software in Taiwan, and her books were bundled by Microsoft. She co-founded pAsia, one of the major players on Internet in Asia in 1990’s. After a second masters degree at the University of Cambridge, she began Caravel Capital in 2005 to advise young tech companies.

Chineasy represents a return for ShaoLan to her artistic upbringing and in many ways a design project. This project is the culmination of her life’s journey through the East and West. Her aim is to help people to understand China, Chinese culture, its language and to bridge the gap between East and West. Her next step is to help Chinese children to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of their own language. 

 

More profile about the speaker
ShaoLan Hsueh | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee