ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Chinese language

Hi there! So, Chinese language is a way of talking and writing that people in China use. Lots of people in other countries also speak Chinese as a second language because it is so widely spoken and useful for business and travel.

Now, Chinese is a little different from other languages you might know because it uses a different writing system. Instead of letters, words are written using characters. Each character represents a different word, but there are thousands of characters to learn!

Chinese also has different tones, which means the way you say a word can change its meaning. Think of it like saying "I love you" with a happy voice versus an angry voice - the tone changes the meaning. In Chinese, there are four different tones that give different meanings to words.

Overall, Chinese can be a bit challenging to learn because of the characters and tones, but it's also a fascinating language with a rich history and culture.