Introducing Chinese language from an aspect

Chinese is a sentimental race. The most different character from other sensitive race is we use pictograph or say hieroglyph.
We knew the patten of existence determined by circumstance, The forests and mountains surround the environment which we developed from are more than Europeans who mostly surrounded by water.
Clearly, the distance the sound transmitted on opening water surface certainly far away from where it would be obstructed by hill or woods, this is the reason why Europeans developed a phoneticized language.

However, what if we want to make a communication, some trace remained is a nature way of indicating or pointing something. Otherwise, making some symbol others can see it is a better way than loudly noising which adapt on sea in cooperated hunting. So in China, we say a silent baby is a good baby, whereas in West, a good baby is a baby who can express clearly.

Since we developed pictograph, abundant pronunciation is no longer needed. Therefor, you are seeing many words pronounced same in Chinese if you have been learning Chinese. But how can one identified so many same pronunciation in variant meaning? The results are different intonation.

We have four intonations: raising, level, turn and falling.
For example, we pronounced Xue Xiao which could be presented two meanings, one is 学校 pronounced raising and falling tone means school, another is 雪鸮 pronounced turning and level tone means snow owl.

Of course, our language is not fostered for identification of meaning via sound but for a kind of graceful listening. It is very easier to rhyme in poem compare to any West language. By our standard, what was written by Shakespear shouldn't be called poem but merely a colloquial vernacular.

I hope these I written can be little useful for your understand on Chinese.

Originally posted by emile
By our standard, what was written by Shakespear shouldn't be called poem but merely a colloquial vernacular.

By our standard, what the Chinese call language shouldn't be called communication but ringing of chimes.

That's a joke, but I hope it makes a point.

Thanks for what you have written about Chinese. It gives me an insight into the people and the language. Italian is the singing language of the West. From what you write, I see that Chinese must be the singing language of the East.