[Mr.GoodThread]

I know a few years ago I saw that there was a boom of folks learning Chinese. The country is in a current growth period. The economy is growing.

How many of you tried to learn and are currently learning? Did it help you become more successful with women and in business? Or do you think you would've been as successful with Chinese women and in Chinese business even if you didn't learn the language?

[Fortis]

I don't speak chinese, but I know for a fact I'd be fucking more and be fucking hotter chicks if I spoke chinese. I am not so sure what I'd be doing on the business front, but it doesn't hurt to know chinese.

[churros]

There needs to be some penalty for amount of dupe threads on here

thread-21588...t=mandarin

thread-10566...t=mandarin

Use the search function, Mr. Goodthread

[Seth_Rose]

(07-12-2016 07:37 PM)churros Wrote:  

There needs to be some penalty for amount of dupe threads on here

thread-21588...t=mandarin

thread-10566...t=mandarin

Use the search function, Mr. Goodthread

The irony...

[Independent1]

For most industries, any Chinese skills that aren't business level will not help you. It's either you're good enough to do business meetings in Chinese at a business level, or not. Anything less than business level can still help a lot with day to day situations, although from a business/corporate view it doesn't.

I'm always asking myself, is it worth me dedicating so much time to learn Chinese to a decent level or could that time be put into other things that will generate more value?

[Space Cowboy]

Learning any language is economically worthless unless you have a detailed plan on utilizing it. For example, learning Chinese has been beneficial to me because I've been living in the country. I have learned Spanish but that has not been economically beneficial in any way.

Learning how to hit a golf ball online doesn't mean shit unless you go out and play golf with the knowledge you learned.

[Fortis]

^ Pretty much. I know a lot of Foreigners who can't even say "hello" in Chinese but they are making $$$ because they have a business idea that is viable in China.

Meanwhile, I know tons of guys who speak Chinese and studied it in university and haven't even broken $2,000 monthly after 10 years in china.

I'd focus on hard skills first.

Speaking Chinese in china alone isn't enough (anymore) to ensure a spot in a good company unless you bring Chinese skills + hard skills and do something like Suits is doing: High-level teaching and using his chinese skills to find clients that non-chinese speakers can't get at.

Even then, you are still competing with foreign born chinese people who speak better chinese than you and are smarter than you.

If you're learning chinese to "do business" make sure that you actually have an air tight idea. Otherwise you'll end up like those dudes who speak perfect chinese but struggle to make ends meet every month.

[Independent1]

(07-13-2016 02:59 AM)Fortis Wrote:  

^ Pretty much. I know a lot of Foreigners who can't even say "hello" in Chinese but they are making $$$ because they have a business idea that is viable in China.

Meanwhile, I know tons of guys who speak Chinese and studied it in university and haven't even broken $2,000 monthly after 10 years in china.

I'd focus on hard skills first.

Speaking Chinese in china alone isn't enough (anymore) to ensure a spot in a good company unless you bring Chinese skills + hard skills and do something like Suits is doing: High-level teaching and using his chinese skills to find clients that non-chinese speakers can't get at.

Even then, you are still competing with foreign born chinese people who speak better chinese than you and are smarter than you.

If you're learning chinese to "do business" make sure that you actually have an air tight idea. Otherwise you'll end up like those dudes who speak perfect chinese but struggle to make ends meet every month.

Agree with your points on Chinese language.

I'm just curious how those people you know fail to earn more than 13k RMB a month after being here 10 years though...

[Fortis]

^ I am exaggerating.

But let me put it to you this way. I had a coworker who lived in Beijing for 10 years and never went beyond teaching english for someone else. He never started his own business or anything. He capped out in that company at like 15k RMB. He could speak good chinese and was pretty fucking bright.

That is why I am so adamant about hard skills.

Coming to China and speaking Chinese and expect a job because you speak Chinese is like going to America and expecting a company to employ you just because you can speak the language. It isn't a good strategy and you will suffer in the long term.

That said, learn Chinese. It's super fucking useful. You will bang SO many more chicks based on your language skills. All the best players in China speak solid Chinese. Also, many foreigners love to employ bilingual westerners over bilingual Chinese because of shared culture, so it will help you to speak Chinese.

I'd LOVE to have a business here where my team was full of perfectly bilingual foreigners. There would be so much less silly bullshit you'd deal with.

My verdict:

Learn Chinese to make your life in china easier, don't just learn Chinese because you think you'll magically be able to work for a company because you speak Chinese.

Much of this conclusion is based off the observations of some friends who have been in china for 10+ years, so I'm not just pulling this out of my ass.

[Mr.GoodThread]

Thanks for the info. fellas. I think the answer that I was looking for was somewhat touched upon in the 2nd to 3rd reply. If you are a Beta male, weak, and a loser in your own home country, then learning Chinese will only make you a good Chinese speaker. It will not make you a lady slaying pimp. A person needs those "hard skills" first.

I am still hoping to learn Japanese first anyway, but I think about Chinese sometimes because I live in New York, and I see so many Chinese walking around all the time (I live near a Chinatown). I think it would be nice to get the insider info., make deals, and do all sorts of unadvertised stuff with the locals just because I know the local's language.

[TravelerKai]

NYC Chinatown is full of Cantonese speakers. Some Mandarin speakers around, but not like the amount inside the non-cantonese restaurants that are scattered around.

[Rang off the Pipe]

He never specified which part of the city, but Kai is absolutely right there. Flushing is the the place to find the most diversity when it comes to the many regions of China. However, there are many Mandarin speakers (Mainland China or otherwise) who come to the city for classes and/or work. It's just a matter of getting into the right social circles (typically networking events and language groups), to run into these people. Believe me, there are many.

[Fortis]

(07-13-2016 08:10 AM)Mr.GoodThread Wrote:  

Thanks for the info. fellas. I think the answer that I was looking for was somewhat touched upon in the 2nd to 3rd reply. If you are a Beta male, weak, and a loser in your own home country, then learning Chinese will only make you a good Chinese speaker. It will not make you a lady slaying pimp. A person needs those "hard skills" first.

Rewind

No one said you need to have hard skills to fuck chicks. Remember, china is a conservative country that doesn't have a huge player scene, so beta nerds CAN (and do) do well here. I know a few fat white guys who would not get laid back home who have more dates than they have time for coming their way.

This segues into a larger point. You don't (and shouldn't) bring too many western game principles to the game here or you'll end up with your dick in your hand. You don't need to be very alpha to get laid here. In fact, being too alpha might make you seem like a player and the chick will bounce.

There are a bunch of beta english teachers who have 0 hard skills but slay chinese girls. Honestly, banging chinese girls isn't that fucking hard.

Approach (or use online) and grind it out. You'll have a harem of 2-3 girls in a month if you grind it out.

The discussion of hard skills pertains to money in china. If you wanna make serious bank you better start your english business or come here with skills that the locals don't have.

[ElFlaco]

(07-13-2016 10:54 AM)Fortis Wrote:  

The discussion of hard skills pertains to money in china. If you wanna make serious bank you better start your english business or come here with skills that the locals don't have.

This is true in other countries as well. You need to add something to the mix other than being bilingual: some specific professional skill or expertise. For example: engineer + bilingual.

This same principle applies if your second language is English. If being bilingual in English is all you have, you may find yourself working for peanuts in hospitality/tourism or in a Dickensian call center. I once had a bilingual American doorman who was earning $300 USD a month working shifts of 24-hours on, 24-hours off. That tells you something about the magical options that opened up to him just for being bilingual. He almost lost it when his iPod got stolen during a bathroom break.

[Space Cowboy]

But really, don't rely on knowledge of a second language to land you a job. You can't learn Chinese well enough without already living here for half a decade or so. Use it to help survive and navigate in the country, use it to befriend locals, use it to show that you're not a complete fuck up.

[TravelerKai]

(07-13-2016 10:27 AM)Rang off the Pipe Wrote:  

He never specified which part of the city, but Kai is absolutely right there. Flushing is the the place to find the most diversity when it comes to the many regions of China. However, there are many Mandarin speakers (Mainland China or otherwise) who come to the city for classes and/or work. It's just a matter of getting into the right social circles (typically networking events and language groups), to run into these people. Believe me, there are many.

Yeah people have to realize that almost every Chinatown in America was started by Hong Kong and South Chinese people that speak Cantonese. Someone knowledgeable can even tell based upon the food menu and the taste of the food. Some Cantonese people even sound funny when speaking Mandarin, or just as awkward as you might be.

Mandarin is business Chinese. Period. Cantonese and the many dialects are closer to original Chinese language. Cantonese has 5 or so tones, unlike Mandarin. The writing/hanzi is the same though.

Some Chinatowns have areas with Taiwanese or recent Mainlanders but they tend to be smaller enclaves or sections. In Houston, the Vietnamese Town is mixed with HK/South Chinese joints. Their languages are not too far off and they like alot of the same things. Only a more recent built section of Chinatown is full of Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese stores and places. The old NYC Chinatown area is like mentioned above as well.

[RichieP]

Yep. Language skills = being able to talk to people around you. Business skills = able to create and capture value.

the following plan:

1. Learn Chinese
2. ???
3. Profit

Does not tend to yield consistent ROI

Combine it with something valuable that will actually result in people paying you money.