# Best Way To Learn Chinese **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-learn-chinese/518308 "2009-11-20T18:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sundrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sundrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sundrop)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-learn-chinese/518308/21 "2009-11-25T17:18:10Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Well, marrying someone is a counterpoint to others in the thread that imply that prostitutes can teach more than just body language. :o > > The OP may want to be careful. He wouldn’t be the first one to visit China on a study trip and came away married. > > Does your wife speak Mandarin or Taiwanese to the little sprout? That’s a dilema for any of the Chinese groups that speak a local dialect but live outside that environment. Thanks for the link, by the way. Two weeks is probably too short a time to find a wife. And while my current wife (who is incidentally half Chinese but does not speak the language) was enthusiastic about the idea of a second woman around the house, I fear the state of North Carolina frowns upon multiple concurrent marriages. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-learn-chinese/518308/22 "2009-11-25T23:20:53Z")
> [@Sundrop](#): > > Thanks for the link, by the way. > > Two weeks is probably too short a time to find a wife. And while my current wife (who is incidentally half Chinese but does not speak the language) was enthusiastic about the idea of a second woman around the house, I fear the state of North Carolina frowns upon multiple concurrent marriages. Also, I doubt the American Embassy would approve the marriage and grant you the affidavit you’d need after just two weeks even if you _were_ single. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-learn-chinese/518308/23 "2009-11-26T06:12:54Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > Also, I doubt the American Embassy would approve the marriage and grant you the affidavit you’d need after just two weeks even if you _were_ single. Just in case you were not being clear, US Embassy’s do not approve marriages. All the US embassy will do (in my experience in Japan) is more or less notarize a translation you provide of the local marriage certificate. (For example, my Japanese marriage certificate only lists my name in katakana and my wife’s Chinese name in Kanji. I shudder to think what hoops we will ever have to go through in the US to prove we are legitimately married if ever questioned.). The US embassy may refuse to grant a tourist or fiance visa. In my experience in Shanghai, it takes a lot longer than 2 weeks for a Chinese national to get a visa interview appointment. The INS has to be involved if it is a Permanent Residence application. All that said, there are people that do the “mail order bride” thing and just come in country long enough to register the marriage, have the visa appointment and fly out. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-learn-chinese/518308/24 "2009-11-26T06:31:22Z")
I’m planning to visit Asia next year. I am finding it _really_ difficult to imagine getting to know someone well enough to decide on marriage in only three weeks or so. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-learn-chinese/518308/25 "2009-11-26T09:21:53Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Just in case you were not being clear, US Embassy’s do not approve marriages. > > All the US embassy will do (in my experience in Japan) is more or less notarize a translation you provide of the local marriage certificate. (For example, my Japanese marriage certificate only lists my name in katakana and my wife’s Chinese name in Kanji. I shudder to think what hoops we will ever have to go through in the US to prove we are legitimately married if ever questioned.). > > The US embassy may refuse to grant a tourist or fiance visa. In my experience in Shanghai, it takes a lot longer than 2 weeks for a Chinese national to get a visa interview appointment. The INS has to be involved if it is a Permanent Residence application. All that said, there are people that do the “mail order bride” thing and just come in country long enough to register the marriage, have the visa appointment and fly out. Uh, no… The US Embassy (consulate, whatever) has to issue you a document and the US citizen has to swear and sign an additional affidavit that he’s/she’s not already married in the US. These papers are **required** by the Chinese 民政局 People’s Government Office before they’ll process a marriage between a US citizen and a Chinese citizen. At least that’s how it was when I got married in China. If the US Embassy feels like denying you their approval then, well, you’re screwed unless you want to apply for a fiance visa through them (which they’d probably also deny you). The US Embassy also requires “proof of a relationship,” which in my case included pictures of us together and letters from our parents and an interview, before they’ll give you these documents. I’m talking about marrying a Chinese citizen in China and having a Chinese Marriage Certificate 结婚证 issued, not a US visa or anything in Japan, though. We’ve got different animals in mind. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-learn-chinese/518308/26 "2009-11-27T02:53:10Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I’m planning to visit Asia next year. I am finding it _really_ difficult to imagine getting to know someone well enough to decide on marriage in only three weeks or so. There are plenty of people coming to Asia who aren’t exactly looking for that perfect union of mind and soul, if you know what I mean. [/bitter woman whose ex dumped her and immediately shacked up a teenage bar girl that he’s “so in love with.”] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-learn-chinese/518308.md?page=1)