Chinese language is a relatively difficult language for foreigners to learn because they think the Chinese characters are difficult for them. Therefore, those who learn Chinese in China should pay more attention to the Chinese words, especially the similar words in meaning and appearance.

In order to help students who just started to learn Mandarin, I will illustrate several groups of simple similar words to explain how to tell the differences between them, thus giving them useful instructions.

The first group is “发达” and “发展”. Students who study Chinese may think it is hard to distinguish them. Actually, you will understand how easy it is after my explanation. “发达” is an adjective used to express things are well-developed or advanced. So we often say “发达国家” and “经济发达”.

However, when “发展” is used as a verb, it indicates to change things from small to big, simple to complex or form low class to higher level and so on. For example, “发展生产，发展旅游业”. It also can describe the organizations expand larger like “发展组织” and “发展经济”. So students who study in China know it means the process of developing when it is a noun such as “经济的发展”.

What’s more, the pair of words “非常” and “十分” is frequently used in the daily conversation when foreignerslearn to speak Chinese. As a matter of fact, these two words are extremely similar, they can be replaced by another in most situation. Both are adverbs means something has a very high degree. We can say both “非常高兴” and “十分高兴”.

But you should know two differences between them when you learn Mandarin in China. The first tiny difference is that “非常” can be repeated as “非常非常” but “十分” is not. Another is that “不” can be added before “十分” but not “非常”. So we say “这次考试的成绩不十分理想” instead of “这次考试成绩不非常理想”.

In our daily life, we may sometimes want to describe somebody is fat. So when if you learn Chinese language in China, you should know the two different words expressing fat “胖” and “肥”, both are opposite to “thin”. The difference is that we use them to different objects. “胖” is often used to describe the person such as “身体发胖” and “长得胖”. On the contrary, “肥” is to applied to animals or the clothes or shoes. So we can say “肥肉” and “肥猪” as well as “裤子有点儿肥”. So it is very impolite if we say somebody is “肥”.

Another two similar words students should master when they go to Chinese school in China are “丰满” and “丰富”. The former one is an adjective to say someone has a good shape such as ““她的身材很丰满”. Of course, it something is well-balanced in form, we can also use this word.

For the later one, when it used as adjective, it is to describe something have various types and large quantity like “物产丰富”. If functioned as verb, it means “enrich” in English. For instance, “丰富业余生活”. Whenlearning Mandarin Chinese, students should know that it can be used to both concrete things as well as the abstract.

Last but not least, the differences of the words “担心” and “当心” will be learned in qualified Mandarin program. “担心” is to describe there is something to worry in his mind. So we say, “我担心妈妈的身体”, “大家别为我担心”. However, “当心” emphasizes that to pay more attention to the behaviors. Accordingly, we say “外边冷，要当心”.

Generally speaking, these words are easy to distinguish if you can understand by exampling. If you can’t remember, you can make sentences by yourself to tell them apart and remember firmly.