Ever realized your Chinese vocabulary isn't enough when explaining something technical
When I visited my in-laws in China, I tried to explain how to set up an aquarium properly.
I wanted to explain why you shouldn't just fill a tank with water and add fish immediately. I started talking about preparing the aquarium, establishing beneficial bacteria, biological filtration and, most importantly, the nitrogen cycle.
That's when I realized how much vocabulary I was missing.
I understood the subject perfectly well in English, but explaining ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and how the nitrogen cycle works in Chinese was another story.
Most Chinese learning materials I've used focus on everyday conversations, HSK vocabulary or general reading. Specialized vocabulary is much harder to come across.
When I returned, that experience led me to work on specialized Chinese readers covering subjects like aquarium keeping, aviation and technology.
One feature I particularly appreciate is having the pinyin directly underneath the Chinese characters. Sometimes I understand a word but forget how to pronounce one of its characters. Having the pinyin there means I don't have to keep interrupting my reading to check a dictionary.
It made me realize that knowing Chinese for everyday conversations is very different from being able to explain something you're genuinely knowledgeable about.
Has anyone else experienced this when trying to discuss a hobby or technical subject in Chinese?
What subjects do you find particularly difficult to talk about in Mandarin?